half marathon before a half ironman?

Hello and welcome to BT.

Since you don't have any data in your training logs... I can't speak to YOUR specific situation... so I'll just speak from MY situation.

I would do it. When I train for a half marathon, I run 13+ miles in training. So running a half marathon a month out is doable to me. I would also run the half marathon with the idea that it is a TRAINING RUN... NOT A PR RACE. That's the defining factor in the decision.

Good luck on whatever you decided.

I'm almost in the same boat...I'm doing my first HIM on June 11 and running a half marathon on April 16.  The half marathon will basically just be a long run for me.  I'm planning to go out and run the best time I can with my current training.  Being a veteran of the distance I'm hoping my increased fitness from the tri training will help!

I am not a veteran but I would think that the run not race philosophy would apply here. If...if...if you can go out and treat it as a supported training run then great. If you race it, there is a chance you impact your training. More of a personal question as to how you would handle it.

Depends on your fitness background, age and your ability to recover.

6 weeks prior to HIM you need to train. Racing your first 1/2 Mary may put a hole in your training with taper, race and recovery.

Can you find a 1/2 Mary earlier maybe 9-12 weeks before? I would think the timing would be better to allow you to get solid training in and racing both events.

I think it could potentially hurt your HIM if you do the 1/2 Mary on time line you suggest.

I think you can do it.  I did the same thing last year (roughly similar dates too).  I ran a PR in the half-mary and was able to complete my first ironman 70.3.  I have a running background so that comes easier for me...if running isn't something that you do much of it might be more of an issue.  You could always do the half marathon as a long run, but a month is plenty of time to recover from a half marathon.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation. My first HIM is on June 18th, and I'm running in a half marathon at the end of May. I've run in about 8 half marathon's so I have a good idea there. I'm also doing about 12 hours of training a week, building up to 15+ in the spring. I'm racing that half for a PR and then starting my taper. My goal is to be doing 45-50 miles of running each week by mid may anyway, so a half marathon isn't all that big of a change from a regular run during my training.

I'd definitely say go for it - six weeks prior to the HIM is plenty of time for recovery - I find that recovery for a hard half marathon is a few days and then I can get right back at it.

Edited by natethomas2000 2010-12-15 10:23 AM

Run through the half-M; turn yourself inside-out and go for a PR. Take the next day as a rest day, then get back to your normal training the day after that.

It's just a half marathon.

Make it a solid training day run (C race), use the following week as a recovery/reduction week. With the next 3-4 weeks you'll have a solid build with a 1-2 week taper going into the HIM (A race I assume). 

So what does your training plan have laid out for the final 8 weeks?

I was advised to do a half marathon before my first HIM, however, my two events were a lot more spaced out.  I did my half marathons in January and February and my HIM in November. 

I did a Trail Half Marathon 4 weeks before my HIM and an OLY two weeks later. I did as others suggested and ran the Half Mary more as a training run (also a mental piece to prove to myself I could run 13.1) and I was totally fine FWIW.

x2