Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2020
Recovery Phenom
I vomited shortly after finishing my last two halfs, so I thought I was giving my all, but the the next day it was like I didn't even race. Maybe the Vaporfly Next% worked their magic! Anyway, thanks for all the encouragement for next weekend. I'll do individual replies later!
26.2 x 31 (3:15:34 PR)
13.1 x 35 (1:30:58 PR)
Author of the book Boston Bound
Elizabeth - I would say you gave it your all. Normally I am very sore post a half. Oddly after my second marathon, I had very little DOMS.
PRs: 5km 18:43 (Dec 2015), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:26:16 (Sep 2016), full 3:09:28 (Jun 2015)
40+ PRs: 5km 19:31 (Oct 2020), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:29:39 (Jun 2018), full 3:13:55 (Sep 2022)
2023 PRs (hope to beat in 2024): 5km 20:34, 10km 41:37, half 1:32:32, full 3:21:05
2024 PRs: 5km 20:25
Cobra Commander Keen
Thanks for the suggestions on loosening up the legs, all. They're feeling much better today, though not quite as fluid as I'd like. More strides and some soaking in the bath will hopefully help.
The weather is looking pretty good for the race - low 40s, but with a bit more wind than I'd like. If that holds I'll be pretty happy overall - the wind would be a tailwind for roughly the first and last quarters of the marathon distance, but a headwind for the middle half.
5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22
Upcoming Races:
OKC Memorial 5k - April 27
Bun Run 5k - May 4
3 months til Masters
I have an excel doc as well as my running ahead.
Just didn't have it in a format easy to calculate that rolling average. Wrote the equation to make it work.
12w 86.5
26w 74.4
52w 61.8
Interesting. Doesn't really mean much to me, but interesting to see in comparison to you guys. Higher milage with less speed work.
DPS - I do everything through Excel (yes I'm a nerd). I find it easier to track and do all of this other fun stuff.
2023 Goals
Marathon Sub 2:37 (CIM) 2:41:18
10k Sub 35:00 (Victory 10k 34:19)
5k Sub 16:00 (Hot Dash 5k in March (16:48), Brian Kraft in May (16:20), Twilight 5000 in July and August (16:20/16:25 Both heat index 102-103F)
Sub 1:16 Half Marathon City of Lakes Half Marathon 1:15:47)
Sub 56:30 in 10 mile (Twin Cities 10 mile, Canceled due to weather, 56:35 as a workout)
2024 Goals
Sub 2:37 Marathon
Sub 1:15 Half
Sub 34 10k
Sub 16 5k
RIP Milkman
Keen - how does it feel that DPS may overtake you this year in mileage king of both RA training threads?
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
JamesD
On the good side, I reached 50 miles for the week, and my sinus trouble is (very slowly) diminishing. On the less good side, I’m starting to get soreness in my chest, my left knee is occasionally having some unusual pains, and my legs were too tired today to run my planned strides. This is the end of my base period, as I need to start doing some faster running if I want to race a half in nine weeks. In the last seven weeks, I’ve done 45/46/47/35 (intentional down week)/48/49/50. My previous high week was 43, so I hope the increase will be enough to pay off in a couple of months.
Sun - off
Mon - 14 miles easy @ 8:23/mile
Tues - 7.3 easy @ 8:51
Weds - 10.4 easy @ 8:32
Thurs - off
Fri - 11 easy @ 8:25
Sat - 7.3 easy @ 8:31
Total - 50 miles
12/26/52-week averages - 39/35/34 mpw
Post-1987 PRs: Half 1:30:14 (2019); 10K 39:35 (2019); 5K 19:12 (2017); Mile 5:37.3 (2020)
'24 Goals: consistency, age-graded PRs, half < 1:32
James - that’s a great buildup. If anything, I would even say it’s a tad conservative, but I think you’re going to reap the rewards. Normally, I would say once you add quality you want to watch your mileage build, but given that conservative buildup, I think you can stick around 50 MPW and still add quality work.
Mark - nice win today. I think that was your goal? Or is that your next goal for your 10K?
Me - had a really good marathon pace run today (5:58 average). It’s a huge improvement over my attempt at marathon pace just a few weeks ago, so I think I’m really getting into shape now. Still not where I need to be to nab that sub 75 I’m shooting for in 3 weeks, but I think I have enough time to get there given the growth I’ve seen in workouts in just the past 3 weeks. Just need to pray for good weather, and more importantly for this NYC course which runs into the prevailing wind for this time of year, low wind! One thing I’ve only started to appreciate recently, which may be more obvious to others, is that the faster you go, the more the wind impacts you. I did my warmup today into the wind and barely noticed it (it was around 8-9 MPH / 12-13 KMH) but once I picked up to MP, it started to be noticeable.
Keen - not only did I get confused by dates because the Kiwis are backwards here, but you were talking about weather. I didn’t realize you’re trying to look at wind forecasts for something 10 days in the future!!! Last time you did this, the weather got worse by 10+ degrees if I remember.
Normally, I would say once you add quality you want to watch your mileage build, but given that conservative buildup, I think you can stick around 50 MPW and still add quality work.
Thanks, JMac. I'm planning to cut back to the low 40s once I add quality and will be pleased if that works. If I had had another few weeks to get used to this level before adding quality, I might have tried to stay around 50, but getting sick in December cost me that time. So far, my legs have been too tired on recovery days to run strides (though I seem to be mostly recovered the day after recovery days, which is a good sign), & I have frequent niggles, so I think I need to cut back. In previous cycles, I"ve dropped about 5-8 mpw once I've started quality, so I'll begin with that and see how I feel. That would put me 5+ miles above the same part of previous cycles, which would be pretty good.
My main priority is to give myself another shot at breaking 1:30 before the end of spring, as I think I was in good enough shape to get there last November had the weather cooperated. Don't want to wait until fall, and I think being in a little better shape than I was in November might be sufficient.
Next week is going to be a down week, and also a 6-day, so 4- or 5-run, week with correspondingly lower mileage. I'm switching from starting my week on Monday with a long run to starting on Sunday when the track is available. Looking forward to getting back to the track.
Elizabeth - OK if you vomited then you definitely did push yourself! I've never actually done that but felt close to it after a couple of 10k races.
JMac - yeah I didn't set a time goal as these races are just rust-busters, just wanted to get the win on home turf and push hard through the last 5k. The wind is technically the same level of resistance regardless of your speed, I think it's just more noticeable going faster because it's more audible/obvious - i.e. more of a mental challenge than a physical one.
The final race in the series will be fun as it's on the old Albany Lakes course and Mark Boyce is coming along - he's in good form at the moment and pretty much owns that course so it could be a good tussle (particularly as both of us are targeting HMs two weeks later!).
James - nice week and good job on the mileage buildup. Good call to have a down week next week.
Me- solid week and had fun at the 10k race at Hobsonville Pt this morning (34:13 - course may have been fractionally long I think but near enough). It wasn't a goal race but still a good rust-buster and I was pleased with the time on what is not a particularly quick course with a number of undulations. There was not a lot of competition in the 10k so the focus was really on trying to dig deep and push hard through the second lap - definitely accomplished this with a 17:22 / 16:51 split including km 10 at 3:07 which was on one of the slower parts of the course. Every single km in the second lap was faster than the corresponding one in the first lap, so I guess with the lack of taper it may have just taken a bit of time to warm up to the pace!
M: weights, 5km recovery
T: 15.3km with hill repeats
W: 16.1km easy
T: 17.2km incl. 40 min @ MP
F: weights
S: 10.5km track session
S: 16.4km incl. Run the Point 10km (34:13)
Total: 80.7km
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: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr, 1:15:48
Up next: Runway5, 4 May
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Mark - Are you sure? I thought the increased resistance at higher speeds was why cyclists care so much more about aerodynamics than runners do, and why drafting helps them so much more.
The wind is technically the same level of resistance regardless of your speed, I think it's just more noticeable going faster because it's more audible/obvious - i.e. more of a mental challenge than a physical one.
Hot Weather Complainer
Congratulations Mark - very good time and must be a thrill getting the win.
Elizabeth - It sounds like you gave it everything if you vomited. I guess the key question is, could you have kept running for any length of time? You do sound like you have great recovery ability though. After my half-marathon PR, I ran a very easy 45 mins 4 days later and I had nothing in my legs.
My week:
Monday 70 mins easy pace (14.56km @ 4:52mins/km)
Tuesday Weights
Wednesday 70 mins incl 3x(2,4) VO2 Max - 15.89km @ 4:41mins/km
Thursday 70 mins recovery - 13.51km @ 5:23mins/km
Friday Weights
Saturday 2 hours incl. 2km HMP (20-22km) - 24.47km @ 4:55mins/km (HMP 4:10, 4:04)
Sunday Weights + 30 mins recovery - 5.11km @ 6:10mins/km
Total 73.54km (45.96 miles)
5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23
2024 Races:
Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55
Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024
Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024
Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024
No, I'm not sure - and happy to be corrected by someone who knows more about physics than I do!!
Steve - your consistency at the moment is great. I'm 95% sure that if we looked at standard deviation of average weekly mileage across the last few months on this thread, you would have the lowest! And nice job throwing some tempo km's in the right at the end of your long run too.
Steve - your consistency at the moment is great. I'm 95% sure that if we looked at standard deviation of average weekly mileage across the last few months on this thread, you would have the lowest!
I feel nervous saying it...but I'm in the best position I've been in 3 months out from a goal race since my last PR. Saturday was a bit cooler than it has been with hardly a breeze, and it was the most comfortable long run I've possibly ever had which is why I threw in some tempo, which also felt reasonably comfortable. Good signs as I start to increase quality and with autumn fast approaching.
Do we have a race report coming?
Run the Point 10km, 23 February
The second race of three in the North Shore Run Series was on home turf for me at Hobsonville Point, my favourite running spot close to home. I've been using this series to keep the race rust out but I'll admit I really wanted to win this one - especially given it's the inaugural race. No taper for this one (other than replacing the usual Sunday long run with this race). After some much-needed rain the day before, the weather is as good as you could hope for at race start for this time of year with 16C temps (low 60's F) and no wind. It actually felt colder than that after the humid conditions we've had latelyt!
It's good to see the event well-supported, the Parkrun down here regularly gets over 200 runners and walkers now despite being only 9 months old, so awesome to see the local community getting behind it.
The course is a 5km loop, running the Coastal Walkway anti-clockwise. It's a rolling course, and it starts/finishes at the highest point of the loop in the main reserve, so it's not super fast and the second half of each lap will be tougher than the first half. Liam Bird is running the 5k, so there is every likelihood I will lose a bunch of Strava CR's (but the ones in the clockwise direction are safe for now!!). I often use this loop for workouts so it'll be fun to do a race effort!
I have a quick chat to Troy and Julian on the start line. The hooter goes and Liam takes off, followed by a kid in a grey shirt who I remember from the previous race in Devonport and who is probably also running the 5k. I don't really have a plan other than aiming to average in the mid-3:20's/km and try and pick it up in the second lap. First couple of km's are mostly downhill at 3:21 and 3:24 and feeling pretty comfortable so far.
At this point I was chewing over Darkwave's wisdom: "In every race, there is a point where you ask yourself a question, and then answer it. Racing regularly lets you practice answering that question correctly. Using races as workouts does not." Hadn't figured out what the question was, at least by the time I got to the wharf at the end of km 3 (3:23). Liam and grey shirt kid are probably 20-30 seconds ahead now. No idea who is behind me or how close they are. It's nice to get a cheer from the people sitting outside at Fabric, my favourite cafe, too!
Km 4 was always going to be the slowest km - a board walk section followed by a climb with a number of sharp turns. 3:35 is not too bad. Km 5 has some small rollers, and a bit of a headwind that appeared from nowhere, followed by a gradual climb back up to the reserve. I was starting to reel in grey shirt kid at this point. He looked back with about 400m to go, saw me only around 15m behind and clearly got a bit of a fright as he put in a surge. It was kind of funny because he didn't realise that he was running 5k and I was running 10k with a lap still to go!!
I have run the course a couple times previously in training and it seems to be slightly long. The halfway split of 17:22 is not bad but as the lead bike picks me up for lap 2 I decide I'm going to challenge myself to really push the second lap. Got a nice cheer from my family as I come past to start lap 2.
It's a lot of fun racing when you're not even thinking about the course because you've run this area so many times. You can really tune in to your rhythm and your effort without distraction. And then... we're in business. 3:20, 3:17 and 3:17 for km's 6-8, which is right on PB pace for 10k for me (which was set on a quicker course, too!). Definitely got that rhythm going now, with only the slower back half of the course to go. Maybe with the lack of taper it just took my legs a bit longer to properly warm up to the pace!
At this point there are some slower walkers and runners still on their first lap. Chris on the lead bike, as always, does a great job clearing space, although I have to adjust my line a bit on the boardwalk and coming up the hill. Km 9 is 3:29 which is still faster than lap 1. Time to focus on really pushing for home now. There is some idiot with a yellow helmet casually cruising along on a bike who is not getting out of the way for the lead bike. Chris (lead bike) pulls aside to let me past figuring it'll make it easier for me and I yelled 'move yellow helmet!'. He eventually pulled aside when there was a gap in the slower runners and I fly past.
I'm still feeling really strong and pumping the legs for the last gradual climb up to the finish line. I never felt like I was really redlining in this race and I'm genuinely shocked when km 10 comes up at 3:08, maybe I pushed harder trying to get past that crazy cyclist! It's a helluva fast km considering there were small rollers and traffic to dodge. I turn into the finish chute and finish first in the 10km on 34:13, meaning the second half was 16:51 which is a big negative split (31 seconds).
Miss Almost-3 comes with me to get my medal (and one of her own!) and later I take her up on stage with me to get the trophy (she thinks that when I win races, she gets the trophy). Awesome to take the win out in the backyard but more importantly, to run that split on a rolling course with no taper is a big confidence boost in terms of where the overall fitness is at. The real hard work for Southern Lakes HM and Christchurch Marathon is only just starting now so there's a lot to build on there.
Official time: 34:13, first place.
James-As always if adding speed keep the easy days easy...(ducks as people start yelling at me about my own easy days)
Steve- Solid running with lots of 1+ hours runs. Also nice VO2. Good mileage with workouts. Nicely done.
Mark- Your racing is pumping me up for the race season. Today was 46F outside during my easy run and 41F yesterday during my long run....makes be so glad to be off the treadmill for a couple of days. Some colder weather is coming, but I think I should be able to have a couple of days outside a week for the next few weeks until spring is really here. Nice recap. Enjoying your progress as you keep grinding toward faster PR's.
Elizabeth- I think have said hello...but if not...Hello and welcome!. Very impressed with your racking up of marathons and halfs!
My week. Pretty good on the whole. Tuesday was a tough workout, especially toward the end, but little sleep was likely a driving factor in it. I finally gave up on getting any more sleep and hit the treadmill early. JMAC, my Tuesday is your future. Bwahahahahaha.
84 miles and change with striders and what not....