Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2018 (Read 704 times)

Keen - Lack of tracking should be a reason to never sign up for this marathon again. How are we going to follow your progress??? Tracking is one of the most fun things about these boards, especially at the marathon distance. I would bet that you're coming through the half at 1:29:.

Shoes - I caved and bought a pair of Vaporflys. Let me tell you, I can see the controversy. I didn't really run in them, more just a bunch of quick steps in my apartment to test them out, but it really does feel like you're running on a trampoline. I put my shoes back on that I normally run halfs and fulls in, and they felt like I was running barefoot! I probably won't test these out for a while on a real run, but I now fully understand the hype around them. I feel like the technology before this was just shoe manufacturers trying to claim that one version of their shoe was better than the next, but it was just marketing hype. These feel like the real deal. It's too bad you can't really train in them. For that, I found a pair of Sketchers that I think will do a good job for tempo workouts or MP runs.

Yes, the Nike Zoom Fly, but the reviews weren't great. The thing I really like in my tempo, half, and full shoes is good cushioning. I like the exact opposite in my 5K/10K/V02 max shoes, which is firmness and feel. The Zoom Fly, although it has a huge cushioning base, came off as too firm for some runners. I'm not spending $150 on training shoes as well.

Queenstown marathon on this morning.  In the half the winner is home in 1:08 and first female is Lucy Neame in 1:11 (4th overall).  Is it just me, or is that a very fast time for the first female?  It's a reasonably big event in NZ but not by world standards so I wouldn't expect too many world class athletes...

Just looked it up, women's world record is 1:04.51 so it's some way off that but still a great time.

The funny thing is that Kerikeri Half and Queenstown are generally on the same day now.  Kerikeri is net downhill and notoriously fast and tends to attract more of the elite runners whereas Queenstown gets a few elites (and some internationals thanks to good marketing) but largely a massive social crowd.  I might look at doing Kerikeri next year as it almost always attracts a good field.

Steve that is an extremely sharp time by NZ women's standards especially as Queenstown is not that quick a course with all the trails.  My guess is that Lucy Neame is an international athlete.  A 1:14 or even 1:15 for a woman would normally more or less guarantee victory in any half in NZ.  Even when Kerikeri was NZ Half Marathon Champs last year (which pretty much guarantees a really big elite field), the winning women's time was only just under 1:16.

Piwi - good to hear the calf is gradually coming right, fingers crossed it keeps improving.  Thanks, I try hard on the dad front, Macca's is a big hit in our house too haha.

JMac - sellout.

Re shoes: In the same store they had the vaporfly 4% and the zoom fly. Price difference 50 bucks. Put the cheap one on the left foot and the real deal on the right. Like night and day. And I do agree with Jmac: the vaporflys feel amazing - trampolinelike.

Macca: where Flavio is from men use it to be able to endure longer if you know what I mean

Big congrats to Keen for an awesome marathon - 3:04:13 for 4th overall and 1st AG. Super consistent pacing throughout the race.

Congrats to Keen! Got the BQ (it better be enough with these new times), and pacing looked great. Looking forward to the race report.

That's a great time, huge training paid off.  Congrats CK