Beginner all over again
100 minute Long Run for the week done this morning
My HM is in 16 weeks
I'm feeling like I really should be selecting a HM training plan at this point.
How many days a week to you all Run (the 16 weeks before your HM) ?
Bike?
Swim?
Other?
Rest?
Thanks!
#RunEveryDay
I'm no expert and I've only done one half, but I will be starting training next week for my second.
I run 4-5 days a week and try to do yoga at least once a week. I find the two really work well together.
I take 1-2 rest days per week.
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
an amazing likeness
How many days a week to you all Run (the 16 weeks before your HM) ? Bike? Swim? Other? Rest?
I tend to run almost every day as part of routine -- for the most part I sort of plan on a few rest days per month for when life's events get in the way. So I don't really alter the quantity of runs side of the equation.
For HM training, I try to focus on 3 workouts during the week:
#1 is a longer mid-week run, easy week 1, medium week 2 and so on. For me this means taking my Wed or Thur run from 45 - 55 minutes to 1hr:20 with the real goal being 9 - 10 miles.
#2 is the day after the mid-week long, which I do as a 10K at an 'up tempo' pace. Goal being to run faster than normal daily pace on legs that are tired from the previous day's extra distance.
#3 is every other week, take the long run out to 12 - 14 miles to get comfy with the distance.
Again, this is a pattern and not a rigid plan. It is something I've cobbled together from RA advice, Hal Higdon's HM plan's pattern, and what works for the time I have available.
I'm eager to see what Mandy does for an HM training pattern, she's really pushed her PR way down this year.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Andy, that's really helpful to read. I'm trying to figure out how to train for my half.
I never run more than 5 days a week and have not exceeded 50 miles or 80kms in a week ever. But I am 60, you may not need as much rest....I sometimes will do weight training, a bike ride or swimming instead of a running day. I will usually lose 5lbs over the course of training for a half marathon,I feel light and strong at 150lbs.
Overall plan:
1) Spend several weeks building base, mostly slow running but at least one of either tempo, progression run or run with striders at the end.
2) Start to add hill training one day in the mid-week while increasing long run.
3) About 8 weeks out I like to start speedwork, mostly 5k tempo runs, but some as long as 10 miles. I will gauge my fitness by my times on these runs. I will also sharpen my speed with 8x800m intervals.
4) Taper for 7- 10 days, this is important, do not take it lightly. If you do this right then by race day you will feel so full of energy you could throw sparks from your fingertips.
I think the final piece of the puzzle is mental attitude and toughness- you have to feel that all the months of training are a wasted effort if you are not prepared to put everything you have into the race. I don`t mean take it fairly easy for 12 miles, run hard at the end, and cross the line feeling you have done a great job. If you feel great 10 minutes after the race you did not try hard enough- I am willing to bet Mandy felt absolutely wrecked after her recent half.
I suppose we are all different in our aims and training methods- good luck Frances.
PBs since age 60: 5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.
10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.
Vitamin C, NZrun! Lots of fluid, lots of rest, stay away from work for a day or two if you can.
Meg, you are right, parts of Ontario and Saskatchewan are beautiful- but the Rockies have a scale and majesty that is,well, awesome! Overused word, but in this case...
OK - so here goes my thoughts on recent HM training
7 days a week works for me. I take rest days when I feel I need to but its normally once a month or so. I take a rest day or two in the week before the half. This time round I've experimented with 9 runs a week (just for maybe 3 weeks but I'll do it for longer next time), with the 2 "double" days having a very easy early morning run.
So each week has:
1 long run, normally between 23k and 27k. There were a few longer hilly runs early in the training cycle up to about 34k.
1 tempo run, normally a 12k run with 8k at roughly half marathon pace (only the last 6 weeks or so)
1 medium long (15-18k) hilly run (I'm not very good at doing this one to be fair)
All other runs (so easily the majority) are very easy, about 1hr long. On double days the early morning run is only 30-40mins.
Total mileage has been 80-105k a week. I had a couple of minor injuries about 6 - 8 weeks ago but otherwise a pretty solid build up. I don't do any cross training.
And I totally agree with Simon. In any race of this length there will be bad patches. I even had a seriously painful stitch at one point, at about 10k. I went through stages of seriously doubting my ability to do it. You have to be prepared to run the red line for probably 2/3rds of your race. You have to understand what that red line feels like, how not to go over it, and have something you are really prepared to hurt for when you need to.
The great thing about being really fit though? I felt shocking for about 10mins, and pretty tired and spaced out for the rest of the day, but I ran 70mins on the beach the next morning with no pain or soreness, then an hour on Tuesday with some mild stiffness, and by Wednesday felt 100% back to normal. I'll be racing over 6k XC tomorrow and I feel good and ready.
All the best for your 16 week build up - thats a really good length of training for a half and you can make a serious difference to your fitness in that time.
Climbing Mt Ruapehu
I am trying to get to the point I can run every day. But at the moment I let myself have the day off after a long run as I still get pretty sore. At the moment I have a sore quad and hip - i wouldnt quite class it injured but I know if I didnt listen to the body i would crah and burn.
However I am still in my "training to train" phase with 4.5 months to go.
I have run 35km this week over 5 days with 2 days off. 1 day off was unscheduled, one was scheduled.
Personal Race Records:
M 3:52:48 (Auckland 2011), HM 1:38:16 (Taupo 2010), 10km 45:05 (Sir Barry 2010), 5km 20:21 (How Pak 5km 2010)
2012 Goals:Run the 75km Hillary Trail in a day (done 10/3/2012)
I think Mandys approach is ideal if you can get there and definitely where to head if you want to really lop off time
However most beginner or intermediate programmes I have seen involve rest days - a couple a week. One after the long day.
gotta walk before you can run
Ok now a bit of "look what i can do". Even though my wife was in hospital again last week for another operation I still managed to push out my biggest milage week ever (76.7km) and my longest training run ever (31.0km) AND the day after that big run my legs actually feel pretty good! My biggest injury is a little rash under my arm where the IPod headphone cord musta been rubbing hehe
Speedy recovery to your wife, Vino!
good week!
I did a bit of cross training on Sunday, short bike ride and a few pushups, plus sawing up some tree branches, hope that counts as aerobic!
On Sunday I ran a 10K, my first race since I've started getting really consistent with my running, sticking to a longer Sunday run and doing a hill run once a week. It paid off. I went from a PR of 1:08:53 (October 2009) to a new PR of 1:06:21. I went out faster than I normally would and didn't realize it until the first mile was done. This might be the first race I've ever really pushed that hard. It hurt in the second half, but I was really happy with how it went. This definitely gives me confidence going into half training.
I'm working today on my training plan for my half. I used the Hal Hidgon Intermediate last year, but mostly subbed in easy days for the speedwork Wednesdays. (I didn't feel my mileage was enough to really do speedwork at that point.) I don't think I had enough of a base going into training and I'm much stronger now than I was then. I have a friend I run with once a week who is doing the same half as I am (9-11-11) so I think we might do hills together on Wednesday. (Make sure I get out to do those hills.) I'm sure that'll make a difference for me. I'm a bit nervous about making my own training plan yet I feel more comfortable tweaking it having been through one race.
Meg
I reckon you know more than you think you do. Just reading these forums you pick up a lot re plans then add to your own experience and you cant be too far off a good plan
Meg-
great job on the PR! Hopefully they will keep coming.
My June has started poorly. I was pretty beat up after my end-of-May 5k (mostly because of the speed work going into it, I hadn't done any track work since HS prior to May) and probably needed the time off, but I have been way too lazy. I was out of town for a week, though that wasn't my issue-my issue was laziness when I got back.
Frances-
I would love to be able to run 5+ times a week, but that has normally been too hard on my legs. If I'm training for a half, my ideal week is 4 runs, 1-2 swims, 1-2 bikes. If not, it's more like 3,3,3 (always maintaining 3 runs, but more flexible on the bike and swim). But, I haven't been doing any ideal weeks lately. The plan for the rest of year is try to hit 3,3,3 until late September, then switch to HM training for a December half.
Meg- great job on the PR! Hopefully they will keep coming. My June has started poorly. I was pretty beat up after my end-of-May 5k (mostly because of the speed work going into it, I hadn't done any track work since HS prior to May) and probably needed the time off, but I have been way too lazy. I was out of town for a week, though that wasn't my issue-my issue was laziness when I got back. Frances- I would love to be able to run 5+ times a week, but that has normally been too hard on my legs. If I'm training for a half, my ideal week is 4 runs, 1-2 swims, 1-2 bikes. If not, it's more like 3,3,3 (always maintaining 3 runs, but more flexible on the bike and swim). But, I haven't been doing any ideal weeks lately. The plan for the rest of year is try to hit 3,3,3 until late September, then switch to HM training for a December half.
I need to look into cross training too. Either a bike or a gym membership over winter. I am really struggling to do 5 runs a week, the old legs are only just hanging on and I fear injury. I am not a swimmer unfortunately. A job for this weekend to look into options. I am not going to do any road running this weekend - only trails