Sub 1:30 Half Marathon 2021 Edition (Read 448 times)

runethechamp


    Mark - I used to have a pair of Beacons (they are now yard shoes) and to me they felt very light on the feet, ran well, but somehow didn't feel like they helped my stride much, they almost felt too flexible in some way.  That said, back in the fall of 2018 I had one of my better training runs ever in those shoes (11 miles m-pace + 2.2 miles T-pace done during a race) so I've considered picking up another pair.

     

    Piwi - Be nice to the car doors. Apart from that strong 10k, impressive week again! I also like how you just have a steady diet of runs of about an hour or a bit longer.

     

    Flavio - Solid as well. I also think Imola is on the calendar for F1 this year again? If it is and they let people watch you should do that (I'd love to see an F1 race someday).

     

    Keen - Mileage king again! Reading your descriptions (and DW and Z's) about the weather makes me feel very fortunate here. Last week we had low to mid 60s with sun and generally perfect running conditions.

     

    DW - You're not far behind Keen in mileage but also supplement with some good work in the pool. I'm impressed with your consistency. And that tempo workout sounds like a good one.

     

    Z - 60 miles is a great week! With that kind of mileage you should be ready for some solid PRs on the longer (and maybe the shorter) distances.

     

    Watson - Good to hear things are improving with your shoulder!

     

    Mick - I'm currently on a 3 runs per week schedule as well but should probably expand soon. I saw your comment on today's run as well and with 60 degrees (is that accurate?) I could be convinced to jump in the water.

     

    Steve - Nice week, and good to hear things are starting to feel better!

     

    I stayed with my steady diet of 3 runs per week, a couple of strength and flexibility sessions, and a swim. I decided to push my pace for a local 5k Strava segment during my run on Saturday (and by that it means up to about 8min/mile), and hindsight I think the effort maybe felt similar to my 3-mile "tempo" or whatever it was  2 weeks ago, but it was almost 30 seconds faster per mile. Hindsight I also realized that I enjoy the feeling I get from these slightly harder efforts so I'll sprinkle some in here and there. I'm up to about an hour for all my runs nowand I'm wondering if I should increase the distance on these a bit more or add a shorter day per week instead.

     

    Also, when I started my swim yesterday I instantly thought to myself that the water felt warmer, and sure enough according to my Garmin the temperature was up from 52F the last couple of weekends to 55F this weekend. Makes me wonder when it warms up for summer to high 60s or low 70s if I will start swimming with no wetsuit as I did a couple of times last year.

     

    Also, to deal with my less than ideal blood values I had my last (for now) iron infusion last Monday. I will go in for some blood tests this week to see where I stand and then see what the future brings. But overall I feel pretty good these days.

     

    Weekly for period: From: 02/01/2021 To 02/07/2021

    Date Name Distance
    in mi
    Duration Avg Pace
    per mi
    Elevation Gain
    in ft
    02/01/2021 Strength and flexibility 0.00 00:39:04 00:00 0
    02/02/2021 Afternoon Run 6.03 00:57:17 09:30 174
    02/02/2021 Basic leg strength 0.00 00:17:48 00:00 0
    02/04/2021 Afternoon Run 5.48 00:53:53 09:50 279
    02/04/2021 Distance Correction 0.40 00:03:48 09:30 0
    02/05/2021 Strength and flexibility 0.00 00:27:00 00:00 0
    02/06/2021 5k tempo+ effort 7.04 01:05:12 09:16 335
    02/07/2021 Lunch Swim 0.65 00:23:50 36:40 0

    Total distance: 18.96mi

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

     

    Getting back into it

    zebano


      Watson That's excellent news. Let me offer a premature welcome back.

       

       

       

      Zebano very nice on the strength training etc. I'm doing nothing additional right now and also need to cut out beer and ice cream 🍦

       

       

      lol, my wife organized a 40 beers for 40 years since we couldn't have a party last month. Lets just say I don't have an ice cream party but there are tons of delicious beers waiting to be sampled and I'm not holding back. I've actually gained weight since then despite pretty solid weekly mileage. How is the New Zealand Microbrew scene? Also, I counted Shoveling as my strength training once, which feels like cheating but as the only blue collar worker on here, you probably need the strength work less than we do.

      1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

      Marky_Mark_17


        Watson - great to see you back, I was actually think on my LR on Sunday that we had not heard from you in a while.

         

        Rune - nice job.  I find most of my runs end up around the one hour mark with a longer one on Sunday and sometimes a short recovery run in there too.  I find having long-ish average runs tends to give pretty good aerobic bang for your buck.  Although I know a lot of triathletes like you who will often do shorter, harder runs off the bike instead.

         

        Steve - that trip to Mt. Cook looked amazing, great weather for it.  There is actually a marathon and half marathon run up there in October I think which could be pretty fun.  Hope your mum is doing better.  Good to see you are starting to feel good again.  It was stupidly humid out there this morning in Auckland but hopefully easing off later in the week.

         

        Mick - in theory we should pay 15% GST (goods and services tax) on any internet purchases now (which we would pay on any domestic purchase) which has made buying offshore a lot more expensive.  But some places either don't seem to charge it, or just wear the cost through their pricing anyways, like Running Warehouse Australia or Nike for that matter.  Whereas Amazon it looks like you are getting a good deal right up until the checkout and then bam, +15% GST and shipping.

         

        Me - I entered the Run the Point 10km on Sunday 21st.  I intentionally left my entry late but not so late so as to incur race week entry fees, given the number of races that I ended up paying for and not running last year (or not running when I wanted to!).  Here's hoping I haven't jinxed it!

        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"

        SteveChCh


        Hot Weather Complainer

           

          Steve - that trip to Mt. Cook looked amazing, great weather for it.  There is actually a marathon and half marathon run up there in October I think which could be pretty fun.  Hope your mum is doing better.  Good to see you are starting to feel good again.  It was stupidly humid out there this morning in Auckland but hopefully easing off later in the week.

           

          It would be very cool to race at Mt Cook.  Where I ran had several gradual rises and falls with the only decent hill leading up to the Hermitage - looking at the course profile, that hill is included which would be quite a brutal finish to a race but the worst part of the hill is pretty short.  The wind would be more of an issue in that valley.  On Sunday when we did our flight up to the glacier it was perfect but on Monday morning it felt a bit like Wellington and it wasn't even that windy for Mt Cook.  The view in every direction is amazing and would be a good distraction.

           

          Just had a look at the 2020 results...must have been crazy wind!  Not even a Covid cancellation.  That possibility makes me less likely to travel all that way and stay in the accommodation which isn't overly cheap.

           

          2020

          *Sadly the 2020 event was cancelled due to severe gale force winds…

          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

          runethechamp


             

            Rune - nice job.  I find most of my runs end up around the one hour mark with a longer one on Sunday and sometimes a short recovery run in there too.  I find having long-ish average runs tends to give pretty good aerobic bang for your buck.  Although I know a lot of triathletes like you who will often do shorter, harder runs off the bike instead.

             

             

            Mark - I somehow missed your bread and butter runs around one hour too.  I did some googling today to see what I could figure out the training of the most famous Norwegian marathoner (as I mentioned earlier, no runs longer than 12 miles before her first victory and world record in NY) and came across this story: https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20799024/grete-waitz-from-out-of-norway/  80 miles per week, lots of fast runs (often 3:50 per/km), usually two runs per day, but no real long runs. Almost sounds like you!

             

            And I also missed your banana story. Somebody (I think it was famous Norwegian cross country skier Bjørn Dæhlie) supposedly said that there is a lot of power in a banana. Although the word he used was actually the Norwegian word for gunpowder (krutt), but it's also used as a word for power in Norwegian.

             

            Steve - I don't think I've head about a race being canceled because of wind before!

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

             

            Getting back into it

            Marky_Mark_17


               

              Mark - I somehow missed your bread and butter runs around one hour too.  I did some googling today to see what I could figure out the training of the most famous Norwegian marathoner (as I mentioned earlier, no runs longer than 12 miles before her first victory and world record in NY) and came across this story: https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20799024/grete-waitz-from-out-of-norway/  80 miles per week, lots of fast runs (often 3:50 per/km), usually two runs per day, but no real long runs. Almost sounds like you!

               

              And I also missed your banana story. Somebody (I think it was famous Norwegian cross country skier Bjørn Dæhlie) supposedly said that there is a lot of power in a banana. Although the word he used was actually the Norwegian word for gunpowder (krutt), but it's also used as a word for power in Norwegian.

               

              That was a great read, thanks Rune.  It's a shame that womens running took so long to get the same level of attention as mens but that is one awesome story about a great athlete.  It's just mind boggling that she could pull off that first win with no long runs at all.

              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"

                Steve no worries I knew you had alot on your plate. The Mount Cook photos looked awesome. Funny that your run up there didn't have much elevation 

                 

                Rune I upped my daily runs from 10kms to 12 or 14. I try and do a Sunday longer run around 20kms.

                I don't know anything about swimming but I imagine that a wetsuits aids with buoyancy so a summer wetsuit would still be good.

                 

                Mark nice on entering the 10k. Will be a good benchmark to start the year with.

                 

                Zebano I think micro brewery beer here is very popular right now. Mick will hate me but I still buy Heineken sometimes 😔

                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 "      

                 

                Marky_Mark_17


                  Mark nice on entering the 10k. Will be a good benchmark to start the year with.

                   

                  Zebano I think micro brewery beer here is very popular right now. Mick will hate me but I still buy Heineken sometimes 😔

                   

                  There is a guy running the 15k, Ewan Sinclair, who is a Masters runner that we are trying to recruit for our club for road relays in Oct when we are going to have a serious crack at the M35+ grade.  He ran a 2:30 marathon at Houston last Jan and looks to be in really good shape.  I actually met him at Kerikeri a couple years ago and he seemed like a really nice guy.  If we can get him on board then, as long as no-one gets injured (!!!), we would probably have the quickest team on paper.

                  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"

                  zebano


                    Mark - I'm excited that you get to race!

                     

                    Rune I have a coworker who had iron issues and as soon as he got them resolved he dropped like 10 minutes off his 10k time ... in a training run! Glad things are feeling better for you. I'm also impressed by your ability to know what you can do and not press to do too much.

                     

                    Steve - Is the Mt Cook a trail race or road?

                     

                    Grete was something wasn't she? No runs over 12 miles actually reminded me of the guy on here who is going to try to marathon with nothing over 3 miles which isn't fair to her at all as it sounds like she was doubling almost every day and had tremendous lifetime mileage as well as solid weekly volume at 80mpw. To break a WR with that long run however is crazy.

                     

                    Piwi I'm hardly a beer snob, in fact I wish I liked the cheaper stuff more just to save a buck.

                     

                    Regarding hour long runs being a sweet spot, I tend to agree as long as you also get a long run in but I just like doubling shorter runs. It's certainly not optimal but I feel fresher. I'd never pretend my training is optimal. You probably need to be at  Keen's training schedule before doubles actually make sense.

                     

                    Flavio Your hard water (that's what we call water w/ Lime) actually reminds me why I took up coffee as a major vice. We live in an area with good tap water that but my work doesn't, so I have to either bring water or brew coffee or I won't drink anything there because it bothers me so much. I keep a stock of water softening pellets however because they do a good job melting snow.

                     

                    Here's my obligatory whine about all the snow and cold. grrr. I'm usually ok doing things by effort but going at 5k or faster pace and seeing 6:40/mi on the watch because you're sliding on snow and ice is really disheartening. That and when it gets below 0F my feet are getting cold which is a new problem.

                    1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

                    CommanderKeen


                    Cobra Commander Keen

                      DWave - That workout was quite tough when I did it, and I'm certain I was in better shape then. It would likely crush me right now.


                      Zebano - Back to the French, eh? That workout certainly seems like a stiff one, but is certainly interesting enough that I'll likely try it at some point.
                      Solid week, even without all the ancillary stuff in there.


                      Steve - Good week, indeed. Nice that those easy runs are feeling easier, especially in summer.


                      Rune - Awesome that you're building back the way you are. I'd be in favor of adding an extra short run vs extending the ones you already have.


                      Mark - Do you have a goal in mind for that race other than "just" defending your home turf?


                      The cold front moved in early yesterday morning with a largely unexpected mist/drizzle that quickly froze and made all the roads super-hazardous. I made it .1mi into my run yesterday before almost falling and going back to the house for my nanospikes - no slipping at all after that. I have no issues using the spikes for easy runs, but did a workout on the treadmill this morning as I don't want to test how well they work for cornering at Tempo effort.


                      My cold weather-inspired supper tonight is in part brought to us by the kindly exports of the Land of the Kiwis.

                      5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22

                       

                      Upcoming Races:

                       

                       

                      zebano


                        Keen, I've not been having a lot of enjoyment with chess for a couple weeks now (it happens), so I'm just going to play my openings until I feel like experimenting again.

                         

                        What do you use for nano-spikes (it's a good thing you noticed right away, sometimes getting 3-4 miles out and then needing them is the worst)? I've been underwhelmed by how my screw shoes are working. They're noticeably better than my trail shoes and I haven't fallen while wearing them so that's a win, but running workouts in them leaves a lot to be desired.

                        1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

                        CommanderKeen


                        Cobra Commander Keen

                          Zebano - These are what I use. I have absolute confidence in them at easy effort (I've ran across 50' frozen puddles without slipping at all, and was halfway across before I recognized the *crunch* sound my footsteps were making had changed), and while they likely would be find for speed work the risk of severity of injury when falling at a fast pace is high enough compared to falling at easy effort that I'd rather not risk it.

                          5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22

                           

                          Upcoming Races:

                           

                           

                          flavio80


                          Intl. correspondent

                            Piwi - Indeed, thankfully it was just a bump on the road.

                             

                            Darkwave - do you mean that part where they walked the dogs to exhaustion because they’d walk the neighbours dog haha.

                            Big week!

                             

                            Zeb - kudos for creating the habit. That’s the only way it can work.

                            You’re running in some harsh climate man.

                             

                            Mick - me and my wife both lack the nurturing gene LOL She even tried caring for plants in the past, but she killed everything but the succulent.

                            That and I'm not a fan of dogs, cats are great though!

                            Keep up that training!

                             

                            Steve - awesome picture! It was crazy to see you guys in shorts in a sea of white snow.

                             

                            Rune - I also lack the “car worship” gene, I’m defective LOL

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

                            Up next: no idea

                            Tool to generate Strava weekly

                            SteveChCh


                            Hot Weather Complainer

                              flavio - It was really warm up there!  In the village it was about 30C which is 700 metres altitude, and we landed at about 2500 metres.  I think it was about 15C on the mountain.

                               

                              zebano - even though there are lots of good cycle trails and some challenging walking trails around there, it's a road race, out and back from the village with a turnaround at 10.5km and the full doing 2 laps.  Pretty boring course compared to what they could come up with but on mostly straight roads with a nice surface, I guess you can relax and enjoy the views without having to focus so much on where you're putting your feet.

                              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

                              Marky_Mark_17


                                Mark - Do you have a goal in mind for that race other than "just" defending your home turf?

                                 

                                Nah, just have fun.  I haven't raced in almost 3 months.  I don't know if I'll be as fast as last year coming off the back of altitude training while on holiday.  It's still two weeks away so I don't want to jinx it either.

                                 

                                Also, what was your Kiwi-inspired dinner?  (hopefully not actual Kiwi).

                                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"