10 years ago I decided that running was fun. Then I decided that I really liked half marathons. This has meant that I've dragged myself to the finish line of 44 halfs since I started running back in 2015. Consequently, my kids know that dad may end up anywhere running his next half.
You may be wondering why I'm telling you this. Well, it's because I just signed up for the Milwaukee Lakefront Half Marathon next month.
It will be a training run for the Honolulu Marathon in December. Side note: The half marathon is my distance of choice. It's twice the fun in half the time of the full marathon. Did you know that there are over 2,700 halfs offered every year in the good old U.S. of A.? I've never considered the half marathon as the half of anything. It's a brutally difficult distance in its own right. Yes, it is a half of a marathon, but it is also a distance worth training for in its own right. If you've ever completed a half marathon, that's a HUGE accomplishment in its own right. Runners need to conquer the half before even thinking about attempting a full. When you succeed at a half, then you can consider moving on to the 26.2 mile distance. The 13.1 mile distance is a very good predictor of how well you might do in a marathon. I think I finished 8 halfs before I did my first marathon. The half is the perfect entree into long distance running -- not too time-consuming and posing less risk of injury than the full.
If you've already been running for a few months, it will take you about 3 months to get ready for your first half. Make sure you've built up to running at least 3 times per week and can comfortably cover 30 miles in a 7-day period.