HM In Six Weeks

I am doing my first HM in six weeks, in fact it will also be my first ever race.  I just wanted to ask a bit of advice with regard to my training.

At the moment I am doing 3 to 4 runs per week.  I have just started (over the last three weeks) to introduce 2 speed sessions a week, I try to do the local Parkrun when I can and then I do a long run once per week.  My longest long run at the moment is 11 miles.

I started running a year ago.  Never done any running before.  My 5k PB is 25.14 and seems to be stuck at around the 25.30 mark at the moment.

My long slow runs are around the 9.30 min/mile mark.  I am slow!

Should I be doing more than what I am doing?  Am just concerned about injury.  Also should I go over HM distance on my long run at some point?  Was thinking of trying to work up to 15 at a couple of weeks before the HM and then taper.  How should I taper?

Thanks

Comments

  • cliff781cliff781 ✭✭✭

    how many miles do you run per week roughly?

  • Usually around 25 per week
  • cliff781cliff781 ✭✭✭

    what do you do in your speed sessions and what time are you aiming for the Hmarathon?

  • Well I've just joined a running club and have been doing interval sessions and hill repeats.



    Would love to get around the 2 hour mark for HM but not sure if I'm expecting too much for my first time to be honest, so probably a more realistic time would be a bit over that.
  • Hello

    I've recently completed my first half-marathon and due to injury had a bad lead up. In fact, the longest run I completed was 8 miles. However, what I focused on was the total of miles ran in the weeks prior rather than my longest run. Ideally I definitely would have ran at least an 11 miler before hand, however I found that my overall volume kept me in good stead. I also believe that to run a certain time i.e 2 hours, you need to be able to run a good 5 to 10 mins faster as you will need to take into consideration the congestion you will meet. Speed play would be a good thing to add into runs, as you will certainly need to have some bursts when the opportunity arises for overtaking.

     

  • I think you are right on track for sub 2 HM. Don't speed up though on LSR. Also if you race your parkruns just do one more speed session in the week.
  • I matched your training results almost bang on - 25:30 5K, 54:00 10K and LSRs of around 9:30 min/miles last year and broke 2h.  A lot of my LSR's were at 9:30 pace like you (probably too fast rather than the slow you think you are), but several were slower but longer - aiming to run for 15-30 minutes longer in time than I thought I was going to take in the race.  Going over distance is probably not necessary and most training plans, especially for a first HM, don't do it - but I thought it was really important.  Important from a psychological viewpoint -to know you can do it and not think of 13.1 miles as further than you've ever run before.

    If I were in your shoes/back in time,  I'd probably do a long SLOW (~10:00 min/miles) run of 12, 13 and 15 miles over the next 3 weeks with a 6 or 7 slow miles mid week and I'd bin the 2nd speedwork session after the parkrun as racing that is probably enough every week!

    (This based on my meager experience of 4 HM's of 2:06; 2:09; 1:46 and 1:45 (very hilly) over 3 years and a 4:18 marathon at the end of last year - so take with a pinch of salt image)

     

  • Thanks for the replies.

    Daeve, I did a long run of 12 miles yesterday in 1.53:21(a hilly route that I like to take) and now realise that this is too fast (for me!) on a LSR so next week am going to slow it down and try go for 10 min miles.  It's hard when you're feeling good though lol.

    That is also the reason why I would like to go over distance.  I know that I can do the 13.1 now but I think that if I go over that in training that hopefully 13.1 is going to seem less daunting.

    I don't do the Parkrun every week, I try and do some strength training at the gym instead most weeks but don't like to do too much the day before the LSR.

    Are two speed sessions a week ok?  Not too much is it?  I just love going to the club twice a week and doing them.

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