Running a Half Marathon with Minimal Training

Jun 11, 2024
7 min read

It's a long time coming, but reflecting on my first half marathon journey has my mind racing, pun intended.

Let's start with my running story.

My first race was in first grade. It was a race at my grade school, a “fun run.” I’m not saying this was “the start” of my running journey, but maybe it where I found a love for running.

When I hit high school I was trying to decide what I wanted to be a part of. Did I want to join clubs? Teams? Theater?

I’m not sure what brought me to cross country, maybe my mom being a high school running star? (Shoutout mom for holding the school record in like three different races!) Whatever it was, I am soooo glad I joined my freshman fall semester.

group of cross country runners hugging and smiling. — our sweet team my senior year

Running came easy to me. That would be because of soccer keeping me in shape, running around the field, feeling the leg burn.

What was my favorite part about cross country was the tight-knit team. I mean, how could you not be close with your team when all you do everyday is go out and run?

On our long days we would go out and just talk talk talk. Sometimes maybe even sing while we hit our miles. We’d talk about the school day, boys, post-race weekend plans, faith, everything.

I think part of my enjoyment from running stemmed from just being good at it. Freshman year I came out hot and placed in every race, getting myself a spot in the State race. That definitely deserves a shoutout to my teammates (Maddy Mueller and Ally Renaud if you’re reading this, thank you).

MSHAA State Championships for womens cross country — state championship race my senior year

That great freshman season definitely lit a fire under my a*s because the same thing happened the next three years. If you were grabbing medals almost every race and heading to Jefferson City at the end of the season, you’d enjoy running too.

Now let's chat about how I ran a half marathon with very little training.

I wasn’t racing with a time goal in mind, which probably turned into a bit of an excuse while I trained. But at the same time, I don’t think it would’ve been as fun if I had a time goal.

I heard that most half marathoners (that are doing it “for fun”) recommend not putting a time goal on yourself. You never know how a race is going to go, or how your body will feel that day. It can feel like a huge disappointment if you don’t meet that goal, and I wanted to enjoy running again.

In the end, I knew I’d be able to finish the half marathon no matter how many training runs I had.

Saturday: Packet Pick-Up and Kabab

Our Saturday started with a drive to New Braunfels for packet pick-up. This tiny store had a line to the door filled with runners. It was definitely a minuscule thing, but what a sight to see!

Lots of “good lucks” went around that day.

After we picked up the packet with our race bibs, we headed to Academy Sports.

Quickly after signing up for the race, I ordered myself a running belt to hold everything I would need on my long runs. Specifically, my phone & inhaler lol.

Austin decided he needed one, too. Because who would want to hold their phone for 13.1 miles?

After some shopping and practice runs, he had a belt. Then off we went for a big dinner.

We were lucky enough to have a big meal of salad, rice, and kabab (an Iranian beef dish that's delicious). That put me in a food coma, which was perfect for our 4:30 a.m. wake up call.

Sunday: Race Day

4:30 a.m. • We probably set 10 alarms between the two of us to make sure we were up and moving.

5 a.m. • Left the house with our waters and Celsius.

5:30 a.m. • We arrived, parked, and walked to the bus. We were lucky to be the last ones to get on the first bus to go out. Thankful for that… I would not have enjoyed waiting for the shuttle to fill before taking off to the start!

6 a.m. • The shuttle pulled up to the bag drop and bathrooms. One of the key parts of our morning.

6:30 a.m. • Jog, stretch out, and made sure we had all our before photos. The walk to the starting line was… awkward? I thought it would’ve been busier... or exciting? They didn’t have music playing which was probably the weirdest part.

6:55 a.m. • We get behind the starting line with this big crowd of people. This is when cross country me would be shaking in her trainers! We try to decide if we wanted to stay with a pacer group, or if we just wanted to start running. We ended up just kind of being stuck with a 2:15 hour group, which was perfectly fine with us.

group of cross country runners at the starting line

half marathon starting line with a clock at 0:00

7 a.m. • We watched the timer count down to 0:00 and off we went. Austin and I IMMEDIATELY had an issue, of course. I started my music on MY Airpods when all of a sudden it wasn’t playing anymore. Austin starts looking at me and "oops", I had Austin’s Airpods connected my phone. Totally forgot about that. So fixing that as we’re jogging, trying not to fall on other runners, and looking at where the pacer was going was not exactly the easiest thing to do. But it was very on brand for us.

From here we’ll go by miles because time was just… not a thing.

Mile 1: Realization starts setting in that we're actually doing this.

Mile 3: Everyone in the pacer group was just chitchatting. Introducing themselves and telling running stories. This is when Austin started pulling away from me and speeding up.

Also, please don't be the person that is running with their music playing through their phone speaker.

Mile 4: I was still running with the pacer group, so that was a good feeling. I could still see Austin in front of me, he was catching up to the pace group in front of us. This is also where I started getting hot and tried to take off my jacket. But silly me, half marathon rookie, zipped up my jacket and pinned my number OVER IT. Meaning I had to slow down and get my safety pins off, unzip my jacket, and get the safety pins back through the number on my shirt. So pro tip for the rookies out there, pin your number to your back or just don't run with a full zip jacket.

Mile 5: This was one of the least fun miles. I lost Austin and my music. If you take anything from this blog it’s to DOWNLOAD your race playlist. I never thought about it leading up to the race, but you don't know where the path is going to take you and what the service is like.

We were running along River Road and the Guadalupe River. There isn't much service down there.

Mile 8: This was the least of the least fun miles. Miles 1-8 we were running under the trees that stand over the river, and a few days before the race I had gotten a shot to help open my lungs and help my asthma. Well, the lungs were too open and decided to gather ALL the pollen from the trees. Resulting in a short asthma attack.

Mile 9-10: All this talk about running low under the trees, it's about time we get to the top of the hills. And I mean the very tip top of the hills. After the majority of the race was low, they took us straight up. The view was beautiful, don't get me wrong, but MAN did those legs burn.

Mile 11: The mile where you can start to see the finish line.

Mile 12: One of my favorite food miles. There was a group of girls handing out oranges, bananas, gu, water, and electrolytes. Plus they had music and signs!

I came to a full stop at this mile to eat/drink everything that I grabbed. When it came time to get going again, "one more," is all I could keep thinking. Except my legs literally didn't want to start. My mind kept saying go, but my body said that's an absolute no.

Off I went to the finish line, scooching along. But not before stopping for a Fireball shot at mile 13.

And there was the finish line. Austin yelling at me. Smiles for camera. That... is a crazy feeling.

OUR RACE WEEKEND GALLERY

So what would I say to someone about to run their first half marathon, and who may not feel confident with their training?

Set Realistic Expectations: Know that your performance may not be as great as it would be with the right training. Set realistic goals based on your current fitness level and understand that completing the race is an achievement in itself.
Prioritize Mental Toughness: A positive mindset can make a world of difference. Visualize yourself crossing the finish line, focus on the sense of accomplishment, and remind yourself that you can do it. Mental strength is crucial when your physical preparation is lacking.
Slow And Steady Makes It Across The Finish Line: Conserving energy is key, especially when you haven't had the chance to build up your stamina. Begin the race at a comfortable pace and resist the urge to sprint at the start. Increase your speed as you gain confidence and feel more comfortable.
Listen To Your Body: This one is obvious, but in the midst of the race its not top of mind. Pay close attention to how your body feels during the run. Don't be afraid to walk or slow down. Pushing through severe discomfort may hinder your ability to finish – and crossing the finish line is better than dropping.
Dress Appropriately: Wear comfortable clothing and goooood shoes. I stopped by Fleet Feet to get tested on what shoe is best for me. And give them enough time to break in before race day. That being said, definitely avoid trying out new gear on race day; stick to what you've trained in to prevent blisters or chafing.
Celebrate Milestones: Break the race into smaller, more manageable segments. Celebrate each mile you complete, and focus on reaching the next milestone. This approach can make the overall distance seem less daunting.
Post-Race Recovery: Once you've crossed the finish line, take time to cool down, stretch, and replenish your body with fluids and nutrients. Proper recovery is CRUCIAL, especially after pushing your body with minimal training.