half marathon time limit?

[elizawill]

i'm running the ING 1/2 marathon in atlanta at the end of march. my sister heard there is a time limit. it's totally reasonable requiring a 14 minute mile....but it's also freaking me out a little. my sister is running with me and we are novice runners. i signed up for this a while ago, and i'm kind of wondering what was i thinking!!! i've only ever run 7 miles and i'm working up to 10 before the big day. but i've never run in a race before, let alone a half marathon. what if i can't do a 14 minute mile toward the end?? am i disqualified or what? we also found out we can't wear headphones!!! i know that may seem trivial, but my music is what keeps me going when i want to quit. advice? words of wisdom? TIA.

[JayGee]

Congratulations on your upcoming half-marathon! Do you know what pace you've been running at in your training runs? A 14 min/mi pace is pretty much fast walking, so if you're running, you'll certainly make the cutoff. Have you looked into the Jeff Galloway training plans? He is a huge proponent of run/walk intervals for racing (ie. run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute, etc.) I've used it before in both training and racing with good success. His half-marthon training plan is layed out here.

As for the ipod rule, you'll find that racing with thousands of other people is totally different from running a training run. The excitement of the race, the cheering crowds, the other runners all bouy you along! Plus, most of these huge races have bands along the route, so you'll hear lots of music (although it may not be your choice !

Enjoy the race! You shouldn't have any problem finishing with a 14 min/mi pace as long as you're doing your training. Good luck!!!!

[elizawill]

thanks so much for the words of encouragement. i run rather slow & only do a 12 minute mile. however, i have been trying to increase my speed on the treadmill (walking at 4.0 for 2 1/2 minutes and running at 6.5 for 2 1/2 minutes). i've built up to 4 miles on the treadmill with that rotation, but i just can't seem to do it longer. the treadmill is SO much harder for me than the outdoors. i will also try the 4/1 ratio as you suggested. my big *fear* is that the ING race is supposed to be quite hilly. i keep reading online how difficult it is, and that's freaking me out. i did not know prior to signing up that it was very hilly. my town is flat, so i'm not sure how to train for this. my treadmill has no incline option. i was really relying on my music to get me through this ((sigh))... but i'm glad to read the crowds and the race itself will carry me through. i guess i will either meet the time limit or i won't. either way, i just really want to finish. i can live without the t-shirt i suppose. thank you again!

[WorldsBestMom]

You can't wear headphones thats kind of unfair although it is their rules. I understanding the whole listening to music while working out it does help you keep going. I wish you all the best with your marathon.