"To take on a half marathon, you have to really be excited for the training itself," says founder of Wellness in Motion Run Coaching, Amanda Nurse, and a two-time Olympic marathon trials qualifier. Beginners will need to run about 15 to 30 miles a week for at least 12 weeks to get ready, clocking regular long runs that range from six to 12 miles, with cross-training in between

If that doesn't sound like something your legs can pull off just yet, don't worry. It is possible to do a couch-to–half marathon safely; you'll just need to give yourself extra time to train. "You need maybe a 20-week training plan where you're really slowly building up the mileage," Nurse says. Pick a race farther in the future, and start slowly working up to a solid base of running so that when you're 12 weeks out, the beginning of the training plan feels doable.