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0 On November 4th, 2023 I ran the Battlefield Half Marathon located in Winchester, VA. This was the second marathon that I ever ran. Going into it, I had a goal to run it in 1:45:00 (about 8:00 per mile). This would be a significant increase from the half marathon I ran last year in Charlotte, NC around the same time of year. Last year I ran the half in just under 2 hours (1:58:00), which is about 8:58 per mile. I knew I could improve my half marathon time, but wasn’t sure if this new goal was achievable.
I ended up running the race in just under 1:42:00 (about 7:46 per mile). I improved my half marathon time by 16 minutes and I could not be happier! Here is how I ended improved my half marathon time:
1. I Tracked My Weekly Milage
Last year, I loosely followed a training plan, and would try my best to run the suggested mileage, but was as disciplined as I should have been. This year, I took a completely different approach. I still loosely followed a training plan, but I made a point to make sure I was increasing my long runs every 2 weeks and I also tracked all of my runs (outside or gym) so I knew how many miles I was running each week. I kept my mileage around 20 – 25 miles a week, which I still think I could have increased.
But I believe tracking your miles gives you a better pulse on how your training is going and you can physically see the improvement in not only your mileage, but also your pace, which is encouraging and gives you momentum going into race day.
2. I Ate a Lot of Carbs
Another way to improve your half marathon time. Crabs get a bad wrap, and I get it. Most people associate carbs with weight gain, and although there might be some truth to that if you don’t exercise after consuming a large number of carbs, they are an essential part of our diet, and they’re actually quite good for us. They provide our bodies with a primary source of energy, much like how gasoline fuels a car.
Before big runs on the weekends, I didn’t steer away from carbs, I made it a point to make sure I was incorporating carbs into my meals. Since I knew I was going to be going on a long run and needed that fuel, the carbs were going to go to use.
The week leading up to the race, I incorporated carbs into every meal that I had. This provided me the energy I needed to continue my week of training before the race so I didn’t feel worn down and tired. A lot of people think you need to carb load the night before a race, but you should actually begin your carb load process 3 to 6 days before the event.
3. I Fueled My Body During Runs
When I showed up on race day last year, I only had a my phone and headphones. My inexperience was showing here because I did not have anything to fuel my body throughout the race. Even when I trained all last year, I never had water, gels, or electrolytes when I went on my runs.
This year I tried to be smarter about my approach and also did some more research into marathon prep. On my long runs, I always brought my running water bottle with 2 scoops of tailwind electrolytes in it. I also incorporated some gels into my long runs to make sure my body could handle them in a race.
This race day I showed up my 18 oz water bottle with 2 scoops of electrolytes and 2 gels. I used one gel at mile marker 6 and the other one at mile marker 10. Proper fueling of my body allowed for me to run maintain energy levels throughout the entirety of the run.
4. I Left It All Out There on Race Day
Here is the last way to improve you half marathon time. All your training comes down to one day. Some people train for 10, 12, 14+ weeks for a race and come race day, they treat it like a training day and don’t push themselves. I was one of those people my first time running a half. My only goal was to be able to complete the race without stopping. Which wasn’t a bad goal, but looking back, I feel like I treated it just like an other long run in the training process.
This year I made a point to leave it all out there. I have been waiting for weeks to get to race day so why shouldn’t I give it my all right now? So what if I am huffing and puffing, and I am running through the terrible pain in my legs, feet, hips, you name it! I had a goal, and I was going to do everything in my power to achieve it, which I did.
Conclusion
Overall, I am really pleased with my performance on this run and I am excited to start looking for the next challenge. But if you are looking for some ways to improve your half marathon time, make sure you are tracking your runs, carbing up, fueling your body during your runs, and come race day, leaving it all out there.
