Showing respect for the Half Marathon

Showing respect for the Half Marathon.

UWI International Half Marathon Course

The half marathon is what it is; half of a normal marathon (26.2 miles). If you are going to run it then you have to give it the respect it deserves. The 13.1 miles is going to take its toll on you, so you’d better prepare.

To prepare for any long distance race, especially on the hard asphalt, your body requires a certain level of adaptation and strength to sustain the somewhat arduous journey. Your cardio respiratory system (heart / lungs) must be able to function adequately and efficiently to take you over the many miles.

Then there is the heat factor, the race (UWI SPEC Half) ends for the average runner some time around 8.15 am. By that time the sun is almost mid-sky and hot. So what does it take for you to really make it to the end of a half marathon? Give yourself 12 to 8 weeks of training time. Work with a program, join a group or a friend if you are a beginner, make sensible food choices, and get enough rest/sleep.

Really the 13.1 miles is not that hard, if you prepare for it sensibly, by following the programme above. But just don’t think about coming to the event without doing the work, not spending the time and not finding out what is involved in training for the expected racing conditions.

Coming to think of it, what stalls runners on race day, what makes it difficult, what makes them fall short of the 13.1 glory…

Is it ill fitting shoes,being over weight, insufficient training time.  
Many of the problems that sideline people running the half marathon are not that that they are so tired, run out of breath or as we like to say ‘bun’, but they develop things like:

•    Black toenails along the way mainly due to ill fitted shoes: Repetitive pressure on the nail plate, either by digging into the sock liner or rubbing against the top of the toe box causing a "raising"at its attachment under the skin at the cuticle
•    Blisters and toe lacerations: Blisters, the most common injury, can occur under the toenail or on the feet. They’re caused by friction. If your toenails are too long, excessive rubbing will cut the tissue of the adjacent toe.
•    Dehydration, Knees, hip and back problems.

Lets take into consideration that during running, the landing leg is typically loaded at three times the runner's body weight; this load transmits through the striking heel, through the foot arch, then to the lower and upper leg to the spine.  When a person is overweight, the extra mass causes an increase in the load on the joints with every step taken, throughout every single day. This could result in knee, hip and back injuries.

So by paying some respect for the half marathon distance and race day conditions all runners should do pretty okay; all runners can finish the event with dignity and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.