Who is training for a half marathon and wants to support each other?

[Tiggeroo]

I have my eye on the Princess half - which I know is a little more then a year away. I am overweight and out of shape but I have been improving this quite a bit over the past year. I was walking/running and had worked up to 3miles straight with a 5 mile daily total. But I had hurt my hip and knee a bit and it wasn't getting better so I switched to biking. Over the summer and fall into around Thanksgiving I was biking around 11 miles a day on a road bike.
I recently started back at the gym and am doing the treadmill. Between that and walking at work I am back to 5 miles a day but they are slow miles. My goal is to build leg, hip and back strength and increase my miles slowly to try and avoid injury again. The current plan is to try to be at a 15 minute mile pace for 7-8 miles by August at which point I will sign up for the half and begin actual half training. I am doing Galloway's walk run. In addition watching the diet and doing weights 3 days per week.
I would love to hear from other people training for half marathons. Advice from more experienced people would be great but also new runners who are struggling. Some days I feel like such a fat loser, so other people who this doesn't come easy to could help. ---------------------

 

[Ariel484]

Hi Tigeroo!

Sounds like you are on the right track! Slow and steady is a good strategy, for sure! I'm sure you know, but Jeff Galloway makes training plans specifically for Disney races and his Princess Half plan would start in late September. You can check out this year's plan here: http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/training/running/plans/2014/Princess/Princess15_Beg1.pdf Maybe something like this will work for you!

I did want to make sure that you knew that registration for 2016 Princess Weekend is in July, not August - in fact, it opens on July 14 at noon EST and it WILL sell out on the first day, if not the next day. Just want to make sure you don't miss it.

Keep up the great work!

 

[GrandAdmiralStrife]

I start training March 3 in a local class for 5k/10k training, but signed up for a half marathon Apr 26, just to see where I am. I'd like to see just how bad off (or surprise myself) I am now and compare it to where I'll be a year from now.

 

[Neoflynn]

Tiggeroo,
you are definitely on the right path, when it comes to increasing your running you want to increase millage over time so your body gets used to it, ill be running my second half in march and ill be training for the WDW Marathon for 2016 toward the end of this year, I never thought I would work up to running a full but running does funny things to you LOL. Ive only been on these boards a short time but everyone here seems very supportive (as it is with most running communities) keep up the good work and don't be afraid to ask questions. Also Ariel484 is right about registration if Princess next year is truly your goal you will need to be ready to sign up on registration day as it will sell out quickly

 

[KingofJapan]

I am just trying to avoid injury this time. Last 2 trainings resulted in me dropping out of the race, including the Disney half. First injury was a neuroma in right foot then second injury was herniated disc. Both are healed now. Just have a few more lbs to drop. Figuring out how much I should be. At my peak i was 158. I am 5'11". Now I am in the 180s but have no problem getting back to that weight.

 

[jwjulie]

Hi, Tiggeroo! I have my eye on the Princess Half as well! After watching one of my good friends complete it the last two years and feeling the urge to do it, she told me that she'd sign me up for 2016 so I can do it with her - but I told her I'd do it anyway. I've never been a runner, but I've been active ( dancer for 26 years, between taking classes and teaching but I stopped this year ), so I'm really going to give it a try. I just started training this week for a 5k in May that's literally down the street from where I live ( it's local, and cheap, but it doesn't give me an 'official time' ) and I just registered for another in June. I'm also trying to work my way down to about a 15 minute mile, hopefully less. It's exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time!

Wishing you the best of luck, and I hope to see you there in February!

 

[Grendalynn]

How is the training going? I am looking to do a 1/2 in the future and want to hear about how others have trained.... I dont think I have any desire to do 26 miles, I would rather do a few 10k, 15 and 1/2s

 

[Grendalynn]

So, I signed up for a night time 15k back in May.... It's next Saturday and I figured I should probably attempt run the 9+ Miles before the actual race. So a friend and I did it this morning and we did great! I have no doubt that I will be able to do a 1/2 when the time is right - however, my knees and one ankle are sorer than usual and my hip flexors are killing me.... I must not work them too much on my usual 3-4mile runs. Any suggestions?