1/2 Marathon Question

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I'm strongly considering running in a 1/2 marathon in a few months. For anyone who's ever participated in a 1/2 marathon, I was wondering as a diagnosed person with AS, what should I expect in terms of the crowd, noise, unfamiliarity of the situation, etc? Are there any ways to prepare for these (besides basic physical training) in advance?

Ok, that was more like two questions. My bad. Any help would be appreciated.

Training. Lots of training. Have you run 1 mile before? This isn't something you'll be able to do unless you've been doing some running for at least the past year, because you're not supposed to increase activity levels by more than about 10% per week. You'll need to get to the point where you can run at least 6 miles without exhaustion or too much pain, and you'll need to be able to run 5-6 miles at least 2-3 times per week. If you've been running 1 mile per day, you'll need at least 2-3 months of solid training in which you gradually increase activity levels until you can run 5-6 miles 2-3 times per week and maybe walk a mile on the days in between. Don't regularly run the full 13 miles for training, but maybe try it once or twice no later than a few weeks or a month before race day. I did this over the course of 6 months and I made it within the 11 minute per mile finishing time, but not by much.

As far as crowds, I don't know what to say other than to limit your interaction with the strangers. I said almost nothing to anybody the whole time. Noise is not too bad, and unfamiliarity shouldn't be too much of a problem as things are marked, so you won't get lost, and the distances will probably be marked. Before you go, look up the area on google maps especially around the meeting area, and the start and end areas so you know where you're going. When you get into the meeting area, expect to follow instructions about picking up your number, any shirts they give you, or an electronic timing device you'll need to put into your shoe. .

I sort of zone out when I am running. I don't think crowd noise is all that bad. You can feel claustrophobic at the beginning of a race with everyone all jammed in like sardines, but it is over rather quickly.

Your tendency is to run faster in a race and it can cause you to tighten up a lot quicker than normal situations. If you can run the course and get used to it. I would train by rotating distance with shorter runs that help improve your pace over time. Remember, unless you are out in the wilderness, that going to the bathroom really isn't an option so I would figure out what your normal habits are and assume you will have some nervous need to go before the race.

Maybe this is why I like to do most of my running at night. There's almost nobody else around. If there were no cars it would be even better. To avoid the crowd, start at the back of the pack if you're slower than the median runner and start at the front if you're faster than the median runner. The median 30-34 year old male runner who participates in the half marathon will have an average pace of about 9 minutes per mile. This initial placement in the pack won't affect your timing because the clock starts for you when you cross the start line.

i've run 25+ marathons and maybe 15 or so 13.1's. the 13.1 is my favorite distance, doesn't beat you up like full marathons or ultras, but is long enough to give you a sense of accomplishment.

training in southern arizona will probably be your biggest problem. killer heat. hope you can train at 4am or so.

if there are going to be 1000+ people competing, it will hard to deal with the crowd. some races with 10,000 or so runners can be very hard to deal with. i was never going to win my age group so what i would do was to be the last person to cross the start line. that way you can avoid the crush of humans just before the start of the race. and it's fun to see how many people you can pass. my last race there were about 5200 runners and i passed 2750 people during the race. makes running easier. at least it worked for me.

hope things go well for you at your first event.

Ok...as a person who has run a half-marathon (and I am about to run a full in 10 days) I have questions for you:
*have you read anything about the particular race, and seen how many people are signed up
*have you raced in running before and know how to get out of a crowd without pushing anyone down
*are you used to racing in morning time or are you going to be cranky
*are you prepared food, water, and bathroom wise(know where everything is)

Those are the only things I can think of.

-The race is still a ways off (January), but I've read as much as I can. I'm going to be a part of my church's Team In Training group, and I've asked my pastor (who's run it the past two years) about the necessary info I'd need to register.
-I've never raced competitively before, but I'm pretty good at weaving my way through busy crowds as long as they're moving.
-I'm not used to racing in the morning, but Team In Training will be holding weekly training sessions starting in August. Due to the desert heat, they're supposed to start at 4 am. So by the time of the race, I should be used to running in the morning.
-It's still too early to take into account food, water, and bathroom information, but I'm certainly am going to acquire that info as soon as it becomes available. Between the race website, Team In Training's info, and my pastor, I should be in the know come race day.

Oh! Are you doing the PF Changs Rock and Roll Marathon/ Half-marathon?
or
Are you running London's run?

I ran London's run 2008 and I have more info about that one than the PF Changs.
Here's my reply for each:

-For London's run, it is pretty easy to weave in and out of crowds because not that many people race it and it is sorta this outdoorsy race....I would just be careful at the first few miles because i almost ended up twisting my ankle because if you try to ride the edges of the groups, then you run into landscape that isn't the course, like giant ditches that come out of nowhere.
-For PF, I've heard that it is mostly on streets, but there are a lot of people. I haven't had too much experience with HUGE races, but I have run a few bigger Turkey Trots...and the only tip from that is to be prepared and to be there EARLY, because it is easier to start near the front than in the back.
-(btw) weaving in and out of crowds when you walk is totally different than when you run....practice darting in and out when you run, it will make all the difference

*Ouch, morning can take you by surprise if you are not ready for it, luckily you are training with your group in the morning, but I would try to get a little bit later just because the race for London's run is at 8, and the race for PF is at 5 or 6....so it is way later. Maybe on some of the days that you don't run with them, you can try running at that time. I know when I trained for London's, my daily training was at evening, but y saturday run's were in the morning just so I could get a feel for race day. Just an idea.

> It's never too late to take in information! Hahah, seriously though, it is great to be prepared. I knew months in advance the course I was going to run for my marathon soon.

Good luck!

In a race everyone is going in the same direction, so whether you're overtaking or being overtaken, you don't really need to look anyone in the eye. And you don't need to interact much with anyone either, as they're all puffing and panting too much to do any proper talking. Wear sports sunglasses, it might make you feel more comfortable. Also, loads of people run with headphones in so if you did that as well no-one would think it was odd. I've run loads of big events with up to 25,000 people in them, and it never gets me even a tenth as stressed out as going to a shopping centre. I'm not sure why, but I actually like the bustle at the start of a race. Runners come in all shapes and sizes and at the start of a race they're all focussed on their own performance, so even if your behaviour is usually noticeably weird, chances are it'll escape attention.

You should look more into interval training or sprinting. This isn't a healthy way to increase vitality or lose weight. Just look at a sprinter and a marathon runner, who looks healthier to you?

Long distance cardio is perfectly healthy, we were meant to run long distances. Depending on your goals one might be better than the other but simply giving a blanket statement that intervals and sprints are better than long distances is fallacious.

As far as the actual race, I haven't competed in a running race yet, though I would like to compete in a triathlon in 2012 or 2013. The unfamiliarity of the situation can be a little overwhelming, especially if you're doing it on your own. I remember when I started rowing in high school, my first regatta was quite nerve racking, I wasn't sure how the race was going to go, I didn't know how the day would proceed, etc. but it wasn't very detrimental because I knew my team members and we were there together. My first time joining my local club (I went to a boarding school in a different city) caused me much more anxiety because I didn't know anyone there and had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.

Seeing as you're going with people from your church it might not be that bad. If you've trained enough you should know the pace at which you'll run the race but if you're nervous at the start line maybe just keep pace with someone who runs around the same speed as you until you get into the zone and start running your race.

Good luck with the training and eventual race.