Half vs Full.

As I confront the fact that my next race is a full marathon, I have been perusing the Internet looking for first hand accounts from people that have run both, and what they have to say about it. I obviously know that a half marathon is exactly that, half of a marathon, but I want to mentally prepare myself for what I am about to endure. I have a few longer runs under my belt, an 18 miler a few weeks ago, a 19 miler this upcoming weekend, which don't scare me and were and are going to be just fine. But, for some reason, 26.2 seems like a crazy number. Here are what a few peeps {including THE Hal Higdon} had to say about the subject:

"I ran last night. It didn’t kill me. In fact the only reason it wasn’t stellar was because I kind of felt like a Beluga hurtling down the road. Thank you food bloat. This is why I may never be a marathoner again (unless New York calls, naturally). It took me six weeks to feel normal after Chicago, post-half only took a few days. High five for the glory that is the half marathon." -Cely (running off the reeses.com)

"But then, of course, that little voice inside my head began to nag me. It said, “You do know that you never do anything half-way… And that you will complete the half, a respectable distance and certainly a big accomplishment for anyone, but you won’t feel that it’s YOUR best or satisfied with yourself…” And so….. I started to allow myself first to accept the full marathon challenge and then to say it OUT LOUD!" – Kate Gosselin

"I ran 10 marathons in 10 years, with times ranging from 3:57 for my first at Big Sur (not recommended as a first marathon) to a PR of 3:18 which qualified me for Boston Marathon in 2006. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm going to run any more full marathons, at least for a while.  I've done a few half marathons, which are more fun and less time consuming to train for. They are not as studly as the full marathon, and you can walk the next day. If you're looking for a good first marathon, look for something flat and cool, like Austin,  Chicago or Silicon Valley." –Valley of the Geeks.com

"There is a huge difference between a Marathon and a 1/2. The biggest is at the end of a half you can still walk away feeling good. I can promise after 42km, no such thing is going to happen. It HURTS, never the less I love the feeling of doing something only 1% of the running community does. Also the bragging rights of calling myself a marathoner is well worth the pain."

-yenkin2001

"On January 5, 2007, I found myself at mile 26 of the Disney Marathon wanting to die. That’s not hyperbole. Seriously, my one desire on that day, in that moment, was to allow myself to keel over into the Epcot grass and allow myself to succumb to the pain and misery that the marathon was inflicting upon me and die.
A year later, on January 27, 2008, I found myself at mile 13 of the Miami Half Marathon, and as I rounded the last corner before the race’s final stretch, I felt invigorated, strong, and bursting with pride.
I crossed the finish line of both of those races, but the differences in how I felt when I crossed the finish line of those two races, pretty much sums up my two very different feelings about the half and the full marathon. "

-jessruns.com

"THE HALF MARATHON IS A FRIENDLY DISTANCE. Beginners, who have gotten their introduction to road running in a 5-K or 10-K, can look to the half as the next step upward. Experienced runners like half marathons, because racing 13 miles requires somewhat less time commitment than does a full 26-mile marathon. They can recover more rapidly.

The excitement around half marathons often is the same as at a marathon--except you get to go home early. Also, you can use half marathon races as part of your training for later marathons. Knowing your time at the half marathon gives you a good idea of what to expect when you run the full marathon. This is why more than twice as many runners now run half marathons vs. full marathons." –Hal Higdon

"1. Half marathon is still challenging and you can concentrate on more speed work.

2. You don't lose entire weekends with really long runs as there is no need for a 18-22 mile run.

3. You finish the half marathon and feel fine (you can still go dancing that night).

4. If you are unhappy with your finish time, you can enter another half marathon race within weeks/months.

5. 10-15 mile long runs are all you need (less than 2 hrs. of running).

6. You don't hit "the wall."

7. I've never had post half marathon depression but I did feel a let down after completing the marathon probably due to all the training required for such an abrupt ending.

8. I've already completed the marathon including a 32 mile run.

 *There may be a less risk of injury just based on less miles required during training but I'm not sure as other factors weight in to that conclusion including how you train, # of miles, pace, etc."

-hholines.blogspot.com


I thought that these accounts were going to scare me off, but as I read them more and more, I find myself being even more excited than ever. I know I will be able to do it, I know it will be fine. Painful, but fine. And I am proud of the fact that I will be able to say that I have run a marathon. Then, my friends, I will add my own account to this list. I may puke, I may cry, I may crawl across that finish line. But- I will finish. And for that, I am excited.