Thinking about running your first half marathon? Or maybe you’ve already signed up? One of our employees just signed up for her first half marathon. Read on to see how she’s training with Tailwind and plans to crush it...
There’s No Better Time Than Now
I’ve always wanted to run a half marathon and there’s nothing like working for a sport’s nutrition company to really get motivated! After recently having my first baby and returning from maternity leave, I figured there’s no better time than now. After all, they say the physical demand of labor is equivalent to running a marathon!
Motivation is half the battle. Just putting my shoes on and getting out there is often the hardest part. As I get more comfortable in my own shoes, so to speak, I’m training outdoors and at the gym. And I’ll be honest, sometimes when I go to the gym, I give myself a 15 minute pep talk in my car before I head inside. I don’t know if getting started will ever get easier (I work with some seasoned athletes who say it’s still the hardest part), but I do know that I always feel better after I get out and run. It’s my “me” time. And when I’m struggling to get started, I try to remember how amazing I feel after!
My Half Marathon Training Plan
Like any goal you set, the path to achieve it is more manageable if you have a plan. My co-workers recommended
Hal Higdon’s half marathon training plan, so I’m using that as my guide. With a full time job on top of responsibilities at home, I have to squeeze in miles when it works for me. It’s not always possible for me to do long runs on Sundays, so I’m adapting the training plan to fit my schedule while still making sure I clock the recommended miles each week. During the week, I do all of my training before work or during lunch. The training plan is set at 12 weeks, but I’m doing each week twice just in case I need more time. I push myself, but I don’t push myself so hard that I don’t want to do it again the next day.
How I’m Using Tailwind
For long runs (anything over an hour), I will bring
Endurance Fuel with me during my run in a hydration pack. My favorite flavor is Berry - I even drank it throughout labor to stay hydrated and energized. I’ll prep my hydration pack with Endurance Fuel based on time, not distance. I will mix two scoops (or one stick pack) with 24 ounces of water for each hour of exercise. For an 8 mile run, I would plan on being out for about 90 minutes. In this case, I would mix three scoops (or one and half stick packs) with 36 ounces of water and sip slowly throughout my run. Here’s some more info about
how to mix! For runs under an hour, I’ll stick with just water for during and I’ll use
Rebuild Recovery for after. Rebuild is my new best friend. Vanilla is my flavor of choice (it tastes like cereal milk - yum!) and I consider it my treat after each run. I notice a significant difference the day after exercise when I use Rebuild - I’m not sore and I feel ready to run again. If I do a short run and don’t want all of the calories, I just use one scoop or half of a stick pack. Rebuild is
the most crucial part of my recovery and overall nutrition plan. It’s a total game changer.
Training Questions?
Continue to check back in for half marathon training updates and the things she’s learning along the way! As always, feel free to reach out to our team for personalized recommendations for your training, racing and help on dialing in your nutrition! We’re your support crew, after all. Shoot us an email at
supportcrew@tailwindnutrition.com if you have questions. Happy training and racing!
