Half-marathon training

Question
I am a 50-year-old female (5'3 / 128 pounds)who just signed up for a half-marathon for the end of January.  I am a "recreational" jogger/power-walker at best (2-6 miles/week) and do moderate weight training at the gym.  I am in good health, but I do have premature osteoporosis.  I have never done any 5K races, etc.  This idea was a "fluke" just to see if I could do it. I have no intention of making this a habit!  A natural-born couch potato, I guess I wanted a challenge I've never tried before.  This half-marathon allows walking, which I certainly plan to incorporate (minimum speed is 20:39/mile I believe).  I signed up for a running class starting in mid-October with a marathon runner.  I figured this would help me perform better and safer.
My questions are, what type of cardio training should I be doing now (i.e., elliptical, jogging, etc.), and how long, frequent, etc. Second, I have no idea what a person should eat/drink the night before or morning of this type of event.  Is there a "typical" thing?  I realize this is could be too indepth of a subject, so any suggestions, however minimal are greatly appreciated for this mid-life crisis newbie!

Answer
Hi Sharyn
I would add some stationary bike workouts in addition to what your doing focusing on long rides a couple of times a week and working up to where you can handle 2 1 1/2 hours rides.Your meals leading up to the race should just be well balanced with a little higher level of carbs such as rice pasta potatoes and a quality source of protein and vegies and olive oil.Fluid intake good old fashion WATER is all you need.Any other questions just get in touch Sharyn.You should start upping your running mileage right away.

All the best

John