Forums >Racing>The Waltons aka Advanced Half Marathon Training Thread - 2022 edition
Cobra Commander Keen
Mr. Consistency returns! Way to crush the miles. Are you following the candidates tournament? I was really hoping Ding was ready for the big time but it's hard to argue against Nepo when he's playing this well.
Thanks!
I am following the candidates, just not as closely as I would like as I've been so busy lately.
Nepo is playing like a beast, but Ding and (especially) Firouzja aren't playing anywhere near the level I anticipated. Conversely, Caruana and (especially) Nakamura are doing better than I had anticipated.
At this rate I have zero idea of what the World Championship will look like as Carlsen may well abdicate since he's almost certainly not going to play Firouzja.
5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22
Upcoming Races:
Thanks! I am following the candidates, just not as closely as I would like as I've been so busy lately. Nepo is playing like a beast, but Ding and (especially) Firouzja aren't playing anywhere near the level I anticipated. Conversely, Caruana and (especially) Nakamura are doing better than I had anticipated. At this rate I have zero idea of what the World Championship will look like as Carlsen may well abdicate since he's almost certainly not going to play Firouzja.
I'm really hoping he doesn't abdicate as his level of chess is simply absurd but I think the candidates are being held and there's a clear winner (barring a catastrophic collapse). I didn't expect much of Firouzja just due to his age but Ding has been playing at the top level a bit longer so that's a disappointment. The cynical side of me is saying Carlsen wants a crack at Alireza while they're both young before it turns into his inevitable loss due to age versus a well seasons up and comer.
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
Zebano, Keen - You may find this interesting. http://nytimes.com/spotlight/chess-puzzles I was taught the rules to chess, but never really learned how to play the game. I'm lucky if I can see two moves ahead.
Keen - Nice running. I guess the Windy City isn't too bad in summer?
Zebano - I didn't realize the reports most people post are from Strava. I once used Strava regularly, but they kept moving more and more of the things I liked from their free site to their premium site, so I gave up. Good job on keeping the miles up.
My RP couldn't make it to our track session today, so I headed to the other track within range that's a bit closer to my home only to learn, after I got back, that he did show up for a little while. I had my 15-year-old for company since we had talked my wife into driving him to the track (where she walked some laps while we ran). The workout was 6 x 800m around 5k pace with 400m recoveries. Though the pace was slower than my son's 5k pace, and the distance of hard running was slightly less than 5k, he was done after the 5th set. I was OK with that, though I'm pretty sure he was physically able to run the last one. Repeats are mental training in addition to physical training and he's new to track work, so this is progress for him. I completed all 6 at my newer, more aggressive target pace and ran back home. 7½ miles on the day for me.
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:57 (11/22); 10k 49:24 (10/22); Half 1:48:32 (10/22)Upcoming race(s): Federal Twist 10k, 6/3; NYC Marathon, 11/6/23
Zebano - I think Carlsen is simply so far beyond everyone else in the world that he may just be losing interest and really wants some young up-and-comer as a challenger. Otherwise he'll roll through the WC effortlessly (again, and again) until he's "old", his calculating ability fades somewhat and he gets beat by someone much younger. At which point it'll be the equivalent of "65 y/o Kipchoge loses in marathon to 25 y/o clone of Kipchoge".
Fred - The "windy city" is considerably less windy than pretty well anywhere in Oklahoma. I don't think the wind topped 10mph the entire time I was there. With the cool temps, relative lack of wind, and absolute lack of elevation changes I could be "artificially fast" compared to here in OK.
Kudos to you and your son on the workout.
Hasn't Carlsen been advocating for changes to competition rules, including shorter time limits, based in part on the growing consensus that if both sides make no errors then chess must end in a draw (a position reinforced by the availability of AI)?
Mother of Cats
The "windy city" is considerably less windy than pretty well anywhere in Oklahoma. I don't think the wind topped 10mph the entire time I was there.
Try it in January.
Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.
And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.
Why hasn't our thread title changed to reference the Waltons yet? =)
I think only Flavio can do that since he's the one that started it. I might ask him nicely on the other thread.
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: Xterra Waitawa, 21 May, didn't die
Up next: Xterra Hunua, 11 June, also aiming to not die
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Well, of course. It would be ironic to ask for the "Waltons" change in a shouty manner.
And it's done. Thanks Flavio!
Intl. correspondent
Sure, no probs!
PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021
Up next: Base building till August
Oct 1st - World Half Marathon Champs in Riga - Latvia - sub 1:21:59 PR
Dec 3rd - Valencia Marathon - sub 2:59
April 2024 - Porto Eco Trail - Finish the damn thing.
Tool to generate Strava weekly
Since today is a rest day, I've nothing better to do than check the weather forecast for Monday. The course is PR-flat, but the summer weather is never conducive to a PR. Below is a history of my performance at this race over the years. Notice any correlations? For 2022, I'm showing the currently forecast temperature.
By comparison, my 4-mile PR, set earlier this year, was on a course with a decent sized hill in mile 1 and an uphill finish, but the temperature that day was good for me.
This makes me so happy, thank you Flavio. Please inform the denzines of the (ahem) other thread that that we kindly thank them for the moniker and embrace are Walton-ness.
Fred yeah temp is absolutely a huge deal when it comes to racing and the longer the race, the more it matters which is one reason that I've historically not liked marathon training as you could easily train for 3-4 months only to end up with a 65F day when you're hoping for 40. Thanks for the NYT link, I hadn't seen that set of puzzles before though I was familiar with 2 or 3 of the games already.
(more chess talk) Yes, Carlsen has been advocating for a change to the status and yes I think he's worried he's just going to eventually lose to his younger clone but I'm a fan and want to see him continue to crush his enemies and hear the lamentation of their women. Oh wait, that's Conan not Carlsen... it's the same sentiment however. I enjoyed Kasparov back in the day even if Topalov or Shirov was playing "more interesting" chess when it came down to it you know that Gary was the man and would defend his title (until he didn't).
In other, non-running, news, because my community band is lacking a tuba for tonight's concert, I get to play the tuba parts on my contrabassoon. :-)
not bad for mile 25
Woohoo! That should be an interesting timbre in Sousa marches etc. (fellow community band member)
Yes, it will be. The contrabassoon doesn't have quite the oomph/volume of a tuba, especially for an outdoor concert, but it's better than having no bass part at all.