Spring Half Marathon Training

Hi, there are lot of Marathon threads but how about one for Spring HM's?

Race: Reading Half

Target: Sub 90 (more accurate nearer the time)

Training: 40 MPW. 

Today's run 6 miles @ 7:23 with 3 at 7:08, 6:48 & 6:36.

Anyone fancy joining in...

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Comments

  • Hi there Just Running, I'm game...

    Race: Cambridge Half

    Target: Complete the race without hurting myself (but under 2:00:00 would be nice)

    Training: Currently running 20k per week as 2x5k and 1x10k (but will be over 30k per week before I start tapering)

    Today's run: 10k @ 8:04 (50:05 total)

  • And me please!

    Race: Bath Half

    Target: to match this year's sub 2 which nearly killed me

    Training: 15 MPW,  need to start ramping it up a bit 

    Today's LSR 8m @ 10:43

    More importantly, need to watch the weight - too much snacking recently, and Xmas looms ever nearer! 

  • Gaz - when is your race? That's quite a quick pace for your longer run, what's your longest run going to be?

    Annie - have done bath quite a few time over the last few years but wanted to try something different. Good LR there, seems like you started well? 

    i need to shed a stone, this campaign will help!

    12.5 miles LR for me yesterday @ 7:55, a bit quick but did the last 3 at MP pace.

    4 slow miles later.

     

  • Running too fast is my weakness! I seem to start off at a sensible pace (09:00 or slower) and then as I progress I get faster and faster. I really need to work on maintaining a slower and more even pace throughout the run. I'm going to try putting gradually slower and slower tempo tracks on my iPod for the next run to see if that will help.

    I'm gradually building up to running a full 21k a couple of weeks before the main event, with several 16k runs before that.

  • Ooh count me in please image.

    Target race: Great North-west Half (end of Feb)

    Target time: Sub 1hr 40.

    Training: still looking for a plan!

  • Have done Bath quite a few times times too, but only got to sub 2 this year and that's cos it was part of London marathon training and the long runs were longer than the half - def helped, but not sure I could do such long runs again!

    3m @ 10:20 today, nice 'n steady

  • I bit the bullet and enter Bath yesterday.  It'll be my first one - eeek!

    Race: Bath Half

    Target: Realistically: 2:10, Ideally 2:00

    Training: I'm up to 8 miles on my long runs, also doing intervals on the treadmill and a midweek tempo run - prob 16 to 18 miles a week.

  • Gaz - how about starting a bit slower still?

    Hi TR85 - I'm just using my old Mara plan with the runs cut back:

    LR - up to 15m with a cut back once a month 

    RC run - 4m

    Easy run - 10m

    Easy run 6-7m

    Rest

    Tempo - 6+m

    Rest

    after Xmas I'll swap the 2nd easy run for intervals / hills.

    Mungus - welcome and good on you and good luck.

    Annie, I PB'd too during VLM training but like you don't want to do the 20 milers!! Good run tonight.

    4.18 miles recovery...@ 8:46.

    Anyone including any buildup races? I've got a 10 miler in Feb.

  • Morning Just Running,

    If I'm really honest it's because (up until last night) I'd done very little reading on pace running and didn't really understand it. When I was running at school, the teacher would just take us out for a run. Most of the runs were at the same, reasonably fast pace, with little variation, so when I started running again after a brief 20 year hiatus, I did much the same thing. In effect, I was making all runs tempo runs.

    Prompted by your comment, I spent a useful hour on the laptop last night reading up on the different paces and used a pace calculator to work out what my easy, tempo, speedwork and LSR paces should be. I've rejigged my plan slightly on this basis; although it's really just been about making it slower!

  • JR your Feb 10m sounds good, I'm still looking for nice flat 10k for Jan/Feb time

    TR you found a plan yet?

    GM planning a plan is really important!

    Mungus welcome, sounds like you've already made a good sstart 

    Intervals on the TM for me followed by trying hard to strengthen the old core - would much rather run outside!

     

  • Gaz, sounds sensible to me. A good guide is that about 80% should be done at an easy pace but I don't want to teach any egg sucking... I run my longer runs at around 70-90 secs slower than HMP, although I'm no expert.

    Annie - what interval distances are you doing, do you set a slight incline to account for running outside?! 

    Just over 6 for me at 7:30 av, progressive run with 8:05, 7:49, 7:39, 7:33, 7:08 & 6:48. Felt okay.

    Longer run tomorrow night.

  • My intervals on the treadmill last night were a bit of a bust.  I managed 2 x 800m and 2 x 400m @ 12kmph but my left calf felt tight and heavy throughout.  I irritated my shin muscles a couple of weeks back by running up a long steep hill, so rather than risk a full-blown injury, I quit.  Feel guilty about it, which I know is silly but there you go!

  • Mungus - definitely the right thing to do.  If something feels too tight/painful then you should always stop.  The treadmill will still be there next week image

    After listening to some advice I'm going to use a shorter version of the P&D marathon plan with shortened long runs and extra speedwork.  I'm a bit of a geek and I like my spreadsheets so will probably create something over the weekend and start on MOnday image

  • JR, definitely no teaching of egg sucking going on there, it's exactly the sort of advice that I need. Really keen to do well in the HM but do not want to get injured training even more.

    This week's plan is: 5k easy (9:45), 5k tempo (8:00) and 12k LSR (10:15). I was supposed to run yesterday but decided to give myself an extra day's rest after the hard 10k at the weekend. Still, very pleased that I can keep up an 8:00 pace for that distance without being totally knackered at the end of it.

    Mungus, know what you mean. I've canned or pushed out runs as I've overdone it and always have a nagging feeling about it. You're protecting your fitness though!

  • Thanks for the reassuring words everyone!  I'm caught between settling to aim to just finish and training to get my time down under 2 hrs.  It's my first half, I'm naturally a plodder and I'm 45.  I think my natural drive will push me to continue with speed training, but with limits.  And at the end of the race, when I finish, I'll just be proud of whatever time I do.

  • Mungus, wise to hold back - take it easy for a bit. If it's your first, just enjoy it and have a reasonable target to smash next time!!

    Gaz, those paces seem on the right track but a tempo pace of 8 mm would see you finishing in 1:46 ish. Is that something you should peak to? Are you doing a warm up first?

    Annie - what about longleat 10k. Not flat but has a long downhill finish!? Think it's in Feb.

    10.2 miles tonight @ 8:03 mm. Some new shoes came tonight, some lighter ones for speed work in the new year. I'll wear them when I'm lighter...

  • Thanks JR, will have a look, but I'm not good on hills. Love the idea of special speedy shoes!

    Gaz occasional extra rest days are really good for keeping injuries at bay, good decision 

    Nice steady 5m for me today, trying hard to keep the HR down on the easy runs. Am doing Regents Park10k on Sunday with my son who is very whizzy

  • Did a 5k night race last night and finally got the sub21 I've been trying for - 20:47!  Absolutely over the moon as I didn't think I'd reach it until well into the new year.

    LOve getting new shoes JR.  I'm hoping Father Christmas brings me some vouchers for a sports store image.  I've been looking at getting some lighter shoes/racing shoes but haven't dared yet.  Will keep thinking about it.

  • Did an easy 5k this am at 9:10 pace which felt absurdly slow at the start, but I soon got into the rhythm of it (significantly helped by running to Kate Bush in place of something a bit more pacey image) This is still about 35 seconds per mile faster than I should be going according to the pace calculator, so I'll have to work out how to slow things down even further!

    JR, the pace was worked out from by best 10k (49:31 for a GPS measured distance) and an 8:00-08:15 pace feels like hard work, but not punishing. I'd seen that it worked out at somewhere between 1:45:00 and 1:50:00 but hadn't taken it too seriously. If that's the pace I end up running at, that's great, but I won't worry too much about it if I run slower. The race isn't until March 9th, so there's plenty of time for me to get the miles in provided I stick to plan. I'm pretty careful about warming up to get the blood flowing and then doing some stretches (the ones from Graham Hildtich's book on running) as I do not want to get injured.

    TR, thanks. My right hamstring and ankle felt slightly unstable, so I thought that I'd give it an extra day. Congratulations on the 5k PB!

  • Well done on the PB, Tiny!

    JR - wise words, I think beating myself up over speed will take a lot of the fun out of training.  I can look at speed after the Half, maybe look at working on 5k speed through the summer when the heat will put me off long runs.  For now, I'll focus on getting plenty of miles under my belt.

    5 miles this morning with the middle 3 at slightly faster pace.

  • TR - congrats from me too. On the lighter shoes I went on the basis that if I bought the same type of shoe I should be okay. I started using them for intervals, then tempo and eventually I did a Mara in them. 

    Gaz - glad to help, hopefully it'll work!

    Mungus - think volume increase itself helps with overall speed to a point. Think I may join you in the idea of a summer 5k, never done one.

    another recovery run for me - 2.25 in 20 mins. Ready for tomorrow tempo, 3.5 miles @ HM pace planned with WU & WD.

  • Hi all, can I pull up a chair, entering alloa half in march and would like to get sub 1.40. Current pb is 1.49.xx and 10k pb is 44.06. I have been running for a few years but have never followed a training plan.

    Go to local training club on a Thursday and run Monday 6mls, wed 4mls and sat lsr 11mls. determined to improve on times this year but would appreciate any help and general input.

     

  • Hi Kevin.  I think endurance should be the big focus for your half marathon - your 10k pb is faster than mine but your half marathon PB is much slower.  You definitely have the speed for sub 1.40, just get plenty of long, slow runs in if you can.

  • Evening,

    welcome Kevin, I agree with TR I think sub 1:40 is def possible especially if you build the LR up to 13-14m. What are the other sessions made up of?

    Tough one tonight 6.65 @ 7:20 av. 2m WU followed by 4 at 6:48, 6:54, 6:56 & 6:58 and then a short WD. Prep not the best, work night out last night. Beer & curry not the best fuelling strategy!! The sofa calls...

  • Hi TR & JR,

     

    Mon 6.2 mls 54mins easy pace, Wed 4 mls at 7.08 avg hard pace, Thursday club session was 10nr sets of hill repeats 4mls in total with 1.6mls WU & WD. Tomorrow LSR 10 mls 8.45 pace.

     

    LSR on Saturday at present 10-11mls..

  • Welcome Kevin!

    Another easy 5k today at 9:11mm pace for me today. Felt good running; smooth stride and like I could've kept on going. Was supposed to have a tempo run but after delaying Tuesday's 5k until yesterday and with my 12k LSR on Sunday I didn't want to overdo it.

  • Hi all, I tend to run Mara's and use half's for training. Did a 1:38 half in September before wheels well and truly fell off. First bashed my knee then badly tore my calf. I've done more miles racing than training (2 Mara's and a half which helped my recovery, if the aim was to bugger myself even more than I was.....). Done no running at all for a month, and still not capable. In the meantime, I've given up smoking and put on a stone. 

    Entered Reading a whole ago with a view of getting to 1:30. Not a hope now! Got Sheffield half on April 6th which, if I lose that extra weight, and don't pop my calf again, I'll try for that 1:30. Got an overall aim for next year of going sub 3:15 for mara.

    If reality matched intention I'd know I was dreaming
  • Welcome Chimney. Good luck with the recovery; have you been to see a specialist to get some physio or excercises to help?

    Like the photo of the ice climbing, is it you? Back in the day when I was at University in Sheffield I used to do a little bit of easy-ish winter mountaineering in Scotland.

  • Morning all, Chimney fantastic half marathon time and I am sure you can get back to fitness, well done on quitting smoking.

     

    10mls lsr this morning avg out at 8.31.... wee bit to quick.. what is everyone else doing this weekend.

  • Hi Gaz, just read my post with sober eyes, really should have proofed it better.

    Yep, that's me in Cham, a friend has a flat there. Alpining in the summer, ice climbing & boarding in the winter, handy friend to have! Oddly enough, never done any winter in Scotland. From where I lived up to this summer it was quicker to drive to Cham than Scotland. 

    Recovery is coming along, had some extremely painful physio on it, and got some exercises. It's going to be a long recovery....   image 

    If reality matched intention I'd know I was dreaming
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