1. Have a reason for doing your half marathon – be it for yourself, for charity or just to get faster – but make it a compelling reason. That’s what will get you out of bed on a cold, wet morning!
2. Do your training first thing in the morning. You’re more likely to get it done and find fewer reasons/distractions for skipping a session.
3. Stretch after every training session to keep the muscles supple and help prevent injury.
4. Get a properly fitted pair of running-specific trainers to help prevent injury. Visit your local running shop for advice.
5. Don’t underestimate the power of rest and recovery periods. Always follow a hard training session with a low-intensity session and take at least one rest day a week.
6. Walking isn’t cheating! You’re still propelling yourself forward. Better to take a one-minute walk break and get back on track for the rest of the session than cut it short. If you’re on the verge of over-training, are ill or have an injury, you shouldn’t be training anyway.
7. Find a friend to train with you – you’re more likely to make a training session if you’ve scheduled it in your diary and plan to meet someone – it’s more fun too and time will pass quicker when you have someone to chat with (just no chatting during the high-intensity sessions!).
Originally posted here: