13.1 miles. 12 weeks. Zero talent required.

You’ve finished a 5K. Somewhere between the finish-line banana and the drive home, a dangerous thought crept in: what if I went farther? This book is for exactly that kind of dangerous thinking.

Surviving a Half Marathon is not for elite runners chasing a personal record. It’s for regular people who want to go the distance—and maybe even enjoy it. Written by an IT leader and computer science professor who learned everything the hard way (including hitting the wall at mile 22 of a marathon fueled by a dozen slices of buffet pizza), it’s a plan built on one promise: never show up to a long race undertrained again.

Inside you’ll find:

A complete 12-week training plan with beginner and experienced schedules

Why almost all of your running should feel easy—and why slow is the whole point

How to build the running habit so training stops being a negotiation

Long run fueling, hydration, and what to eat the week of the race

Form, breathing, and hills—plus how to survive the rough patches when your body complains

13 mental tricks for 13.1 miles, a runner’s FAQ, training logs, and a race morning checklist

The half marathon is the perfect distance: big enough to brag about, small enough to fit around a real life. Twelve weeks from now, that could be you with the medal.