What is a good cardio routine to get in shape for a half-marathon? l went online to runnersworld.com but am still somewhat confused. l am slightly in shape... l work out but do not do serious running yet. l also need to work out in a gym due to winter.

Congrats on training for ur first half-marathon! l have been in 8 full marathons, & well over 50 half marathons. l can make some suggestions that l make to all first-time runners. Follow these rules & u should be all set:

1. Never run on back-to-back days. In other words, if u go for a run on Monday, do not run again on Tuesday. Instead, use an eliptical machine or bike & go running again on Wednesday.

2. Keep track of ur mileage, & never increase ur total mileage by more than 10% per week. Again, this will help keep u injury free.

For example, start tracking on Monday. If u ran 3 miles each on Monday, Wednesday, & Saturday that would be a total of 9 miles. The following week, u will want to increase the amount u r doing. 10% is about 1 mile, so do two 3 mile runs, & then a 4 mile run (10 miles total for that week.)

3. Do one ''long'' run each week. You need to build up to the distance of 13.1 miles, right? So u need to start doing longer runs. If u need to do 12 total miles in the week, do three different runs of 3 miles, 3 miles, & 6 miles. The following week do the same thing, except increase the 6 mile run to 7 miles.

4. Do not be afraid of hills! Most treadmills have a ''hill'' routine u can select. When u run on a treadmill, the ground is moving for u so it is not the same as running outside. Adding an incline forces ur legs to push u more which strengthens ur legs & also will help u run faster when on flat ground outside.

5. Stay with it. There will be plenty of days when u do not feel like running, but as long as u stick to the plan u will be fine.

nice, just try to run long for at least 3 days in a row. Since you might be a beginner, just do like a 5 mile jog. Good Luck