Hey guys! My 12-week half marathon training plan kicked off yesterday and I’ve got 382 runners training with me! It’s not too late to jump in and join us so send me an email if you’d like to be added to the group! 🙂
I organized this training group as part of my ambassadorship with the Charlotte Marathon and I’m so looking forward to a fall full of running. It’s my absolute favorite time of the year to run and I’ve got quite a few races on my calendar leading up to the half in November.
Here’s a rundown of what I’ve got planned.
The Greek Fest 5K – August 27
My first race is the Greek Fest 5K this weekend! I haven’t raced a 5K in a little over a year so I’m equal parts excited and dreading it. 5Ks are quick and fun but tend to feel like death at moments because I really push the pace. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. and I’ll be taking over the Charlotte Marathon’s Instagram account for it so it’s going to be an early morning.
My plan going into this race is to arrive early and run about a mile to warm up at a steady pace and then do some dynamic stretching. I find that this REALLY helps me with 5K performance. Going from cold to sprint is no bueno! I haven’t decided if I’m going to push for a new PR (my current 5K PR is 21:55). It’s one of Charlotte’s flatest 5K courses and I’ve been doing a lot of treadmill sprints this summer so I feel like I’m primed for an attempt. I’ll see how I’m feeling on Saturday morning.
Hit the Brixx 10K/5K – September 17
I’ve run the Hit the Brixx 10K once before but it was 5 years ago, a little cold and rainy. It’s a great race that starts in Uptown Charlotte and winds around Charlotte’s Elizabeth neighborhood. There’s an option to run the 10K and the 5K so I’m registered for both! The 10K starts at 7:45 a.m. and the 5K starts at 9 a.m. I’ve never run two races in one day so it should be fun!
Novant Health 15K/5K – October 2
I don’t think I’ve ever run a 15K race before (9.3 miles), although the distance is identical to my 10K + 5K at Hit the Brixx. My plan for this race (and the Hit the Brixx) is to take it pretty easy and incorporate it into my long run for Half Marathon Training. I’m excited about this race because it takes place up at Lake Norman and runs along Jetton Park and the Peninsula Golf Course.
Rocktoberfest Half Marathon/5-miler – October 15
I haven’t decided whether I’m going to run the half or the 5-miler for this race. Part of me wants to run the half but slowly as a long training run and part of me wants to run the 5-miler + whatever extra distance is on my training plan for the week. I’m going to wait until I’m a little closer to see how I’m feeling and make my decision.
Novant Health Charlotte Marathon/Half Marathon/Relay/5K – November 12
I am SO FREAKING EXCITED about this race! It’s my favorite race of the year in Charlotte and I have so many friends and training group members running it with me. I think there’s going to be almost 100 of us! I’m not planning a PR attempt at this point (current PR is 1:44:25) but I’ll reassess as my training progresses and see how my speed and tempo runs go and how my body is feeling.
If any of my local readers are planning on running any of these races, let me know! I’d love to connect with you guys.
Happy running friends!
What races do you have on your calendar this fall?
What’s your favorite distance to race?
Disclosure: my race entries were comped as part of my Charlotte Marathon ambassadorship.
I would love to train with you but I”m not sure it would be ideal for my full marathon training (I’m running Savannah Rock N Roll in Nov). I may have to do the Novant Health 15k though!
Let me know if you do end up doing the 15k so we can meet up! Hope your training is going well for the full.
I’m running the Denver Rock and roll half in October! It’s such a great time to train in Denver weather and a fun race. And the half is by far my favorite race distance.. Long enough to be challenging and require effort but not so long that training takes over your life.
I couldn’t agree with you more on the half distance. It’s long enough you that you do have to take training seriously but not so seriously that it becomes consuming! Your race sounds perfect!
I have done all of those races as they used to be part of the Run for Your Life Race Series. Let me know if you have any questions!
Greekfest is super-fast. I broke 19 for the first time there. I don’t mind the Hit the Brixx course either. The Novant Health 15k (formerly lung strong) is hilly but similar in style to Thunder Road. It’s gorgeous up there too!
Good luck!
They still are part of the Run for Your Life Race Series!
I am going to channel your speediness during GreekFest! 🙂 I can’t wait to check out the 15K course!
What a great line up of races! Right now I have Portland Marathon on October 9 and nothing planned between now and then. I’m thinking of doing a half marathon or two in November and December.
Ah! GOOD LUCK with marathon training. You ladies are awesome to be tackling 26.2!
I’m new to racing. I’ve only done a 5k and this year I’m planning to run the One More Mile For Venezuela here in Miami. This 5K race will raise funds to donate food and medicines to the country.
Sounds like an awesome race! Good luck! 🙂
Those all sound like great races! So far I am signed up for…
Tour des Fleurs 20k on 9/17 (this race benefits our local arboretum and has an amazing after-party!)
Dallas Running Club Half Marathon on 11/6 (my running club puts this on, so tons of my running friends run it!)
Rockledge Rumble Trail 30k on 11/12
Dallas Turkey Trot 8 Mile on 11/24 (one of my favorites all year!)
Dallas Marathon on 12/11 (goal race!)
If I could only race one distance for the rest of my life, it would be the half marathon! It’s a perfect distance for me and usually long enough for some great courses. It’s a far enough distance that you can treat yourself to a beer and (veggie) burger afterwards, but you aren’t completely wiped out for two days afterwards.
What an awesome lineup you have for the fall! GOOD LUCK with marathon training! Agreed on the recovery time with halfs!
Funny, my 12 week training for my 2nd half marathon started yesterday too! Good luck. I am excited to run in cooler temps 🙂
Me too! Favorite time of the year to run. Good luck with your training!
I would love to join
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I love that your PR for a full marathon is faster then what I’m aiming for for my first 1/2 marathon! My goal is just to finish and do minimal walking. Ideally, jogging/running the whole half is a big goal for me. My longest run so far has been 8 miles. I’m running the Detroit International half in October. I just discovered your blog and have been going through the old write ups looking for tips/guidance. I’m so glad to have found you!
I think your goal is amazing! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment and for reading my blog! 🙂