Whether you’re prepping for your first half marathon or you’re aiming for a new PR, there’s a lot that goes into a smart buildup, including weekly workouts and long runs, as well as nutrition, recovery, and cross-training. So it’s probably no surprise that with all those variables often come a few missteps that can occur when training for 13.1. And some of those can leave you unprepared for your best race possible, while others can put you at risk for injury.
To help you avoid common mistakes, we talked with four coaches about what they see runners do while training for a half marathon that actually sets them back. They shared their top tips for what to focus on, avoid, and stop stressing about so you arrive at the starting line strong and ready to race. When gearing up for a long-distance race, every run can feel crucial to success—especially the long runs you’re tackling each weekend.
But if a run or two falls by the wayside because you’re sick, traveling, or just plain busy, don’t stress about fitting those miles back into your schedule. Your best bet is usually to keep moving forward with your regularly scheduled program and think of those missed days as the rest your body needed. That little bit of extra rest might just make everything feel better.” “Pacing strategy is critical—it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the race and start out too fast, resulting in a need to significantly slow down,” says Emily Booth, NASM-certified personal trainer and run coach based in Colorado.
Dave Berdan—two-time Baltimore Marathon champion, former elite marathoner, and run coach based in Maryland—agrees and notes that goal-pace workouts are especially important during the last six to eight weeks before the race. Here’s one workout progression he recommends to help dial in your race pace: You’re doing all the physical training to get your body ready to run 13.1 miles. But success on race day also depends on having the mental bandwidth to stay positive, adjust your pace, and keep going when things get tough.
Here’s how: Look at your race’s course map and do an internet search for any information previous runners have shared about the course—such as elevation or specific sections that get narrow or crowded. Then, think through your entire race morning. Don’t forget to also visualize less-than-ideal circumstances, like if you miss a water station or have to slow your pace through some uphill miles.
Imagine these situations happening and tell yourself, “It’s no big deal, as there are several miles to make it up,” says Berdan. But “if you plan to take over 90 minutes to finish the race, you need to plan what type of carbohydrates and fluids you’ll be taking, and then practice this strategy in your training,” says Jeff Gaudette, founder and head coach of RunnersConnect. Similar to nutrition, not giving much thought to how you hydrate during longer runs is a common training mistake.
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