Half Marathon Training

_It has been said that half marathon training is “half the distance, twice the fun” of a full marathon.  For some people that may or may not be true.  One thing that certainly isn’t true, it’s a lot less than half the work of a full marathon.

_The great thing about half marathon training is that it is within reach for so many people.  All across the world, half marathons are full of novice athletes and avid walkers. 

_People of all ages and backgrounds join in the fun of half marathons.

_A half marathon, sometimes called a mini marathon is 13.1 miles long.  As the name implies, it is half the distance of a full marathon of 26.2 miles.

_This is something that can be accomplished for a lot of people, even dedicated beginners.

_Half Marathons all over the world are full of people you wouldn’t normally expect at endurance athletic events. 

_Overweight people and older people are sometimes left out these activities but many of them can be found at any half marathon.

_Obviously, the endurance is more than what is required for a 5 or 10k, but it is still doable. 

_The best advice for half marathon training is to work toward a cardio base.  What is meant by this is increasing the amount of time you can do cardio.  It is advisable for most beginners to train by minutes, rather than miles.

_Start with a half hour to forty five minute walk.  Try to walk every day or every other day.  Keep one day a week your specified long walk. 

_Doing this combination of short and long walks each week will help you find your pace and increase your endurance without maxing yourself out.

_Once you are able to walk for 90 minutes straight you are ready to start half marathon training.  This is when you should start measuring by miles for your long walks.  By this point you might even take it upon yourself to start jogging a little. 

_There are so many resources available for half marathon training.  Check out runnersworld.com for example for great training schedules. 

_One thing a lot of avid walkers due is drive their route after a walk to measure their distance.  This is a great idea for some, but sometimes we walk on paths that do not allow car traffic. 

_Another option is to go to a site like mapmyrun.com to see how far you have gone.  Once you get the hang of how long 4-6 miles are you should be able to pretty much guess how far you go.

_Anything with “marathon” in it might sound daunting.  Though it will take some work, the great majority of adults can complete a half marathon. 

_Remember to take it slow and soon enough you will cross that finish line.

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