Q: I have decided to make a 1/2 marathon my next accomplishment! I've been doing a few 5ks here and there, I have completed a couple 10k's before and figured the next step is a half-marathon :) I have like 13 or 15 weeks I think to prepare...I'm praying that's enough time. I have been running for about 35 minutes 4 times a week and after I run I do abs/arms/legs for about 20 minutes. I just know that if I don't at least try to compete in a 1/2 marathon I'll always wonder how I would have done...so I decided to "just do it" haha. Any tips?

A: First of all, Congrats on signing up for your first 1/2 marathon! It can seem scary to commit to something that you perhaps never before thought you could do but it is usually our mind that puts the tightest constraints on what is possible. Putting yourself out there, like signing up for a planned race or event, is an excellent way to stay motivated to get in those workouts and runs and no matter the distance if you have something you are shooting for you are far less likely to skip that trip to the gym or lacing up for that run. And of course I like the advice from good old Nike. :)

It looks like you have already set yourself up with nice running base (also it is excellent to hear you have a core and weight routine) and it will just be a matter of kicking your running training up a notch. This will be done gradually (a standard rule of thumb is to only increase you total weekly mileage by 10% each week to avoid an injury) and you will put focus on a weekly long run as well as sprinkling in some faster workout sessions throughout the rest of week. You will build endurance and also speed so that come race day the pace will feel much more comfortable and relatively 'slower' than you've gone before.

The first step is to devise you training schedule and as corny as it may seem you will need to keep a training log to help track your progress. In your case you will want to work backwards; knowing that the race is about 14 weeks away you know where you need to end up so we'll work on getting you used to the distance and tapered by the big day. The week of the 1/2 will be pretty light to make sure your legs are fresh and ready to roll. The last long run you will do before the big day will be two weeks before (we'll call this week 12) and it will be close to the 13.1 mile distance. Don't get intimidated by the numbers because I grantee you that you will have worked up to it and you will be able to handle it.

In getting back to our timeline we will jump to where we are today (week 1) and write down the longest you've been running thus far. If that is four or five miles write that down and then we can bump up that number each week until we hit week 12 and see where we are. In your instance by increasing one mile each week for your long run you will actually hit 13 miles by week 10 which gives us room to play with. That means if you feel particularly tired any given week you might keep your long run the same distance as the week before and go up the next. Listening to your body is important; you want to push yourself but at the same time still be aware of signs of injury or excessive fatigue.

Pick one day of the week and designate it as your long run day. It might be a good idea to do it on the same day as the race; if race day is a Saturday make that your long run day. Because you are already running four times a week you won't need to increase your workload that much outside of your long run but you will make those miles more quality. By that I mean you will incorporate workouts with pick-ups and faster intervals to work on speed and a quicker turnover. I would recommend that you run four to five days a week total and that would include: one long run, two quality workout days, and two easy runs (if you are only running four times a week that would be only one easy run; you could make the second easy day one where you cross-train if you'd like). Be sure to space out the long run and hard days with a day of rest or an easy run between them.

That's going to cover the first part of this post but I'm going to be revisiting this question and helping out more as we work our way through the weeks. You can follow along too and set a goal for yourself! If you haven't already built your way up to running four days a week yet and are just staring out you can actually check out the running training program I had been outlining for if you are just getting started. Finally, here are a few parting tips:

* Run for time not miles. Figure out about what pace you are running at (find a track and in the middle of one of your runs time yourself for four laps) and use that as an average pace. If you are running 10 minute miles and your long run is to be six miles plan to be running for sixty minutes; this is usually 'easier' to think about mentally than focusing on how long the distance is. It also helps so you don't get too hung up on the exact distance of your running routes.

* Refuel immediately after your runs. You have a 30 minute window of time in which to get a good carb and protein combo into your system, along with some electrolytes, which will optimize recovery. That's important especially if you are in training.

* Know the difference between the uncomfort of running and actual pain. Don't muscle through a run ignoring a strained muscle only to find out that by the time you get home you've gone and pulled it. By nipping a potential injury outright you will limit the amount of time you have to either cut back or take off.