Sub 2:00 Half Marathon thread (Read 2396 times)

Jan26.2


    Hector - I'm glad your wife isn't injured too. Good job riding the bike for an hour. I have a love/hate relationship with cycling - I love to hate it! But at least it gets the heart rate up there and help with leg turnover.

     

    miele - I love lemon pie! Could you mail one to me? Big grin I've heard it's great for injured runners. Great tempo run - With 8:18 as your slowest pace, I'd say you kicked some a$$.

     

    Lurch - When I was actively personal training clients, the food log was usually the key to any types of plateaus. You're doing great with the weight loss, so don't get discouraged.

     

    Bonkin - I love your sig line quote about when it's all said and done. Great words of wisdom!

     

    Nathan - I love the pics! That wind storm pic looks like it could have been taken in Wyoming. I agree with mield - it doesn't look like you need to lose any weight.

     

    bluerun - I hope your shins have forgiven you by now. Those are some serious inclines!

     

    stever - Good to hear from you! You've been a busy guy, but way to go getting the runs in. I'm sure your cross training is helping keep you racing fit too.

     

    gosling - I'm glad your groin injury seems to be resolved. You've got some nice runs in, so it looks like you may be done with it. As for between now and your race, I'd do one more 10-12ish long run, then an 8 miler 2 weeks out, then maybe an easy 6 or so the week before. I'd also be careful of too much speed - you don't want to reinjure anything. Some HMP miles would be good, but not too many.

     

    Me - Saw the chiro again yesterday, and the good news is that I've improved quite a bit. He was able to do some more poking and movement-type tests, and the main source of my pain and problem right now is the high hamstring strain, along with the sore hip flexor. He said the muscle imbalances had a hand in getting me injured, but aren't causing the pain. Sooo, the bad news is - no running for 5 days. On Wednesday I can try an easy 3 miles, and if the pain is no more than a 3 (10 being excruciating), then I can run every other day, 3-4 miles, for a week. If there's still no pain, then I can run longer miles, but still have to put a day between runs. He suggests I do this through my race on April 28th. He wants me to use the elliptical instead of the spin bike for cardio these 5 days, and avoid anything that stresses the hamstring. Lots of foam rolling and stretching of the hip flexors and quads, and tons of stability/core work. Fun, fun, fun...

    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

    the kenyan


      Ran my 5k today in 23:10. (my GPS had it at 3.16, but my wife's had it right at 3.1, so we'll assume it was accurate)  Goal was 23:30.  Splits were 7:15-7:29-7:21.  Felt pretty solid, especially considering I was running alone for most of the way.  I wasn't quite sure how it would go since it was randomly 20 degrees out with 6 inches of snow having fallen over night after being in the mid 50s for the past 2 weeks, but the bike path that the race was held on had been plowed.  Slick in a couple spots, but overall a pretty fast course.

      Ojo


        I know I am not part of this group but I managed to PR at my HM today.  Only my second race sub 2.  Very happy!  Smile

        Sara

        MM #2929


        You Rang?

          miele - nice comforatably hard pace!  My comforatably pace is a full minute and a half slower than that!

           

          bluerun - your hilly half sounds crazy!   Congratulations on medical clearance on a May half.

           

          Stever1966 - i hear ya about the crazy busy.  my practice is cyclic and this is the busy season.  I'm posting this from work as a bit of a brain break.  I'll be here until the sun goes down.  What form of karate do you do?  My daugher does kenpo and loves it.

           

          Bonkin - Welcome Back!

           

          gosling - nice treadmill run.  I've been pondering adding intervals, but I don't know that much about them.  No advice on the pre-race run routine, other than to say good luck.

           

          Jan26.2  Happy to hear that you are getting looked after.  no running for five days sucks.  Do you have access to a pool or other means to meet you cardio needs?

           

          Kenyan - Way to hit your 5k goal time.  Running alone?  Did you break the tape?  Was the course fast becasue of the ice?

           

          Ojo - welcome and congratulations on the sub 2 half!

           

          me - THE SCALE MOVED!  I'm down 1.4 lbs this week.  I need to record every morsel of food that goes down the pie hole and stop before the limit.  I've been trying to scratch and claw time to run this week as its crazy busy.  I put up 4.5 miles today.  Not too sure about tomorrow's long run.  Might be getting up at 4 am to make that happen.

          Rick 

          PR: 5k 25:01 (10/15) 10k: 57:44 (7/14) HM: 1:57 (5/15) FM: 4:55 (1/15)


          CT JEFF

            HI ALL - Nice name for a thread- for now I'll be lurking in the shadows. Last 13.1 I ran was Thursday - 126 minutes.

            Working on adding weekly miles and losing a couple more lbs. between the two, I should be much closer in a month or two.

             

            -Jeff-

            RUN SAFE.     Barefoot 1st: 6/9/13. PR: 5k=22:50 10k=47:46 HM 1:51. FM 4:28 Oct 2015 joined RUN 169!

             

            miele


            Godzilla

              blue-  No wonder your shins are ticked off.  It's funny, around the time you ran your HM DH said, 'you could run Jerusalem'.  I looked it up and read about it and my response?  'Um, no'. (I'm not good with hills)  You showed those hills who was boss!  I don't know if you'll get your 1:45 in the upcoming race but you might get close.  You've got some time for training and, who knows, your hilly time might translate into a very nice flat time.   I don't listen to McMillan when it comes to my easy and long run pace.  I just go by feel.  It seems my LR pace is starting to match up, though.

               

              hector-  MMM, lemon juice.  I like.

               

              stever-  I've pretty much ignored the watch for most of my runs except for the speed but now I'm going to ignore it for everything but intervals. I just like the data when I download it.  Are you pacing your DW?  Good for her for joining in on the insanity.  If you can't beat them......

               

              Bonkin-  You've already done the hard part by putting your shoes on and getting back out there.  Good luck reaching your goals!

               

              gosling-  Glad the groin is feeling better.  Nice job on the TM intervals!  I don't know what to tell you about the intervals.  Possibly add a couple more to make it 7x400 or change it up all together and do some longer intervals.  For instance, I'm doing anything from 800s to 1.5 mile intervals.  I would think longer intervals would be better for HM training but hopefully others will chime in.  I agree with Jan about your long runs leading up to the race.  Maybe get in another 12 miler three weeks out.

               

              Jan-  Good news that you've improved quite a bit already!   I hope your Wed. run is pain-free.  Just grit your teeth and accept that this is in your best interest and you'll be out there running sooner without pain if you listen and follow the chiro's advice.  In all honesty, the lemon pie is good but not great.  Next time I'll make the lemon bars I usually make.  You'll have to come here to get them, though, I don't think they ship well.

               

              kenyan-  Yay!  Congrats on a great race!  What odd weather.  How'd your DW do?

               

              Ojo-  Congrats to you, too!  Nice race.  Feel free to hang around with us anytime.

               

              Lurch-  Your comfortably hard pace might be slower than mine but I bet it's faster than it used to be, right?  There are always going to be faster people and slower people so I just concentrate on doing better.  Great news on the scale moving!  You know, you might want to consider trying some intervals.  It kind of shakes up the system and is good for calorie-burning.  Don't start off with really difficult ones or too many reps.  Maybe do something like 3 minutes faster with 1:30 min recovery.  Do that 4 times.  Don't kill yourself.  Don't get injured. The whole idea is to find a faster pace you can hold for all the intervals (sometimes it's specified at 5k or 10k  pace, for instance).  If you go slower on the last one then you started too fast in the first.  Also, no more than once a week.  I go to the track but the TM is great, too.  Maybe others can give you some pointers in starting out with intervals.  I just read my plan and if it says intervals I do them.

               

              Jeff-  Feel free to pop in whenever you want!  Well done in your race!  Are you training for a full?  I checked out your log and you've got some really long runs for half training.

               

              me- 14.75 today w/8x 1min fast then 1 min recovery.  This was such a tough run.  I didn't have my pasta last night like I usually do.  I don't know if that had anything to do with it or the hill sprints I decided to do yesterday.  Whatever.  I got on the track at mile 12 and decided to just give the faster minute intervals a try.  My legs were sooo heavy.  I don't know if any of you have tried this but running fast after running slowly for 12 miles is a strange feeling.  The legs are kind of shocked.  I managed to run them all at exactly 7:42.  All of them.  It's supposed to teach you to run fast even when you're tired at the end of a race.  I was pleasantly surprised by the speed once I downloaded the info.  Makes me wonder if the GPS is correct.  All eight at 7:42?  Weird.  But maybe it's such a short time and distance that a couple of feet either way isn't going to register in the overall pace.  Then I took a nap.

              10K: 47:12* / 13.1: 1:50:56 / 26.2: 3:53:48

               

                          

              the kenyan


                I was 5th overall and 1st AG, DW was about 8 minutes back.  She hasn't been running as much and was happy just to be out there and run the whole way.

                 

                Game face!!!.....

                 

                EdithRevisited


                If you ask

                  Hector - You've been riding the bike consistently, I sure hope the foot is better soon. You are lucky to have GC for running store. It's my favorite place to shop!

                   

                  Miele - Winston is fun to watch run!  He is low to the ground so he has an excellent turning ability. Lucy (now pictured) has long legs and is very fast. I love  to watch them play!  My mom has a lemon tree at her house so she makes lots of limoncello.  It's very good, but I think I would love your lemon cake.  Yumm.  Nice long run.   Sounds like you had a well deserved nap.   Your pace is quite impressive.

                   

                  Lurch - it sounds like you are learning through your journey of weight loss and running so you should be quite proud.  Btw, my friend, a solid 240 (and shorter than you) paced me me for my first sub 25 5k a few years ago.  Anything is possible!

                   

                  Paden -thanks for sharing those great pics.  The dust and wind sounds brutal but you sure look strong!  Way to go!

                   

                  Bluerun - I hope the shins are better.  What half are you running?

                   

                  Stever -  the schedule may not be ideal but we do what we can. Sounds like you are continuing to stay strong.  I'm excited for you and your wife.  Very cool.

                   

                  Gosling - congrats on feeling good after such a workout.   I agree with Jan about the plan for the next 3 weeks.  She's a pretty smart cookie.

                   

                  jan - augh!  So sorry.   Please take care.  I hope you are better soon.

                   

                  Kenyan - congrats!   I like the skirt.   Why so much purple??

                   

                  me - stupid cold has thrown a wrench into training.   Didn't run at all tues - fri.  Ran the trail yesterday for 7.5 miles but had to keep a steady pace because when I increased speed (and on uphills) my chest hurt and it was hard to breathe.  Ugh.  I'm stubbornly heading out to run 5 today, despite the coughing.   This Saturday is my 15k trail race and I want to be ready.    I missed this weekends 13 mile training run, but I'm not too worried about that.  Oh, and on a happy note, I bought 2 new pairs of running shoes (pure flow for short distance, ghost for long) each at 20% off.   Now if I can have a run with no annoying wind....

                  • Charlie Horse Half Marathon - May 25
                  • PA Grand Canyon Marathon - July 27
                  • Labor Pain 12 Hour Endurance - August 31 (50k...or more!)

                   

                  the kenyan


                    It was the theme of the day!

                     

                    http://purpleday5k.com/

                    bluerun


                    Super B****

                      gosling -- glad you seem to be recovered; groin injuries are the worst.  I might be a little biased here, since I didn't run long at all in the month prior to my half.  It wasn't by choice, but still, it did end well!  So I'd go with faster over longer.  ("Faster" being relative, of course.)  But that's just me.  Then again, I'm also a tissue paper person, and I only ran ten once.

                       

                      Jan26.2 -- sorry about the five days off.  I hope it goes well for you when you can finally run again.

                       

                      kenyan, Ojo -- congrats on your races.

                       

                      Lurch -- hey, if you've got to get up at 4 AM... might as well be to run, right?!

                       

                      miele -- I was not expecting to go sub-2:00 on that course.  I have no idea where it came from, and the only explanation is that miracles do happen!  I really would recommend it, though; yeah, the hills are killer, but it was an amazing experience.

                       

                      Edith -- I hope your cold is better!!  The Ghost 4 was my favorite "traditional" shoe, but the 5 screwed it up.  I'm very sad about that.  I'm doing the Long Island Half -- I hear it's boring and ugly.  But I don't care, because I want flat, and nothing else really matters...

                       

                      me -- tried out a new pair of shoes on the AlterG today (9 miles).  I tend to like more minimalist shoes (lightweight and with a lower heel drop), but sometimes, like when my shins are being so obnoxious, I want a bit more "protection"... and since I am not crazy about the Ghost 5, I bought a pair of Wave Riders.  I think I like them, but I have to try them on the road first to be sure.  Or my shins could just, you know, stop bugging me.

                      chasing the impossible

                       

                      because i never shut up ... i blog

                      gosling


                        Jan - Thanks for the advice. I've updated my training calendar so I'm doing 10 this week, then 12, then 8, then 6, then race. It seems a little scary to be running my last 12 3 weeks out, but I suppose that's why I hear about people get so antsy during taper, huh? Glad your injury seems to be getting better and I hope it continues to heal quickly!

                         

                        kenyan - Nice 5k time, congratulations! I like the skirt too.

                         

                        Lurch - Good job getting that scale moving again.

                         

                        JeffCT - Welcome!

                         

                        miele - Sounds like you had an awesome hard run. Those are some fast intervals after being on the road for that many miles!

                         

                        Edith - Hope your cold is short lived. You'll have to tell us how you like the new shoes. DH bought some Ghosts and he really likes them.

                         

                        bluerun - What's a "tissue paper person"?

                         

                        Me - Not much to report. I've added some planks and other strength training after the kids go to bed the past 2 weeks and I feel like they've made a big difference.

                        bluerun


                        Super B****

                          "Tissue paper person" = someone very fragile and breakable.  AKA, me.

                          chasing the impossible

                           

                          because i never shut up ... i blog

                          Zelanie


                            Edith- Sorry the cold has gotten you down!  Hope you are feeling better by this weekend!

                             

                            Hector- Glad you're keeping active on the bike.  Hope to see you back to running soon!

                             

                            miele- Lemon bars?  Lemon-cornmeal cookies!  Or make some lemon curd and freeze it?  Nice consistency on your last run!

                             

                            Lurch- Glad to see the scale moving again for you!

                             

                            npaden- Love the focused look you have in those pictures!  That dust looks seriously unpleasant to run through.

                             

                            bluerun- Good luck getting ready for your next HM!

                             

                            Stever- That's great that you and your wife will both be running the HM!  As far as the back to back quality workouts, I guess if you can handle it, there are advantages to working tired muscles, right?

                             

                            Bonkin- Glad you're getting back into running!

                             

                            gosling- Have you used the McMillan running calculator to get your paces?  I've found it to be really useful.

                             

                            Jan- Ugh!  Sorry you're having to take some time off, but hope you are able to get to the source of the pain and find some long-term gains out of it.

                             

                            kenyan- Congrats on your 5K!  Especially running alone, it can be a real challenge to keep up the pace.  I was all by myself for the last mile of my last 5K, and I'm sure I would have had a better time if I could have at least seen another runner on the course!  Oh, and nice outfit!

                             

                            Ojo- Congrats on the sub-2!

                             

                            Jeff- Welcome!  I look forward to reading more about your training!

                             

                            me- Still plugging away at the plan.  I had my last over-race-distance run yesterday (14 miles).  It was a bit of a mental hurdle since I didn't have the excitement of building to a new distance, but it's not one I've run long enough to really feel comfortable at.  The next few days should be tough since I need to get most of my quality work done early this week.  As far as option A, B, or C, I think I'm going with a modified "A", but turning it into a progression run.  2 miles WU, 2.5 miles "old" HM pace (9:09), 2.5 "new" HM pace (8:45), cool down.

                            hectortrojan


                              Gosling – good job in getting 5 miles with intervals in the end. Glad to know that adding strength training is giving you more confidence

                               

                              Jan26.2 – gald to know that you are improving. Seems like running on alternate days should work. Good thing that you are listening to chiro and taking it easy

                               

                              the Kenyan – congratulations in finishing super fast 5k!

                               

                              Lurch – congratulations in losing more weight!

                               

                              Miele – you had a great 14.75 miles run. I know what you mean by running faster after 12 miles. I tried a couple of runs like that first 13 miles around 160 bpm and last three at 170bpm and above. Last three mile were very tough both the times. 8 miles at 7.42 is quick!

                               

                              EdithRevisited – good job in getting 7.5 miles and 5 the next day. Good luck with your 15k trail race. Congratulations in getting a couple pairs of brooks at 20% discount.

                               

                              Bluerun – I like shoes with lower heel to toe offsets too. Saucony Cortona is my favorite with 4 mm offset. I really want to like Saucony kirvana, but whenever I try them out, I get little scared and havent bought them yet!

                               

                              Me – now for the 3rd week in a row, I ran only around 15 miles/week. I never tried running at the same speed outside treadmill and wanted to try it. I ran 6 miles this Saturday and my splits were 8:38 to 8:40. I am going to take it very easy this week as my race is on the Saturday. Ran for 3 miles this morning.

                              Zelanie


                                Hector- Good luck on your race!  I was scared of the Kinvaras, too, since until January I was running in 12mm drop shoes, but I love them!  I would love to rotate them with some Cortanas, but get sticker shock every time I look them up.  And apparently my feet are too "average" to take advantage of any of the recent liquidation sales.