Get a Routine Into Place

Welcome, Half Marathon Runners!

I’m captain of Kaiser Permanente’s half marathon and 5K team, and I always tell everyone, when you start training for a marathon, it’s a good idea to get a routine into place. I’ll be telling you about my own experiences, but hope to hear about yours as well.

Whether this is your first half marathon, or you’ve done this many times before, training for a marathon is always a bit daunting. The reason I recommend setting a routine is that having a plan can make fitting running into your schedule seem more manageable.

Of course, getting started is easier if you already have a running routine year-long. I run four to five days a week, and try to do 3 to 5 miles each time. Weekdays, I find getting a couple of 3-mile runs is doable; I usually go during my lunch break or after work with a co-worker or the Kaiser running group. (More on the benefits of running with a group later.) I try to do one or two longer runs on the weekends.

Running a half marathon can be an exciting and triumphant experience. I started running when I was 9 with my Dad, who was one of the original “joggers” of the ’70s. He woke up every morning at 5 a.m. and went for a run before work. He would wake me up, and I would join him for the first mile, then I’d go back home and get back into bed! I also ran track in high school, and although I wasn’t very fast, I had the endurance to run long distances.

I kept up my running through college, and when I was 21, I ran my first marathon, the LA Marathon. I remember my Dad driving me to the start and beaming. I think he wished he was running it with me.

I’d love to hear about your training experiences and what’s working for you.