Finished my half marathon so now what?

A half marathon is the perfect distance for a race. It’s long enough that it requires training, planning, and a routine. But it’s short enough that it’s less demanding on your body. Now that your race is over, we will cover some things to do to occupy your free time.

Who runs a half marathon anyway?

Half marathons are most common for runners between the ages of 30-40, but generally there is a fairly wide range of ages. In general, most finish around two hours. Elite runners are closer to on hour. It’s wild if you ever run a race that has both a half and full marathon track, you could be finishing a half at the same time as the elite runners participating in the full marathon.

Find a Hobby

Now that the race is over, it’s good to find something new to do. There is nothing better than discovering a new hobby. It could be sports, crafts, art, baking, or cooking. Or maybe you an pick up running.

Spend time with your Family

Instead of waking up early, spend Saturday or Sunday morning sleeping in, or spending time with your family. You can make breakfast, go to the park, attending your kid’s sporting events, or even be at home while your significant other gets time to themselves. Or you can just go running instead.

Catch-up on Projects

Has the yard been calling your name? Maybe you want to fix that shelf in your kitchen that’s driving you nuts. Find a project and check it off of your list. These project are not going to do themselves. Or you can just go running. Forget about it.

Or you can plan your next half marathon

Let’s be real. If you missed your goal or didn’t set a PR, there’s something about feeling that desire to get out and train better than you did the last route. You put in a lot of time for the previous race, but you think you’re ready to start training for the next one. Let’s do this!

At the Finish

The half marathon is really the perfect distance. It’s a competitive race that you have to prepare for, but still can function the next day. With any race, when you finish and miss a PR, the desire to run again is strong. Real strong. Strong enough that all of the ideas in this post really become insignificant until you can beat your previous time. Don’t worry. If you are feeling the same way, you are not alone. And those house projects will continue to be put on hold until you get that PR!