Half Marathon Training: Overcome Obstacles and Always Stay on Track

Half marathon training tests your grit—when life gets in the way, will you adapt or break?

Do you want to train for a half marathon? Good. You should. It’s a battle—a 13.1-mile test of your body, mind, and willpower. But let’s get real for a second. Training for a half marathon isn’t just about running. If that’s what you think, you’re already setting yourself up to fail.

It’s about time. It’s about commitment. It’s about figuring out how the hell to fit those long runs into a life that’s already pulling you in a thousand different directions. And if you’re like me—working full-time, managing responsibilities, and grinding every damn day—you know that the clock is not on your side.

I set my sights on the Indianapolis half marathon on November 9, 2024. I had a plan, a structured schedule, and a vision of myself crossing that finish line after months of disciplined training. And then? Reality hit. Hard.

Here’s the problem: Training for a half marathon isn’t just about lacing up and heading out. It’s about progressive overload—stacking mileage, building endurance, getting your body to the point where 13.1 miles feels doable instead of impossible. And those long runs? They eat up time like a black hole. They don’t care about your job. They don’t care about your family. They don’t care about your obligations.

So, where does that leave me? Am I quitting? Hell no. Am I adjusting? Absolutely.

The half marathon training struggle is when time becomes the enemy. I don’t have the luxury of a flexible schedule. My job is demanding—it requires my time, energy, and focus. When I’m off the clock, my time belongs to my family, personal growth, and everything else life throws at me. That leaves me with the cold reality that squeezing in half marathon training isn’t as simple as “just wake up earlier” or “just run at night.”

Sure, I could force it. I could try to jam 10-mile training runs into my already stretched days. But here’s something I’ve learned after years of real battles—whether it’s addiction, law enforcement, or just life itself: Forcing something that doesn’t fit isn’t discipline. It’s stupidity.

Discipline isn’t about blindly pushing forward when something isn’t working. It’s about adapting, adjusting, and finding a way to keep moving forward without burning yourself out or breaking down.

That’s when I had to make a decision: Should I stick to the plan no matter what or pivot and recalibrate?

I decided to pivot to 5Ks and 10Ks and play the long game. Let me be clear: I’m not quitting. I’m shifting gears. Instead of forcing a half marathon training plan into my life when it clearly doesn’t fit, I’m focusing on shorter races—5Ks and 10Ks. Does that mean I’ll never run a half marathon? No. It just means I’m playing the long game.

Think about it—building strength, speed, and endurance through shorter races means that when the time is right, I’ll step back into half marathon training ready—not overwhelmed, not struggling to find time.

Because here’s the thing—progress isn’t linear. People love to think that success is a straight line from Point A to Point B. It’s not. It’s messy. It zigzags. It throws you off course. And if you don’t learn how to pivot, you’ll either burn out or quit entirely.

So, I’m attacking the 5K and 10K races with the same intensity I would have poured into my half marathon training. These races are shorter but still demand discipline, resilience, and a willingness to push beyond comfort.

And if you think for a second that a fast 5K is easy, you’ve never raced one.

The hard truth is that you have to adapt or get left behind. This isn’t just about running; it’s about everything in life. Sometimes, the plan you set out with doesn’t work. Sometimes, you need to adjust instead of stubbornly sticking to something that’s setting you up for failure. Sometimes, moving forward means taking a different path than you originally envisioned.

The weak-minded quit. They throw in the towel the second things get hard. The disciplined adapt. They adjust, find another way, and keep moving forward.

I’ll say it again for the people in the back: Adapting is not quitting. It’s playing smart.

For now, I’m grinding on 5Ks and 10Ks, keeping my fitness sharp, building strength, and staying race-ready. When the time comes to tackle 13.1 miles, I won’t just attempt it. I’ll be ready to dominate it.

That’s the mindset. That’s the approach. That’s the real game.

If you’re training for a half marathon and you’re facing the same battles—time constraints, life obligations, a schedule that’s kicking your ass—take a hard look at what makes sense. Ask yourself: Is my current plan working, or am I just forcing it because I don’t want to admit I need to adjust? Am I training smart or just running myself into the ground? Am I being disciplined, or am I just being stubborn?

If you need to pivot, pivot. If you need to adjust, adjust. That’s not weakness. That’s strategy. That’s mental toughness. That’s what separates the people who actually grow from the ones who stay stuck in frustration.

Half marathon training isn’t just about running. It’s about commitment, adaptability, and knowing how to navigate the chaos of life while still pushing forward.

I’ll be back for 13.1 miles, on my terms, when it makes sense and when I can give it my all. Until then? I’m still in the game. I’m still training. I’m still moving forward. And that’s what matters.

Stay disciplined. Stay resilient. Live with PRIDE.

Jim Lunsford

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