It is going to be tough, I really want this, at least to try says a boy (16) who wants to run his first half

Zephiebee's advice on Reddit's running group is solid: "Without knowing how often and how far you usually run, it'll be tough to give you really good advice. But, here's some beginner advice, assuming you have a bit of experience running and racing: Be realistic about your goal for the Half Marathon. The average half marathon time is about 2 hours if you're in good athletic shape, so be prepared to spend some long hours on the road each week for your long runs! Be prepared to walk/run. Muscle pains and aches are expected, but if you push yourself too hard to go too fast or too far at once, you're increasing your risk of injury. Find someone to run with. Is there a running group to tag along some mid-distance beginner runs you can join? Figure out how your body reacts to water, gatorade and gels on long distances as soon as you can. Nothing's worse than getting to a race and finding out your stomach hates Gu! Good luck."

posted Wednesday February 28th