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I've been running for about six months and have done a few easy 15k runs lately. I find them too boring to be enjoyable, but otherwise not particularly challenging. However, I'd like to be able to do a longer run and have the confidence to know I can do it if I want to. Would it be practical to do an easy half marathon say once a month, but otherwise to restrict my runs to 10k (the distance I enjoy most).

I'm mostly running for weight loss, fitness and enjoyment, rather than performance (I'm not interested in racing, except an occasional park run), so I am primarily concerned about injury risk (I am in my mid 50s, no longer overweight and in reasonably good health) and any other potential disadvantages I might not be aware of.

I am running three times a week at the moment (total 25-30 km), but also go to the gym and swim regularly, so there isn't much scope for increasing the number of runs.

Updates (empirical testing of the answers ;o):

19/04/2023 - I've run my first half-marathon (2:16:43) without a real problem, I'll try it again next month and report back. Hopefully the lack of an answer (at time of writing) suggests that my plan isn't too daft!

23/05/2023 - Run second half-marathon (2:18:06,but trail rather than on track and lower average heart rate). Felt much easier than last time, no immediate problems.

06/06/2023 - 2:13:35 this time, again on trail, continuing to feel easier, no immediate problems.

03/07/2023 - 2:08:45 again on trail, no problems. Did the last km at almost my 5k "race" pace (5:02 per km), which suggests I had something in reserve ;o) Weight loss has stalled for a couple of months, but that is less important than it once was. VO2 max still increasing.

04/08/2023 There won't be an August half marathon, I've strained my Achilles tendon, but I don't think that was anything to do with the half marathons, I injured it while sprinting and I have historically had problems with the tendon involved.

I've been running for about six months and have done a few easy 15k runs lately. I find them too boring to be enjoyable, but otherwise not particularly challenging. However, I'd like to be able to do a longer run and have the confidence to know I can do it if I want to. Would it be practical to do an easy half marathon say once a month, but otherwise to restrict my runs to 10k (the distance I enjoy most).

I'm mostly running for weight loss, fitness and enjoyment, rather than performance (I'm not interested in racing, except an occasional park run), so I am primarily concerned about injury risk (I am in my mid 50s, no longer overweight and in reasonably good health) and any other potential disadvantages I might not be aware of.

I am running three times a week at the moment (total 25-30 km), but also go to the gym and swim regularly, so there isn't much scope for increasing the number of runs.

Updates (empirical testing of the answers ;o):

19/04/2023 - I've run my first half-marathon (2:16:43) without a real problem, I'll try it again next month and report back. Hopefully the lack of an answer (at time of writing) suggests that my plan isn't too daft!

23/05/2023 - Run second half-marathon (2:18:06,but trail rather than on track and lower average heart rate). Felt much easier than last time, no immediate problems.

06/06/2023 - 2:13:35 this time, again on trail, continuing to feel easier, no immediate problems.

03/07/2023 - 2:08:45 again on trail, no problems. Did the last km at almost my 5k "race" pace (5:02 per km), which suggests I had something in reserve ;o) Weight loss has stalled for a couple of months, but that is less important than it once was. VO2 max still increasing.

04/08/2023 There won't be an August half marathon, I've strained my Achilles tendon, but I don't think that was anything to do with the half marathons, I injured it while sprinting and I have historically had problems with the tendon involved.

14/09/2023 Achilles much better now (thanks for the advice @Andy !), ran a (heart rate reserve) zone 3 trail half-marathon this morning, not very quick (2:16), but I did a lot of walking and gardening yesterday so my legs were already tired from the start. Very tired at the end!

I've been running for about six months and have done a few easy 15k runs lately. I find them too boring to be enjoyable, but otherwise not particularly challenging. However, I'd like to be able to do a longer run and have the confidence to know I can do it if I want to. Would it be practical to do an easy half marathon say once a month, but otherwise to restrict my runs to 10k (the distance I enjoy most).

I'm mostly running for weight loss, fitness and enjoyment, rather than performance (I'm not interested in racing, except an occasional park run), so I am primarily concerned about injury risk (I am in my mid 50s, no longer overweight and in reasonably good health) and any other potential disadvantages I might not be aware of.

I am running three times a week at the moment (total 25-30 km), but also go to the gym and swim regularly, so there isn't much scope for increasing the number of runs.

Updates (empirical testing of the answers ;o):

19/04/2023 - I've run my first half-marathon (2:16:43) without a real problem, I'll try it again next month and report back. Hopefully the lack of an answer (at time of writing) suggests that my plan isn't too daft!

23/05/2023 - Run second half-marathon (2:18:06,but trail rather than on track and lower average heart rate). Felt much easier than last time, no immediate problems.

06/06/2023 - 2:13:35 this time, again on trail, continuing to feel easier, no immediate problems.

03/07/2023 - 2:08:45 again on trail, no problems. Did the last km at almost my 5k "race" pace (5:02 per km), which suggests I had something in reserve ;o) Weight loss has stalled for a couple of months, but that is less important than it once was. VO2 max still increasing.

I've been running for about six months and have done a few easy 15k runs lately. I find them too boring to be enjoyable, but otherwise not particularly challenging. However, I'd like to be able to do a longer run and have the confidence to know I can do it if I want to. Would it be practical to do an easy half marathon say once a month, but otherwise to restrict my runs to 10k (the distance I enjoy most).

I'm mostly running for weight loss, fitness and enjoyment, rather than performance (I'm not interested in racing, except an occasional park run), so I am primarily concerned about injury risk (I am in my mid 50s, no longer overweight and in reasonably good health) and any other potential disadvantages I might not be aware of.

I am running three times a week at the moment (total 25-30 km), but also go to the gym and swim regularly, so there isn't much scope for increasing the number of runs.

Updates (empirical testing of the answers ;o):

19/04/2023 - I've run my first half-marathon (2:16:43) without a real problem, I'll try it again next month and report back. Hopefully the lack of an answer (at time of writing) suggests that my plan isn't too daft!

23/05/2023 - Run second half-marathon (2:18:06,but trail rather than on track and lower average heart rate). Felt much easier than last time, no immediate problems.

06/06/2023 - 2:13:35 this time, again on trail, continuing to feel easier, no immediate problems.

03/07/2023 - 2:08:45 again on trail, no problems. Did the last km at almost my 5k "race" pace (5:02 per km), which suggests I had something in reserve ;o) Weight loss has stalled for a couple of months, but that is less important than it once was. VO2 max still increasing.

04/08/2023 There won't be an August half marathon, I've strained my Achilles tendon, but I don't think that was anything to do with the half marathons, I injured it while sprinting and I have historically had problems with the tendon involved.

I've been running for about six months and have done a few easy 15k runs lately. I find them too boring to be enjoyable, but otherwise not particularly challenging. However, I'd like to be able to do a longer run and have the confidence to know I can do it if I want to. Would it be practical to do an easy half marathon say once a month, but otherwise to restrict my runs to 10k (the distance I enjoy most).

I'm mostly running for weight loss, fitness and enjoyment, rather than performance (I'm not interested in racing, except an occasional park run), so I am primarily concerned about injury risk (I am in my mid 50s, no longer overweight and in reasonably good health) and any other potential disadvantages I might not be aware of.

I am running three times a week at the moment (total 25-30 km), but also go to the gym and swim regularly, so there isn't much scope for increasing the number of runs.

Updates (empirical testing of the answers ;o):

19/04/2023 - I've run my first half-marathon (2:16:43) without a real problem, I'll try it again next month and report back. Hopefully the lack of an answer (at time of writing) suggests that my plan isn't too daft!

23/05/2023 - Run second half-marathon (2:18:06,but trail rather than on track and lower average heart rate). Felt much easier than last time, no immediate problems.

06/06/2023 - 2:13:35 this time, again on trail, continuing to feel easier, no immediate problems.

I've been running for about six months and have done a few easy 15k runs lately. I find them too boring to be enjoyable, but otherwise not particularly challenging. However, I'd like to be able to do a longer run and have the confidence to know I can do it if I want to. Would it be practical to do an easy half marathon say once a month, but otherwise to restrict my runs to 10k (the distance I enjoy most).

I'm mostly running for weight loss, fitness and enjoyment, rather than performance (I'm not interested in racing, except an occasional park run), so I am primarily concerned about injury risk (I am in my mid 50s, no longer overweight and in reasonably good health) and any other potential disadvantages I might not be aware of.

I am running three times a week at the moment (total 25-30 km), but also go to the gym and swim regularly, so there isn't much scope for increasing the number of runs.

Updates (empirical testing of the answers ;o):

19/04/2023 - I've run my first half-marathon (2:16:43) without a real problem, I'll try it again next month and report back. Hopefully the lack of an answer (at time of writing) suggests that my plan isn't too daft!

23/05/2023 - Run second half-marathon (2:18:06,but trail rather than on track and lower average heart rate). Felt much easier than last time, no immediate problems.

06/06/2023 - 2:13:35 this time, again on trail, continuing to feel easier, no immediate problems.

03/07/2023 - 2:08:45 again on trail, no problems. Did the last km at almost my 5k "race" pace (5:02 per km), which suggests I had something in reserve ;o) Weight loss has stalled for a couple of months, but that is less important than it once was. VO2 max still increasing.