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Spring Half Marathon Training
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Hi W.A.T.H. joining a club will definitely help you get sub 1.30.
JR good progressive splits in ideal conditions......
Club session tonight 1.6mls WU then 7 reps 650metres with 2mins recovery in between 2.37, 2.35, 2.30, 2.34, 2.34, 2.30 & 2.31 with 1.6mls WD. Nice hills at start of each reps but with even nicer downhill at end
Welcome W.A.T.H. From what you've said I reckon you are well on to go sub 1hr 30mins this year, assuming there's been no injury setbacks in the meantime. You just need to find 2 secs per kilometre to do it, well, that's not always as easy as it sounds of course! My cousin ran the Great North a few years ago and said the congestion was terrible and it definitely affected his time. Did you have this problem? From what I remember, Sheffield is pretty hilly. What's the course like?
Kevin, good effort. Sounds like quite a hard session.
Interesting splits JR, progressively faster. Nice weather for it!
5k and a bit in 26:25 last night. A cold wind but thankfully dry after a day of rain. Yoga class this evening and no more running for me till a 10k race on Sunday. Quite a big race for me and hoping to PB.
Kevin - good reps, a nice session.
Neil - Good luck for your race, what time are you looking for?
just at under 6 for me for my usual tempo run with 3 miles in the middle @ 6:42, 6:41 & 6:54, last mile into the wind so happy with them. Chucked in steepish two hill efforts too, 160m @ 6:39 for an overall pace of 7:21 m/m.
Last day at work today until the 2nd Jan, yippee! Must try to keep running over the holiday period....
Good tempo run that, seems like a good pace to me. Sounds like you are getting some lovely weather where you are.
Just Running
Yes Mara is my goal but the objective is to use the mara training to achieve Half PB.
neil jones 26
How I find TM runs, just look at my post 17/12, it will give you some indication (call them dread mill), at the moment I set the incline to .5% but yeah ideally it should be 1%.
anniesophie
Thanks for the welcome and congrats to you and your son for getting fantastic time, yeah i know what you mean by needing young legs, anyway 57:11 still count as achievement.
Where are the hills
Hi and Welcome
Yesterday participated in a 5mile race to gage the fitness, got 36:57. I am not overly pleased with it as I was hoping for 36 but I take this result as a good indicator of current fitness level. I have planned a 10K and a 10 Mile race before the half.
Plan for today is to do the LSR, target 18Mile and NJ26 it will be outside not on the DM,
.
Welcome to the thread WATH!
Nice running everybody. MandM sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your 5 mile time, but good luck with the LSR. Neil good luck in your 10k race today and let us know how you get on.
Long, semi-slow run today. Ran 12k at 08:50mm pace for a total of 1h05m52s. Most was run slightly slower but I decided to add two 500m sections at about 07:00mm pace: one halfway through and one right at the end, just to mix things up a bit. Came home with acetone breath and grinning like a maniac.
After three hard and increasing weeks on the trot (20k, 22k and 27k) I've got an week next week. I was supposed to do 25k this week but nicked my wife's Nike Free 5.0s yesterday to do a gentle trot round the corner to see how they felt. Hope everyone has a great Sunday afternoon.
Good running!
M&M - I'm pretty sure that you'll PB with all that good running behind you. Hope the 18 miler went well?
Gaz - good run there, are you going to eventually add a few miles at MP? Did you like the wife's shoes?! I use the brooks Pure range and like them a lot.
16 for me at 8:15 and no rain, plenty of wind but more enjoyable than my last few runs! Felt okay and this is probably the longest run I'll do in training. Next LR will have 2 x 2 miles at MP (7:15) but will be shortened to 13-14 Miles.
Neil - are you toasting a new PB??!
Neil how did your 10k go today............
MandM how did you get on with your lsr....
JR you are posting some good training times...sub 1.30 will be no bother
11mls lsr for me yesterday that avg out at 8.03... to fast but due to the weather being horrendous decided to get it done quicker.
Hi JR,
Yep, need to start getting some miles in at a slightly faster pace. Easy week next week, then 8k Easy, 8k Fast and 12k LSR planned for the week after.
Quite like the wife's shoes but they have very little padding in compared to my ASICS and I'm cautious of using something like that regularly until I've got the hand of the technique for using them. I'm thinking of looking at something similar once I've done the race in March and can start again with very low mileage to avoid knackering anything.
Gaz, nice effort. You crack me up, acetone breath and wife shoes. What's that all about? Good 12k by the way.
JR, another good effort, well done. Glad you enjoyed it more despite the wind.
Kevin good effort too, funny how the bad weather does wonders for your speed.
M&M, how did the run go? Good to see you getting out in the great outdoors
Thanks for your interest in my race today guys. Blue skies and bloody cold. As I got off the train my teeth were chattering! Delayed getting the outer layer off and paid the price as suddenly there was a massive queue at the bag drop off where 5 or 10 minutes earlier there was nobody. This meant very little time to warm up and get organised for the start.
Covered the first km in 4:10 and told myself to slow down a bit but to no avail, First 3km in 12:30. Began to slow from this point and reached halfway in 21:04, breathing hard. Still, 32 seconds quicker than I'd previously ran the first half of a 10k race. Km 5 to 6 was done in 4.23 so the writing was on the wall but I made 7km in under 30 minutes, possibly for the first time. Great crowd support from Km 7 to Km8, loads of spectators on both sides of the tree lined road cheering wildly like something out of the Tour de France (no shit!). Got to Km 9 in 38:57 and finished in 43:15, a 21 second personal best. Also did this race 12 months ago and ran 45:09, so almost two minutes better than a year ago but really feel I should have gone under 43mins today. Although the times are different, there's a real sense on deja vu here:
2012: 45:09 (22:00/23:09)
2013: 43:13 (21:04/22:11)
A bit disappointed with the second half of the race both times but especially this year as my preparation was better. On the other hand, almost two minutes faster over course and distance than last year so I guess that's some sort of progress but do feel I could've broken 43 minutes. Think I've got to try and pace myself better early on in 10ks. Doesn't seem to be a problem in half marathons so far.
Cheers guys! Have a good Christmas and good running (as Gaz says)!
Well done neil, celebrate going two minutes faster and use the feeling of being able to better that again to motivate yourself with your training for the next one.
I managed a 10.4 mile long run on Saturday. It was a total slog until the last three miles or so when the heavens opened and I was absolutely drenched - had to laugh imagining all of the people in the cars were thinking...! Good sense of achievement but I'd really like it to be less of a mental battle next time.
Congrats NJ26, fantastic achievement, I could only envy that time, never gone under 47 for my 10K so I would take sub 44 any day. For the benefit of the novice like myself, wold you be able to highlight the key differentiators to achieve 43:13?
GazMorris
Nice build up, way to go.
Just Running
At this stage i am unsure if i could get a PB, you need NJ26 10K time to have a hope, he is really flying.
LSR went well, averaged @6 minute K, I was shattered after the run but am happy that 18 Miler is under the belt and kind of confidence builder for the eventual 20 Miler. I am hoping to do three 20 Milers before the mara (March) but hopefully two out of the way before the ½ in February.
cheers
Kevin - swift run, how are the legs feeling today? Looking forward to some dry, crisp days... I'm pretty sure it is but wondering whether or not to push for a PB, I will gauge at the 10 miler a couple of weeks before.
Gaz, good plans. I naturally mid-foot strike so all the heel cushioning is wasted on me. If what you use now works why change?
Neil, firstly congrats on the PB. 2 mins is a significant improvement over a short distance! I think it's a lot harder to pace a 10K than a HM and have done the same. When going for sub-40 I was half way at 19 mins, being too greedy I tried to hold on to it and faded to 40:07 and haven't had chance to try again since. Sure you're a lot happier now?
Mungus - well done, always satisfying to have that feeling that you've got through the run when things weren't as easy as it should be.
If there's a break in the downpour I might do a couple of slow miles...
Just Running - My time at this years GNR of 1:30:33 was my fastest HM for about 10 years so I'm classing it as my PB. I did the Yorkshire Marathon in 3:52 but died a slow painful death around the 19 mile mark. I got to half way in 1:42 and 30k in 2:27 but it took me over 1:10 to get from 30k to 40k including at least a 5 min toilet stop!
And why not!! Somebody told me that the Mara starts at 20 miles, I managed to hold out until mile 24. Hope you made the portaloo!!!! To be so close to 90 mins must have been tough.
Braved the horizontal rain for 4.08 @ 8:59.
Neil good race report and excellent pb
, 2 mins faster than last year and you are still a wee bit disappointed, us runners are never happy, only 14 secs to get under 43mins...
MandM good lsr and as you said a good confidence booster
Mungus your run on Saturday sounded exactly like mine.
WATH I battle with my tummy constantly
Tonight running with the group 6.2mls @ 8.10 and legs feel ok JR
Big round of applause to everyone who went out running yesterday! I'm hoping to sneak in 5-6 miles later (I'm 'working from home') before collapsing into the welcome embrace of Christmas.
Firstly, thanks everyone for the kind comments, much appreciated. Fairly happy with the time but know it could have been better. Still, it's a PB and we move on.
M&M - not exactly a massively experienced runner myself, having only done my first race in Feb 2012. To try and answer your question, I guess it's a question of building up mileage and introducing some speed work somewhere along the line. Following a structured training plan for a half back in the spring was really helpful too. Still, other folk on this thread and board are far better placed to answer your question. Well done on the LSR, a good effort. you should definitely be feeling confident about your 20 milers.
JR - interesting to read you'd had similar pacing issues to me in 10k races. I think you're absolutely right about 10k races being harder to pace and I imagine it gets more difficult the shorter the distance / faster the pace. You sub 40 min attempt sounds similar to my race on Sunday, albeit quite a bit quicker. Very well done for getting out yesterday.
W.A.T.H - apart from the toilet stop, what do you think went wrong in the second half of the Yorkshire marathon? Not enough LSRs? Your split for halfway suggests that you didn't go off too fast. Any experience / lessons you could share would be useful.
Mungus - well done for sticking at it. Good to win the mental battles too.
No running for me either yesterday or today. Seem to have slight injury on the left thigh. Hoping to get out tomorrow morning, however.
Did a 1:09:03 out and back this morning. Slow on the way out, steady on the way back. Anyone manage to get out today?
Merry Christmas everybody!
I had a nice, gentle 5k planned for this morning but having been well all year and not taken a single day of sick leave, I've got a headache, muscle aches, cough and a sore throat. Oh well, a couple of days off won't hurt...
Morning all. Quiet on the thread over Christmas, I trust this means that we were all busy having a good time, with or without running.
I've only done a couple of miles so far this week. The floods in my area blocked my routes on Tuesday and there's been no time since. I'm hoping to get 6 miles in later, but the wind is whistling round the house in a scary fashion and everything looks very soggy so it's going to take quite some motivation...
Room for one more?
Race: Bath Half
Time: ???? first time last year was 1:59
Training: currently 40mpw, adapted P&D 18 week marathon schedule
The main goal is Paris Marathon in April but Bath is my local half and original reason why I started running, so its important to me. I've no idea about likely pace yet but I'd like to enjoy it more then last year, when it felt I like I nearly killed myself to get a sub 2hr. I feel like I'm putting a lot more work into endurance then speed and I won't have any opportunity to taper, but looking forward to it
Welcome benignmurmurring! I'm aiming for the Bath Half too, and speed really ain't my thing, I'm sure I'll be behind you!
Welcome to the thread benignmurmurring! It's nice that you feel you've got a local race that's special to you.
Glad to hear you've made it out of the house Mungus. I didn't get out for my run on Christmas day, but felt a bit better yesterday and trotted 5k round the village where my folks live in 26:25 for 08:33mm pace. Still got a bit of a cough and muscle aches but no sore throat or headache. Going to lay off today and do a gentle 3k tomorrow instead.
Thanks for the welcomes.
Mungus - Have you done the Bath Half before? (sorry I haven't read back fully) Its such a dull route mostly, given how beautiful the rest of the city is but the crowd just bring the whole thing alive.
Gaz Morris - I think a gentle run is often just what a mild cold needs. Alcohol never does much for my immune system though, its the one thing I drop when illness threatens.
Just back from a punishing 12 miles with lots of hills and tempo. I have dropped my mileage this week due to Christmas so I've upped the speed. Things now ache agreeably. I'll head back to the sofa.
Hi, i have just found this thread. I have signed up for the Edinburgh Marathon (my first). Looking to finish below 4 hours, currently running about 45 miles a week.
I have previously only run two 10K's (Bristol) and one Half (Swindon), so this will be an exciting challange. Unfortunaly the nature of my job means that i can't run as many races as i would like as i tend to be away for a lot of them.
Half of my training is treadmill based as i spend one month at a time off shore. Any tips for long slow runs would be appriciated as i find myself always running too fast. In fact any tips at all for this marathonnewbie would be great.
Thanks
Stu
Stuart G Wallace
Welcome and am sure you will find some helpful tips for your first marathon, this bunch here is quite helpful
. Like yourself I am also training for mara and I tend to do my LSR at slow pace, usually +1 minute per K to my GMP. I don’t do any GMP miles during the LSR but I know there are runners who actively prescribed to this, just not me.
Your weekly mileage seems fine for your sub 4 hours target, and TM runs are fine provided you do set the incline (rule of thumb .5 - 1%), kind of emulate running outside.
No much running for me during the festivity so not much to report, hope everyone had good xmas.
Welcome Stu!
I'm a sucker for running too fast too, but I'm getting a little bit better as I learn more about pacing myself and my limits. The basic GPS watch I got a month ago has also helped enormously, but I sometimes start with the best intentions and then get the bit between my teeth!
Tempo run 5k today in 23:52 (but felt like very hard work) to finish my light week. Clearly not over the cold yet. Gentle 8k planned for tomorrow to give me a clear run at the New Year. Back to work on Thu 2nd.
Hi all and welcome benignmurmurring and Stuart. Hope you all had a good Christmas break.
Stu, I would say a long run of around 90 secs over MP pace would be a good start and as the weeks tick by speed up to 60 secs. I like to do all my runs progressive quicker so over the course of my long runs I'll average out the pace. I'm a believer of MP miles but would do these every 2-3 weeks and this would count as a quality session.
Benign, Bath is also pretty local for me but I'm giving it a miss this as I think it's overpriced! It is a fast course but I'm giving Reading a go instead. I did the same schedule as you and it gave me a 6 min PB without a taper.
Gaz, seems you were pretty disciplined over the last week, well done! Hope you're over the cold now.
Not a lot to report. 5 easy one on Tuesday, 6 on Friday with 4 x 800m at av 6:13 and 11.5 miles @ 7:54 Tonight. Going mountain biking tomorrow in the Forest of Dean and a small run on Tuesday to finish the month off.
I haven't done the Bath Half before but I live in Bradford on Avon so I'm in and out of Bath all the time and know the route. I prevaricated a long time before entering because of the cost and dull route but figured that being easy to get to was the biggest factor. Let's hope the trains don't let me down on the day!