GULP just entered my first half marathon

Easy peasy Julia  

Good luck! 

You'll manage no sweat Julia - you've already got a good base to build on. I've signed up for my first half too - doing the Paris half also in March and starting to panic a bit - I did the Great South Run on Sunday and had absolutely nothing left in the tank by the end so need to find those extra few miles from somewhere.

Good luck with the race and enjoy.

hey Julia

 Snap = this will be my first too

March ahh

well now - if you keep nicely training , you'll simply hammer it - How's about a shorter race before

good luck - PMA - and keep hydrated  

26 years ago next march I entered my first half marathon - it was Brentwood - three weeks after entering it I ran it - I was 23 at the time and hadn't done any excercise since leaving school - but I still got round -

Brentwood is a great little race - (although the course has altered slightly since then) but I went on to run it many times after that - as you are already on 8 miles you'll be fine - maybe increase your long run to 10 to build stamina.

Good luck 

Congratulations on making that decision, Julia!

March 2009?  Loadsa time!!!   You've got a good base to build up on, as others have said, some people run half maras without even having completed anywhere near 8 miles in training!

I'd actually recommend trying to get further than 10 miles in training before running the race.  The closest you can get to the actual distance, the more comfortable you'll feel on the day - say, 11 or 12 miles (I actually got up to 14 before my first half, with the intention of making the actual distance seem 'easy' in comparison).   You have plenty of time to still increase your mileage by 10 % per week and get up to this sort of distance.  Focus on distance and increasing your endurance and 'time-spent-on-feet' first, before worrying about speed (although given how far you're already running, a little variation to the types of run you do probably wouldn't hurt).

As Mick suggests, it might be worth entering the odd shorter, local race to gauge your performance in the run-up to the big event, and also to get used to races, what happens, how it all works and how it all feels.

Anyways, the best of luck with it - I'm sure you'll be just fine.

LP xx 

You'll find it a breeze. Just increase your distance a little at a time and you'll be there easy peasy.

Oh and do follow the advice about running some trial races as part of your training, It'll teach you how to deal with nerves, warm ups, cool downs, stretching, post race recovery. When you come to run your half it will be a breeze, you'll enjoy it so much more.

Stop fretting and start enjoying. You've set yourself a realistic achievable goal. Great.

All the best.

Thankyou for all the encouragement everyone! I have done a few 5k races already and am running the Billericay 10k on Sunday. I plan to gradually up my long run by a little bit each week and hopefully manage 14+ miles at least once so it seems easier .............as you say Lady Pineapple.

I feel much better now i've actually entered.............."I'm running the Brentwood half you know" rather than, "I'm thinking about......blah blah" !

OOhh la la Doric Lass, Paris sounds very cosmopolitan! Do you go past the Eiffel tower?

Where's yours Icclesuez?

And thankyou everyone else, although I get nervous at the start of races I get sssssssooooooooooo excited too! Just to be there is awesome

Julia, you'll be great.  Just keep on doing what you're doing.  Brentwood's a great race.

See you Sunday

Me too, I thought i'd be even more nervous but now i've taken the plunge i can't wait to start building up the miles.

Ultra Kazzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah i've just seen your post on the Billericay 10k thread, hope you feel better soon. I'm no 50 on sunday so say hello if you decide to run and spot me! I'm expecting a time around 80 mins though so you may have gone home by time i get back!

Hmmm .....as old as that and still running eh? Are you in the Guiness Book of records?

Only jesting of course - i'll look keep an eye out for you

How rude Susiebe, I didn't ask where your first half is?