Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2018
JamesD
I had a couple of events in the last week that had me standing for long periods of time, so my knee has been hurting some & I've taken a down week. Still five runs, but no long or fast ones, just 6.6 easy-to-moderate miles each time. Had a couple of other uncommon niggles - tight left Achilles and tight right hamstring on different days - but both seem ok now. Hope the knee is better next week.
Sun - off
Mon - 6.6 miles easy
Tues - 6.6 easy
Weds - 24 mins swimming
Thurs - 6.6 easy
Fri - 6.6 easy
Sat 6.6 easy to moderate
Total - 33 miles
YTD Average - 31 mpw
JMac/Piwi - For what it's worth, this article https://runnersconnect.net/coach-corner/how-long-before-you-benefit-from-a-workout/
says that it takes 9-11 days to (fully?) benefit from a medium VO2 max workout and 12-15 days to benefit from a hard one. That's not the same as asking how much time you need between this workout and your race to be fully recovered/tapered, but it seems relevant. Don't know anything about the author, but I thought the chart was interesting.
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
Piwi - nice week and hope the kayaking went well
James - solid week and good idea taking it easy
Marco - glad you're feeling in reasonable shape, good plan for another easy week or two though.
Me - pretty good week all in all, 5th week straight at around 80km. Legs a bit tired towards the end of today's long run but a 5km hill climb after 22km or so will do that. Included a slightly sluggish 5km tempo on undulating terrain too. Weather was perfect though so can hardly complain.
M: weights
T: 12.8km moderate
W: 13.2km mostly easy
Th: 10.6km easy
F: weights
S: 13.5km incl. 4x400m/200jog
S: 28.3km long run incl. 5km tempo
Total: 78.5km
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: Runway5 / National 5k Champs, 16:22, National Masters AG Champ!
Up next: Still working on that...
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Marco - keep it easy for a few more weeks.
James, Piwi and Mark - good weeks.
My biggest week of the year! A slightly longer run today made it a slightly bigger week than the previous. This week will be rinse and repeat, except maybe a Sat/Sun swap due to commitments on the Sunday. And then a one week taper to my half.
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
I am in the east coast of the US for work this week (Just got to Baltimore, then I will go to Raleigh in North Carolina on Tuesday night, till Saturday), so I won't have much time to run (which is what you want really after a marathon... so this is good news I will have access to a gym in the hotel, so I am planning to do some cross training or conditioning, but very light.
I will be back in a couple of weeks time with a plan for September and a few short terms goals + I will decide what to do with the Dublin marathon 40 days after my PB goal half marathon (will I run it? will it be a distraction or a good secondary goal for the fall?)
have a great weekend (for those who still have a Sunday ahead ... ) and week
Marco
PRs since re-started in 2013:
5km: 19:43 (Belfast park run Sep-16) | 10km: 40:16 (Belfast Lagan side 10K Sep-18)
HM: 1:30:09 (Belfast city Half Marathon, September-18) | FM: 3:25:05 (official chip time Belfast city Marathon, May-19, marathon was 0.3/4 longer, original time 3:27:20 for 26.5/6...)
Upcoming races:
???
Intl. correspondent
Jmac - I read an article some time ago that talked extensively about the elasticity of a runner. Something about you sometimes feel bouncy and sometimes flat.
Come race day you don’t want to be too bouncy, but you don’t want to feel flat either.
Something to think about
I also live by the 10 day rule but agree some fastish stuff on the last few days to keep the legs sharp is fine. I’d go with less volume though, maybe 3x1200.
I find 6x1200 elite level training, that when you need to extract that last 0.0001% of performance, but if ain’t broken then don’t fix it.
Piwi - I see what you did there, inserted a sub 20 5K into a long run!
James - still above yearly mileage so all good.
Watson - welcome back to the 50 mile a week club
me - following the down week after the half, I'm back to 68km and 6h04.
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
james thanks for that link.
Mark/Watson nice weeks hitting around 80kms especially Watson on his comeback.
Mark kayaking went well I won some prizes and didnt get smashed in the surf and caught dinner for 6 for 3 nights
Flavio yeah Im just playing with sub 20 now . I remember hearing about muscle tension before racing been beneficial. It goes something along the lines of getting tension into leg muscles with some strength work the day before. Im doing lunge/squat type routine a few times per week and notice more bounce for sure the next day.
Marco enjoy your trip.
Bit sore from kayaking, back and hips but a light 10k this morning and feels better.
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 "
RIP Milkman
James - Thanks for the link. The most interesting thing in there is probably the long run taking 4-6 weeks to see any benefit. My last marathon, I actually did my last long run 4 weeks in advance and was worried it may be too early, but this shows that's about right.
Mark - Good job on the week and especially the long run.
Watson - Good week, hopefully you've gotten enough mileage so far this year to take a crack at a good time in the half.
Piwi - Another good week
Me - Thanks for all the advice everyone (Flavio etc.) I think I'm going to tone it down a bit and not do the 5x1200 and instead go for something shorter like 5x1K. Got my final two big workouts in. 6x1200 was hard, but not as bad as I expected it to be. Was able to keep right around 4:12 for the 1200s, which should set me up well for my race. This week will be a final MLR on Monday, the shorter workout, and my final 3x1T tune up. My goal in my 3.5 mile race is to break 20 minutes, which would be a new 5K PR for me.
Weekly SummaryMonday, May 14, 2018 thru Sunday, May 20, 2018
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Hot Weather Complainer
Some great weeks, great work everyone. I had my biggest week of the year and feel pretty good but it is time for a lighter week I think - although I might push that back a week since I'm in Melbourne next week for a wedding.
My week:
Monday 70 mins easy (14.68km @ 4:49)
Tuesday Weights
Wednesday 70 mins incl. 4km tempo (15.3km @ 4:37, tempo kms: 4:05, 4:13, 4:05, 4:04)
Thursday 60 mins recovery (12.55km @ 5:21)
Friday Weights
Saturday 2 hours easy (24.7km @ 4:52)
Sunday Weights + 60 mins stationary bike
Monday felt fantastic, Wednesday hit me a bit and had some stomach cramping during the run but recovered reasonably quick. Thursday was actually 67 mins after I got lost...I've lived here for the last 3 years plus 11 years growing up, yet still managed to get lost...Saturday was a bit tough towards the end. I never take water or food but with the run hitting 2 hours I think I paid a small price for that although felt reasonably good. It was a bit warmer than usual too.
Total: 67.23km, 42 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 1:27:34
Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024
Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024
Piwi - haha well done awesome stuff!! Weather here was mint yesterday so hopefully it was the same for you but with that haul I'd say you'd be happy regardless.
Watson - nice week and hope the body is feeling in good shape
JMac- nice week, 3.5 miles seems like such an odd distance for a race!! That 6x1200 would've been tough but hopefully worthwhile as well!
Steve - nice week, 2 hours would be tough going without food or water. I had some toast before my 2 hr run on Sunday and a couple of gels (probably only needed one but the hill climb at the tail end is a stinker and I didn't want to run out of gas). I normally plan a water stop on my longer runs either where I know there will be a water fountain, or I just stop and buy some.
I did have a pretty big breakfast before the run but when I turned at the hour mark and it was getting pretty warm I was a bit worried that it might start to bite me but it didn't seem to. I think it made the recovery a bit tough though, and I had 3 litres of water before I needed to pee...
I probably need to plan ahead and have a water stop for runs over 90 mins.
Steve nice week. You could extend that tempo to 6kms and slow it down to HMP at 4.15/km. Tempo pace is likely to be 15k race pace for runners without a big base and HMP for higher mileage runners. Im guilty of running tempos too fast when Im coming back from a layoff.
Mark I seem ok on the 20k runs now without water but they are only 1.40 ish runs. That extra 20 mins I would want some fuel. A big meal the night before is always good to help get you through the run.
JMAC so are you going to go hard for 3.1 miles then cruise it in ? Theres a 10k here in a couple of weeks. I was wondering about trying to set a new 50+ 5k pr as the first 5k are pan flat and the last 3k suck. I might feel a douche though going out fast then jogging in the last 5k
A little late jumping in on this thread since the year is almost half over, but better late than never!
My name is Corey from South Carolina I'm 48 yrs old
I've ran two HM so far this year a 1:37:10 and a 1:38:10, so I still have a ways to go to get into the Sub 1:30 but I'm working towards it and looking for any advise the group has to offer.
I currently have no concrete race plans the remainder of the year although I would like to do another HM and a FM this year.
I am starting to increase my weekly miles pushing into the upper 30's and 40's hope to be able to get into the 50 per week range.
Hopefully the increased miles will pay off in the long run.
Here is last weeks training.
PR's
1m 5:38 (2018)
5k 19:59 (2019)
HM 1:33:56 (2018)
FM 3:23:07 (2018)
welcome Corey never too late to join the thread. The increasing mileage should help alot in increasing your fitness and bringing down that time.
Piwi - I thought about coming down for that race and doing the 10km but my sister in law is moving that weekend so probably not a go-er (considering my father-in-law has stuffed his back it'll be me and her fiance doing all the heavy lifting!).
Steve - you're definitely starting to get the volume in, keeping that volume up and then starting to throw in a few more efforts and you will have a good platform for your race.
Corey - welcome! Definitely never too late to join, so hang around (if you can tolerate Flavio and Piwi's jokes ) and post your weekly training for a few weeks and I'm sure plenty of the posters here will have some useful suggestions. Anything else you can share in terms of running history, goals, etc?
Mark - This is my corporate challenge race that I did last year as well. It's run around the world (https://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/series/corporate-challenge). I never actually knew why they chose 3.5 miles but I found out last year. The bottom "loop" of central park is about 1.75 miles. When they first started the race in NYC only, the race did 2 loops for 3.5 miles. They've stuck with that distance around the world.
Piwi - Nah, I'm going to say that I have to break a 5:44 per mile pace for the entire race in order to PR. If they had an official 5K marker, I may try your strategy, but they don't and I don't want to count a PR based off when my watch says 5K was as we all know that will underestimate the true distance.
Corey - Welcome, always good to see new faces. Could we get some more info on your running background?
Steve - I find that I can do 2 hour long runs without water up to about 20C or so, after that I need to stop at least once if it's sunny out.