Training for a Half marathon??

So you're training for your first half marathon. Scared? Anxious? Nervous? Dont worry, its completely normal to be. I have ran quite a few and I am here to offer my advice and give you a checklist of things you may need.

So first off, some pieces of advice. 

Slow and steady wins the race. Dont take off too fast, especially for the first mile. Think, you still have 12.1 miles left, so try not to run out of gas right away. My advice is to break the race up in to portions, halves or quarters, and tell yourself to pace at a certain speed for each of them. For myself, I run the first 6 miles at a slower pace, and once I finish, I decide how I am feeling and whether I increase my pace or not. 

Here's a little secret. Half marathons are the best races to run. Why? Everyone, other racers and the spectators are there for you. The spectators think you are this amazing person and will just cheer you to finish rather than to run faster. The other runners know how much 13 miles really does suck and everyone realizes that they are in for the long haul. 

Going along with the above advice, just plan on finishing. Make that your goal, especially for your first race. Once you finish, you can look at your time and make goals off of it for your next one. Just the accomplishment of running 13.1 miles is a huge achievement, do not let yourself forget that. 

Find someone to run with. Like I said, ever runner in that crowd knows how tough the race is. Look to your right or left and see someone who is running a similar pace with you. Start a conversation. The race will fly by having someone to talk to, and they can help pull you along when you need it and you may do the same for them!

Some good halves in the Midwest that I would definitely recommend: Rock and Roll Chicago, Minneapolis Marathon, Gopher to Badger, Marion Arts Festival.

Some Midwest halves I would recommend maybe to look into after you've ran one, but not your first: Dubuque Benefit Classic (HILLIER THAN HILLY), Grinell Games Half (TOUGH MENTAL RACE), Triple D Half Marathon (TOUGH AND COLD)

Now as for a checklist of items that I would recommend to have.

A race to do! First things first, talk to people, do some research, read my blog!, do whatever you can to find a good race to choose. Some people just choose a random one, and thats not a bad thing, however, sometimes you may choose the hilliest or hottest as your first, and if you have a bad first half, you are more than likely going to end up hating the distance.

Shoes that fit your correct foot gait
(GO GET FIT)

Moisture wicking socks

Clothes, preferably moisture-wicking, but everyone likes something different.

A watch. I would recommend a GPS one, because training will be so much easier when you know exactly how far you have ran exactly when youre running, however, a standard timing watch will work great to understand your pacing.

For women: A comfortable sports bra that has a nice fit

Body glide. This is a savior for so many things. Chafing, blisters, you name it, this will help.

And a few optional things:

A Hydration belt. Some people like to have a belt with a waterbottle or 2 in it and sometimes it can really help, however not all people are proponents of this.

Nutrition. I use GU before a half marathon, and some people do other sorts of energy supplements. Not everyone uses them, however, they can give you an edge that will help.