Written by Chloe Debono
This time last year, I hadn’t run anything further than 5km. It wasn’t until November 2024 that I completed my first 10km, and this June I ran my first half marathon.
The decision to sign up for a half marathon was very spur of the moment. It all started when my roommate Sarah and I were talking about how I’d like to complete a half marathon before my 21st birthday.
Before we knew it, we had both bought our tickets for the South West Rocks half marathon, giving us only 7 weeks to train. That night, we sat down and created a training plan to hold us accountable and prepare us for our race.
Training:
My weekly training consisted of the following:
- 1 easy run (usually a run I completed socially with a friend, or the university run club)
- 1 tempo run (intervals)
- 1 long run gradually increasing in distance each week
I found the variety of runs throughout my training kept me engaged, as it was always something different, and didn’t feel repetitive or boring.
Looking back, I probably should have incorporated other methods, including strength training and a focus on stretching.
Items I found useful:
- A running belt: to store my gels, phone and keys
- My Garmin: to track my pace and distance without having the need to hold my phone
- Strava: to track my distance and pace, and improvement
- Gels: helpful for fuel on my longer runs (as well as lollies)
- Running socks: provided more support and less chance of blistering
- Running shorts: a good pair of running shorts I felt comfortable in
- Vaseline: to reduce chaffing
- Running shoes: provided comfort, and stability
- Air pods/earphones: having upbeat music really helped me stay consistent during my run
Tapering and preparation:
In the final week leading up to the race, we started to taper. We reduced our training load to allow our bodies to rest. We focused on increasing our carb and water intake, and made sure we had sufficient sleep.
How race day felt:
It was a morning filled with adrenaline, uncertainty, nervousness, and excitement. Having support from family and friends off and on the course really enhanced my performance.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed myself the majority of the time, as it felt like a celebration of all the hard work I had put into training.
Doubts/challenges:
- There were moments during training, especially on the long runs, when it felt incredibly hard and almost unachievable.
- The first 5km and the last 2-3km of the half marathon were the hardest
The finish line:
Finishing was amazing. It was such a reward and celebration of all the hard work I had put into training. Smashing the time goal I had set out for myself had made it feel even better!
Afterwards:
A quick dip in the ocean and a nice big lunch was so rewarding after our run.
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