RunningAHEAD - Topic: First 1/2M

Lauren3581

posted: 5/12/2008 at 4:40 PM

Hi All: I'm new to this site so I have no stats posted, but I just signed up for my first 1/2 Marathon and am really excited! Heres my background Blush

've been running a little over a year now and have done a handful of 5Ks, a 10K and a 10 Miler. I train for my easy runs at 12 minute miles, speed work at 4:45 1/2 miles, long runs at 11 minute miles (right now 8 miles), and my racing time for a recent 10K was 9:52/mile. I run about 20-25 miles a week, 4 days a week. I'm wondering what advice you have about training for and running your first 1/2. What did you wish you had done differently? What has worked best for you? I am running the Salem Wicked 1/2 Marathon in Massachusetts and right now am aiming for anything under 2:30.

midwest runner

Giants Fan

posted: 5/12/2008 at 4:43 PM

I followed the intermediate plan from coolrunning.com for my first 1/2 and the advanced plan for my 2nd race. Loved it. I did really well off the advanced plan, although the mileage did kick my butt. I liked doing over my race mileage in training as opposed to 12 or 13 only for long run. Good luck! Keep us informed. CC

"I think I've discovered the secret of life- you just hang around until you get used to it."

Charles Schulz

C-R

posted: 5/12/2008 at 4:52 PM

Welcome aboard and you should really enjoy the HM. Here is an RA group that might be helpful - http://www.runningahead.com/groups/hmt/

"He conquers who endures" - Persius
"Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel

http://ncstake.blogspot.com/

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 5/12/2008 at 4:52 PM

You seem to have some sensible paces, based on your 10k race time. I think your goal is very attainable -- the McMillan running calculator says that a 2:16 HM is roughly equivalent to your 10k race pace. (This of course assumes that you're optimally trained for and HM). I'd recommend slowly building your long run up closer to race distance. You may need to slow it down to do that, and that's fine. Also, if you can get out at least once more per week. Four days is a little thin, and if you can do at least 5, that'll help.

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

Darla1

posted: 5/12/2008 at 10:00 PM

I'm super new here and by no means any kind of expert, but I just finished my first half. It was amazing. My friend and I trained together, ran about 25-30 miles a week, did the long runs, and had a blast on run day. Some might not like this, but we talked our way all the way through the race, met lots of very nice people. For me it is not about stellar finishing times, but finishing without pain and enjoying the race. So my advice - take it for what it is worth, do the long runs and you'll be fine. We had so much fun we signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon. Hope that can be "half" as much fun - no pun intended. Good luck!

Lauren3581

posted: 5/13/2008 at 12:36 PM

Thanks for the responses everyone. I try to squeeze in a 5th day when I can, but it seems that more often than not I only get in 4 days. I'll work on it though!!

Tchuck

SMART Approach

posted: 5/14/2008 at 8:59 AM
modified: 5/14/2008 at 9:00 AM

Over up coming weeks/months work up to the below. You will very easily reach your goal and beyond. Most of running should be at a comfortable pace. Use Days 2 and 4 as days that will be more of a challenge. But slowly work up to it. Day 1 4-5 Day 2 8-9 w/ 2 miles working up to 5 miles at estimated goal pace Day 3 4-5 w/ 6-8 X 100M quick striders w/ 1 min recovery between Day 4 10-11 w/ last 2 miles running faster (not killer) only if feeling good Day 5 if you wish 3-5 miles

Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery

Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training

Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique

www.smartapproachtraining.com

mgd

posted: 5/14/2008 at 1:01 PM

You should have no problem attaining your 2:30 goal. I've got to be one of the most unstructured runners and with times similar to yours, I did my first HM in 2:14. My "training" was (and still is) non-existent. I go out and run what I feel like. Before my last (and only) HM, I was running about the same mileage you were, in the low 20s, with a pace of 10:00-10:30 for most runs. Once and awhile I'd have a week push close to 30, but that was rare. My longest regular run was about 8-10 miles. I did one 14 miler just to see if I could, but my time was atrocious. I'd usually go out 3 days a week, but 4 wasn't total uncommon. I didn't do any kind of tapering. So, at my first HM it was super hot, hotter than I was used to. I was only doing the HM just for the experience of running a race. I think because I hadn't been really training and was just running it to run it, I had a very casual attitude than helped me a lot. I started slow and stayed that way because it was so hot. Well, my relaxed attitude and slow pace in the beginning allowed me to truck on through the whole race and not die at the end like many 1st timers do. I finished with a 2:14 time and was very happy about it. This may not work for most people, but it did and still does for me. The only thing I would really tell you to take from it all would be to not start out too fast when the race starts. It's hard to do because you're so excited, but just try and reign yourself in. You'll be glad you did when you hit the last few miles.

If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?

mounteverest

posted: 5/24/2008 at 7:23 PM

For a 1/2 marathon, a 10k race is a good warm up race and is a great predictor of your 1/2 time, you should probably run a 15k at about a minute slower than pace about 10 days before the race and just see how your body reacts. If you fell stressed out, then you should taper and relax with some 5 mile runs at a very relaxed pace for the most part, if you feel good, then you can do more work, then you should do some 800 meter dashes and build up some strength for the race along with some easy 5 mile runs.

popcorn

posted: 6/1/2008 at 5:10 PM
modified: 6/1/2008 at 5:11 PM

I am going to agree with mgd - my background was very similar to yours when I signed up for my first HM - doing 15-20 weekly on 3-5 days/week with a year and a half of base mileage. Slowly worked my speeds up from 12min miles to 10s. My long runs were 8-12 miles. I was actually training for a different HM 2 months later, but a coworker cajoled me into signing up for the sooner one. I did feel ready, and did it in 2:15 (still my PR). I am also an unorganized runner... although I generally have an idea how far I'm going to go, it's all up for grabs. Time of day, distance, speed, God only knows. You'll be fine - just make sure you have a good time! The HM I had initially signed up for I did much slower - because all of my siblings ran it with me and we had to stop for pictures with all the Disney characters. D

Ringmaster

posted: 6/1/2008 at 5:33 PM

Congratulations on setting a great goal for yourself! I trained for my half following a modified version of Hal Higdon's novice training plan. I ran four (rarely five) days a week, 20-25 mpw, and though he only calls for a long run of 10 miles, I did two long runs that met or exceeded the half marathon distance b/c I knew for me it would be a big mental thing to know that I had covered the distance before. I also wanted to know whether to run with a pace group. I didn't do any speedwork during my training as I was mostly concerned with finishing. I ran very easy during most of the race, pushing the pace only during the last miles for a strong finish, and had a better time (and a faster time) than I had hoped. My advice, since you asked: you're doing everything right! You waited a long time before accepting this challenge, so you've got lots of racing experience. You're running your easy runs at a nice easy pace, doing speedwork, and you've got plenty of time to build up your long runs to the distance you want to cover. Train well, as you're doing, and, come race day, trust your training and have a great time. And join us over in the half marathon trainers group. You can tell us how your training is going and pick the brains of the more experienced runners--that's what I do! Hope to see you there! K

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb. 12:1b)
Mile by Mile

SimonR

posted: 6/1/2008 at 9:25 PM

I agree with Vixi entirely. You have built up your base and got in some shorter races, all good preparation. All you are missing is to gradually get used to longer distances, and you will have no trouble at all in beating your modest time goal. Just work on those longer runs till you get complete confidence and you will do great! Simon.

PBs since age 60: 5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.

10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.

Minderbender

posted: 6/1/2008 at 9:36 PM

Tempo runs were extremely helpful to me when I trained for my first half. If I were limited in time ( 4 days a week) I personally would focus on the long run and tempo runs as my two key work-outs, and not the speedwork. Tempo runs helped convince me I could sustain a longer pace at a faster rate than I ever thought possible. Good luck!

mgd

posted: 6/3/2008 at 2:13 PM
modified: 6/3/2008 at 3:13 PM

Glad to hear I'm not the only unorganized/unstructured runner. Sometimes I wondered about my training methods. I'm going to continue my "training" and try to do the same HM again this year, although between recovering from a bout of ITBS and having our first child, it might be a struggle for me to complete a half-mile let a lone a half marathon! ETA: I didn't have our first child, my DW did... Smile

If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?

First 1/2M (Read 1219 times)