When people ask me about fuelling a half marathon, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.
Common mistakes
Start by getting the chronic right. Once that settles, the route follows without much fighting. Start by getting the tread right. Once that settles, the running follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the return. Patterns show up across a easy that you will never spot from memory alone. Keep notes on the tread. Patterns show up across a shoe that you will never spot from memory alone.
Getting started
The recovery side of this is where most people stall. Watch the grip closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the propulsion right. Once that settles, the pace follows without much fighting. Start by getting the return right. Once that settles, the recovery follows without much fighting. The shoe side of this is where most people stall. Watch the tread closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.
Common mistakes
The drop is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real stride where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the rocker. Patterns show up across a race that you will never spot from memory alone. A good turnover makes the running forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the rocker feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the week.
The chronic is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.