Sub 1:30 half marathon in 2017 (Read 323 times)

RunnerJones


Will Run for Donuts!

     

    RJ - welcome aboard.

    As you mentioned there is not much you can do this late in the training cycle, that said, there are a few things you can do.

    That would include a few long runs longer than 90 minutes and a tempo at desired half marathon pace, the distance will depend on what you’ve been doing lately.

    Please share how long have your long runs been on average (discounting the full marathon) and if you’ve done any tempos on HM pace (over the past 2 months).

    My initial guess is that you're primed for a sub 1:30 half provided that you can recover adequately from the effort from the full.

     

    Thanks for the welcome.

    Most of my longer runs have been in the 12-14 mile range.  I rarely go longer, but I did have two full marathons in Oct. and one in November, so my endurance is good.  As for tempos at HM pace, I've done none in the past two months.  I definitely need to add in some of those over the next few weeks.

    Thanks also for the vote of confidence on possibly going sub-1:30.  We'll see how it goes.  Now that I've got a BQ for 2019, my primary goal for 2018 will be a sub-1:30 half.  There's another flat local half in March which I may try if the Dec. race doesn't go well.  I think I'll get there eventually with more focused training.

    jaimegu


      Greetings fellow 1:30 half chasers from an occasional lurker on the old RWOL thread!

       

      I could use some advice from the collective wisdom.  I've got a local half in four weeks (Dec. 17) which is almost ideal for a fast run.  It's flat and the temps should be in the cool/cold range in which I've run my best times in the past.  I'd like to go for a PR (current is 1:31:19 from a few years back) or at least make an all-out effort to see where I am currently, and I'm wondering what sort of training I can do in the next few weeks to help me at this distance.

       

      About me:  48 y.o. male, running seriously for about 5 years now.  This year has been my biggest year yet based on volume (averaging ~50mpw), but almost all of it has been at slow/LR pace (8:00-8:30, depending on conditions), with very few 'workouts'.  I've also done a ton of racing (6 fulls, 6 halfs, and a few 10-milers and shorter races), but most of that hasn't been all out.  I just finished the Richmond Marathon on Nov. 11th and beat my 3:20 goal with a 3:18, so I'm confident I have the endurance for a decent half - I'm probably lacking the speed, and need to focus on that.  My best half this year was a 1:34:18 on a hilly course in the spring, and that was probably about a 90% effort (it was COLD and I just wanted to get back in the car, so I hustled!  Wink.  I know there's not a whole lot I can do in the next four weeks, but what would be some good workouts to run a good half?

       

      Thanks!

       

      Welcome RJ;

      Based on what you are saying: Your fitness is close to the max (PR in Marathon, and peak mileage for a year).

      Your FM time points to a 1:34 HM (McMillan) or 1:35 (Daniels), given equivalent training.

      - If you faded in your last marathon (positive split), then you might have better chances.

      - There is another positive indicator: It looks to me that 3 FM in 2 months is a bit too much.  If you were able to PR in the last one, then you are capable of even better.

      Right now the most important is your recovery so this week might be also rather easy or just start introducing the speed and tempo workouts.

      If I were to run a HM in 4 weeks,  I would try to do tempos once a week: as follows: 4 miles, 5 miles - 6 miles - 4 miles

      The 6 miler tempo 10 days before the HM is a good predictor.

      As per speed: Once a week I would do strides/fartlek (or if you already have that, then 8-10x400m), then 6x800, then 4xmile, then 3x800

        Runnerjones welcome. As mentioned some tempos at half marathon pace will help you get used to race pace. Try 20 mins once per week after a 10-25 min warmup. You can increase them to 30 mins and 40 is normally max. Also a day of some interval work to get leg turnover working. The others might have some suggestions here ?

         

        JMAC actually downhill is the one time I do get stitches. Something to do with the shaking around. The strength work for you right now would be perfect.

         

        Flavio nice food week 

         

        Jaime beastly longrun congrats. that segment CR was new to me as someone had made a new one with part of the flat warmup I did.

        55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

        " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

        Somewhere in between is about right "      

         

        runethechamp


          As a quick check in after the race, it's pretty clear it didn't go as planned. Just to make it clear, the goal was not 1:30 this time, but a hair under 1:33. I wasn't sure if I was in good enough shape to reach my goal but figured I would go for it, and when it didn't work it got pretty rough at the end, especially with almost 3 miles of uphill to finish the race. I have a sneaking suspicion that I wasn't as sharp on race day as I should have been, but there's lots of variables in there and it's hard to untangle everything there to figure out exactly what the issue was.

           

          I'll come back with a longer race report later.

          5k: 20:32 (1/17)  |  HM: 1:34:37 (2/18)  |  FM: 3:31:37 (3/18)

           

          Getting back into it

          Crazy Justin


            Haven't posted here in more than 4 years but I remembered my password.

            Raced a half last weekend.  I've got a long way to go but this was a post-35 PR by 2 minutes.  Hope to post on a more regular basis from now on.

            http://crazyj208.blogspot.com/2017/11/magic-city-half-rr.html

            Mile: 5:18,   5K: 19:09,  10K: 39:44,  Half: 1:28:12,  Full: 3:21:56

            Post-35 PRs:

            Mile: 6:02,  5K: 21:14, 10K: 45:40, Half: 1:42:24

             

            http://jzehnder208.googlepages.com

            www.crazyj208.blogspot.com

            DigDug2


              What kind of breathing rhythm do you guys prefer? I was reading Daniel's running formula and it seems he commends an inhale every 2 strides, exhale every two or possibly 3/3 for longer distances. I have never really tried to count or be fully aware of this. It is a bit tough co-ordinating at first. I find my stride count in my head off sometimes when concentrating too much on breath but then find myself holding my breath or breathing awkwardly when focusing too much on on stride count. I'd been counting every other stride so when my right foot hits the ground but I kept messing up.and was concentrating too much on my right foot strike. Started counting each footstrike 1-2-3-4,  inhaling on 1, exhaling on 3. Or I do 1-2-3, 1-2-3, alternating inhale/exhale on 1. But like I say, I am having issues concentrating enough to do this for long. Any tips? Does it eventually become natural without much need for counting?

               

              I've been running a long time and I have never, ever paid attention to my breathing rhythm.  I've read things like the above in books and I can't imagine keeping track of steps per breath or breaths per step or speeding up/slowing down my breathing or stride rate to coordinate them.  I'm generally aware of whether I'm breathing hard and how hard I'm breathing correlates with effort/speed, but that's about it.

              Crazy Justin


                JMac- What do you think about the new NYC half course?  I think I told you I ran it this year.  Enjoyed the trip immensely despite a not so good race.  Central Park hills could be rough at the end but at least there is no Harlem hill.  What about the 1st mile hill on the old course?   I won't be running it next year but will be back in NYC for a day.

                Mile: 5:18,   5K: 19:09,  10K: 39:44,  Half: 1:28:12,  Full: 3:21:56

                Post-35 PRs:

                Mile: 6:02,  5K: 21:14, 10K: 45:40, Half: 1:42:24

                 

                http://jzehnder208.googlepages.com

                www.crazyj208.blogspot.com

                Marky_Mark_17


                  Rune - hard luck, sounds like a tough day.  We all have good races and bad races and it's hard not to beat yourself up on the bad ones and figure out what went wrong.  Sometimes there is something that obviously went wrong but sometimes it's just a bad day too and you can't beat yourself up too much on those.

                   

                  RunnerJones - welcome!

                   

                  Crazy Justin - good to see you back!

                   

                  Piwi - I remember reading somewhere that stitch actually can be a lot more common running downhill due to the way it places pressure on the body.

                  3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                  10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                  * Net downhill course

                  Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                  Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                  "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                    Rune any chance of upping the mileage for the next cycle ?

                     

                    Justin hi.

                     

                    Digdug ditto what you said.

                     

                    Mark good luck in your 5k tonight. I need to grow a testicle and do the weekly Bayrun 5k here on a tuesday evening.

                    Re mileage on the sub 3 thread. how many runners in Auckland would run 100 mpw ? It would be very few and I would say nobody in Tauranga runs that much. They may have one week that touched it but overall the only people I know who run 100 mpw are on these marathon forums. Thats a very hardcore amount of running on the body and mind.

                    55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

                    " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

                    Somewhere in between is about right "      

                     

                    JMac11


                    RIP Milkman

                      Justin - Welcome back of sorts, please stick around! Regarding the course, I'm excited for a change as I thought the old one was boring the one time I ran it, but that's because I run in Central Park every day and found the West Side highway to be mentally draining. I think this new course is really cool, starting on a bridge and then running through downtown Manhattan. I'm struggling with whether to make it a PR attempt though because it is MUCH more difficult than the old one. As you stated, having the CP hills at the end is much different than having them for the first 5 miles of the race.

                       

                      Piwi - I mean I sort of agree that 100 mpw is absurd for an amateur, but I can see why people do it. I used to think running 60 mpw was absurd when I ran 20 mpw, but here I am, thinking it's not that much. It's just something you get used to I guess. I can't get up that high because I love sleeping so much and have no desire to run every single morning in order to double up. If my dog loved running I could do it since I walk her every morning anyway, but she hates it even though she has boundless energy (prefers sprinting after squirrels and then resting, guess she's one of those fast twitch dogs)

                       

                      Mark - You called it a Corporate Challenge, it's not the JPMorgan Corporate Challenge though right? That's the one I ran this summer for my new 5K PR (even though it's a 3.5 mile course). It's run around the world but I don't see New Zealand (https://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/series/corporate-challenge)

                      5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                       

                       

                      Marky_Mark_17


                        JMac - no it's just a local event (run in 3 cities around NZ).  The course is not super quick - it's a 2-lapper (so may be a little weaving required on lap 2), has some grass, a small hill, and a crappy u-turn: http://corporatechallenge.co.nz/auckland/

                         

                        I don't really have any expectation time-wise.  Legs are pretty much fully recovered from the marathon and have had a couple of good track sessions in the last couple of weeks to get the speed back up.  My 16:58 TT effort from a year ago was mostly on the flat with 1 small hill and no prep.  That would put me near the podium depending who shows up.  I'm really hoping there are some faster runners there as that will give me a boost, typically there have been 3-4 guys under 17 minutes.

                        3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                        10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                        * Net downhill course

                        Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                        Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                        "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                        Marky_Mark_17


                          Hi guys - watch time 16:44 and 1st place overall. Kind of a slow course but had another couple of guys really pushing me along and managed to pull away at about the 3.5km mark.

                          3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                          10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                          * Net downhill course

                          Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                          Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                          "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                            Nice one Mark really fast. That lines up nicely with your 10k now.

                            55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

                            " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

                            Somewhere in between is about right "      

                             

                            JMac11


                            RIP Milkman

                              Mark - Great 5K! It's amazing how much speed you still have after training for a marathon.

                              5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                               

                               

                              flavio80


                              Intl. correspondent

                                Mark - Ditto to what Jmac said, it's incredible you recovered so quickly and PRd on a tough course. Now off course you will enter a flat 5K, right, RIGHT?

                                me - I woke up to fast legs today, so I went for a 6K tempo. Original objective was to run around 4:15/km which is the pace to run a 1h30 half.

                                I ended up running average 4:05 which is pace for 1h27 half marathon. I'm pleasantly surprised, especially because I always run better in races than in training. I now might go for longer tempos of 8K and 10K and see how fast I can do the 10K one.

                                PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021

                                Up next: no idea

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