Sub 2:00 Half Marathon thread (Read 2396 times)

Zelanie


    My 10K time is really soft, but I leave it up there since I haven't done another.   But my main goal is still to feel like I'm well prepared and able to run a strong and consistent race.  The time will be what it is depending on my training.

    doctorjen


      Zelanie - what everyone else said about goal time!  Sounds like you have a decent shot at 2 hours, but don't let the goal time ruin your enjoyment of your first race at the distance!

       

      Miele - dang 6:50 pace would be smoking. That's 8.8 mph (which makes it seem even faster somehow, knowing what even mid-7 mphs feels like on the tm).  The holiday streak only requires a mile a day, and I think at least a few people have taken that seriously as I've seen a few logs with many 1-2 mile runs. My shortest has been 5K, and I had one 4-miler, too. The rest have been 5 or more.

       

      Jan - be one with the treadmill, grasshopper. It's much better than your face being one with the black ice.  My oldest and his wife (and the dogs) left Thursday. It is quieter here now, but not too quiet with my college girl home. I always joke she's like living with a soundtrack and subtitles. She is nearly literally always singing or commenting on something.  She also knits like a machine. I'd bought some yarn to make slippers for my daughter-in-law, and then never got to them. Dd started them Saturday night and had them done and wrapped by bedtime Monday!

       

      2foot - week 2 is good so far. I goofed up doing strides with the 8 miler, so I tacked them on to the 10 miler instead.  I'm doing 18/55, but adding miles. I just do an easy 5 on some of the off days. I'm going to let the streak go next week. It's been fun, and I'll keep running prolly almost every day I can, but I'll take a day off when I feel like it.  I'm supposed to do that 13 with 8 at gmp pace tomorrow, but I probably won't do all 8 miles. I have a friend who wants to do 8 with me and she can't run that pace, so I'll prolly do 8 with her, and then 6 at gmp alone.

       

      Me - the streak is at 37 days and 249.9 miles!  Today was a nice 6 miles outside with a friend. It was 19F, but mostly still and sunny so not awful. I'm mostly off work until Wednesday still (have to do one clinic Monday afternoon and a bunch of paperwork) and then have an easy rest of the week. The following week I'm on inpatient medicine again, with daily 7 am rounds and lots of mental exhaustion. I will probably let the streak go that week.

      I can't remember if I said,but I'm taking over as medical director of our clinic as of 1/2/13.  Not a lot of difference hours wise, but some shift in responsibility, a raise, and it's a promotion among our faculty. The only potential downside is more meetings. Lots more meetings. Some of them are early ams, and some are evenings. I made it clear to my program director that I intend to have time to run. He commented about how he just works out on weekends, which, yeah, not an option. We'll see how this all works.

      doctorjen


        2foot - I went back and checked my schedule last night.  Are we doing different versions of 18/55?  I don't have any intervals for several weeks on my schedule.

         

        I did the long run with GMP miles today.  I ran 8 with a friend first, at an easy, chatty pace (1:19:28) and then left her and did 6 at goal pace.  the first couple miles of that felt really hard, and then I settled in and felt better.  The last mile was even quite a bit too fast.  (8:43,8:42,8:25,8:34,8:31,8:09)  I dunno, 8:35 just feels like a really fast pace to hold for a whole marathon (for a 3:44:59 goal.)  Hopefully the next 16 weeks of training will work some kind of magic.   Finished week 2 of marathon training with 54 miles.

          DrJen: your right, I replaced one of the scheduled runs with the intervals, as I was planning on running a 5K on Jan 1st. I may give that a raincheck if the roads are icy

           

          Me: 4 miles on the treadmill, my all time record, made possible by listening to a podcast on the history of Roman Britain

          Personal bests (bold = this year): 5K - 23:27 / 5M - 38:42 / 10K - 49:31 (track) / 10M - 1:24:26 / HM - 1:51:17 / M - 3:58:58

          Next races: NYC Marathon, Nov 2014 

          npaden


            Ran 3 SLOW miles tonight for my first run since December 21st! Took a couple days off to sneak in a quick hunting trip that turned out to be a bust, then a 5 day ski trip that I ended up getting sick during, and then a couple days just hanging around the house feeling miserable. Hopefully I'm on the mend and can start following my training plan soon.

            Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

            Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)

            Jan26.2


              Nathan - I'm sorry your hunting trip and ski trip didn't go as planned. Hopefully you've used up all the "bad" and now it's onto the good for your training cycle.

               

              docjen - Congrats on the medical director position! That's fantastic. I hope everyone is respectful of your time, especially the weekend warrior program director. Only working out on weekends - that's one of the mindsets that helps contribute to the obesity epidemic. It sound like your daughter is quite the knitter. I used to knit and crochet and really enjoyed it. Your streak has been amazing! I think you're most definitely meant to run - all those days and miles without getting injured or burned out. Way to go!

               

              2ft - I hope the weather and road conditions are ok for your 5k tomorrow. I'd be hesitant to race on ice too, especially with your marathon being your primary focus.

               

              Zelanie - I can't remember if you said which training plan you're following, or if you're doing your own thing. I'm always curious to know which plans people like.

               

              miele - Are you excited for the marathon, or just ready to have it over? Less than 2 weeks...

               

              me - I totaled up my mileage for the year yesterday,and I'm at 1538. Only 12 miles away from the nice round number of 1550. I wish I'd added it up earlier in the day, because even though yesterday was a cross training day, I'd have done 5 or 6 miles so that I'd hit the 1550 with today's run. Oh well, unless I get motivated on the TM and decide to do a 12 miler today, I'll just settle for what I get. My goal at the beginning of the year was 1000, which was long before I considered running a marathon.

               

              Happy New Year to everyone! Be safe with your celebrations and have fun.

              PR's: 5k - 23:33/ 10k - 48:30/ 5 mi. - 39:21/ 13.1 - 1:53/ 26.2 recent - 4:34

               

              Upcoming races: Resolution Run HM 1/1/13

                                          Phoenix R&R    HM 1/20/13

              Zelanie


                Jan- I'm doing a Pfitz HM plan that starts at 30 MPW and peaks at 50.  I like the two LRs per week and that he begins by focusing on endurance and kind of gradually increases the speed workouts.  The mileage build might be too fast for me, though.  The first few weeks should be fine and then I guess I'll take it from there.

                  Hi Zelanie,

                  50 miles seems to be a lot for HM training. For my first two HM, my average was 25-30 miles a week, and only rarely did I get to 31/32/33.

                  For my marathon, average was 35-40, with a couple of 42 / 45.

                  If you can handle it, fine, but if you are feeling that it is a but much, don't hesitiate to reduce your mileage compared with what the plan asks for.

                   

                  To all sub-2 posters: I post on several threads on different forums, but nowhere is the experience quite like here. Thank you to all of you for sharing in 2012, and I wish you happiness and injury-free running in 2013! 

                  Personal bests (bold = this year): 5K - 23:27 / 5M - 38:42 / 10K - 49:31 (track) / 10M - 1:24:26 / HM - 1:51:17 / M - 3:58:58

                  Next races: NYC Marathon, Nov 2014 

                  doctorjen


                    Nathan - that does not sound like a pleasant 10 days. Glad you're back, though!

                     

                    Jan - see I'd have to shoot for 1551 but that's because I have a thing for palindromes Smile A spontaneous 13 mile treadmill run doesn't sound too fun, though. I knit, too, and actually knit dd a scarf in her school colors for Christmas. I like small projects that I can drag around to meetings with me!  What's on your running schedule for the year after Phoenix?

                     

                    Zelanie - that is a lot of mileage for a half program, but on the other hand my half PR was during full training on 50 mpw, so I think if you can handle the mileage without getting hurt or burnt out it can be great.

                     

                    2foot - here, here. I really enjoy this group of people!  Happy new year and may all yours goals be reached!

                     

                    Me - closed out the year with a fabulous trail run. There is a local running group that I'd joined on Facebook, but never gotten around to running with. A few of them were meeting for a trail run today and I decided to join them. It started snowing just as we arrived, and it was such a nice run!  Giant fat flakes falling on us, and footprints filling in almost as fast as we could make them. I only had one epic wipe out, too Wink  9.27 miles total (further than I'd planned, but just such a perfect run!)

                    I finished the year with 2143.29 miles.  That's 28 miles more than 2010 and 2011 put together!

                    Happy new year all, and here's to a healthy, happy 2013!

                      DrJen,

                      ah, trail running. It's been a long time since I have done any, I am a definitely feeling the urge. It a good time of year for it. I will try and use this to limit the pounding of the marathon program. I find the varied foot impact to be a real relief from the pavement, and a good strengthening exercise. It was one of the ways I managed to increase mileage when starting to come back from PF. One of my resolutions for the new year is to do at least one recovery run per week on grass around some local soccer fields. I have not done that up to now due to the monotony, but I am beginner to discover podcasts (I know, where have I been hiding for the last few years....) I make a distinction between laps on a track, where you are generally concentrated and focused on a time and your form, and running around a field, the mental aspect is not the same. I can lose myself in thoughts running on the road, but for some reason, running around a field is not quite the same

                      Personal bests (bold = this year): 5K - 23:27 / 5M - 38:42 / 10K - 49:31 (track) / 10M - 1:24:26 / HM - 1:51:17 / M - 3:58:58

                      Next races: NYC Marathon, Nov 2014 

                      miele


                      Godzilla

                        Zelanie-  Hi!  Sounds like you've got a good HM plan.  I'm not familiar with his HM plans but I like his marathon plans.  You can always cut back on the over-all mileage or take extra cutback weeks if you feel the need.  Did you say how long the plan is or did I miss that?

                         

                        doc-  I can't imagine going out for a run less than 3 miles but if you're running every single day I can see where a really short 1-2 miler might be necessary for some folks.  Congratulations on the promotion!  But sorry it involves more meetings.  I guess it goes with the territory.  Only one epic wipe out in front of your new running friends?  Not bad.  I guess you didn't hurt anything since you didn't mention anything to that effect.

                         

                        Nathan-  Oh no!  Hopefully your over all the nastiness and back to your old self.  What a bummer that you got sick over the holidays.

                         

                        2ft-  I'll toast to that!  Injury free and running happy.  Nice.  Good luck tomorrow if you decide to run the 5K!!

                         

                        jan-  I'm officially in an abbreviated, two-week taper after my 16 miler on Sunday.  I'm not really excited yet about the race but I'm also not thinking, 'Let's just get this over with'.  I don't really feel prepared for it but I'll just have to trust that you don't lose your training in 6 weeks.   You smashed your mileage goal for the year!  Excellent!  Any goals for next year?  Did you run your virtual HM?

                         

                        me-  Ran my final LR on Sunday.  16 miles.  It went well.  I'm just checking my log and it looks like I ended the year with.......2100.5.   I don't know how to look up last year's total (if anyone knows how to do that, let me know).   Today was a URD but I went to the gym and did some shoulders.  Can't say I have any specific goals for the coming year but I'd like to do better at the 10k and HM.  Oh, and start a consistent leg routine at the gym.  With all this running I tend to let that go first.

                        We're going to cook some hoppin' johns and cornbread tomorrow to bring us luck for the year.  What kind of traditions do you guys follow?  Happy New Year!!!!  I guess they don't have a smiley clinking two glasses together but if they did.........cheers!

                        10K: 47:12* / 13.1: 1:50:56 / 26.2: 3:53:48

                         

                                    

                        miele


                        Godzilla

                          And about those 6:50 pace 600s.  I think I misread the new McMillan layout.  He has 'Endurance Paces' for the longer runs, 'Stamina Paces', 'Speed Paces' and 'Sprint Paces'.  I didn't see the dropdown arrow for the 'cruise intervals' which is what I think I was supposed to use.  I don't know why I thought I was supposed to use the 'Sprint Paces'  because those were just crazy paces.  If I use the 'cruise intervals' I actually hit the pace at 7:30-7:35mm which is 5k pace.

                           

                          doc- If I put 8.8 on the TM I'd go flying off the back of it and end up a video on YouTube.

                          10K: 47:12* / 13.1: 1:50:56 / 26.2: 3:53:48

                           

                                      

                          npaden


                            Got in 5.5 miles on the treadmill tonight to get me to 1,359.6 miles run in 2012. I was actually pretty proud of the 262.3 miles that I ran in 2011 which was my first year to actually start running, but I beat that by almost 1,100 miles this year! December made the 10th month in a row that I've run at least 100 miles as well. (Just barely made it in December with 100.3 miles counting the 5.5 tonight!)

                            Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

                            Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)

                            Zelanie


                              You guys are super helpful, thanks!  My plan is 15 weeks long and to be honest only has two 50-mile weeks before going back down to 44 the following week.  I like the fact that the program has me running 13 or better 6 times during the plan (longest LR is 15).  Like I said, I want to feel like I'm well prepared for the distance and if I can get through it, this should do it!  But if not, the book does also have a plan that peaks at 30 MPW, so I can sort of split the difference if it turns out that I need to.

                               

                              I ran my first quality run of the plan tonight.  It was 2 x 1.5 miles @ LT.  I wasn't sure what pace to aim for, so I set my Garmin to between 8:30 and 9:00 for the fast intervals and a 0.5 mile recovery in between.  Pfitz says to run LT at HM pace but honestly 9:09 seemed too slow.  I ended up with both intervals at 8:45 with recovery and cooldown around 10:00.  It was a tough pace but I felt like I could hold it consistently once I got a feel for it.

                               

                              Am I running those too fast?  I am thinking of making the window between 8:40 and 9:10 for the next one, because I sure as heck wasn't going to be running any faster than 8:40.  Of course it was dark and rainy by the time I got out there today, which might have been an issue as well.

                                Zelanie: Glad you are finding the comments useful. Couple of comments on the LT pace: firstly, LT pace should not be HM pace, unless you are Kenyan and close to world record pace. LT pace is a pace that you can maintain for 1 hour. In your case, you run 10K in 55-58 minutes, so your LT pace should be slightly slower than your LT pace (in my case, for example, my 10K best is 52:00, which is 8:22 pace, so I should run my LT runs at 8:25-8:30 pace, but as you will see below, I actually run them a bit faster, which is probably not a good thing, and should not be copied). For your precise LT pace, use the MAcMillan Running Calculator. Second point is that you should try to make the interval times more consistent - a 30-second window is quite large, you need to run them as close as possible to the LT pace you decide is yours. One way of doing this is by running on a track. This is what I do, and it enabled me to run 4 miles all within the 8:11 to 8:16 range. And having done my LT runs three times on a track, I now know that my heart rate at LT pace is 154, so if I have to do LT runs and don't have access to a track, I can run based on HR. It is easier to keep a constant HR than to keep a constant speed, and HR takes account of hills, wind, etc, which speed does not do.

                                Also bear in mind that you should run LT intervals a little faster than a LT run without intervals. Best thing is to go to Macmillan, and also look at Coach's notes, all will be explained: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

                                 

                                Miele: yes, the new layout of MRC takes a bit of getting used to.....

                                 

                                Me: Week 3 of Pfitz. moved schedule around slightly, starting week with 8m, of which 4 at LT pace: 8:16 with AHR 154

                                Recovery 4m tomorrow, 9m General Aerobic on Thursday, rest Friday, then a 10K on Saturday followed by long run on Sunday - should be first week over 40 since marathon taper started end of October

                                Decided to give today's 5K a miss - would have been silly running two races in 5 days this early in training

                                Personal bests (bold = this year): 5K - 23:27 / 5M - 38:42 / 10K - 49:31 (track) / 10M - 1:24:26 / HM - 1:51:17 / M - 3:58:58

                                Next races: NYC Marathon, Nov 2014