How did I run half-marathon in 1 year?
running

How did I run half-marathon in 1 year?

How did I run half-marathon in 1 year? From Zero to Hero

Starting a foggy journey

It all started in April 2024. Inspired by my cycling routine, I made a bold decision: to run a full marathon within a year. "Why not?" I thought, naively assuming my cycling fitness would seamlessly translate to running. Reality, as I soon discovered, had other plans.

To chronicle this journey, I've compiled data from my very first run on April 6th, 2024, up to the Baku Marathon on May 4th, 2025.

My initial optimism quickly faded during that first run. My heart felt like it was about to explode, and an even more concerning issue arose: a sharp, persistent pain in my right ankle.

The graph below illustrates my early inconsistency and less-than-ideal heart recovery rate:

Several attempts at 6k runs, punctuated by a single 10k, did little to improve my consistency. My ankle pain persisted, and while my cardiovascular fitness wasn't as bad as that initial run, it was clear that running was a different beast altogether. I was genuinely surprised by its difficulty.

The Ankle Nightmare

This ankle pain was truly debilitating. It was a constant ache in my right ankle, unlike the rhythmic throbbing of a muscle cramp. It felt more akin to a persistent toothache, but in my foot. Strangely, my left ankle remained completely pain-free.

My best guess for this asymmetry is my dominant right leg. As a right-footed amateur soccer player(very scarce), I likely put more stress on that ankle over the years. I couldn't think of any other significant difference between my two feet!

By the end of May, the persistent ankle pain and the rising summer temperatures forced me back to cycling. My focus shifted to preparing for the Granfondo on December 1st. To keep this narrative focused, I'll save the cycling training details for another time.

DateDistancePaceTIme
6 apr 20245.04 km8:0140:32
9 apr 20244.68 km7:1934:20
13 apr 20246.00 km7:3946:02
25 apr 202410.03 km7:191:13:32
30 apr 20246.80 km7:3451:36
14 may 20245.01 km7:3538:05
16 may 20245.20 km7:2638:44
24 may 20245.08 km6:5435:07
26 may 20246.02 km7:1143:18
10 aug 20242.63 km7:2519:35
11 aug 20245.04 km8:3543:20
Sep 12 20244.00 km8:1933:20

The Post-Granfondo Return

The dopamine rush from completing the Granfondo propelled me back into running.

However, as the image shows, my running consistency actually worsened initially. The cooler weather did make my heart feel better, but the ankle pain had intensified.

Finding My Tribe: Joining a Running Club

This cycle continued until December 26th, when I finally joined a running club recommended by a friend months prior. Starting a running club around Christmas isn't exactly mainstream (I was the sole new member!), but progress is progress. And for the first time, I started running consistently.

This marked a turning point, and I realized two crucial things:

  1. Consistency is the bedrock of running progress.

    The running club had five different levels. I initially considered the "run and walk" group (level 5), but my friend encouraged me to join level 4, which aimed for a 5 km run at a 7:15 min/km pace. I managed to complete it without stopping, though it wasn't easy.

  2. Running isn't a solitary sport like my cycling usually was. Running with others pushes you further.

    I had been running solo, much like my cycling. I hadn't considered how the presence of other runners, especially those following a pacer, could significantly boost my consistency and motivation.

From that point on, I made it a point to join the running club once a week. Thanks, Ismail, for the nudge!

New Period: The Zone 2 Revelation

One evening, while watching cycling videos, I stumbled upon a video passionately discussing "Zone 2" training. Intrigued by this seemingly religious fervor, I decided to delve into it myself.

Understanding Zone 2: The Foundation of Endurance

Human heart rate is typically divided into five zones, each corresponding to different intensity levels and training benefits:

  • Zone 1: Very light effort, ideal for recovery.
  • Zone 2: Light and steady, maximizing fat burning and building aerobic endurance.
  • Zone 3: Moderate effort, pushing your limits moderately.
  • Zone 4: Hard effort, improving speed and lactate threshold.
  • Zone 5: Maximum effort, for short, explosive bursts.

Think of these zones as a pyramid. Zone 1 forms the broad base, and Zone 5 is the narrow peak.

Zone 2 is the wide, stable base of this fitness pyramid. It's fundamental for long-term stamina, efficient fat metabolism, and supporting performance in all higher intensity zones. Without a strong Zone 2 foundation, the upper levels (speed and power) become unstable. Training in Zone 2 enhances endurance, improves recovery, and promotes overall cardiovascular health while minimizing stress on the body.

That's the gist of Zone 2. Plenty more information is out there if you're curious.

Running in Zone 2

Starting on December 31st, I committed to running almost exclusively in Zone 2 (except for my running club sessions). The initial results were surprising: staying within Zone 2 was challenging. Even brisk walking often pushed me into it. It was then I realized why I often overate during cycling – I likely wasn't efficiently burning fat and was primarily using recently consumed calories.

Below are the stats from my Zone 2 focused run on January 9th, 2025 (my first run of the new year!):

As you can see, maintaining consistency within Zone 2 was difficult. Constantly glancing at the small digits on my smartwatch was cumbersome. Despite this, I managed to spend 70.4% of that run in Zone 2, which was a decent start but had room for improvement.

Modern Problems need Modern Solutions: Building an App

Staying in Zone 2 proved increasingly challenging due to the difficulty of real-time monitoring on my smartwatch. This led me to a logical solution: develop my own app. My motivations were clear:

  1. To help me consistently stay within Zone 2 during my runs.
  2. To test the app in real-world conditions, as Android Studio (to my knowledge) doesn't offer heart rate simulation.

The app is still a work in progress, and I'll share detailed information once it's available on the Google Play Store.

However, here's a glimpse of its effectiveness during another Zone 2 run:

Thanks to my custom app, my Zone 2 sessions became significantly more consistent, allowing me to stay within the target zone for over 80% of the run.

Following several Zone 2 focused runs until the end of April, the distances might seem modest, but I was confident they were building a solid foundation.

DateDistancePaceTime
31 dec 20245.00 km8:5744:51
9 jan 202510.00 km9:171:32:54
17 jan 20255.00 km9:1746:32
19 jan 20255.00 km9:3347:48
24 jan 20255.22 km9:1248:07
1 Feb 202512.79 km10:042:08:57
4 feb 20255.12 km9:4249:44
23 feb 202511.35 km10:081:55:07
25 feb 20254.60 km10:0446:24
2 Mar 20255.02 km9:4949:22
6 Mar 20255.57 km7:0039:02
8 Mar 20254.01 km9:3838:41
13 Mar 20255.53 km7:0539:11
20 Mar 20255.82 km7:3344:02
3 Apr 20255.56 km7:0539:23
10 apr 20255.44 km7:0738:44
19 apr 202510.17 km6:481:09:16
20 apr 20257.79 km8:121:03:57

Interestingly, the persistent ankle pain had also subsided, likely a benefit of the lower-impact Zone 2 training. I also occasionally used ice compresses, which might have contributed as well. As I'm not a medical professional, these are purely my subjective observations.

An additional note: In the last week of March, I also completed a 26 km hike on the Lycian Way over two days. While not directly running-related, I believe it provided valuable endurance training.

The Moment of Truth: Baku Marathon

With my one-year mark approaching, I was looking for a stage to measure my running skills. I discovered the Baku Marathon, held on the first Sunday of each May, and decided to combine it with a trip to Baku. The only slight disappointment was the absence of a full marathon option, but a half-marathon was still a significant milestone.

Baku Preparations: The Final Push

In Baku, I set a goal to run at least 75% of the half-marathon distance (around 16 km). Leading up to race day, I completed four runs and incorporated recovery walks with my mother to keep my muscles primed.

DateDistancePaceTime
24 apr 202510.08 km7:021:11:01
25 Apr 202511.55 km7:051:22:01
27 Apr 202514.09 km7:321:46:15
30 apr 202516.07 km6:441:48:23

As the table shows, my final run of 16k at a sub-7 min/km pace was a huge confidence booster. After that, I allowed myself three days of rest before the race.

Race Day: Win The Wind

The big day arrived. One year after my initial wobbly run, it was time to see how far I'd come.

My friend Zakir and I arrived at Flag Square, the marathon's starting point. The weather was quite windy, making the race motto, "Win The Wind," particularly fitting.

As the race began, I started faster than usual, a slight concern as I wasn't accustomed to maintaining a sub-6 min/km pace for long. However, after a few kilometers, I settled into a rhythm. I had packed three energy/isotonic gels and two Shekerbura (a traditional Azerbaijani sweet) to fuel my run, planning to consume them every 5 km.

Around the 8 km mark, I found a group of pacers and decided to stick with them. Then, I fell into stride with a woman about ten years my senior. Despite the language barrier, we unknowingly pushed each other, encouraging each other not to stop or give up.

During the final 500 meters, a montage of my running journey flashed before my eyes – from that first painful run to the countless training sessions. I had a brief internal monologue, marveling at how difficult running felt just a year ago and how I was now on the verge of smashing all my personal records in a half-marathon.

And here was my result:

4 May 202521.1 km6:112:10:56

Total: 715 / 28000 | Gender Category: 631 | Age and Gender Category: 222

Conclusion and Reflections

This past year has been an incredible journey of self-discovery and perseverance. While reaching the half-marathon goal is satisfying, a part of me feels like the journey is just beginning, as the original ambition was a full marathon!

For the data-inclined, here's a summary of my progress from zero to half-marathon:

MetricValue
Total runs40
Total distance283.5 km
Total time on feet37 h 08 m
Average distance / run7.1 km
Overall average pace7 min 52 s / km
Median pace7 min 33 s / km
Fastest logged pace6 min 11 s / km (Half-marathon on 4 May 2025)
Longest single run21.10 km (Half-marathon on 4 May 2025)

Riegel Comparison Table

Metric1 year before1 year laterChange / Improvement
Distance raced5.04 km21 km× 4.2
Official time0 h 40 m 32 s2 h 10 m 56 s—
Pace8 : 02 min / km6 : 14 min / km-1 : 48 min / km (-22 %)
Speed7.46 km/h9.62 km/h+29 %
Riegel-predicted half-marathon (from old 5 k)3 h 04 m——
Actual half-marathon—2 h 10 m 56 s-53 min vs prediction (-34 %)
Riegel-predicted 5 k (from new HM)—0 h 28 m 51 s—
Improvement vs first 5 k0 h 40 m 32 s0 h 28 m 51 s-11 m 41 s (-29 %)

List of all runs:

DateDistancePaceTIme
6 apr 20245.04 km8:0140:32
9 apr 20244.68 km7:1934:20
13 apr 20246.00 km7:3946:02
25 apr 202410.03 km7:191:13:32
30 apr 20246.80 km7:3451:36
14 may 20245.01 km7:3538:05
16 may 20245.20 km7:2638:44
24 may 20245.08 km6:5435:07
26 may 20246.02 km7:1143:18
10 aug 20242.63 km7:2519:35
11 aug 20245.04 km8:3543:20
Sep 12 20244.00 km8:1933:20
Dec 10 20245.01 km7:3237:49
Dec 14 20244.26 km7:4332:57
Dec 21 20246.17 km7:1344:37
Dec 24 20245.12 km6:5235:13
26 dec 20245.50 km7:1439:50
31 dec 20245.00 km8:5744:51
9 jan 202510.00 km9:171:32:54
17 jan 20255.00 km9:1746:32
19 jan 20255.00 km9:3347:48
24 jan 20255.22 km9:1248:07
1 Feb 202512.79 km10:042:08:57
4 feb 20255.12 km9:4249:44
23 feb 202511.35 km10:081:55:07
25 feb 20254.60 km10:0446:24
2 Mar 20255.02 km9:4949:22
6 Mar 20255.57 km7:0039:02
8 Mar 20254.01 km9:3838:41
13 Mar 20255.53 km7:0539:11
20 Mar 20255.82 km7:3344:02
3 Apr 20255.56 km7:0539:23
10 apr 20255.44 km7:0738:44
19 apr 202510.17 km6:481:09:16
20 apr 20257.79 km8:121:03:57
24 apr 202510.08 km7:021:11:01
25 Apr 202511.55 km7:051:22:01
27 Apr 202514.09 km7:321:46:15
30 apr 202516.07 km6:441:48:23
4 May 202521.1 km6:112:10:56