The Path to Half
An interview with a newfound half-marathoner on his journey to becoming a runner
Hello fam! For this edition of the newsletter, I interviewed my husband, Nathan, on his journey to becoming a runner. As my fitness has decreased over the year, Nathan’s has skyrocketed—check out that Strava fitness graph!
A few years ago, Nathan and I would have some gnarly fights when we’d go on runs and I’d trick him into going for six minutes continuously instead of five (I’m a monster!). Now that he’s a proud sub-2 hour half-marathoner, I asked him to share his experience on becoming someone who enjoys running.
So, Nathan, when did you really start running?
I’d say I started the winter before our wedding, so 2020-2021. I did some jogs before that where you’d pace me and we’d do 5 minutes running, 5 minutes walking. I fell out of the habit after the wedding when I started a new job, but got back into it more seriously last year.
And why did you get into running in the first place?
I wanted a fitness hobby that was good for longevity and running seems like a useful thing to be good at…like having the aerobic capacity to propel yourself on land is useful. And it was a good challenge because I hadn’t felt like a strong runner for a long time. I had done a lot of running in like, elementary and middle school, playing soccer and stuff, but then lost my running juice when water polo and swimming became my primary fitness hobbies.
Let’s take a step back. What’s your sports and fitness background?
Well, I did, you know, t-ball when I was little. I don’t know how far back we’re going. Then I got super into soccer, but in high school I got very serious about swimming and water polo. (Ed. note: Nathan is from southern California.) I love water polo but it’s a tough sport to play as an adult, and when you leave California, people aren’t that into it and there aren’t as many pools. After college, there was a big change in my attitude towards fitness when I realized it was no longer about playing games and having fun but doing something to be healthy, so then I got into body weight exercises, weightlifting, some cardio for a few years, but it was never really a focus for me. Around 2019, I started running again, doing those intervals of 5 minutes walking, 5 minutes running, but then I sprained my ankle twice in quick succession.
One ankle, two sprains. Brutal.
Yeah, it was discouraging, but eventually I got back into it—now we’re back to the time around our wedding—and I got to the point where I was doing 2-3 miles at a time on a semi-regular basis, but I didn’t have a training goal and kept falling off.
So let’s talk about how you got from that point to now, where you’ve done two half marathons already in 2023 and are training for a third. What got you to stick with running?
Having a race to train for and knowing there’s a big day on the calendar and I’m going to be timed, that’s motivating. And then running the race, finding it enjoyable, feeling like I could run faster, and seeing incremental progress…all those elements made it stick.
And as I’ve gotten more aerobically fit through my training, I’ve just found running more pleasant. Before, I couldn’t enjoy a run while it was happening because it hurt so much, so it was hard to stick with. But seeing myself gain more aerobic ability has been exciting and motivating. The pace runs [more on that below] still hurt but the majority of my other runs, where I’m just cruising at 60-70% of my capacity, are relaxing. I like having that time out there in the park running—listening to a podcast, taking in the world around me. Spending an hour or two outside instead of being inside at home, looking at screens.
Well said. And what was the first race you did?
I ran a New York Road Runners 4-miler last February, I believe. I did another 4-miler in the spring, and then started training for races in the fall— a 10 mile race in France, and the Bronx 10 Mile right before that. (Ed. note: read about the Paris-Versailles race we ran here.)
Have you been following any specific training plans?
I’ve been using the free Hal Higdon plans online. For the 10-milers, I followed the beginner half marathon plan up to week 10. The beginner plans are focused on distance, which was great for me since I had never run that far. For the half-marathons, I’ve been following the “intermediate 1” plan, which incorporates some runs done at your goal half-marathon pace, which are a lot harder.
So in about a year you’ve gone from someone who struggled to run for five minutes to someone who runs 12 miles and doesn’t find it aerobically difficult. What advice would you give to someone who wants to become that 12-mile person?
Run slower. Go out there and run at a pace that feels easy. If you want to hop from foot to foot at nearly walking pace, go do that. The more you do it, the easier it’ll be, just don’t think about pace.
And what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about training for a half-marathon?
First of all, run before work because it’s harder to motivate yourself at the end of the day. And having a training plan that provides structure and direction has helped a lot—when everything’s written out, you don’t have to think about it too much. Outsourcing that has helped so I don’t feel burdened by the creativity of figuring out my workout. The less planning required of me, the easier it is. For some runs, I just leave the apartment and run until halfway then turn around instead of planning a route through the park.
Not overthinking is key. Anything else you’d like to add before we wrap up?
One thing we didn’t touch on that I’d recommend is buying gear that makes running more comfortable. A big turning point for me was getting the right pair of shoes. After my two ankle sprains, I went to a running store and had a session with a sales associate. Shout out to Mo from Jack Rabbit. He set me up with a pair of stability shoes that are wide in the back and all black, so they’re less of a crime against fashion. And I’ve gradually bought more of the right gear—shirts that don’t chafe, a belt to hold my phone, and a watch to track my distance and pace. Don’t make running harder than it needs to be because you think you already have a pair of shorts. Buy shorts that have a zip pocket for your credit card. Use a sports watch so you don’t have to check your phone.
We love an incentive to buy clothes in this house.
Of course, don’t just buy stuff to buy stuff. I used to hold out on myself and wear things down until they were complete nubs, but that’s not a winning strategy. Having my kit figured out has been an unlock in making running more comfortable.
Couldn’t agree more. Thanks Nathan, and good luck on your next half-marathon in May!
Great interview! Very interesting perspective!