Half Marathon Trainers

1

Intrepid Racers & Trainers - Sept 8 & 9 (Read 272 times)


an amazing likeness

    The heart of the fall racing season is getting underway and there are two big events on the HMT calendar for the coming weekend as CandianMeg and HappyFeat bring their training to the start line of half marathons:

     

    Sep 9 CanadianMeg Queen City Marathon 13.1 mi Regina, SK
    Sep 9 HappyFeat Skagit Flats HM 13.1 mi Burlington, WA

     

    Sending wishes of fleet feet, easy middle miles and a strong finish for our racers; and cooling breezes to all our trainers logging miles toward their next event.

     

    Run strong!

    Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

    vegefrog


      Go Ladies Go!

       

      I can't wait to read the race reports!

       

      You gals are gonna do great Smile

      HappyFeat


        Thanks for the encouraging words. It will certainly be a measure of our progress! I really think we will meet our goals - sure hoping for some Race Day Magic to make it so!

        Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

        Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.


        an amazing likeness

          Good luck tomorrow Meg and HappyFeat.  Run strong!!!

           

          (get back here tomorrow with your results...don't leave us hanging Wink)

          Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.


          an amazing likeness

            If I'm right in my (hopefully not too creepy) stalking...looks like Meg posted a 2:25:26 today for a massive PR by over 3 minutes !

            Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

            HappyFeat


              Sooo...I DID it! It was really hard and I didn't think I had a chance when I was about a minute off goal about mile 8 or 9. I did what I could to make up time, but it seemed impossible. There was a strong headwind the entire second half which I really struggled with.Then I saw the finish clock saying 1:59 some yards away. I told my left quad that now was not the time to cramp up and topple me over, told the rest of my rubber legs to move in an orderly fashion, and came in with 40 seconds to spare! I don't really know how it happened since I couldn't manage 9 minute miles, but the finish clock doesn't lie - so I must have done it! My 7th and fastest HM ever.

               

              Next goal is to get a LOT more comfortable with 9 mpm pace and try for another 2-hr HM that hopefully isn't as hard - seems reasonable to me.

               

              DH took a pic as I started and finished, as well as a posed "Happy Finisher" shot.

               

               

               

               

               

              Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

              Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.

              vegefrog


                WTG ladies!!!!

                 

                HF, how awesome to see the time on the clock and race it home. Cool that you got to finish on a track!

                 

                Meg, that's a great time! I hope you recover quickly and rock your 10K next weekend too!

                CanadianMeg


                #RunEveryDay

                  Amy, that is awesome! At this point, I can't even imagine breaking 2. Smile

                   

                  Well, I didn't have a great race. I felt awesome in the first 5 miles or so and, when it turned into a bottleneck around the lake, that did some of my momentum in. Again at the bridge there was another bottleneck because we had two way traffic (incoming and outgoing runners) going up or down the path to the bridge and across the sidewalk on the bridge (which has concrete barriers on both sides). That aside, I had trouble settling into my goal pace (1030-1045). Yes, I probably went out too fast despite trying to find my steady pace from the start. Yet somehow, despite struggling through the second half of the race when my legs decided to disagree with the goal and I walked more than I wanted to, I came away with a time 3m18s better than last year. 2:25:26. It makes me wonder how well I'd have done if I hadn't walked so much. And it makes me wonder how much I can smash this one by next year. 

                  Half Fanatic #9292. 

                  Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.


                  an amazing likeness

                    Meg -- 3 minutes+ off a 1/2 marathon time is a real difference. Sorry to hear it wasn't easy out there, but your training is showing in your progress and (in my opinion) you might benefit from running in more 5K and 10K races to get more accustomed to the harder effort of racing over training.

                     

                    Amy -- Congrats on the sub-2!  Way to hang in there and run down the 1:59 clock at the end, that's impressive.  What's equally impressive is that finish photo where you look fresh as could be -- it looks like a starting line shot, except you've got the medal.

                    Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

                      Congrats to both of you! Great racing!

                      CanadianMeg


                      #RunEveryDay

                        Meg -- 3 minutes+ off a 1/2 marathon time is a real difference. Sorry to hear it wasn't easy out there, but your training is showing in your progress and (in my opinion) you might benefit from running in more 5K and 10K races to get more accustomed to the harder effort of racing over training.

                         

                        Amy -- Congrats on the sub-2!  Way to hang in there and run down the 1:59 clock at the end, that's impressive.  What's equally impressive is that finish photo where you look fresh as could be -- it looks like a starting line shot, except you've got the medal.

                         

                        I'm sure you are right. While training for this half, I did tempo runs for the first time. I've got a 10K this month. I do a 5K at New Years and a couple of 10Ks in the spring. So I've definitely got some races to work on that. The next half I could consider doing isn't until April so I've got time. This morning, the kids wanted to run to school and it felt surprisingly easy to do that. I actually thought it might be nice to go for a really easy run today although it should be a rest day. 

                        Half Fanatic #9292. 

                        Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

                          Great job Meg and Amy!

                          Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues
                          We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes


                          Petco Run/Walk/Wag 5k

                            Congrats ladies! Amy - sub 2 I can only dream of! I'm hoping to better my Decker Challenge time of 3:11 which won't be easy with all of its hills. Meg - any HM that ya finish is a good one! At least that is what I told myself when I finished the easy 3M HM which is mostly on a point to point decline in 3:15! LOL

                            bob e v
                            2014 goals: keep on running! Is there anything more than that?

                            Complete the last 3 races in the Austin Distance Challenge, Rogue 30k, 3M Half, Austin Full

                            Break the 1000 mi barrier!

                            History: blessed heart attack 3/15/2008; c25k july 2008 first 5k 10/26/2008 on 62nd birthday.

                            HappyFeat


                               HF, how awesome to see the time on the clock and race it home.

                               

                              I know - it seems like it would be, right? The reality was I felt like I had no muscle control over my legs. Once I got onto that track, they honestly felt like Gumby and I just went in on hope that my brain was talking to my legs and that I wouldn't fall down if I kept trying to move forward! 

                               

                              Thanks for the compliment, MT.  My delight and amazement at finishing under 2 hours really perked me up.Big grin  The 12 mile marker had fallen over and I didn't see it; my Garmin didn't match the markers; and I really didn't know if how close I was to the goal until I saw the clock. I thought I'd missed it by a minute or two.

                               

                              It also helps one's post-race appearance if it's not blazing hot at the time. I have to say the weather was perfect for running - well except for the wind. But I'll take wind over heat any time!

                              Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

                              Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.