Spine Bender

How to Train for a Half-Marathon with Chronic Pain

My boyfriend, D, post-50k in Goblin Valley, Utah.

I turn 30 this week, which makes me feel both old and grateful. Hey- I’ve made it this far! No, I’m not married (dodged a few bullets there); I don’t have kids (someday). But I do have amazing friends, the most incredible boyfriend (with the most loving, supportive relationship I can imagine), an awesome, loving family (including the best sister-in-law in the world…seriously, how did my brother pull that off?), and a kickass career. Oh- and two cute, wonderful dogs!

But…

It’s always there, the pain. It’s been much better since the injection (although, it gets gradually worse everyday as it wears off), but it’s still there.

So, how do I prove to myself that this pain doesn’t own me? That I didn’t get a spinal fusion just to sit around and wish I was one of “those people” with their incredible bodies and smiling pictures as they cross some random finish line at some random marathon?

Answer: I just do it. (Apologies to Nike. But I do run almost exclusively in their Nike Frees…so there’s some product placement for ya.)

I signed up for my first half-marathon. It’s on March 22, and I’m already nervous as hell. The trick has been building my body up to that mileage while managing the “good” pain and the “bad” pain (and knowing the difference). Everyone knows that running long distances requires some level of pain tolerance and mental fortitude. It’s a different beast than what I’m used to. I’ve always been a sprinter (literally). My body is built for explosive, short bursts of power. I’m muscular, with short legs and a long torso..not exactly the svelte, graceful marathoners you see gliding for miles and miles. And I have asthma. (and a spinal fusion, and a bad knee, and adjacent segment disease, and…and…insert excuse here)

And I can do this. To be honest, my greatest source of support and inspiration is my boyfriend. He’s an ultra-marathoner. He’s kinda a big deal (shhhh…don’t tell him). Seriously, though, he runs with me and gives me much-needed encouragement to keep going. He pushes me to go faster. He knows me well enough to tell me when to back off (I won’t slow down or stop myself; and I pay dearly for it later…he knows this too).

My boyfriend, D, post-50k in Goblin Valley, Utah.

So what has been my half-marathon training plan? Here it is:

Step One: Get an incredible, athletic, yet-supportive boyfriend. Do fun things with him such as climbing mountains, playing sports, XC skiing, or whatever active fun thing you want to do. You’ll start to get in shape…on accident! It’s pretty cool.

Step Two: Run with a Plan, with a week-oriented view. Here’s what I’ve done (I started in pretty decent shape, but I had knee surgery the end of September, so if I can do this plan…I’ll bet anyone can do it).

Day One: Cross Train (I usually do 1.5 hours of Hot Power Yoga)
Day Two: Rest or Cross (XC skiing is a killer cross training exercise, but anything active works)
Day Three: Base mileage (build a base of at least 3 miles; then alternate from 3 to 5 miles on these days)
Day Four: Recovery Run (slow, easy run of around 4 miles)
Day Five: Base mileage (you can add a pace run, where you run at your target race pace for around 5 miles)
Day Six: Rest (YES! You must have rest days. They are essential to building stamina. Trust me on that.)
Day Seven: Long run (built up from 5 miles and increase one mile per week until two weeks before your race; for example, I’m up to 10 miles now, but I won’t go more than 12 before race day).

Step Three: Have fun! (or whatever cliché you want to use here)

Best advice I could give: Listen to your body. It’s tough to know sometimes what you need, but the more attention you pay, the more you can understand.

Happy Running! (…and wish me luck.)

Tarah Neujahr Bryan

I'm from Montana and despite living in six different states, Montana is still my heart's home. I have passion for many things in life, including my beautiful daughter and son, my amazing husband, Nebraska Football, playing softball, hiking, healthcare policy, aviation, running, yoga, reading, outdoor life, animals, hiking, sports, and so much more. It's always growing and changing. I have a BA in History, with a minor in Sociology from Montana State- Billings and an MA in Journalism and Mass Communications (specialization in Marketing, Communications, and Advertising) from the University of Nebraska.

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David says:

February 25, 2014 at 5:54 pm

Good luck, Tarah. I have survived four marathons and seven half marathons and enjoyed every minute after finishing them and the months preparing for them. My favorite mantra for each race...start out slow and then fade.