I went from not being able to run 6 laps in gym class to finishing a half marathon. Here is what I learned the hard way.
By Alex · 6 min read
As a kid, I could not run 6 laps in under 15 minutes in gym class. Running was not something I did.
Then, in May 2024, I crossed the finish line of the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon in 3:01:00. I survived, but only just. The following week was awful — sore, in pain, unable to walk down stairs without a grimace.
But finishing gave me something I did not know I needed: proof that I could get through hard things.
Here is what I wish someone had told me before that first race.
Your weekly long run is the most important session of the week. It builds:
Do not skip long runs. Do not rush them. Run them at conversational pace.
This was the hardest lesson. When I joined a run club, they made me slow down on easy days — runs that felt almost embarrassingly slow at the time.
But that is where my body adapted.
Easy pace should be about 2 minutes slower than race pace. If you cannot hold a full conversation, slow down.
Use our Pace Calculator to find your correct easy pace.
Four 40-minute runs a week beat one 3-hour hero session. Your body adapts to regular stress, not to occasional huge efforts.
I trained consistently for 24 weeks before my second half marathon. That consistency — not any single workout — is what took 55 minutes off my time.
Your body adapts during recovery, not during the workout. Sleep 7-9 hours. Take rest days seriously. Your body will thank you on race day.
This golden rule covers:
I took 10 gels and 2 heavy bottles to my first race because I had no idea what I really needed. Test everything in training.
The first few miles will feel easy. You will want to put time in the bank. Do not do it.
Start 10-15 seconds slower than goal pace. You can always speed up later. You cannot get those early miles back.
Do not wait until you feel hungry. By then it is too late.
Start taking gels or other fuel by km 6-8, and carry on every 20-30 minutes. Have a look at our Fuel Planner to build your plan.
Km 15-18 of a half marathon will be hard. Really hard. That is normal. It happens to everyone.
A plan helps:
Your first long race only happens once. Look around. Read the signs. High-five the kids. This is a celebration.
Forget time goals for your first race. Really.
The goal is to cross the finish line healthy and happy. Everything else is a bonus.
A year after my 3:01, I crossed the line in 2:06 — smiling instead of limping. But that first finish, painful as it was, proved to the kid inside me that hard things are possible.
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Ready to start? Get your training paces, study your race course, and plan your fueling strategy.
You can do this.
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