13.1 Tips for Your First Half Marathon

Regardless of whether you are a new runner or someone who has been running most of your life, your first half-marathon can seem like a daunting task. Between the distance, the crowds, or your training plans, it can all feel a bit overwhelming.

But we here at Running Warehouse can help. We've assembled a list of 13(.1) recommendations and tips to make conquering those 13.1 miles more manageable.

Most half marathon events have pretty detailed websites with a lot of useful information available. From Expo details to packet pickup to transportation tips and course elevation charts, you never know what will turn out to be useful for you.

Take some time to look through the information that's available to familiarize yourself as much as possible with how the day will go.

Plan your logistics well ahead of time. Look at the course map. Read the course description, and mentally prepare for any mid-race hills or harder portions of the course. Noting where aid stations and bathrooms are can also help to facilitate a stress-free race.

Proper footwear can make or break your running experience. It is important to wear quality running shoes that fit well and provide adequate protection over many miles. Old or worn out shoes should be avoided, but as we said before, you'll want to test your shoes before a race and get in at least one long training run with them prior to the half marathon.

Speaking of new shoes and new gear...

Your race should not be the first time you wear your new running shoes or clothing. It should also not be the first time you try a nutrition or hydration strategy.

Throwing your body off of its natural rhythm, or introducing new variables on a race day can be a recipe for a disaster. You're already trying to run 13.1 miles! Keep everything else as normal, and familiar as possible so that you can focus on the main challenge at hand.

To this end, it's important to grow accustomed to the things that you will need on race day while you're still working through your training plan.

Training is not just time to build a mileage base. It's also the perfect testing ground to get a feel for your race-day options. Use your long runs to dial in your pre-run routine, practice taking gels, break in your new gear, and try out some new hydration strategies.

On those early race-day mornings, it can be easy to forget something essential in your rush to the starting line.

Laying out everything you will need the night before the race (including putting your race number on your clothes) can help reduce stress and can save you from spending 20 minutes looking for your sunglasses on race day, when timing is everything.

We know. We know. This is gross, and nobody likes potty talk.

But nothing will ruin a race effort faster than an irritated bowel. In the rush to get to the line, and when trying to remember everything else you need on race day, it's unfortunate how often a trip to the all-important port-o-john gets overlooked.

Sometimes these things can be hard to control, but no one wants to waste minutes of their race waiting for the portapotty at mile 7. If possible, you should try to plan your bathroom breaks the day of the race. Eat early enough, and leave promptly enough, to work in a pit stop before the race begins.

It's easy to start out too fast during your first half marathon. You will be surrounded by A LOT of people, and in the excitement, it's easy to get swept up by the crowd and to take off too quickly without realizing it.

We suggest doing your best to start conservatively, and to rigorously stick to your goal pace for the first half of the race. It will likely feel slow to you, but that's okay! If you're still feeling good halfway through the race, once the initial adrenaline surge wears off, then you can choose to pick up the pace for the rest of the race.

Food is energy, and it is vital to fuel yourself properly before, during, and after the race. Also, find out what nutrition is going to be available on the course and how your body reacts to it. If the provided fuel stations won't work for you, pack your own favorite energy gels, or energy chews, that you have tested beforehand.

Staying hydrated is also incredibly important, but many runners overdrink water in preparation for a race and put themselves at risk of overhydration. It's more useful to pay attention to your thirst level, and drink water and electrolytes based on the conditions (Is it hot? Are you sweating a lot?). It is also best to avoid alcohol or excess caffeine before a race.

13.1 miles can take a long time to run, but having a running partner, or making friends along the way can help that time fly by.

During your training, a good running partner can help by providing increased accountability, by providing encouragement, and by making the runs themselves more enjoyable! Talking to a good friend can make the miles fly past.

Then, during the race itself, having other runners nearby can be the thing that gets you to the finish line. Whether they're long-standing friends, or somebody you met at the 4 mile mark that's going your pace, having a pacing partner can encourage you when the race starts to get tough. Even if you don't want to (or aren't able to) talk to a person mid-race, just having a partner nearby that you can trade off the lead with, or "latch onto," can help push and pull you to a faster time.

There will come a point in your race where you will start to struggle. For many of us, this happens around mile 10, when you hit the proverbial "wall." It's a phase of the race where your body starts to recognize its limits. Where you have to dig deep to power through the last mile or two, to achieve your goals.

When this happens, some people prefer to have strategies prepared to distract themselves. We've seen people sing, listen to music or audiobooks, or even do mental math to help the time and miles pass by more easily.

Other people prefer to stay in the race, but find ways to motivate themselves through the pain. Dedicating later miles in the race to loved ones who are cheering for you can help with this. Thinking about a spouse during mile 9, or a parent during mile 10, and so on, can help segment out the grind and keep you motivated when the pain sets in.

Whatever your preferred tactic, you should find something that can occupy your mind, to drown out the self-doubt, or the challenge at hand when things get gritty.

13.1 miles is a lot of time to spend in your own head.

Sure there will be crowds cheering you on. And you can plan a few distractions for yourself, or thought exercises, to chip away at some of the miles. But when it all comes down to it, there are going to be windows of time where you're hurting, and feeling isolated. When the crowd noise becomes white noise, or when the course turns down that long stretch that's totally barren of spectators for some reason.

In times like these, a good mantra can go a long way.

A mantra is a short phrase, or quote, that you can repeat over and over to yourself to help keep you moving. It's not a deep thought for you to ponder, like we suggested in Tip #11, but a mantra is more of a surface-level thought. Something that takes no brain power, but which is affirming and which can roll along with you, step after step, when the going gets tough.

Some examples of mantras that have worked for us in the past:

"I am strong. I am prepared. I can do this."

"There's no stopping me."

"I know this will be worth it."

It's important to pick a mantra that you believe in BEFORE the race, because this type of positivity can be hard to come by when the pain sets in. But a reliable, uplifting phrase can go a long way towards preserving an optimistic attitude.

During a half, and even during the training leading up to a half, you're bound to experience high and low points.

Know that the low points will pass, and just do your best to keep moving forward. If you are struggling and need to slow down for a bit, that's okay. If you need to walk for a while, that's okay too. Just keep moving forward!

We'll call it Tip #13.1. But not to be lost among all the rest of this...

The most important thing to remember during your first half-marathon is to have fun! This is your race, and regardless of the outcome, you can be proud of yourself for getting to the starting line.

Completing a 13.1 mile race is a big undertaking, but we hope you find the joy, satisfaction, and fulfilment that we know is possible when you plan and execute that perfect race.

For all your training and racing needs, keep your eyes on Running Warehouse, and we'll see you at that finish line. Good luck!