# I ran my first half marathon on Sunday! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 29, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ran-my-first-half-marathon-on-sunday/494687 "2009-04-29T01:08:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ran-my-first-half-marathon-on-sunday/494687/1 "2009-04-29T01:08:50Z")
I ran my first half marathon in 2 hours and 53 minutes - much slower than I had hoped, but I am just happy to have crossed the finish line! I had a stress fracture in my shin about two months ago, and hadn’t run since. My longest run up to that point was only nine miles. I couldn’t stand to do more than about 45 minutes on the elliptical, so my training was completely shot. But I finished! These last two days, I have hardly been able to walk because I’m so sore. Even my shoulders and abs hurt! I hope to start building my running back up next week. The doc says I can start running five minutes a day, and add five minutes every two weeks. It will take a while, but hopefully I won’t re injure myself. Who knows, maybe I’ll run the full marathon next year. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lily\_Milliner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8edcca/32.png) [@Lily\_Milliner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lily_Milliner)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ran-my-first-half-marathon-on-sunday/494687/2 "2009-04-29T03:00:04Z")
Congratulations, liirogue! I ran my first on March 29 (the ING in Atlanta), so I feel your pain. I’m going the other direction, though–I think my next big race will be the Cherry Blossom 10-mile in DC. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ran-my-first-half-marathon-on-sunday/494687/3 "2009-04-29T03:10:45Z")
Way to go!!! Have you been cleared by a sports medicine specialist? Stress fractures are nothing to fool with. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ran-my-first-half-marathon-on-sunday/494687/4 "2009-04-29T04:55:48Z")
Congratulations. But, to tell you the truth, running your first half-marathon after stress fractures and two months away from training sounds like a pretty stupid idea. You’re lucky you didn’t hurt yourself. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ran-my-first-half-marathon-on-sunday/494687/5 "2009-04-30T01:42:01Z")
I was cleared, no worries 🙂 I was told I could expect a longer recovery period, but no serious damage. I expected more shin pain, but it’s only a little tender. Good luck, **Lily**! ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ran-my-first-half-marathon-on-sunday/494687/6 "2009-04-30T02:32:29Z")
My “credentials” as a sloooooooooooooow runner: Chicago(Now Bank of America)Marathon 2008 Chicago(LaSalle)Marathon: 2007 2006 San Francisco Half-Marathon (The One with the Big Red Bridge) 2008 Georgia ING Inaugural Marathon (Hot) 2006? Atlanta Track Club Half-Marathon(Cold) Several Times Statue to Statue 15K (Birmingham) Restoration Run 15K (Athens, Georgia) Peachtree City Classic 15K (Atlanta) Silver Comet Trail Half-Marathon (Atlanta) Run-the-Reagan Half-Marathon (Atlanta) Vulcan Run 10K (Birmingham) US 10K Classic (Atlanta) Strong Legs 10K (Atlanta) Lighting/Kessler 10K (Atlanta) You want stoopid? In August 2008 I nearly broke my left foot at Mile 5 of the SFHM - so I loosened my shoe-laces and hiked the other 8.1 …Like I said, stooopid. And then I stopped running until the Chicago Marathon, in October 2008. If you want to maintain your legs in a lower impact mode between events, row, climb, walk, hike. When you’re dealing with fractures and sprains, reduce impact stress and hard loading - it takes awhile to get healed properly, and there are ugly orthopedic things waiting for you when you do not heal properly.