Half marathon training advice

As part of training fir a half marathon which takes place in two weeks time, I ran the 13.1 miles at the pace Im hoping to run at in two weeks last sunday. I had a sore calf for a day or two then I tweaked my hamstring on wednesday morning and it has been sore since. 

I know that it might take til next Wednesday or later to rest it and make sure its right. Now 

Normally I'll run tge full twice in training to get used to the time on my feet and distance and pace ran. 

 

 

In light of all this and with two weeks to go, am I better of just resting the leg so its better and hope that the training ive done means all I'll need to do is a few 10k runs at a gentle pace in the taper week ahead of raceday?

 

 

Your help would be appreciated!

 

 

Ta all.

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Comments

  • Hopefully, you've been resting as the only thing you can do in the two weeks prior to a race that will affect your performance on the day is injure yourself.

    I don't understand why you would put your body through a half marathon at race pace in training? You ran the race before the race....

    Hope you're fit and well in time for race day.

     

  • I've done it before and eeverything has been fine. I tried a 5k run on Tuesday and it still feels the same. Race is next Sunday unsure whether to not even think about runng on it and just swim or cycle until the race as I don't want to feel even more undercooked than i will do!
  • Jeez.



    Maybe you need to spend less time running and more time reading about training ?



    Hope you get over the injury but why would you race your race before your race. Who does that ?
  • kaffeegkaffeeg ✭✭✭

    Rest.

    As wiggly says - you've run the race already!

    The usual advice is to run your training runs slower than race pace. And that in one or two long training runs - you run part of it at race pace - not all of it!

    You're totally ready for it.  Just rest. Stretch. And have fresh legs for race day and enjoy.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Err that's just plain wrong you have run it and are doing it again 2 weeks later it just seems pointless as you've proved by getting injured. The whole point of training is to be ready to push harder on the day, yet it's not even exciting for you as you've done it 2 weeks ago. 

  • Well I've done it before and have been fine. I don't have the time always to read about training so I just wait for helpful comments from people like cougie to keep e going.



    So no running then. I'm okay with that. No swimming or cycling even though it's low possibly no impact. Me and the Mrs are trying for a baby at the mo so not stopping that!
  • "yet it's not even exciting for you as you've done it 2 weeks ago." I disagree. It's about producing the goods on the raceday for me. Any footballer can bang in 12 goals a day in training, but he has to do it on matchday. Why does everyone always seem to run quicker in a race?

     

  • kaffeegkaffeeg ✭✭✭

    If you REALLY want to train.  I totally and utterly recommend looking like a prize idiot and doing aqua jogging.  I did it when I was injured.  I've recommended it to others and they have sworn by it.  Apparantly elite runners do it. Although I think they might have a better pool rather then the one in the middle of a council estate that I used....

    .....you just need to buy a foam belt. Strap it on. And pretend to jog in the deep end. It gives you a good work out. It's the next best form of exercise to running on land as it uses the same muscles but has no impact. (don't run in the shallow end - the aim is that your feet have no impact with the floor).

    It'll keep your fitness up. Keep your muscles strong.  But it won't hurt or damage. Yay.

    But you do look stupid and all the swimmers will hate you.

  • Well most of us haven't run the race alreadyimage
  • kaffeegkaffeeg ✭✭✭

    erm, and if you get injured and can't run...you'll have all the time in the world to read about the training that you can't do becuase you're injured. 

    Just saying..image

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Lord boz: because they have trained to a plan, and tapered so they are fresh and ready to go, not knackered, utterly exhausted, and just repeating yet another training run. 

  • Don't have time to read a few articles about training... Really



    Runs race distance at race pace - that's not race pace then if you've trained - it's a time trial. People run quicker in a race - because they race after training for it...



    I'm baffled how people are so stupid
    Pain is weakness leaving the body
  • Lordboz - sorry if my reply wasnt as comprehensive as you'd like - but why should I spend 10 mins typing out stuff that you could google quicker. If you could be bothered.



    There are plenty of half marathon plans out there. I've yet to see one that says practice your race a fortnight before the race.
  • NayanNayan ✭✭✭

    Keep training hard and take painkillers.  Expect to get injured.   Don't worry about it though. When you DNS Just send them your time trial numbers from last week and they'll ruffle your hair and give you a medal and goody bag anyways. You young scamp. 

  • Boz: yeah everyones being a bit of a rude git about it, there is a tendency sometimes here for it, which i don't think they see as being quite off putting and counter productive. However, the masses here are generally (near always) right, as they've got various experiences to go from, and when they agree on something,.. you really should listen. For the first 5 months when is started last year, i did the same, i ran all training runs at race pace, because i hadn't researched, and didn't understand the benefit that would come from running them slower. As i had to increase long runs in prep for my first half marathon, i was finding it hard, and the advice on here about slowing down, seemed wrong and silly, and hard. However after just doing it slower for a few months, and getting through my first half mara, i really saw the benefits from it. It doesn't feel awkward anymore to run (or jog i should say) at a slower pace for my long runs etc.  

    So that's advice for the future, and for after your race,... rest of this week, i'd say just rest it, maybe do something short and gentle on tuesday and thursday to see how it is and if its improving. You've done all the training you can do that's going to be effective for the race, let that be enough.

    hope your race goes well, and your injury eases off enough for it.

  • kaffeegkaffeeg ✭✭✭

    Everyone's rude?! How rude! image

  • except for you Kaffeeg :P, your aqua running suggestion sounds like a great idea,.. i don't think i could cope with the angry swimmers however :P.

  • This seems to be a repeat of his over thread asking for advice anyway. He seemed happy with the advice he got there. Not sure why he asked again ?
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Maybe waiting for the answer that suits him rather than the correct one.



    Getting used to time on feet and getting used to race pace should be 2 different sessions. They build up to come together on race day not before.

    I'd suggest resting if you are feeling injured and spending the time you would have spent training to read up on some training plans and the theory behind all of the different sessions.



    Most runners make the mistake of trying to run all of your long runs at race pace, I know I have.
  • kaffeegkaffeeg ✭✭✭
    Peter M wrote (see)

    except for you Kaffeeg :P, your aqua running suggestion sounds like a great idea,.. i don't think i could cope with the angry swimmers however :P.

    image

  • Peter M and Kaffeeg have got it right to a T. I have used DWR (deep water running) when injured and have actually improved my fitness and not just maintained it. I use an Aquajogger float (think that is what it is called) and go to the pool when they are doing lanes. Just go in the slow lane and be aware of what swimmers are doing around you. I did the GNR one year using this for much of my training and only lost 2 minutes on the previous year's time. My longest run that year was a short 8 miler around the playing field.

    C

  • GazMorrisGazMorris ✭✭✭
    Millsy1977 wrote (see)
    Most runners make the mistake of trying to run all of your long runs at race pace, I know I have.

    Guilty as charged your honour! I've slowed down a lot since I bothered to download and read an eBook on training. I still run a bit quickly sometimes, but nowhere near race pace. I was lucky and managed to avoid any serious injury; although I do get the occasional light niggle in my right Achilles.

    Boz, if there's one thing I wished I'd known when I started out a year ago it's this - do most of your running at least one to two minutes per mile slower than your proposed race pace. If you've not already found MacMillan running, give it a try.

    Best of luck.

    Gaz

  • 1h 56m 35s - a pb by just under four mins. To those of you who offered their support, many thanks. Those who didn't....image

  • Good time. But imagine how better it could be if you followed a sensible training plan leading up to it

  • NayanNayan ✭✭✭

    Congrats. Glad you didn't get injured. 

  • HankstaHanksta ✭✭✭
    Congrats. I take it the injury didn't return ?

    Well done .
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Good result. Find a decent training plan and your times should start to tumble.
  • Weekly long runs between 8 to 12+ miles.

    Once a week intervals or hill repeats.

    Park Run or paced run up to 5 miles.

    Add one or two easy recovery runs to focus on boosting weekly mileage and increasing your aerobic base. 3 to 6 miles for easy/recovery runs.

    Anywhere between 3 to 5+ days of running should help you run a decent time for HM .

    80% of your mileage for distance running should be working your aerobic system. Around 20% should be High intensity/anaerobic running to improve speed endurance. High intensity including paced runs/race and or intervals.

     

  • Ironically, it was my left hamstring that felt sore more than the right - I haven't totted up the miles, but I would hazard a guess my trainers are probably offering me as much support as a pair of slippers so probably time to change.

    I've knocked 22 mins off my first half marathon time (2h 18) in 18 months, so my next target is to see if I can beat the 1h 56 - ideal aim is to get sub 1h 50 but I think that'll take some doing as I'd need to be able to run approx 30sec a mile quicker for longer.

    Simples image

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