Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2018
Cobra Commander Keen
Blair - For my easy runs and long runs that don't involve any type of workout I stick with 70% HRR or less. I typically will end up around 65-67% HRR. For workouts I typically don't look much at HR, simply because all of my hard efforts this year have maxed out at 3 minutes. In that short of a time HR doesn't reflect the effort level for the first several repeats since it lags behind effort so much. I have 9 miles at MP (Daniels' MP, not mine! lol) tomorrow as part of my LR, so it will be interesting to see what my HR looks like during that.
Yes, running at <70% HRR is really slow for a while, but your body does get used to it and you'll end up moving faster at that same effort level. Certainly don't dump quality work! Just use HRR to make sure your easy days are truly easy.
Mark - Thanks! Your LTHR is is a massive percentage of your max HR, which I find just awesome. No wonder you're so blasted fast. At a max of 196, mine is probably "only" around 172-174. I haven't done any LT work long enough to verify that lately, but hopefully I'll find out more definitely in a couple weeks during a 15k.
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
JamesD
Lots of left knee trouble and (very unusual) right quad soreness in the second halves of runs this week. I cut Thursday's medium-long run short from a planned 9.3 miles to 7.8 because the soreness that started midrun was so bad I was afraid I was risking injury. I think this was the result not so much of running, but of lots of recent social events where I've had to stand on hard floors for a long time. I had similar trouble last June after several events in a couple of weeks and wound up stopping running for a while. Things didn't hurt quite as much on Friday & Saturday, and my pace on my Saturday run was only 1 sec/mile slower than last week. I'm hoping that with a cutback week and no more events for a while I'll be ok.
Sun - off
Mon - 10.9 miles easy, pace for first 6.2 was close to that of the previous Saturday's 6.2
Tues - 6.2 easy, stopping every 3/4 mile for exercises
Weds - 17 minutes swimming, still in bad swimming shape
Thurs - 7.8 easy, cut short because of knee and quad trouble
Fri - 6.2 easy, stopping every mile for exercises
Sat - 6.2 easy, avg 8:14/mile
Total - 37.3 miles
I reached two milestones this week. The mileage was a new high (by all of 0.1 miles, so not that big a deal), and I ran out of space in the notebook where I've logged every run since mid-2006. Hope I can fill up the new one before 2030.
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
Blair - good luck for the race!
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"
James- hope those injuries come right.
Keen - back in my field hockey days, I was never very skilful but I'd still be sprinting hard in the 60th minute of games when other guys were fading... in hindsight the high LTHR played a big part in that (although I wouldn't have had a clue about it at the time).
Me - really tough week for running with very hot and humid conditions, the dew point was routinely 20-21C (~70F) aside from Thursday where it was 17C (only mildly uncomfortable). Normally we cop this sort of humid weather in late December or early January and not for extended periods... unfortunately this year it's come later and also coincided with the warmest part of the year. It's manageable for the easier runs but definitely makes any harder efforts or longer runs tough going - I cut today's LR 2-3km short. It looks like it won't subside until the second half of next week either so kinda just gotta suck it up and get on with it. Next race is Coatesville HM in 4 weeks time which is very hilly, I'm feeling pretty strong on the hills at the moment but making sure I include lots of hills in my training to keep that up.
M: weights
T: 16km easy (flat)
W: 11.8km easy (hills)
Th: 13.2km incl. 5x1km hard/300m easy
F: weights
S: 10.0km easy (hills)
S: 18.2km incl. 5km tempo
Total: 69.2km
Keen - 70% of HRR max shall be the new easy run standard
Mark - thanks! And good week.
Just finished my shakeout jog. I haven't run a race since my HM in October so I miss this process - the early wake up, shakeout, coffee, etc, etc - I enjoy the routine of raceday. A light dusting of snow on the ground (maybe 1cm). We are supposed to get another 1.5cm during the race. The first 7mi are up and down hills. I plan on going out easy and then maybe putting in 10-12km at M-pace (as per VDOT table not my PR). It should give me a time under 1:40. Depending on the other runners, I will decide how I run the last 5km when the time comes. If a top 3 is in range, I might race just a little sub1:40 got a top3 overall last year (with 40 participants) as most use it for a long slow run and many are just starting preparations for the upcoming season and our provincial Marathon championships (I am running the half at this event in May). There is a big breakfast afterwards for all the competitors for braving the "Hypothermic Half" (hardly hypothermic today, we are going to have a high of 0 celsius) which I think I am looking forward to more than the race itself
Personal Bests: 5k 19:43 (04/2017), 10k 43.24 (10/2016), Half 1:33:18 (10/2017), Full 3:32:47 (05/2017)2018 Targets: 5k: sub19, 10k: sub41, Half: sub90
Intl. correspondent
Blair - good luck on your race.
Heart rate stuff - I'm jealous of you guys with the low resting heart rate, though I suppose that can be vastly improved with training.
me - A shorter week at 39.1km with a nice 21.1k long run. I was feeling run down at the beginning of the week so took it easier. I hope to go back to 60km the next week with a similar long run.
It looks as though I lost all the accumulated fitness but I guess it can only get better now.
PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021
Up next: some 800m race (or time trials) / Also place in the top 20% in a trail race
Tool to generate Strava weekly
RR - Official time was 1:41:55 (I think, just below 1:42). I am very happy with this result. The course was very hilly and snow-packed. The plan was at least 4km easy before I started putting in M-pace effort km's. I ended up going 8 easy. Even at at 5:15ish/km pace I was in the 2nd pack (out of 50ish participants). There were what I think were about 5-6 guys go out in the front pack with the seeming intention to race. After 8km, I left the 2nd pack and put in about 3.5km at M-pace effor (4:30-4:40km) then put in another easy km. I decided to go back to M-pace effort until my breathing got hard (no HRM on). So I ended up with about 4 intervals, maybe about 10k total at this pace and the rest easy. I came in at just under 1:42 which is my slowest result in an HM but of the 4 I've done this is the only one I've done without the intention of doing my best. The official results aren't up yet but I think I came in around 5th or 6th. I caught one of the guys that went out quick(er). During an easy km, he passed me again. I think he was racing because when I went by I gave a word of encouragement ("6km till that big brunch!" to which I got a heavy-breathed "Ya!"). I felt like kind of a dick assuming he'd be at somewhat conversational but the nature of the race is most people are doing it for fun/easy run. With the conditions, it is not exactly a race where you can lay down a quick time.
My week:
RIP Milkman
Hey everyone!
I skimmed my way through the thread. Mark, good racing in tough conditions. Glad your ITB is getting better.
Everybody else, been impressed with the dialogue and overall commitment of the group.
Only update on my end is that my foot is still bad. I'm just running 4-6 miles for now. Some runs it's bad, some it's manageable. My doctor pretty much is out of ideas at this point, although he's still sure it's something away from the foot that is causing the problems. I tend to agree with him because the pain can be in 3 different places in my foot in the same day. I'm experiencing some odd inflammation in my shin, which may actually be where the problem is originating (the tendons in the front of your shin run down into your foot, which would explain the connection).
He's given me the OK to keep running through the pain as he doesn't think it's really anything serious, just something that is annoying.
I did get a prescription for some imaging, so I may go in over the next couple of weeks just to rule out something more serious because it's been 3 months of this at this point and it's getting really frustrating.
I have a strong feeling this is something that is going to bother me for like 6 months, and then out of nowhere it's going to disappear. I've had stuff like that before in my knees and hips, and I've never understood what drove the change. For now though, I'm going to keep the running light and keep up with the exercises to try to knock this thing out!
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Blair - sounds like a pretty fun race! Haha that breakfast at the end would've been great fun too. As much as I like running in cold conditions, anything below freezing is actually pretty tough just working to keep the legs turning over. But I'd love to do a race like that at some point!
JMac - thanks for the update but arrrrghhh frustrating!! I sure hope it's all OK soon.
Flavio - good call on managing your efforts if you were feeling run down. Sometimes a tough decision to make but always best to listen to the body.
Me -well as usual I'm planning my races a long way ahead, and wanted to find a decent winter HM to do. With our daughter being almost 1 now it's kinda easier to find something we can drive to, rather than fly to, so although I would like to do the Christchurch and Wellington half marathons at some point, I opted to sign up for Taupo again (4 August). Piwi and I had horrendous conditions for this race in 2016 (2C, sleet, pouring rain, waterlogged course) but last year a friend did it and the conditions were fantastic... on a good day it would be a quick course so I figure the weather can't possibly be as bad as it was in 2016 again!
Blair - good week and race. Sounds rather hard conditions.
Mark - good week. It's been humid here too.
JMac - good luck.
My week was in one word - humid.
In a few more - I got my volume aim, which was continuing the gradual increase (4km / 2.5 miles more than the previous week). I was off the pace for both Tuesday and Thursday workouts. Tuesday's intervals started ok, but then a huge fade in the heat wind, plus I had not drank enough beforehand. Thursday's tempo was a bit slow, but consistent without a fade on a very humid evening.
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
Blair - Good job on the race. Not sure I would have the discipline to avoid racing all out and messing up my training. I also couldn't handle the temperatures you run in; I wear two layers and a skullcap when it's 60F/15C if it's windy.
Hi, all,
James and JMac, I think the same applies for both: Sorry to hear that you are having issues and it's not clearly diagnosed what is affecting. Well, happily you can still run. Listen to your body and don't overdo.
Mark: Nice week. I was impressed by your 5K tempo.
Watson: Progressing nicely.
Blair: Nice half... Good job on keeping the intended effort in such conditions. BTW, that's a fast MP. Seems you are aiming at 3:15
Flavio: Yeah, the Min HR is related to fitness but also genetics. Mine is very low but my ceiling is lower too.
Me:
Weekly SummaryMonday, Feb 12, 2018 thru Sunday, Feb 18, 2018
Jamie - good week.
running metalhead
BlairJB : Nice race mate. I'm doing a hilly "half trail" HM in three weeks. I don't think there will be snow but there are plenty of sandy hills ("fossil" dunes). I would be happy if I do your time but I am afraid that I haven't done too many hills recently.
JMac11 & James: Just take it easy mates, and remember that rests and recovery are as part of the training as running.
Jaimegu: Short commute in shorts? LOL, that's almost 8 miles
So, here's my week. Second of JD 2Q plan. I'm still amazed at how good I feel. The long workouts are hard though I feel real well the next day (not that I ever had issues recovering, but I feel even better . I went back to the trails for a 10K easy run with some striders and it felt awesome, though I don't want to spend too much time off the road as I still feel that I need to adapt to run long distances on asphalt after 3 years on the trails and mostly shunning the roads.
- Egmond ( 14 januari ) : 1:41:40 (21K)- Vondelparkloop ( 20 januari ) : 0:58.1 (10K but did 13.44!!!)- Twiskemolenloop ( 4 maart ) : 1:35:19 (3th M45!)
- Ekiden Zwolle (10K) ( 25 maart )- Rotterdam Marathon ( 8 april )- Leiden Marathon Halve ( 27 mei )- Marathon Amersfoort ( 10 juni)
Mark - remember when you mentioned that your Garmin calculated vo2max would fluctuate 4 points between summer and winter?
The heart rate monitor was crazy today and was registering very high readings. As a consequence I lost 4 points since my last run, from 60 down to 56