Forums > General Running > Improving Half Marathon time
Can someone help me with how to go about doing workouts, after my miserable race this weekend. I thought with my increased mileage I'd be able to run faster than my December half, but turns out be 5-6 minutes slower (I didn't sleep well for a couple of days prior to the race but that shouldn't cost me 6 minutes would it?). I haven't really done any workout over the last 3 months other than an occasional 3 mile tempo.
I suspect I am running all my runs in a no mans land pace of about 9:00-9:30 min/miles, my current 5K pace I think is around 7:45 min/mile. Can someone suggest what should be the workouts for me for improving my Half Marathon. I can run about 40-45 MPW (time constraints), with a 13-15 mile long run and running 6-7 days a week. I can push to about 50 MPW with an occasional double. Just running seems not to be working at the moment.
MTA - not sure what the deal is with the font, this happens sometimes when I use Chrome.
Prince of Fatness
I'd run more than a 3 mile tempo. I do 45 minutes (a little over 6 miles). For you that's somewhere between 5 and 6 miles. Add 20 minutes on each side of that for warm up and cool down and you have yourself a nice mid week workout. Do that and fast finish some of those long runs and I think that your time would come down.
I've since added some other stuff but doing the above was all I needed to do to get my half time under 1:40. MTA: and I was running similar mileage to what you mention.
The jogger formerly known as MrPHinNJ
Intervals at faster paces would probably help. A longer run longer than 13-15 miles every couple of weeks if possible might help.
I started using
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm
to determine my training paces.
Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!
Was the tempo at your Half marathon pace or was it faster? To be able to run that I probably need to shorten/slowdown my run the prior day. I can do 6-8 400 m intervals under my 5K pace fine (400 m in 1:45-1:50), but sustaining a HM pace for more than 2 -3miles seems to be an issue
lace 'em up!
You'll find the paces specified in Daniels are nearly identical to the McMillan paces, and are vdot based. The key is having an accurate recent race to based your paces on.
Good luck.
I really didn't focus on the pace number but targeted HM pace effort. It always ended up being in the ballpark of what my race time was.
If you are having a hard time holding pace for more than 2 - 3 miles then I really think that lengthening the tempos will help you. Think current fitness, not goal pace. When you finish the 45 minutes you should feel like you can run more, and not be gassed.
And don't be afraid to slow down on some of those easy days.
CPT Curmudgeon
This is just my opinion, but I think for most people some of the cookie cutter training programs work fine.
Trick is figuring out which programs work for you.
Other than that, all the good training programs have the same basic core: most of the running is at an easy effort, with a couple workouts at a harder effort. The only real difference between them is the actual workouts, and the mileage.
I don't think you are running your easy runs in no man's land. I think you need more tempos (once a week) and run them faster, and incorporate some faster paced work in some of the longer runs (every other?). Some examples that you've likely seen before because I stole them:
Long run workouts, can be done anytime it's not a step up in distance:
WU 10-14 miles then 5x5 minutes @ perceived 5k pace - 1/2 to 1 mile cool down
WU 8-18 miles and then some LAT pace workout - As easy as 20 minutes @ T, as hard as 2x5 miles @T (Most likely 20-25 minutes @ T or 4x2 miles @ T)
WU 10-15 miles then repeat 10-15 x 1 or 2 minutes really fast with equal recoveries
4-6 mile tempo at HM pace, alternate with 8-10 at MP, every other week
A 13 mile run over rolling terrain, with a progression run in the last 4 miles, moving down toward HM pace or maybe even faster for the last mile.
progression runs, fast finish runs
Workouts as part of mid week run (tempo):
3-4 X 2 @ HM
6 X 2 @ HM (late in cycle)
(1) 10 mile steady run, starting out about MP+30 and finishing at MP-15, averaging somewhere close to MP.
Workouts as part of mid week run (interval on the roads):
Hill charges. Once or twice a week, in the middle of my easy run. 6 x 10-12 seconds
4mi @ MP, 4min rec, 3mi @ HMP, 3mi rec, 2mi @ HMP minus 10sec, 2 min rec, 1mi @ HMP minus 20sec
3mi @ HMP, 3min rec, 2mi @ goal 10k pace, 2min rec, 1mi @ current 5k pace, 1 min rec, 0.5mi @ goal 5k pace
(1) 3 x 2mi @ goal 10k pace w/ 2min rec
10 miles with 20 minutes easy, 8 x 2 minutes on / 1 minute off, 10 minutes easy, 4 x 30 seconds FAST / 1 minute off, jog home.
(1) 8 x 2 minutes on / 1 minute off where on is about 10k pace and off is easy pace.
3 x 8 minutes on / 3 minutes off where on is maybe 10 mile to HM pace and off is easy.
Workouts as part of mid week run (track):
(1) 8 x 800 @ 5k pace w/90s rest.
3 mile warmup with strides, 6 x 1000m at 10k pace / jog 200, 2 laps easy, 4 x 30 second hill charges balls out, 4 mile jog home ~ 11-12 total.
5 x 1 mile or 4 x 2000m at ~ 15k race pace.
6 x 1000m @ 10k - 15k pace / jog 200
4 x 1 mile @ 10k -15k pace / jog 400
I've been trying to just pick one a week and it also gives me something new to do to change things up.
All that said, you took 14 minutes off your HM in 1 1/2 years and then had one bad race. What you've been doing is already working.
mr train you are a pain, your words - they make me go insane
they strike my ever-thinking brain like little drops of acid rain
oh, to my life you are a bane; crazy, mixed up, mr train - r2e
I've been trying to just pick one a week and it also gives me something new to do to change things up. All that said, you took 14 minutes off your HM in 1 1/2 years and then had one bad race. What you've been doing is already working.
Picking one of the workouts every week is an excellent idea, now I have to go out and do them.
I thought what I was doing was working, but the recent race in ideal racing conditions (Sunny 30 at the start - 45 degrees at the finish) has me a bit discouraged.
I've been focused on the HM the past three years and have taken my time down in small increments over five races from 1:37 to 1:32. I'm aiming for sub-1:30 in a HM this May.
I'm not a high mileage runner (don't have the time), but I have found that there is one key workout that is especially useful in preparing for the HM. That is the long tempo run. Over the course of a training cycle I'd start out with 2-3 mile tempos (with 1 mile w/u and 1 mile c/d). Gradually increase this so that about 3-5 weeks before the race you can run a 7-8 mile tempo (also with a 1 mile w/u and 1 mile c/d).
The pace of the tempo should be somewhere around or slightly below HM pace. For example, I'm hoping to run about a 6:50 pace for my upcoming HM. I'm nowhere near it yet, but my hope is to be able to run a long tempo in the 6:40-6:50 range.
...miserable ...slower...didn't sleep well ...no mans land...
...discouraged.
Shashi, take this as advice from someone who has not yet gone all multiplication signs on his training. I think a person at our level who wishes to improve his HM time would do well to focus on running a bunch more. This is not to take away from the advice given already, esp. since you did ask about workouts. I do wonder if, with your overall life schedule , you'd consider focusing on 10ks. It may make racing a lot more satisfying.
It is telling to me that srlopez, who runs about 70-90 (?) mpw, enjoys the HM the most. I mean you do want to enjoy this, don't you?
Half of the people can be part right all of the time, Some of the people can be all right part of the time, But all of the people can't be all right all of the time.
The Logic of Long Distance
Shashi, take this as advice from someone who has not yet gone all multiplication signs on his training. I think a person at our level who wishes to improve his HM time would do well to focus on running a bunch more. This is not to take away from the advice given already, esp. since you did ask about workouts. I do wonder if, with your overall life schedule , you'd consider focusing on 10ks. It may make racing a lot more satisfying. It is telling to me that srlopez, who runs about 70-90 (?) mpw, enjoys the HM the most. I mean you do want to enjoy this, don't you?
I do think I'd enjoy a 10K more with what running I can put in, but here are only 3-4 10k's locally that I know of. Don't want to drive for a short 10K race. The only 10 K I ran in my life was a bit miserable as it was a hot day, and it felt like a 5K only twice as long.
I was asking about workouts because I think I am doing other things that need to be done for a Half marathon except maybe a midweek longer run.
Also, I just made a commitment a while ago to get under 1:40 for the HM before I'd run a marathon (as arbitrary as any other goal, nothing special about that 1:40 time except maybe it's my BQ pace in 3 months ), so all this second guessing about going backwards.
I think you know what I meant.
I look my best blurry!
6-7 days a week
I've been preached to about not taking enough rest days. Maybe you are doing the same. Just a thought.
© 2012 RunningAHEAD.com. All rights reserved. | Privacy