Posted - Nov. 11, 2008 - 12:31 p.m.

Running my first half-marathon has become my No. 1 (number run?) goal.

Inspired by the runners in the Chicago marathon last month, I set my sights on a January/February New York City half-marathon, date TBD.

I enlisted my Newsday friend Mike, who ran his first quarter marathon a few weeks ago. He started on the Hal Higdon novice training 12-week training program. I tried to do the training on my own, but I realized I've been stuck in a 6-mile rut, so I've also accepted the Hal-lenge.

Training began yesterday with a stretching regiment. This morning I ran 3 miles.

Because this half-marathon is so important to me, I've decided to make some dietary/lifestyle changes in addition to the training regiment.

Here's the run-down:

>> I've always relied on pasta to get me through races, but this weekend I started following suggested runners' diets. At the new Urban Fresh Jewel on the near West Side, I purchased chicken, yogurt, bananas and assorted vegetables. I've enrolled in the Kyra Kyles School of Cooking to expand my cooking reach beyond pasta and the George Foreman Grill.

>> I also picked up $18 worth of energy supplements, including Power Gels, Power Bars and Clif Shot products, at Sports Authority. I'll review them in this blog sporadically. So far Clif Shot Bloks are the only energy boosts I've tried. I've tested the lemon-lime chews, the margarita-flavored blocks with salt, the Cola-flavored blocks with caffeine and the apple-pie-flavored gel.

My favorite: The lemon-lime blocks. I don't cringe when I eat them, and they normally give me a boost around mile 4. I take them before a race, not during the race, and I always, always, always have to take them with water otherwise they don't work for me.

The margarita-flavored blocks reminded me too much of a hangover, and the salt, which is supposed to help cramping, didn't really seem to do anything during a recent 8-mile run. The caffeine in the Cola-flavored blocks made me too jittery, and the apple-flavored gel not only tasted bad, but it only gave me an initial energy boost, which quickly evaporated.

>> And finally, the most important change I'm making is a no-drinking pledge. I regularly run after going out the night before, and sometimes I don't notice, but sometimes the drinks I've had the night before seem to haunt me as I run.

So I'm trying to see whether not drinking produces noticeable running results. I have not, and will not drink, during this training through the 8K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. I'll see whether I feel abstaining from drinking has improved my speed or ability. If it has, I will continue not to drink through the rest of half-marathon training.

My little brother laughed when I told him my prohibition plan. "Sure, whatever," he said, knowing my penchant for free drinks. Maybe I should go on brohibition instead?

I already passed on free fancy cocktails during a dining review the other night at an upscale restaurant in the Loop. Instead, I had jasmine iced tea. Good start, and I'm trying to see it through.

>> Lastly, I'm trying to be better equipped when I run. It was 34 degrees when I ran along the lakefront this morning. I couldn't find running tights that I liked last week, so I picked up some Nike running pants with a flare to replace my shorts. I realized this morning that I need hat to cover my ears but I refuse to get running gloves. It just seems unnatural.

I'm also against getting the Batman utility belt of water but I may not have a choice. When I was running this morning on the lakefront trail on my typical route I noticed that the water fountains at Ohio Street and Oak Street beaches aren't functioning. The spigots have been covered. Is this because the cold may freeze the pipes?

I didn't run along the lakefront last year at this time so I don't know how long the fountains will be out of commission, but I hope it's not for long. The idea of running with a heavy jug of water that I can't fill or replace doesn't sound like much fun. Maybe I should stick to the treadmill?

Any other half-marathon training tips? Help me with my halfmatics.