Official 2011 Princess Half Marathon Thread - Link to new thread Post 3703!

[roomthreeseventeen]

I am a new runner, I am signed up for a 15K in November and I want to do the princess, I will be 35 in a few weeks and I have been out of shape for the better part of 6 years. I started training in January I have lost 15lbs and I ran a 5K a 4Mile race and I have gone as far as 4.5 in training.

Here is my questions, in reading your thread I have found how unprepared I am, I did not know anything about gels, sports beans, clif shots (ok I don't even know what clif shots are) I as well thought I could bring a protein bar and snack on that if I needed to, and another FABULOUS thread I have learned about the correct socks and fuel belt for to bring water.

So with that said, Am I out of my league here? I love to run/walk because no drama you just need your feet, (or so I thought)
Its a little discouraging to read how unprepared I am.....

Thanks for letting me post on your thread and any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome!

You're not out of your league at all.

If you want to know more, I suggest you hook up with the Runner's World message boards. Since I started reading them, my times have improved significantly, as has my training!

 

[HockeyKat]

For me, sometimes the gel or sport beans is totally a mental thing. I know it's going to give me a boost, so as soon as I get it in my mouth, I feel better. I realize that it probably is actually doing something, but not as quickly as my brain thinks it's going to.

Plus, I'm a sucker for jelly beans, so on a long run, I can say "Okay, just five more minutes, then you can have a treat," and it keeps me going. I'm much like a dog. Will do tricks for treats.

Haha!! I do the same with walk breaks.


Hi Jo!! You are totally not out of your league.

Just keep reading and asking questions and figuring out what works for you and you will be fine.

 

[joan4mickey]

I'm another for sports beans and water. I start using my sport beans around mile 6. I like to put two in my mouth at a time and mash them in the roof of my mouth-it takes about 4 miles for me to finish the pack. I start taking water-just a mouth full- at the 3 mile stop and get a mouth full at the rest of the stops. I run a 9:30-10:00 min. mile.

Currently, I'm training for the DL 1/2 and it is hot and HUMID. I have been taking a bag of sport beans on my LR and start taking them around mile 4 of an 8 mile run. I haven't been taking water-but some one in my neighborhood will have a sprinkler running and I will splash some water on my face. I have have been hitting the water cooler at the range (golf) around mile 7 and taking a drink.

I drinks lots of water after I run and somethings a sports drink. I also drink lots of water throughout the day-everyday.

I am not an expert-just read and try to see what works best. I don't like the gels, they do weird things to my stomach. Try everything before race day-including your clothes.

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Amy,
thank you for the info on the running world message boards.

HI KAT!!! Thank you for your support. I feel like I ask too many questions some times!!

 

[Cripey]

I am a new runner, I am signed up for a 15K in November and I want to do the princess, I will be 35 in a few weeks and I have been out of shape for the better part of 6 years. I started training in January I have lost 15lbs and I ran a 5K a 4Mile race and I have gone as far as 4.5 in training.

Here is my questions, in reading your thread I have found how unprepared I am, I did not know anything about gels, sports beans, clif shots (ok I don't even know what clif shots are) I as well thought I could bring a protein bar and snack on that if I needed to, and another FABULOUS thread I have learned about the correct socks and fuel belt for to bring water.

So with that said, Am I out of my league here? I love to run/walk because no drama you just need your feet, (or so I thought)
Its a little discouraging to read how unprepared I am.....

Thanks for letting me post on your thread and any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Hi...I thought the same thing when I first got this urge to sign up for the Princess Half! And, oddly enough, I've progressed alot like you have. I also started slowly working out in January of this year, have lost about 15 pounds so far too and am about to run in my first 5K in just a few weeks. (and it's on the beach just to make it that much more fun ) Over the last year and a half to 2 years I've watched my BF go from being very out of shape with no exercise at all to being 70+ pounds lighter, skinnier than me (not fair, but I'm catching up!), and about to run his 3rd half marathon and begin training for his first full marathon. He trained for 9 months before his very first half marathon and could barley run a quarter mile in the beginning without feeling like he was going to pass out...but he made the commitment to stick with it and finished his first run in 2 hours 45 minutes...then shaved over 30 minutes off of that in his second one (just 4 months later) and is now going for the "under 2 hours" in september. If he can do it, then I know we can too! Fortunately, I've been able to learn about some things just by watching him and seeing some of the issues he had to deal with. The most important being that you really have to find what works for you...just like many have already said...so it's good that we have so much time to train and play around with energy supplements, fuel belts, special socks, etc. I've found that just reading the posts here during the day helps to keep me motivated to get out and run or get my cross training in after work. I don't think you are out of your league at all...or as unprepared as you think you are. Hey, you already know you can do 4.5...and that's over 1/3 of the way there with over 7 months to go!!!

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Thanks Cripy!
Good luck on your first 5K. Mine was in April it rained cats and dogs but I had a blast and when it was done I wanted more!!!!!

Thanks for your post, and yes reading the DIS is major motivation.

 

[jenn-]

Thanks for the wonderful responses to my nutrition question. I guess when I hit a 7 mile run I will start to experiment with them. I might be able to do enhanced jelly beans as they are a weakness of mine (although mine are normally sugar free).

Has anyone else had distance shockers? I am training on a treadmill over the summer and although my run yesterday was 5 miles, I didn't really "go" anywhere. Before the treadmill I was running 3 miles but on a .5 loop, so it never really felt "far". I was using my TomTom today and realized I had 13 miles left to my desination, and that was really far away. I really fear my brain is going to mess with me once I start running outside again. What doesn't seem like a daunting task while I'm not going anywhere, seems really far to travel outside. I just really need to cover up my tripometer and stop using TomTom.

 

[buckeyecinderella]

Hello cantwaitvaca09!

I am relatively new to running (since mid Jan. 2010) as well as the DISboards. Like the support you've received from others posting, I agree that you are NOT out of you league at all! The most I've ever "raced" is a 5K (three thus far). Though still slow, I register for the races to challenge myself and for the experience. There is always something new I learn in these races that I don't get from my training. Plus, they are fun and good for motivation!

You can get a lot of information on line (for example runnersworld.com, active,com, coolrunning.com as well as the discussion boards like this one). I just bought the book, Marathoning for Mortals, that I read a recommendation about on this post. And another runner I met while on a flight, recommened the Bob Glover book, which I saw mentioned in an earlier post in this thread as well.

Likely if you visit your local running stores, bike specialty stores, etc., you will see much of the nutritional supplements mentioned in these posts. Some I've seen at grocery stores too. I found the sport beans/jelly beans just in the check out lane of a general sporting goods store. You'll see the fuel belts too and other running accessories as well.

Honestly, it won't take long before you are familiar with the things you've seen others discussing and you'll probably be posting out to others what works for you as well! And I'm betting there will be lots and lots of posts with questions about training and the princess 1/2 marathon weekend between now and the end of february! :>)

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Thank You Buckeye

Jenn, I train outside, only on the treadmill when I have to.
I find running outside is some much better, its does not seen so far, its just you the road and your music. I have trouble on the treadmill just look at the time or the distance, even if I cover it up I still know its there. Outside it does not feel like that.
I hope that helped.

 

[SummerIrmoma2_3]

Hey, you already know you can do 4.5...and that's over 1/3 of the way there with over 7 months to go!!!

What a great way to look at it. My longest run so far has been 4.5 too, but I have always looked at it more negatively (I have to almost triple that) vs a positive (I am a over a 1/3 of the way there). I am going to have to remind myself that from time to time, I am sure.

Has anyone else had distance shockers? I am training on a treadmill over the summer and although my run yesterday was 5 miles, I didn't really "go" anywhere. Before the treadmill I was running 3 miles but on a .5 loop, so it never really felt "far". I was using my TomTom today and realized I had 13 miles left to my desination, and that was really far away. I really fear my brain is going to mess with me once I start running outside again. What doesn't seem like a daunting task while I'm not going anywhere, seems really far to travel outside. I just really need to cover up my tripometer and stop using TomTom.

Kind of but not really. I much rather run outside over the treadmill any day of the week, but when I am mapping out my runs it does seem really far sometimes. I live in a semi large, very winding, subdivision and I can go to the kids' school and back and it is 4 miles. I am getting a little worried about doing my long runs around here when I go up in mileage. I think winding round and round in circles might get to me after awhile.

Thank You Buckeye

Jenn, I train outside, only on the treadmill when I have to.
I find running outside is some much better, its does not seen so far, its just you the road and your music. I have trouble on the treadmill just look at the time or the distance, even if I cover it up I still know its there. Outside it does not feel like that.

ITA. On the treadmill I will tell myself that I will not look at the screen and sure enough every few minutes I am looking down at the screen. On the street I feel like I can better gage how I am doing because I am actually going somewhere, passing things and what not.

I got Marathoning for Mortals from the library yesterday, but I think I will probably end up buying it. I am only on chapter 3, but I skipped ahead and peaked at the training programs and I think the half run/walk looks like it might be right up my ally. My only main concern is that it only does 10 miles before the race and I really want to do the whole 13 in training so that I can *know* that I can do it on race day. But since I have plenty of time I will probably just add in an couple extra weeks to get the 13 in before tapering off.

 

[cewait]

My only main concern is that it only does 10 miles before the race and I really want to do the whole 13 in training so that I can *know* that I can do it on race day. But since I have plenty of time I will probably just add in an couple extra weeks to get the 13 in before tapering off.

Since you are currently running with a long run longer the John starts with, rather than adding weeks, just add a couple miles to every long run. on the first half of the schedule and 3 on the final 2-3 long runs. (note, keep the shorter 'pull-back runs' the length he has in the plan. You need the recovery weeks to gain strength.

 

[DIS-OH]

I know the qualifying time for the "earlier" corrals is 2:45 for a Half-marathon. What is it for a 10K?

 

[cewait]

I know the qualifying time for the "earlier" corrals is 2:45 for a Half-marathon. What is it for a 10K?

About 74 minutes will equate to a 2:45 half.....

If you want to plug times into a decent calculator head to

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

 

[HockeyKat]

About 74 minutes will equate to a 2:45 half.....

If you want to plug times into a decent calculator head to

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

Again, GREAT site! Love it. I love the training paces that they give you, too.

It predicts my half marathon time as 2:36 based on my 5K time, and I have been training long runs roughly at the pace they recommend (a little slower due to the extreme heat/humidity we have been having here in NC). My longest long run/walk was 14 miles. I was wishing for 2:45 or under, so this gives me hope!

Let's see how I do in Chicago on Aug 1!

 

[Jeter02]

For those doing wal / run or run/walk plans what are using to help you with interval changes?

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

For those doing wal / run or run/walk plans what are using to help you with interval changes?

I am using my beloved pink Gymboss and it works so well for run/walk! Just google Gymboss and you will find it. It cost about $20.

 

[Jeter02]

I am using my beloved pink Gymboss and it works so well for run/walk! Just google Gymboss and you will find it. It cost about $20.

Oh my goodness.....thank you so much....just looked at it, and am totally going to get one! Exactly what I am lookig for

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

You are so welcome and I just used it tonight!

 

[Jeter02]

You are so welcome and I just used it tonight!

Do you know if you are able to buy at a store, or only online?

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

I have never seen them in stores, just online.