So I finished my second half-marathon run and FIRST Half-Marathon Race this weekend! It was a blast to run through all of Oklahoma City and be with friends and family who either ran or cheered me on.
Running a half marathon is a great distance to train for. You’re running a hard race, but you don’t have to put the same time and commitment you would a marathon. The half-marathon is an attainable race for anyone, especially if you’re ok walking and running.
Now, if I’m being honest, there were a lot of moments in training I wondered why I was spending Sunday mornings running for over an hour, but when I started the actual race, it flew by.
I trained for 16 weeks for the race
But I missed three long run weeks and only ran 2 times most weeks. I certainly wish I would have trained more consistently because I think it would have improved my time and made the end of the race a little easier.
Paradoxically, 16 weeks seemed like too many weeks to train. By the end, I was pretty burnt out of training and thought I would have done better on a shorter plan. I wish I would have spent the first four weeks mastering the consistency of running regularly (which I had not been doing prior to training for the half) instead of trying to build distance.
The first four-mile run was honestly one of the hardest runs of the entire training plan. Ultimately, I would suggest having a baseline of 2-3 miles under your belt before you set out on your half marathon journey.
When training got hard
In about February/early March, we started doing either 8 or 9 miles weekend after weekend, and man. The mileage started to leave me drained. I was tired every Sunday and the tiredness seeped into Monday.
I felt myself burning out and it became harder and harder to find motivation. At this point, race day was still a month or more out so it didn’t feel like I was getting close and I felt my pace slowing when I ran. My running podcasts weren’t keeping me going, and I was really struggling.
I did one of the eight-mile runs on a weekend that it had snowed so a friend and I walked/ran through the snow and ice, which took a ridiculous amount of time.
If I had to wait any longer for race day, I’m not sure it would have happened.
Training with a running group>>>
The only thing keeping me training was the running group I ran with. Otherwise, I probably would have resorted to walking the half. When you are with a group, everyone is struggling together!
Running groups help you keep your motivation when you’re in mile 8 and don’t want to keep going. I ran with the Red Coyote Running group, and they were such a fun and encouraging group. I didn’t get to run with them more than just Sunday mornings, but it was such an encouragement to run with people who just want you to do your best.
The group also helps you keep your pacing right, but you have to make sure you’re in the right pace group. As my pace was probably in between two paces groups, I struggled to find the group I wanted to run with.
The day before + Pre-Race Day
The night before, my friends and I made posters for our families to hold on the course and watched the OU Spring Game. The weather wasn’t looking too good, and we thought we’d be fighting rain and storms.
We woke up to ideal race conditions: 55 degrees, cloudy, and a light breeze. Honestly, could not ask for better weather. It even misted on the course to help keep us cool!
On race day, I ate a granola bar before the race and had a bite of banana on the course. I hate feeling food in my stomach when I run, which I know probably slows me down a little bit, but I made sure to eat lots the day (enjoyed a nice Spark Burger and fries) before so I had energy in my system. I never felt energy depleted the entire course.
Race day!!
Woooo! Race day. The moment we were all training for!
The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is an awesome race. Even though we were only doing the half, it was so cool to start with all the full marathon runners and see so many people from OKC running. I loved running in a pack of 1,000s of people, and I felt connected to Oklahoma City.
The course is so lively and energetic with people cheering almost the whole way through. I had a blast running, and when I hit the eight-mile mark, I thought I’d only run three miles! I was pleasantly surprised when 2/3’s of the race was over.
The first three miles felt like a breeze. I kept a steady past, slowly gaining a little extra speed. At this point, I felt like I could run forever (which was good since I still had forever to go). I had my music blaring and I felt on top of the world!
I first started to feel the race around mile 5. I had just passed my mom, boyfriend, and best friend’s mom and knew I wouldn’t see them again till mile 9. Honestly, it was so fun to see people I knew on the course. My roommates came out around mile 7, and I was smiling big with a little extra support.
Hitting Mile 9
This is where I completely derailed. At this point, flaws in my training were obvious. I didn’t prep my legs for the high level of impact and I should have been consistently running three times a week. I really wish I would have incorporated more sprints and harder training so I was ready for the last three miles.
Our longest training run was 11 so I was only adding two miles to my training, but I do wish I had structured my training a little better with speed work and working on running-specific exercises because my knee started firing up around Mile 11 so I struggled to make it to the finish line. Between my ankles, feet and knee, I was hurting in a lot of different places.
Finishing
Finally, after a looonnggggg time running, I wrapped up the race, trying to “sprint” (aka faster slow jog) to the finish line.
Overall, I was happy with the results of the race! I didn’t wear my Apple watch or run with a pace group, so I ran entirely on feel. It was nice to have no extra stress and just have fun on the run.
Next time, I’ll try to set a pace goal for myself and structure my training to meet a specific objective. I know that you don’t get an ideal time just going out for fun, but also going out for fun was my objective and it was met!
I’m glad I ran my first race at my happy pace. I see the merit in pushing your time, but now I have a time to beat the next half marathon (that won’t be too terribly difficult).
What’s next?
Now I’m getting ready for some off-season 10K training and getting back to my normal strength workouts. I decided that cardio was really good for my mind and body, so I’m going to keep running integrated into my routine.
I’m very proud of myself for enjoying the half and having a good time. I know next time I’ll push harder and enjoy it even more.
And I’m ready to try again!
Halle Brown 
2 responses to “I Ran a Half Marathon: Training, Race Day, What’s Next.”
You did AWESOME!! So proud of you!! Always just enjoy the run💜
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Great job Halle Brown!!
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