Forums >Racing>Sub 2:00 Half Marathon thread
Super B****
This heat is insane. I still want to slap people who complain about running in it, because if you can run, stop your whining, but still. It's insane.
Oh, my doctor wasn't telling me not to run! I just asked how that could have happened, and that's what she said. (She also said it isn't harmful, so... that doesn't sound like she's saying "don't run"? I think she's known me long enough to realize telling me not to run would be a bad idea!)
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
miele- So happy for you that you are running again!
Jan26.2- Sounds like you've got a great racing schedule coming up! Denver sounds like it will be a challenge! My sister lives in that area, so we really need to get out for a visit at some point.
npaden- I would lean towards the half, too. I suppose a bigger deal is how you would feel if you did have a blah day in the marathon because your training wasn't what you'd prefer. Also, knowing the marathon is there on the schedule might distract mentally from that 10K goal, and I know that's important to you.
bluerun- Hope you can get some answers that help you heal up! Is there another doc you could see who might be more helpful?
Stever- Glad things are going well!
Tara- Good luck on your HMs this fall!
Edith- Glad your dad is home. My thoughts are with your family. I'm glad you have racing to help you clear your head when needed.
me- "Graduated" from physical therapy this week- hooray! They cut me a few different colors of therabands so that I can keep working at home. I ran my last two runs without tape and didn't feel the knee at all. If I do start feeling twinges, I'll go back to taping for some of my runs and wean myself off of it gradually. But if I don't feel it, might as well skip the tape.
Godzilla
blue- Sorry to hear about the arthritis (sounds like an odd location) and the cutback in running. I have to admit that I was very happy not to run during the 105 degree heat wave. Then I would see someone out running in that mess and think they were a rock star for doing it. Never got to the point where I wanted to slap anyone.....yet. Does your hip still feel 'weird'? Take it easy.
Jan- I'll be really careful about increasing mileage but I feel a bit under pressure to get the mileage back up as quickly as possible. I'm going to control myself, though, since it's not in my best interest to injure myself again. Oh, read your blog. That was funny. You're not competitive at all with your DH! You could always try PEDs....joking!!!!!! That was a joke.
Edith- Thanks for the info. I'm going to do the same. Run every other day. I'll have to bump it up fairly quickly since my marathon training starts in 2 1/2 weeks. I'll pay close attention to any negative signs that tell me to cool it. Too bad about the ultra being cancelled but I can understand. I think they're even talking about changing that one marathon due to excessive heat. I forget the name but it's the one in death valley or some desert where it's supposed to be hotter than hell.
Zelanie- I was thinking that your long run at 6 miles is about double my current long run That's great news that you don't even need tape now.
me- Had my second run yesterday. Decided to go to the gym and run on the TM for the cushioning. Accidently ran 4 but the leg felt good. I put a towel over the display panel and by the time I checked I had passed the 3.5 mile mark so I thought I'd just make it an even 4. I have to say that my legs are quite tired. The cardio seems fine (I kept it at a 10mm). My abductors are pretty sore. Tomorrow I'll run outside to see how that feels. I bought some yurbuds that I found on sale and they're really nice. They don't pop out like the ipod earbuds. Not that they popped out all that often but they did every once in a while which is annoying. The yurbuds just feel secure and don't budge.
10K: 47:12* / 13.1: 1:50:56 / 26.2: 3:53:48
Jan, you are really working that bike. I can run farther than I can with my bike. I am totally a noob on 2 wheels. Keep it up, I want to hear if it continues to help your running training. Then maybe I will dust off the old mountain bike outside lol.
Blue - Good to hear the news but I am sure you are not totally settled with it. Keep safe and get your miles in when the time is right. You know when it is. I would feel sorry for the doc who tells you to lay off the road running lol. Unleash the fury of the sub-2 monsters!! I will be happy to chip in on some punches and kicks
Zelanie = So happy you are out of the PT loop and back on your own terms. I have never tried the tape but I heard it works wonders. Stay strong and look forward to hearing stories of you back on the mile climb.
Miele = Sounds like your recovery is working well too! Do you miss the pool sessions yet? I hope your road run goes really well and you find your feet. I have to wear a headband to keep my earbuds in. Maybe I should check out those yurbuds. Hmmm
Lurch - Where are you at bud, haven't seen you for awhile?
Me- This week was the same mileage as last week and close to the same paces on each 32.3 miles total. something like 5.6miles @ 7.51pace, 8.0miles @ 7.48pace, 5.6miles @ 7.32pace, and 13.1miles @ 7.40pace
TODAY= Ran another half marathon and was really hoping for a PR but would have settled for anything under 8minpace. I got to the halfway mark at 6.55miles in 51.06minutes which put me on almost exact same pace as my PR from last week ( 7.48pace). I was kind of hurting though and starting having those thoughts like " damn I ran to this halfway mark fast, how can I run faster on the way back, UPHILL," etc etc... I had to deal with the thoughts and around mile 8-9 I was bugged out and feeling spent but then I caught my second wind or something and started getting it together. I found my pace and even a smile and pushed harder and harder. I finished with a total time of 1:40.42 which is almost 2 minutes faster than my PR for last week. My second half of the run was 49.36 which was around 7.34pace for those last 6.55 miles. Happy to PR again and feeling like I have figured out how to run this halfmarathon. My weakest points were around miles 4 and 8.5. I will be doing some research in these 2 areas. Anyways I look forward to running some easier paces next week, but the same total distance. I hope everyone stays safe and runs fast!!!
5k = 19.48 10/1/13
10k = 45.28 4/16/13
Half Marathon = 1:38.53 Summer Sizzle 7/13/14
Operation Jack Marathon 12/26/12 4:39.11
Solo O Marathon 06/02/13 3:52:10
Operation Jack Marathon 12/26/13 3:40.34
wolf-nice running, you'll break sub 1:40 very soon.
zelanie-running = arthritis? never heard that one before.
miele-on the road to recovery, it takes a while. Step by step you'll get there and back to what you were before.
me-knee is feeling somewhat better, improved range of motion, but still cant kneel down fully. Did a 13.5k run on Saturday and a 22.5k today. Paces were a little slower than usual, about 30-50 seconds per km slower as I tried to favor my injured left leg, but as a result, my strides and foot plants were way off. This led to muscle tightening (no cramps) about halfway through each run. Plus I ran a little later in the day than usual, so my pre-race fueling was off.
One thing I noticed is that since I stopped karate (x-training) since July 1, my flexibility and leg strength have diminished noticeably. So, I need to get my legs back in shape soon. Hit the home gym as of this week. Will only start karate back in mid-Aug.
Steve
5K/22:33 10K/47:52 21.1K/1:44:06 42.2K/4:07:372014 Goals: 5K<22:00 10K<45:00 HM<1:40 FM<3:45
Wow, I've been seriously out of touch. July is the start of the academic year in the medical world, and we have 11 brand new interns, meaning I've been working more and stressing more! I try to check in here and read, but got pretty far behind.
miele - I'm glad you're running again. I wonder if you had more of a stress reaction, or another injury rather than a stress fracture since you recovered so well. Regardless, I'm glad you're feeling better. "Accidentally" ran 4 miles really cracked me up.
stever - hope you heal up as well. Falling stinks. I had no desire to do one of those obstacle races. I like my obstacles naturally made and randomly placed on the trails. I'd do one, though, if one of my kids wanted to!
Edith - so sorry to hear about your dad, and glad he's home. Bummer that you didn't get to pace in the ultra, although the heat is no joke.
bluerun - hope you are feeling better soon, too, and not too stir crazy from reduced milage.
Wolfwalker - still can't believe you are busting our solo PRs on halves and stuff.
Nathan - I think you'd be fine running the Sept marathon, especailly if you are not PR focused. But if it would bug you not to be optimally trained, than a half is also good.
Jan - I'm glad you're enjoying the bike now. That's on my list of future endeavors. I have a 20+ year old hybrid that I beat up pretty well commuting back and forth to med school on, so I'd really like a nice bike that actually fits me well. How's the summer? Do you have to go back to school early?
me - After a flurry of weird leg issues (hamstring pull, then some achilles pain, then a horrible calf cramp thing that stopped me dead in my tracks on a run) I finally went and saw a local sports med doc. He really thought the whole issue was muscle strain, with no tendon or joint issues, probably brought on my slip in the bathroom a couple months ago. He was fine with me continuing to run, but made me repeat after him "Pain is my friend" - meaning to take it easy and not push through actual pain. I stretched, and used heat and eventually everything seemed to loosen up. I still have a little bit of left calf tightness, but it doesn't affect my running gait . Running farther doesn't seem to bug me, but trying to do speed work was causing more pain, so I've been running lots of miles, just all pretty much easy.
With the sports guy's blessing, though, I did complete my 50K! I must have reached a new level of crazy, because although it was exhausting, it was really so much fun!
I did the Psycho Psummer 50K, a trail course that is 1, 2, or 3 loops depending on your race distance. The loops were a little long (10.9 miles each) so the 10-miler was really 10.9, then 20 miler 21.8, and the 50K was actually 32.7 miles (almost 52K.) It was a hot day, but not as bad as it could have been, hitting 90F, but at least not over 100!
I had a pretty good pre-race freak-out going the morning of the race. It was made worse by an experienced ultra-runner acquaintance telling me 1/2 hour before the start that he considered this course to be really hard, and that of 3 attempts, he'd only finished it once. I'd planned to run with my friend Rick, who is also an experienced trail and ultra runner, and I didn't really want him to know I was panicking, so I was pretty quiet prior to the start. Once we started, and ran the first short section through the grass, and then turned into the woods and up a big rocky hill, I actually felt better. By the end of a mile, I was feeling much better and was able to remind myself that it's just running. And I like to run!
The course is pretty technical trail, lots of rocks, roots, hills, downed trees. It's luckily about 95% shade covered, though, which did help some in the heat. Start time wasn't until 8 am, so it was 90 by noon and pretty humid as well. We took the pace really easy, walking the hills, and taking our time at the aid stations. The aid stations were fantastic - all kinds of yummy real food, and the nicest volunteers ever. They'd even run out to you and get your water bottle to refill, and were always saying "what can I get for you?" True to form, I did have a fall. I'd just hopped over a downed tree and 10 feet later found the only root in a small flat section and went down pretty hard. Skinned up my knee, and one palm, and had some other minor scratches. This was actually before the first aid station at 2.9 miles, and I ran the rest with the bloody knee, but thankfully that was my only fall. My buddy Rick fell once, too (and I've never seen him go down before.) He landed on his hand, and complained a little bit about his thumb hurting after. He finally had it xrayed 6 days after week - he broke it! Fortunately, I stayed upright the rest of the day.
Here I am rinsing off my owies at the first aid station.
I discovered during this run that ice down the sports bra works pretty well when you're really hot! I really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere. I think runners tend to be a friendly bunch in general, but trail runners are even nicer. We did get lapped by top 4 finishers. The overall winner was a woman! She went floating by us 20 minutes before we saw the first man. Rick knows the guy and asked him how it was going, and he sarcastically said "Just great! I'm getting chicked!"
One of the flatter sections of the course is below. In all my pics, I'm pretty much looking at the ground and trying not to fall again! I really was having a good time, though.
Overall, it really was a fun time. With the technical nature of the trail, the hills, and the heat, we took it really easy and finished in 7:31. I was really happy to sit down for a while after! My quads were super tight for a few days, but I recovered faster than I have from any of the marathons I've run. I took just one day off and then went back to running and 12 days out I feel fully recovered. I never thought I'd run an ultra, and when I signed up this time I was thinking one-and-done, but I may be hooked!
Finish photo, with my buddy Rick
docjen-love the fact that you did the 50k (50k+??). I hope that you can do it again. The fact that the ultra guy freaked you out was a bummer. He got into your head for sure, but now you know you can rock a 50k. Love the bumblebee socks and matching shoes!
Glad that you seem to be on the mend after your bathtub fall. Falls happen in the weirdest of places, too bad we cant plan them, like falling on a ground covered with bubble wrap. Pop pop pop.
me-doing a slow 5k jog tonight (part of the plan), then a 13.5 Friday and 28k on Sunday. Knee is feeling better, but have a little pain at lower shin on right leg. Seems like muscle, since it feels a little swollen at the surface, doubt its shin splits. Done high mileage runs before and never had issues. I imagine that my awkward gait is to blame, as I am looking out for my left knee.
Jen - That sounds and looks like an awesome race. Congrats on the huge effort it takes to complete that!@! I barely can get through a marathon I won't be ready to do an ultra for a long time lol. Are there people there that actually try to PR the races or is it more of a completion thing? Seems tough to be consistent on pace and such when there are so many variables, hills/terrain etc..
Stever - Keep rocking it ! Your injuries almost gone it sounds. Have a nice long run on Sunday and stay safe.
Hector - Where are you at brother. Haven't seen you in a while.
Me - same plan as the last 2 weeks for this week. Already ran 5.6 and 8.0 miles and will run another 5.6 and on Sunday will do something long 13.1 ish again. My ankle is feeling a little weak when I have been waking up, so if I don't feel stronger by Sunday I will just do a 8.6 miler or something around there. I am not worried about times this week. More worried about staying strong and healthy. I got the invite to a marathon in December. It is the same one I ran officially and solo at the beach. I will have to register in a week or two to get the cheap price. I am pretty happy that I have so much time and that I already am at the high mile marks of training. Last year I started running September 11 and ran the mara on dec 26. This year I will be a lot more prepared, you can bet your lunches on that!!
docjen - HUGE, HUGE CONGRATS ON YOUR ULTRA!!! I love the pics and the RR. You are such a natural distance (and I mean long distance) runner. I don't doubt that you're hooked now. What's next on your schedule? My summer has been wonderful - a week in Phoenix and a long weekend in Missoula to run the half, and lots of overnighters in Denver visiting my son. I go back to work on Aug. 22nd. That's not going to be a good day for anyone involved!
blue - My sports doc knows it's futile to tell me not to run too. I hope by now you're feeling better.
Zelanie - You do need to visit Denver! And let me know when you'll be there and we'll go for a run. I'd love to live there someday. I hope your knee is still behaving!
miele - How did the outdoor run go? I hope the pain is gone for good. I've heard good things about yurbuds. I have "freakishly small ear holes" according to my son, so I have yet to find earbuds that will stay put. And, about DH...lately I have been feeling a bit competitive towards him. Drive me crazy when I work my a$$ off and the speed comes naturally to him.
wolf - Cheap marathons are always a good idea if you can find one. I can't believe how much we paid to run Long Beach last year, and it was one of the less expensive ones. You made a quick jump from starting to run in Sept. and doing a marathon in Dec. Think how much better you'll feel this year!
stever - I'm so glad your knee is continuing to improve. It's weird how a slight difference in our gait can throw everything else off too.
Me - Still running and riding. Tuesday I did my longest ride so far - 30.5 miles! I wish I could run that far and feel as good as I did after the ride. Running mileage is holding at between 30-35 miles per week. I noticed that I've been dreading my runs lately, and after giving it some thought I realized that there are too many numbers involved right now. Miles, minutes, paces...every run has some have-to-hit-it number attached to it. So my solution is to run naked for awhile (only the wrist, not the whole body). Our half in August is going to just be for fun, so my training plan will be something like 4-5 days of running with one long, one tempo, one hilly-ish and one or two easy. Between 4-6 miles per run with the long run 10-12. And since I'll be naked, it's gonna be approximations of both distance and pace. I'll either be refreshed and ready to hit another training plan for Long Beach, or very sorry I was so casual about the whole thing.
PR's: 5k - 23:33/ 10k - 48:30/ 5 mi. - 39:21/ 13.1 - 1:53/ 26.2 recent - 4:34
Upcoming races: Resolution Run HM 1/1/13
Phoenix R&R HM 1/20/13
Wolf- Amazing HM PR! I'm throwing a wild guess out there....... Sub-3:35. That's if you stay healthy, keep up your mileage and the weather cooperates on the day. By the time of the race, after having gone through a marathon training cycle you might be closer to 3:30:00. Having said that, I'm no Ilanarama. Take care of the ankle. I hope it just needs a little break so you can keep up the good work. I do not miss the pool swogging. No, I do not. But while I'm still a member of that gym I'll take advantage of the spin classes and jump in the pool after for some laps. I'll take a quick shower in between, of course. So your marathon is the day after Christmas? I meant to tell you that I came across a clearance at BestBuy. That's how I ended up with the YurBuds. You might want to stop by a BestBuy just to see if they still have them (they were $13 marked down from $30)
stever- Good to hear you're knee is feeling better. Keep an eye on the shin thing. You'll get your flexibility and leg strength back quickly once you start back up with karate.
doc!- I was thinking about you the other day wondering where you were.....now I know. You were off being an absolute animal!!!!! Congrats on your first 50k!!! And good job picking out THE MOST DIFFICULT ONE you could find for your first. Love the photos and the RR. Rick is a beast, too. Seems like that thumb would've been more painful. So glad your shower injuries turned out not to be serious (like broken bones or tendon issues) and cleared up for the race. Nothing like a good pre-race freak out to get you in the mood to run 52k. I hate that anxious, nervous feeling. I'm sure the ultra-runner who made the comment about how difficult the race was didn't intend to add to your freak out. Probably everyone in the race fell at some point. Skin, who needs it? It sounds like an obstacle course. So how does training for an ultra of that distance differ from marathon training? You might be right about the my injury being a stress reaction or something else. I did my best to be smart and just treat it like a stress fracture to give it time to heal. There's still a knot along the tibia but it's not painful when I poke around and press nor is it painful when I run. So all is well. So when's the next ultra?
Jan- I can't believe you only have a month before going back to school. IIRC, you'll be with a different grade which I hope helps the situation. I've never heard of anyone having 'freakishly small ear holes'. Should we ever meet in person just ignore me if I try to catch a peek at your ear holes. The YurBuds are definitely snug so I don't know if they would work for you. Maybe the competition with DH, annoying as the situation is, is driving you to do your best. Maybe it's a good thing? Ok, I just threw that out there. It would annoy me, too. The runs outside have gone well. Still no pain. Enjoy the naked running!
me- It looks like my schedule might be messed up for the foreseeable future so I went out today for a 3 miler knowing I couldn't make it to the gym. This is the first time I've run consecutive days but my leg feels fine. It's funny how these 3-4 milers are such a slog. I'll get back up to speed, I know. It'll just take time.
I'm stuck on my crappy netbook in a workshop, so I'm skipping the personals because that could take ten years (it doesn't like to switch browser windows)... I think there are a couple of congratulations in order, though, for Wolf's PR and docjen's awesome race! And Jan -- after riding that far, I'm not sure what hurts more, my ass or my brain. (The fact that I'm on a trainer doesn't help the boredom aspect much.)
me -- I saw my PT yesterday. He doesn't think it's a fracture, either. I can see why they'd say that... I know how it feels to hop on a pelvic fracture. It's like someone keeps shoving a knife in your groin. That's not how this feels. I think it might be more normal now, but that's after I threw acupuncture and a very painful massage at it. I had no idea my adductor magnus and gracilis could get that tight -- I couldn't even touch my thighs for a few days afterward, they were so tender! (I told my massage therapist I was mad at my body and it needed to be punished. She complied.) Anyway, my PT wants me to try running outside on Sunday. I'm thrilled at the prospect, but I'm also kind of terrified.
Hi everyone, hope the weekend went well for all!!
I just got back from a good run. 13.3 miles and packed full of hills and very little shade. It was fun to explore some new territory and this upcoming week I am doing my hill training so this was a good way to kick it off. I kept a pace of 8.15 for a total time of 1:49.58. I wasn't worried about PR on this run. It was a "get it done" half mara. Felt pretty hot out there and felt some small cramps in my calves when I returned and cooled off. I think I am going to get some new sports drink (cytomax) and see how I fare. I did however run a PR on Friday for my 5.6 mile distance. 41mins.36secs @ 7.25 pace. It was pretty surprising because that is my most ran distance and I didn't think I had it in me this week. Anyways the only PR's from 2012 that need to be beat now are my 5k time (20.54) and my 4mile time (28.28) I havent even ran anything less than 5.6 miles for months so maybe in 2 weeks I will get back up to the college track and work on my speed so I can smash these PR's. Ok time to get some food, burritos are calling me !!
If you ask
Miele - nice to see you up and running. So now slogging has replaced swogging??
Jan - naked running is good, when one has the choice. I ran without my watch for a 4 mile race and had a PR. It is refreshing.
Wolfie - perhaps Jan will inspire you to try the "naked running" There certainly are a lot of numbers in your updates
blue - hoping your run went well.
Docjen - SWEET!! Welcome to the dark dirty side that is trail running!! Awesome RR and pics! I ssssooooo want to run a 50k. I'm thinking that I may run one in Feb, using Nov marathon as the stepping stone.
Me - dad is on the mend and now mom is visiting. So still busy in a different way. I'm running, but not so many miles; will definitely be upping my game soon. Next race is a half marathon trail race on Aug 11. Can't wait. Oh, and on a sad note, my dear Garmin seems to have died. Dead. Gone. Kaput. I'm in Va visiting my brother so I'm using the Nike app to keep track of my miles. Yuck. I guess I'll be buying the Garmin 10 when I get home. I'm going to miss my 110. Waaaaaaaaaaa!
miele-looks like your on the road to recovery. Easy does it, back before you know it.
edith-glad to hear that your dad is getting better, that's very good news. Sorry about your Garmin. I bought my wife a Garmin 10 for her BDay a few weeks ago, and she loves it. I'm resisting getting one myself, still prefer to run almost naked.
me-did my longest ever run yesterday, a full 27k (almost 17miles). It was supposed to be a fast 9k at 4:50/km (got close to that) and then a slower 18k at 5:15/km. Well, the 18k started off well, didn't have any knee problems for the first hour, but then the knee started to get a little stiff at the back, but it was manageable. Then the right shin started up, but only at slower pace. Saw a runner ahead, and kept pace with her for about 10 minutes and the pain was gone. Must be the faster pace and less impact. But the last 7k was a real killer, I slowed to about 50 seconds over my goal pace, and ended up walking for about minutes before I ran the last 1k. It was the hardest run I have ever done. Nice thing was that my 27k ended about 1k away from the house, so it was a nice recovery, and then the rain came pouring down. Best feeling ever! So did a 27k in 2:41, not the best, but got it done. Have to do it again this weekend.