Half Marathon Training

So yesterday I nearly fell over when I admitted that I wanted to run a half marathon and more expressly, wanting to run the Disney's Princess Half Marathon in Orlando in February.  By the time this half marathon rolls around I will have been running for 1 year and 4 months.  That is important for me to remember because, to be honest, I'm kinda freaking out about this!  Um, yeah...it's kind of a big deal! 

It is a big deal and in some regards, it isn't.  I say that because as a runner (oh lord, did I just refer to myself as a runner?) it helps to have goals to strive for.  Whether it be faster times, longer distances, conquering tougher terrain, it is a physical and mental challenge that you go through.  Having a solid base of experience and training is paramount to helping you be more confident in facing a new and seemingly unsurmountable challenge.  See how I'm making this into something huge!! Totally psyching myself out, no doubt.  However having months of running under my belt should be a psychological reinforcement to my confidence to run this race...and own it. 

What I need is a plan of attack.  I need a training schedule that is good for beginners to the half marathon distance and doesn't ramp up too quickly by throwing out 1-2 mile increases each week.  If I start my training now, which I would like to do, I have 7 months until the race.  I think that is a fair amount of time to properly train for a longer distance race, don't you? 

I have friends who have used different training aides, programs, schedules, whathaveyou and they all have something critical to say about the training overall.  Granted no plan is foolproof or is agreeable to all persons that use it, but I would like to find something that can get me up to the mileage I need without pushing me so hard I become prone to injury.  Yeah, you're old, you have to worry about injuries and recovery time; Old lady.

So now I need some help from you all, is there a half marathon training guide or schedule that you like or have used and swear by?  This is when I need help and my research only gets me so far.  Having real life admissions from people who have been through it is much more useful to me then guessing if something is good or not.  Your help is greatly appreciated and I'm ready to start working on it now. 

Anybody else out there training already or starting on training for a half marathon?  Your tips and suggestions are highly appreciated.  Running is always a bit more fun when it's done with others.  Let's train together!  Check in with me and tell me how much booty you are kicking or if you need some uplifting momentum to help you through those days where you aren't so motivated.