Is there anyone else who is trying to run a half-marathon in the fall? I have known for a few months that I want to do this. I have been running consistently 2-5 - 4 miles a day, six days a week, with a long run of about 6.5 - 7 miles once a week. I think I'm going to start an official training program in about 6 weeks.

I am still quite overweight and very slow, but I have good endurance. I run about 12 minute miles. My goal is to do the half at this pace or faster. I would be ecstatic if I could do it in 10 minute miles.

My biggest hurdle is likely to be the summer heat.

I would love to hear from someone else who is training for a half, even if he/she is at a totally different fitness level.

I've got a half marathon coming up at the end of July and another in October!
My first marathon goal was just to finish, but this year I'm hoping to finish in about 1:50:00. This year I've added a lot of hills into my training because even the little hills almost KILLED me my first time.

Races are super fun for me though. I figure I like to run and will do it anyways- its a lot more fun to have a crowd cheering for you when you finish! ;-)

Good luck with your training!

I'm also training for my first half Sept. 29th!! Right now my longest run is about 7 miles - I was doing that in about 9 1/2 min. miles. I try to do one long run a week and two shorter runs [3 -4 miles]. My aim is to build up the longer run by a mile or so a month until Sept so here's hoping!

What I need to work on now is slowing myself down to 10 min. miles so I don't burn out - I'm starting at like 8 min miles and then getting more and more tired so I'm DONE by mile 6 or 7...a treadmill would help but I abhore treadmill running haha.

I'm running my first half marathon at the end of June after a training plan of 17 weeks and I have another half planned for the end of September (23th) as well.

For the summer heat, the best is to train early in the morning or at night... it is way less struggeling (to me, at least)

Is there a reason you want to wait 6 weeks before you start training? Because depending when in the fall you want to run one, you might want to start early (my program for beginners was 17 weeks long...)

FOR: danzingurl77

Question for you - I'm running 3 days/week right now in preparation for my half in late Sept. [Run 3-4 miles/2 days a week, & a long run [currently 6-8 miles]/1day/wk].

How many days a week did you run in training for your first half? Three days a week I do heavy bag kickboxing/cross fit style training and I don't want to give this up b/c I'm also doing a Tough Mudder in Oct. which requires arm strength etc. so I am trying to do a combo of weights/cross fit and running but I worry that 3 days/week isn't enough so I was hoping for your thoughts on the matter & your training style.

Thanks!

TurboMammoth -- I'm actually running further/more frequently than the training program would have me run right now. I was thinking of using Hal Higdon's 12 week Novice 2 program, then taking 2 weeks to taper a bit, since there isn't a taper built into that one. That gives me 14 weeks of training. The marathon is in 20 weeks.

I usually run either 2.5 or 4 miles Monday through Friday, then 6.5 miles with a big hill on Saturday and Sunday. I run them really slowly, so I recover pretty well. The Hal Higdon program starts out with about the same short days as what I am doing now, but gradually builds the long days. I've been focusing on running what I am running faster now instead of increasing the mileage. It might not be the best tactic, but I think my fitness has been improving pretty steadily with this plan. I guess you would say I'm building my base now.