The Ultimate Half Marathon Hack For Runners… That Isn’t Running.

Anyone else back to the grind after an epic weekend? This past weekend was one for the books! If you follow us on Instagram, you know the App State squad got together for our annual Friendsgiving! We stuffed our faces, drank all the wine, and continued to force friendship on our children. But earlier that day… I checked off a long-awaited item on my personal bucket list. Almost 8 years in the making, I completed my VERY FIRST half marathon.

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Before I tell you how I made it happen, please indulge me by reading through the my half marathon back story:

I’ve always loved to run, although I never raced competitively—well, ran distance competitively. (This long-legged white girl smoked some jokers in the 4x100m back in high school.)

But I digress…

The thing that’s always made running both easier or more enjoyable for me is that it’s mostly a mental game. Yes, it’s physical, and the more in shape you are, the simpler it becomes… but it becomes a WHOLE LOT easier when you acknowledge that 90% of it is in your head. Once you can calm your mind about any discomfort or tiredness you feel, it’s actually quite easy to keep on keeping on.

Kaitlin and husband, David, at the Wrightsville Beach 10K in 2018.

As I alluded to earlier, a half marathon was an uncompleted bucket list item… from 2010!! (I got sick the week of my race! And then life got busy for the next 8 years…)  So up until recently, I have only played around with 5K’s and 10K’s. Hey fellow Poms2Moms girls!

Kaitlin, Shelley, & Jenny at Charleston’s Cooper River Bridge Run (10K) in 2014.

Kaitlin, husband David, & Jenny at the Oak Island 10K in 2016. Yes, we pushed our babies 6.2 miles.

Fast forward to this past summer, I was sort of in a slump and needed a goal. So, I signed up for the very same race I never got a sense of closure with back in 2010.

You won’t believe this…. but I got sick… AGAIN. No half marathon for me… again.

JUST KIDDING! (Or obviously I wouldn’t be writing this.)

I couldn’t let all that training mileage go to waste, so I signed up for a different half marathon two weeks later than anticipated, and completed it… SATURDAY!

And I totally crushed my goal of a sub-2-hour half… clocking in at 01:49:51.

As a newbie distance runner myself, I’ve had some people ask what the secret is to completing your first half – or heck, a race of ANY LENGTH – and I’ll usually chalk it up to 5 things:

• Building mental muscle
• Owning a love/hate relationship with running
• Sticking to a training regime
• Mastering race day prep
• THE SECRET SAUCE

The first four are actually quite self-explanatory, and to be honest, as far as running goes…I’m FAR from an expert. For that, you totally need to check out my friend and fellow App State alumni, Katie Ringley, at KatiesFitScript.com. Chic just WON a marathon.

But my 5^th tip… actually doesn’t have A THING to do with running.

OKAY SO WHAT IS THIS SECRET?

• Building mental muscle
• Owning a love/hate relationship with running
• Sticking to a training regime
• Mastering race day prep
• Incorporate deep stretching as a central part your training regime.

I’ve ran 10K’s with and without this tip. And every 10K where I struggled… it was because my lungs, legs, and back were holding me down! As soon as I made the decision to run a half, I also committed myself to deep stretching through my yoga practice, 1-2 times a week.

Yoga – and specifically for me – Bikram yoga, is the ultimate secret sauce to a productive half marathon.

Disclaimer: If you suffer from medical conditions and/or are pregnant, please talk to your doctor before participating in hot yoga.

Think about it, really. If you’re an 80’s baby like myself, we’re getting old AF. Your body is stiff from the moment you wake up in the morning, to when you sit 8 hours at your desk all day, to when you get home and carry around your adorable chunky babies at night, to when you go to sleep.

But as it pertains to running, even if you’re stretching before and/or after your runs, you have to admit that those 5-10 minutes of half-hearted lunges are not giving your body the healing it deserves!

Bikram yoga, commonly referred to as “hot yoga,” has been key for me because it’s 90 minutes solely dedicated to working out the kinks in your ENTIRE BODY—with the heat allowing you to get an extra deep stretch that you wouldn’t achieve otherwise. For me, that translated into less discomfort during running, improved circulation, stronger lung capacity, and more mobility.

In addition to the physical benefits, the challenge of Bikram provides mental exercise. (Take a class and tell me you’re not TOTALLY SPENT after.) Between the heated room, the difficulty in poses, and sheer length of the class, it serves as a great simulation for a long-distance run.

7 Bikram Poses Perfect For Runners

I’m going to go ahead and say that the entire Bikram sequence is incredible for runners. Without adding hot yoga to my training regime, I can confidently say I would NOT have been able to complete my first half marathon—much less in a sub-2 time.

But if you’re still unsure about a Bikram yoga class, here are 7 of my favorite, must-do stretches that you can try at home:

1.) Awkward

 Builds strength in your quads, glutes, and ankles! (My ankle strength is the WORST so this is a *must* for me.)

2.) Standing Head To Knee

Works all major muscle groups and improves concentration and balance.

3.) Triangle

Triangle is described as the most comprehensive pose you can do as it benefits every muscle, tendon, joint, and internal organ in your body. This one is best completed with a little yogi helper! Or two.

4.) Fixed Firm

Watch out for this one if you have knee problems; otherwise, work at this pose to strengthen and enhance flexibility in your lower back, ankles and knees.

5.) Camel

Might want a spotter on this one the first time you try it. 😉 It looks scarier than it is, but has amazing benefits for your back and lungs.

6.) Sitting Head To Knee

Y’all, I just need to sit in this position. Like… all the time. Hamstring strength and flexibility can either MAKE or BREAK your run. Every time my flexibility in this stretch improves, my run improves as well.

7.) Pigeon Pose

This isn’t an official pose of the Bikram sequence but many yogis incorporate it into their practice as it is an EXCELLENT stretch for your hips. (Runners—hip mobility is incredibly important!)

For questions or advice on any of the above stretches, this guide is FANTASTIC for explaining the instructions and benefits of each pose.

Again, while I may not be an expert-marathoner… yet… 😉 I DO KNOW that intentional stretching is a game-changer for not only completing a race, but also for setting some pretty amazing PR’s.

I’m taking a break from races for a little bit, but I’m definitely continuing my once a week yoga practice for all of the amazing health (and sanity) benefits it provides.

Are you thinking about your first half? 5K? What else would YOU LIKE TO KNOW about how to cross the finish line?