Half-Marathon: A Complete Guide For Women

by Jeff Galloway, Barbara Galloway

Author of the best-seller Marathon You Can Do It!, Galloway now offers together with his wife a state-of-the-art book on the highly popular half-marathon distance especially for women. Jeff's trademarked run-walk-run method has helped hundreds of thousands of average people to get off the couch, train for marathons and half-marathons without injury and has helped veterans to improve times. This book offers a step-by-step program for women that starts with setting up your training each week.

Jeff and Barbara will show you how to select a realistic goal, and which workouts are needed to prepare for various performances. The book is loaded with tips especially for women on how to stay motivated, eliminate aches, pains, and injuries, with the minimum training needed to enjoy other aspects of life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fitness, Health, Self Help

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2012

Reviews

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I'd been exercising for several years (through a 40 lb weight loss) I never really considered running. To be fair I was a terrible, slow runner all through school. Even though I did a ton of aerobics in the 80's and was a body builder for a couple of years running always felt out of my reach. Instead I turned to stationary cycling, elliptical training, and walking. However I always had this bucket list item that was run a 10K. At the time I said that (many years ago) I think it was a pipe dream - akin to saying star in a Hollywood blockbuster LOL.

It wasn't until my brother in law started training for a marathon I ever really considered running and making good on the long ago goal. Though the BIL is an athlete and always has been the fact that someone close to me was running made me consider it. I'm very goal oriented so off I went to buy an app and do a C25K program (the app was Get Running and it was awesome!).

Like everything else in my life I am always "all in". So as I neared the finish of the 5K and ran a couple races I started thinking about more. However some nagging issues with my calves surfaced again after nearly 30 years and I could see the straight running dream of my 10K disappear in front of my eyes. Then I heard about Galloway - so this is the first book I picked up. It was very good - very thorough and has a lot of good info. I really enjoy the format of the book - the way the chapter are laid out. The training plans make sense (though I do wonder about the conflict here with increasing mileage and the 10% rule since the training here seems to violate that 10% rule I keep hearing from everyone). I didn't necessarily think the women's parts were that amazing - but the info was good.

Because I'm obsessive I also went and got Galloway's Book on Running and his Marathon: You Can Do It! and I REALLY like the latter the best of all the books. It feels ultra complete, is written in a great style, and covers nearly everything you can think of (I'll edit my review when hindsight is upon me). For some reason that book is much more motivating to me. Though the content is largely duplicative somehow it makes me feel like I want to go out and run a marathon and this book here just feels like more research. It's a great book - I'd just recommend the other book more.

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm running my first half-marathon in a week. I'm super excited but also completely terrified so we'll see how it goes. This book didn't quite give me any new information but it was nice to remember these things. The list at the end with injuries and their causes is incredibly useful and I will definitely begin using the puppet trick.

As for the mental tricks, I have other favorites that work better for me but I suppose that list may help others. All in all, it's a good read. The author keeps self promoting himself and his other books but I guess that's to be expected. I myself don't plan on walking so the run-walk method wasn't relevant for me.

I do wish there would have been more than a chapter dedicated to girls running half marathons. I wanted extensive answers about running with periods, about the sexism in the runner's world, about how unfair it is that guys have it so much easier when it comes to running and so on. This was marketed to girls but is mostly just for everyone.

I'm so freaking nervous yet so excited to run my first half marathon, like dude, I'm so pumped but I really also don't want to disappoint myself and I just really want to run it all without stopping at a decent pace. Wish me luck! (I really hope I won't look at this review next week and be like, oh, she didn't know the half marathon would turn out to be the most embarrassing moment ever).

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read another book by Jeff Galloway that focused on training for several different programs. Much of it covered the same infromaton as I found in this one. There is a small section that is specific for women, but I think your doctor or gyno could answer these questions during an annual exam.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of the information is offered in Galloway's other books. There was a VERY small section specific to women.

[Farrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I found it had good advice. Kind of skimmed it.

[Carla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although there are some really great tips in this book, many (MANY) sections are repeated verbatim, and then others are exact copies of chapters from other books they’ve written. It would be about 1/3 shorter if those copied sections were only stated once. Additionally, some of the medical/health advise is questionable at best (being a health care provider myself) and many of the products mentioned, if this were an online article, I would think they get kick back for the referrals, the way they try to sell you on their favorite products. Maybe those products are great! But the descriptions of them makes me feel like I’m at a Princess House Party for running foods and gear.
Overall, good tips and worth a read but I don’t know that I’ll be reading any of his other books.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. This book is fine. It's wayyyyy more beginner than one would think. So beginner that there's a section to explain what a bib number is. Would be good for someone who isn't already running and has decided they'd like to do a half... though I don't know who does that.

[Skunk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this has some good ideas and techniques for running a half marathon as a woman. It gave me some ideas about how to improve my training.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll keep coming back to this as I train, but I have absorbed the basics.

[Lucrecia Raulerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tips and guide to prepare for a half marathon.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it for information on adjusting my long runs to a walk-run routine in order to avoid burnout and have energy to function the rest of the day. Also provides good mental strength strategies.

[AliceAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to get me motivated for the half-marathon I'm planning on doing in September! It had a lot of good tips in it, especially the whole idea of the run/walk/run approach, rather than trying to run the entire thing...straight. Luckily I started the 'program' early enough that the 'long runs' are still 3 miles or less. They'll get progressively longer as the date of the race approaches - yikes - but at least it also has it listed to run/walk 'only' 3 miles on the long runs every other week. Whew! One of my favorite parts was when the author wrote about drivers - believe that ALL drivers are crazy, drunk, or BOTH! I'll have to keep my eyes peeled when I'm actually running outside, rather than in the privacy of my own basement.

[Heather Delgado · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a good book as far as giving a few running tips--especially for us beginners,but I couldn't help but feel like he was more interested in selling me products. (Accelerade and Endurox R4 (?) were mentioned so often that I couldn't help but wonder if he was paid every time he used those words. For those of us beginning, how about real life fixes until we can figure out where to buy those products...)

Overall, it was a good start for my first book about running half marathons, but definitely needed more information on other products that provide the nutrition needed for running.

[Dmreichle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Jeff Galloway run/walk plan but this book is truly awful. It is full of what should be basic common sense. I am a newer runner myself and found myself just eye-rolling with his overly simplistic advice. I didn't get any insight into the science/research behind his method (if there is any at all). Everything in the book is pretty much available for free on his web site, and the training plan is completely duplicated by the app, which I had previously purchased.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't give this a higher rating than 3 stars. my runniversary is this month which makes me a runner for 6 years now! there wasn't really any new information for me, but I did enjoy being reaffirmed in what I have figured out over the last 6 years. I would highly recommend this book for new runners though.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is ultra technical and would be perfect for someone who wants to train using the walk-run method. The book is filled with photoshopped women wearing sports bras. Would have liked to see some "normal" women within the book.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I've read several books by Jeff Galloway already, there wasn't anything new, really, but it's still good advice and reminder to me when I start run/walking again.

[Teneke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable reference book that I find myself returning to again and again.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using the schedule in this for training. The author gives great tips.

[Jacqui Schischka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great reference books for female runners and tackles a comprehensive range of issues such as safety, injuries, training plans, mental components etc.