Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2018
Cobra Commander Keen
Everyone - Thanks! I appreciate it.
Piwi - In my limited half-marathoning experience 15k is certainly where I'd agree that the suck really starts. During my current-PR half I hit kilometer 16-17 and the though "I have made a terrible mistake, this isn't going to end well" crossed my mind a few times. I don't expect my HM to be that fast (it's hillier than the 15k), but if I could come anywhere close I'd be ecstatic. 30C is pretty darn hot. I certainly don't enjoy running in that, but I know in a few months it'll be unavoidable.
Rune - Hopefully they do get back with you regarding that plan. While I don't have a ton of time using Daniels' plans (I'm in week 6 of my first 12 week plan) I have been over it a ton and think I have a solid grasp of it. Have you downloaded his two apps? They make it pretty easy to check/update training paces and see the whole schedule.
Hazrat - Hi. Can we get more of an intro?
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
Keen: I have read the book a few times and have customized the Jd spreadsheet to keep the paces and my training schedule just to find out today after reading your post that they have this for free in 2 apps that sync with strava. Ha. Thanks. His will save me a lot of time going forward.
HM: 1:47 (9/20) I FM: 3:53:11 (9/23)
2024 Goals: run a FM & HM + stay healthy!
Piwi - I just stumbled across some info on a Britain / Maori battle that occurred in your AO in 1864. Quite interesting from a military history standpoint.
Steve - have added your race - you've posted trainings for a few weeks and engaged in general banter so all good! Will have to try and catch up with you on the day at the race. It's a while since anyone on the thread did a race together (it has happened a little more frequently on the sub-3 hour marathon thread). I think the infamous Taupo half that Piwi and I did in August 2016 might be the last time (it has taken two years for me to get the courage up to attempt that race again).
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 I havent run a half since Taupo so I guess it put me off for life lol.
Commanderkeen we should swap house so you can visit the historic battlefield and i can go to an OKC game !
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 "
Piwi - I'll take you up on that! I might could even get you tickets from my FIL. Now if only I could convince DW to fly 18+ hours around the globe with me...
Today was a good run day. Run was good, and it was a good day on which to run.
Hot Weather Complainer
Sounds good. You should be recovered and starting your celebrations by the time I come through 10 mins later...I'm flying back to ChCh quite soon after the race so unfortunately it might be a quick chat rather than a pint. The only time I feel like a 9am pint is warranted is after a race, and boy they taste good. I'll keep an eye out before the race too, staying in an Air BnB just around the corner so I plan to arrive in plenty of time - having said that, I might not have much to say in the minutes before a PB attempt. I know I'm only racing myself so sometimes I wish I could relax more.
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 1:27:34
Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024
Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024
Yeah I tend to get myself all kinds of worked up before goal races too and apologies if the pre-race conversation is limited to 'hi'! I wish I could find a way to not do it, but it just gets in my head. My PB was definitely one of those but some of my best races have actually been when I barely thought about the race - Coatesville last year I ran 1:20:54 on what is probably the hilliest HM course in the country (it was 3 days after our daughter was born hence I was definitely not thinking about the race!!), and in 2-3 other instances I've run races I was really pleased with mostly because I'd just planned to turn up and see how it went. I'd love to be able to find a way to take the pressure out of the equation as I think my running is better for being relaxed, but it's really hard when it's a goal race and particularly when you've trained hard specifically for it over a period of time!
I got injured last year and had planned to do Queenstown but ended up only managing 6-7 weeks of limited training and only introduced speed in the last 2 weeks. My girlfriend had convinced me to enter anyway "not every race has to be a PB, just enjoy it" and she was right. I actually felt great a week out and while a PB was never on, I thought I might get a 1:32-33 but then got sick in the week of the race. I almost didn't get on the plane and didn't enjoy it as I might have if I'd been healthy (first 5km were a battle not to vomit) but the last 5km felt good and I managed 1:35 so I figure if I can do that on limited training and being sick surely I can take a lousy 6 minutes off...I did spend the next week in bed but hey.
It was nice to run without expectations or self-imposed pressure though. If I see you during the race, which I imagine is quite possible, with the back and forth nature of the course I'll give you a yell if I have the energy.
I had a great tempo run last night which is making me feel that I'm on track with 4 weeks to go.
Hi, all,
I'm lagging 2 pages behind, in just 3 days. So excuse me for a giving a few replies.
Keen: Nice race and excellent result...and a high mileage week to top it.
Enric: Good result!... I see what you meant with pacing. I'm not sure you followed someone or what happened because your 1st Km is spot on.
Flavio: Yes, Sign up for that race!
JMac: Happy to see you running longer
The kiwis: You guys rock! I don't run that much in summer, I would need to wake up very early to get cooler temps.
The Europeans: Cold front is over? Time to go out and run! I ran in shorts today, no gloves no beanie, at -1C and snow flurries
Me:
On a more relaxed analysis from the race, I lost probably 45 seconds in the headwind (Km 4-8), the water on the road might have taken around 15 seconds (That is the crossing at Km8 and, as I mentioned in the report, on the way back the tide was high again and started flooding the road, so traffic was closed and we were moved towards the outside, increasing the distance and searching for better footing).
On my own, I still think I should have put an extra effort.Apart from the feeling between Km 11 and 17 (very talkative), to support this,
1. I was looking for an average HR closer to 155, But not, I reached 151-152 since the second Km, and stayed there until I finally pushed in Km 18.
2. I prefer even splits but the last 5K were the fastest, by much (20:13 vs 21x the rest)
3. Lower HR was consistent with slower splits (Km 5, 13, 16), so I was recovering somehow.
Weekly SummaryMonday, Feb 26, 2018 thru Sunday, Mar 04, 2018
Jaime good stuff that was a nice race result. 1 degree C I would be wearing tights and a jacket haha.
Mark nerves before a race are a good adrenalin builder but the stress of racing is a big reason why I dont race now. The pressure of weekly mileage etc, you have to enjoy the training process and the racing which i did once. Its so much easier when you can bang out new PBs. However....running keeps me fit and mentally in good shape and I will keep running for as long as I can.
Keen OKC lost to Houston yesterday who are number one ranked in the Western conference. My man Adams had no points 1st half and 16 in the 2nd. Such a roller coaster ride.
Steve and Mark - a forum race would be good. I have had two, both in 2015, Christchurch marathon and Sydney half.
I used to get real nervous pre races. Not so much now.
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
Intl. correspondent
I have nerves sometimes the day before and early in the day which causes me to go to the toilet like 4, 5 times. But around 20 minutes before the race I start to have a deep focus in my mind where I reach a rare state of calmness and the anxiety is gone usually for the remainder of the race.
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
CK - Yes, heard back from them and they are getting back to me with the 18 week plan, which just doesn't include the 6 weeks of base building. I would have liked to have that part prescribed for me as well but I will have some fun doing that myself now. My guess is it will probably come right out of the training plans in the book, but we'll see.
Jaime - You're a hard man. No beanie could probably work for me around freezing but I have to wear gloves a lot. I've also yet to run in anything but shorts here, probably with temperatures down towards 40F (4.5C), but the legs are working all the time so it makes more sense to me.
Piwi - I still find motivation in racing and training for a race, but it's a bit different from when I first started. The better you get the more it takes to improve, and for us mortals here it has to stop at some point I guess
I had a complete dumpster fire of a run yesterday when I was really hoping for some answer to whether 3:25 is a reasonable goal for me with 11 planned miles at m-pace. I've looked around to find a run with similar pace and/or effort to have something to compare with and found one from November last year. The result is that back in November I ran 3 seconds faster per mile on average, with an average heart rate 4 bpm lower, on a very hilly run. And I know for a fact that I should be in much better shape right now than back then, so something must have been very off last night, I just don't know what. While I expected the pace, which ended up being a couple seconds faster than planned, to feel pretty relaxed for the distance, I felt like I had to push a little bit to keep the pace up for most of the run. This almost reminds me about my 6-mile tempo at planned HM pace before my race last November, which had a very similar outcome. So now I'm wondering if I should take one of the remaining two tempo sessions and do 6-8 miles at m-pace instead to see if there is a difference in feel.
5k: 20:32 (1/17) | HM: 1:34:37 (2/18) | FM: 3:31:37 (3/18)
Getting back into it
Jaime - That was a nice finish and I reckon the conditions easily cost you a minute.
Steve - the Queenstown course is deceptively tough. While it's relatively flat, the trails are tougher work than the road and take quite a bit out. I had a pretty disappointing race there in 2016. It suspect it's a bit quicker now they've taken Marathon Hill out which was an absolute bugger but it's still much slower than the flat road courses like Christchurch or Huntly. 1:35 off light training and a stomach bug is pretty solid!
I'm glad they've got road closures for the Waterfront Half Marathon otherwise it could get pretty crowded on the course with the multiple out-and-back sections. I reckon it could be quite a strong field and will probably attract most of the fast runners in the area that aren't doing Huntly on March 25 so I doubt I'll be up the front but hopefully not too far behind. Brad Luiten will definitely be there and probably Steven Lett too and they should both be around 1:16 on that course as well as probably a few others. I'd like to beat my PB or at least be sub-1:20 and there should be a few in that category - Chris Trent and probably Julian Ng too.