Half Marathon Hacks

Confession: I almost didn’t finish my first half marathon.

I did everything wrong.

From training to race day, I made (preventable) mistakes.

If only I’d learned half marathon hacks before race day, I wouldn’t have wanted to curl into a sad, pitiful little ball by Mile 6!

The Point: Running 13.1 miles is hard, but you can make it easier…want to know how?

Simply follow these ingenious half marathon hacks and you’ll be WAY more physically and mentally prepared than I was (lucky you)!

1.) Strength Train Early & Consistently

Your first half marathon hack (and the most important one!) – integrate runner-specific strength training into your training.

Healthy runners strength train.

I’m proof – I kept getting injured when I didn’t do strength training.

But then, I did strength training 3x per week and ran a perfectly lovely half marathon (uninjured, and with a smile on my face)!

Magic! Seriously, do it.

2.) Wear a Hydration Backpack (Don’t Hold a Bottle)

Holding a water bottle in one hand while running can throw your stride off balance.

Plus, holding something expends more arm/hand energy. And you need all your energy focused on running during a half marathon, not carrying a bottle.

Because of this, I’ve fallen in love with my CamelBak hydration backpack (yes, it’s the kids size, don’t judge me…it’s under $50 and the perfect size for me).

It’s also lightweight. And convenient.

And best of all – it helps you be a better runner by freeing up your hands.

Bonus tip: store your mid-race fuel and cell phone in the backpack pockets – that’s hands-free running at it’s best, my friends!

3.) Have a Strong Motivation Mantra

Ever hit a wall while running?

And feel like you can’t possibly go another step?

That’s why you need a kick-*ss motivation mantra – to get you through tough patches!

Pick a phrase or word that instills motivation and a jolt of power into your brain.

Your brain will then send a message to your body and say “yo, body, let’s pump some adrenaline into this poor runner, stat”.

Your mantra can be as simple as “I am strong” to a quote, like “She believed she could, so she did” (which I personally like so much, I got it tattooed on my wrist!).

Some running mantra examples:

• I don’t stop when I’m tired, I stop when I’m done.
• The body achieves what the mind believes.
• I can and I will.
• I got this!

Whatever gets you pumped is perfect!

Read these 6 inspiring running quotes (for a burst of motivation) and see if anything resonates!

4.) Train with 2 Pairs of Running Shoes

As part of my Half Marathon #1 failures, let’s add “shoe overuse” to the list.

I had no idea runners needed to swap out running shoes after a certain amount of miles (miles vary but a rule of thumb is 250-400 miles).

I thought you could keep wearing them until they fell apart!

Wrong. So wrong.

Runners log anywhere from 230-300+ miles in a half marathon training cycle.

That means a single pair of running sneakers often won’t cut it.

So alternate between 2 new running sneakers instead, that way both are still in great condition by race day.

5.) Use Aquaphor…Everywhere

Do yourself a HUGE favor and listen to this half marathon hack – slather Aquaphor over every inch of your body that touches clothing or gear.

On your feet (heels and toes are the most important), around your undergarment straps or elastics, on your shoulders and back if you’re wearing a hydration backpack, etc.

There’s really no harm in putting it on places you don’t think will chafe too, just in case.

...because the burning, stinging jolt that rocks your body upon walking into the shower after chafing is THE WORST.

6.) Control Your Pace with a Playlist

I love this half marathon hack.

When I first started running long distances, I had a SUPER hard time controlling my pace, especially at races.

I’d get to the starting line and bolt for 2 miles until I crashed and burned (energy-wise).

Or, I’d properly pace myself for a few miles, start to feel great (that darn early runners high) and then speed up only to burn myself out before the finish line and feel miserable.

Ever done that before?

Don’t feel bad, most runners have!

So here’s a brilliant way to fix the problem: make a playlist based on BPM (beats per minute)!

Specifically, make the songs start off with a slower BPM (your early-half-marathon-warm up period) and then follow whatever pace strategy you decide on.

This makes your brain and body stay in sync to prevent off-strategy pace increases or decreases!

7.) Or, Find a Pacer

Don’t like listening to music during races?

Here’s an alternate option then: find a pacer.

Many half marathons offer pacing services. This means, they have designated runners keeping a consistent pace that will result in a certain finish time.

These pacers usually hold signs or have a balloon hanging above them with the target finish time. So you can spot them in the corral at the Starting line (or during the race).

Following a pacer takes the responsibility off you – simply follow the pacer and you’ll run a fairly consistent pace throughout the race (note: they usually slow down during water stops but compensate with a slightly increased pace in between).

8.) Train for Worst-Case Scenarios

What’s your idea of a horrible run?

Rain? No music? Hills?

Whatever it is – train for it.

Increase your mental toughness along with your physical ability during training. That means training in conditions you hate, so you’re prepared if it happens on race day.

For example: that first half marathon I mentioned earlier? It rained. The whole time. Cold, windy rain.

And I hated it.

You know what made the rain ever worse?

The fact that I had skipped EVERY rainy training run.

Because I didn’t know how to run in the rain.

So you better believe I still didn’t know how to run in the rain on race day.

Don’t be like old me. Train for your bad-case scenarios and then, when it happens on race day, you’re prepared and ready to rock.

9.) Wake Up 3 Hours Before Start Time

Sleeping in on race day is ill-advised.

Instead, wake up (at least) 3 hours early to eat your race morning fuel of choice (I love oatmeal with honey).

Have some coffee if that’s your thing (it’s certainly my thing).

Get in the right mental space: Review your race strategy. Drink water. Envision yourself crossing the finish line.

And, get to the starting area early because…(read on to #10)…

10.) Get in the Porta Potty Line Early. Like, REALLY Early.

Have you ever seen the pre-race Porta Potty lines?

They’re scary!

True story: I almost missed my second half marathon because I stood in a 45-minute Porta Potty line.

Because of that (embarrassing) experience, my honest race-day half marathon hack advice is to get in line SUPER early. And scale back on the water about 2 hours before start time.

11.) Don’t Bop and Weave Out of the Gate

Bopping in and out of the crowd, or weaving through slower runners to try to pass them, is a waste of your energy.

Assume the first 1-2 miles will be slower due to crowds. The starting line isn’t called a “coral” for nothing.

You’re better off creating a race strategy that accounts for a slower beginning (which actually also helps you “warm up” and not go too fast out of the gate).

It is what it is. Wasting precious energy trying to get around the pack doesn’t help you. So slow it down and go with the (literal) flow.

12.) Smile

Smile – you signed up for this! 😉

But seriously, numerous studies have shown that smiling increases endorphins and tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy (even if you temporarily are not happy…like at Mile 12…).

Whenever my motivation is waning, I slap on a smile.

Fake or not, it really helps!

Plus, it reminds you to enjoy the process. Running is fun!

Next Up: First Half Marathon Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

Ok, now that you know those 12 valuable half marathon hacks, find out 10 lessons that I learned (that you need to know) from my first disastrous half marathon!

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