So my half-marathon is coming up in a few weeks . . . and the training is not really happening very well. I’m running 3 or 5 miles here and there, but nothing serious. I’m starting to get nervous.
Have any of you out there ever run a race without really training and if so, was it painful? Did you finish?
Susan, I’ve been a lurking fan of your blog for quite some time – I love your humor! I think I stumbled onto your blog from another runner’s blog link but through you, I now read 21st Century Mom, the Marathon Mama and David’s Adventures in the Thin Trade. I PR’d at Birmingham last year after only running a long run of 8 in the several weeks leading up to the Half and nothing else over 3 to 5 – a PR for me is under 3 hours, I’m a slow but steady 50-54 age group runner, a runner in the Galloway program actually. Anyway, go for it! The way I look at it, I can always walk to the end. Keep up the great blog, I just love it!
I say go for it. I’ve run some races after not training hard. It was tough, I was slow, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Good luck!
Go for it! I do believe that you are signed up for the Indy Mini which is a fantastic race. I’ll be there cheering so perhaps we could meet up afterwards!
Hi,
I did the same thing for the Disney 1/2 last year only running 3-6 miles for 2-3 days each week for about 4-5 weeks leading up to the race. I had just started running again in my 40s and wasn’t sure how it would go but I play a lot of basketball so that helped. I was trying to run closer to 5-6 miles each run during 2-3 weeks prior to the race. Just to see if I would have a shot at finishing I ran 9 miles the Monday before the Sat race then I took rest of that week off so I would be fresh. I ran a slow steady pace whole race and finished in just under 2 1/2 hours and it was a blast! Time to sign up for another one! Good luck!
Steve
Yes! I ran the Vegas half on exactly this much training. It was fine. I finished it, albeit slowly, and I was sure as heck sore and tired for the next few days, but I still had plenty of fun at the race. Just take it easy, don’t try to break any records, and you’ll be fine.
ummm… no. remember that pesky little half-marathon i was “training” for about a month ago!?
m’hmm. yeah. i didn’t do it. and i didn’t, and still don’t, regret it for a second. it just wasn’t worth it to me, my heart wasn’t in it, and the point is to have fun, right?!
running a *half-marathon*, under trained, just didn’t sound fun.
so… i’m sure you CAN do it. i’m sure you’re capable.. and i know i’ll probably be the only one that says this, but…
if you can’t find it in you to train, maybe its because you’re not ready to race!?!
its just a race. and there will be plenty more.
This January I ran a 50K on little to no training. I think the key is to go out with no time intentions. Just run at a comfortable pace, preferably with friends, and enjoy the day.
You will be fine I am sure! Perhaps a bit sorer than usual the next day though 😉
i trained 13.1 miles for a half-mary at the beginning of the season.
just get ‘er done!
I’ve done my last 2 totally untrained. The last one was a PR. I’m about to do my first Olympic distance triathlong sans training. Again – awesome!!
Try to get in a 6 mile run in the next couple of days. If you can run 6 you can run 13.
Not training is the new training! It’s awesome!
Longtime lurker…
I ran the Kaiser Half Marathon earlier this year with my longest run being 7 miles (marathon training burnout). Luckily, most of the run was downhill or flat. While I did finish within 2 minutes of my PR, it did hurt a little more than usual the next day (but no injuries) and I did have a pretty random leg cramp at mile 12.
I’m all about half-assed training these days.
I ran my first half 2 years ago after only running for a month and a half. It was a breeze… wait a minute It killed and I cried the last 3 miles 😉
I’m sure your be cool and the gang, you run loads.
see ya.
1) Yes.
2) Yes.
3) Yes.
And I didn’t die. Fortunately the half is a forgiving distance.
Good luck!
Yep! I did the America’s Finest City Half, which has a reputation for being very brutal, as it gets quite vertical the last three miles.
I finished 30 seconds from my PR. It was one of my best races ever.
I think you can do it.
I ran a nine miler about a week before as a “test” run. I knew if I did not die on nine miles, another four wouldn’t either.
No.
It depends on how much you push yourself. If you run at PB pace it will be painful. If you just aim to finish and include walking breaks you’ll get there, but I don’t want to be in your body for the week afterwards.
My husband has entered many a race (5Ks mostly, but one 10K) with no training at all. He’s not even a runner, but has, on a whim, entered a race and not died afterwards. One race he actually ran in dress shorts. Men. Anyway, I myself haven’t done it, but this weekend am about to run a 5K and haven’t trained much because of a pretty bad shin splint I’ve had. You’re so much more of a runner than I, LOL, so I think you can do it!
What ho me old colonials!
Well that’s it.
The Gold Medal’s in the bag.
Did my first practice of the 2012 Olympic course on Sunday and it was a piece of cake.
For an incisive mile-by-mile account of the London Marathon, check out http://www.ronhillsalterego.blogspot.com
Keep on tapering
Ron
I did! I ran my first marathon very under-trained, and not at all prepared for what was to come. Yes, I finished it, and yes, it hurt. So much so that I vowed never to run another marathon again, ever!
(no, I didn’t keep that vow)
geeze, after reading all these comments I’m beginning to think i’m the only one who thinks you need to train for these things. Who knew?!?!
I’m sure you can do it, if you aim to just finish. and i bet you’ll have fun, too.
🙂
Good luck!
Hi Susan- long time lurker as well – you are great (and so is donkey)! We have pretty similar stats, attitudes and training schedules. Last fall I ran Chicago after VERY little training and finished within 1 minute of a PR and felt fine after – I just took it easy and tried to have fun and things worked out great – they probably will for you as well. It seems that many people have pretty similar stories. Once you have successfully finshed events I think that the mental aspect can overcome lack of training. You know that you can finish that distance, you’ve done it before. The bad thing will be that once you’ve done it and didn’t keel over, you’ll start using that race as justification as why you can slack off next time too(ask me how I know this)!
I am the most trained untrained person that will be there! I got to get my “Have you seen this woman” shirt made. I am taking my fat picture and slapping it on a tee shirt so I can proudly trot the mini with all my fatness displayed for the world to see.
yeah, you can totally do it. you just run…you know you can do the distance…so you just keep running…
hm… no, i’ve never run a half that i didn’t train for, but i think you haven’t been off that much. not like you’ve gone days without running. just seems you haven’t put in the distance.
just don’t RUN it. jog it, but …
if your booty starts to ache, stop.
Yes, Yes and Yes. You’ll do fine…just go into the race as a fun thing to do instead of a competition.
Running must be a pleasure. Just finish your run.
Running must be a pleasure. Just finish your race.
Yes, I ran a half in January completely untrained and I ran it with some folks who on any day are better than me. It sucked for a minute until I realized that it’s just enough that I got out there and did it despite no training. That little philosophy (and the beer that awaited me after) got me through it (and I PR’ed!)
You have to do it because you’re training for New York.
I signed up for the Brooklyn Half about 10 days before, and took one long (10 mile) run about a week prior to the race. It’s amazing how tough you can be mentally to push yourself through. Good luck!