Forums >Racing>Sub 2:00 Half Marathon thread
Super B****
Wow, I haven't checked in all week... my knee was misbehaving (hello again, ITBS, I haven't missed you), and I was aggravated about whether I'd be able to race the 10K at all! Anyway.
Wolf -- that sounds like a lovely day to me... run, run, and then run some more! Of course, my bones might feel differently, so I can't do that, but still. It does sound perfect.
npaden -- congrats on the HR!! Personally, I'd exceed that just walking, but that's why I don't train by HR... I'd never get up any semi-decent speed if I did.
miele -- just because my WATCH says 1:23:45 doesn't mean that would be my official time! Anyway, I have my Garmin display set to four data fields, so once I cross the hour mark, I can't see the seconds. Ah well.
Jan -- an entire year without coherent thought?!... oh, wait, I do that all the time. Hope it's a great year for you, either way!
Two Foot -- I'm most likely going to volunteer at that race (I'd run it, but three races in three weeks is just asking for trouble); say hi if I do!
me -- so, yeah... I would say the 10K was a success. I have a RR (link below), but the short version is that I set a 2:06 PR and finished in 48:16, third female OA. And my ITB really hates me now, and I can't exactly walk normally. And then I went to the beach for a few hours because I am so pale I can frighten small children.
http://runningbreak.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/nycruns-shore-road-summer-classic-series-3-10k/
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
Bluerun- You've had some good races lately! Congratulations!
Edith- I love the contrast between how tired and sore you are and how you can't wait to do it again next year. Sounds fun!
miele- Good luck with the speedwork! Glad you enjoyed the group run. My local group has an "all paces social" run that I try to catch every week that I can. I think I'm mostly a solo runner at heart, though.
Wolfwalker- Glad you got a better run in. And cooler temperatures are coming!
npaden- Congrats on getting your goal on your local route! It's always nice to have yardsticks like that to measure progress.
Tara- Glad your training has been going well and good luck!
Jan- Have a great first day of school! We have kids back the Tuesday after labor day, so our first "official" day back is tomorrow. I am already drowning in meetings, though! That is great that you love your grade assignment and your teaching partners, that's a good way to go into the year.
me- Got my LR up to 10 last week. It was a really nice run the whole way, even though the second half was in the dark. This gives me confidence that if you have the base to support the distance that the LR itself will fall into place. So I'm actually right about where I was 3 months out from my first half, only this time I don't plan to ramp up the miles like I did last time. I just need to quiet the nagging doubts that ask me how I can expect to PR on less training. After all, I'm pretty sure I had the cardio to run faster than 1:56:00 last time. I just didn't have the legs left to do the running.
miele - sounds like your training is going well.
jan - you know deep down inside you love those kids and especially their parents! I just dropped my 6 year old off for his first day of 1st grade this morning! I'm sure his teacher is going to love him!
blue - congrats on the 10K PR!! Even more impressive with some of the nagging injuries you've been having.
zelanie - sounds like things are going well for you too. Remember to keep the easy runs easy, most of us aren't like wolfwalker and can set PR's in training without injuring ourselves.
me - Pretty good week last week, 44.8 miles for the week and 1,500.1 miles for the year which was my goal at the beginning of the year. I've changed it to see if I can get to 2,000 miles by the end of the year, it should be doable, but I've got a lot of other things on the agenda this fall, mainly hunting so I'll still get the miles and exercise in, either way, but there will be a few weeks with very limited running to get toward the 2,000 mark. Since I'm this close I'm going to try to hit it for sure. Also keeping my 100+ mile month streak going. August is 17th month in a row now that I've run at least 100 miles. Seems like I'm making a breakthrough on my low HR running. August 24th last year I ran 6.1 miles in 10:32 avg pace and 140 avg HR. Yesterday I ran the same route in a 9:30 avg pace and a 137 avg HR. Now I just need to run my goal 10K coming up in 3 weeks 45 seconds per mile faster than I did last year!
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)
Man, I had a busy week and too far behind to play long personals right now. Excellent races though for Blue and 2footshuffle. I love reading race reports. Miele and Nathan both having solid weeks back to back !
Zelanie, Nathan's comment made me laugh but got me thinking also what I did to stay injury free for awhile. I changed from a 5 day run week to a 4 day week which allows me to have only 1 backtoback run day. I like the feel of running one day and taking a day off etc.. I also have a serious stretching routine where I stretch each muscle for 1 minute at a time. I eat a heavy protein / carb meal almost immediately after a run as well. Lastly I went off the standard running plans and made my own plan by listening to my pains and gains. I think you are doing the same there. Good luck and stay grinding!! Maybe some of these things will keep you safe too. Can't wait to hear the race report coming soon
Nathan - Sweet milestones, and some strong goals there too. I think you have found your motivation again and are kicking some arse!
Me- just got back from a midnight run, 5.6miler. It was cloudy and sprinkling rain but still in the mid 80s ugh. The moon was peeking through the clouds giving a spooky look. It was refreshing. Last week I came out with 42.2 miles. I ran two 8 milers and two 13.1milers. I liked breaking up my long run into two half maras because I still feel kind of weak after that bad week of hill training. I got 1hr45mns38sec on the first hm and 1hr43mns39sec on the second one. I didn't try to do any sprinting or pushing it, just maintained around 8min mile average and even took some walking breaks for 10-15 seconds here and there. I ran two different routes and both felt pretty good. I think I will do something similar this week. Building up the miles to 45 though. so maybe a 13.1 and then a 15 miler or something... anyways, bedtime, Cya everyone!
5k = 19.48 10/1/13
10k = 45.28 4/16/13
Half Marathon = 1:38.53 Summer Sizzle 7/13/14
Operation Jack Marathon 12/26/12 4:39.11
Solo O Marathon 06/02/13 3:52:10
Operation Jack Marathon 12/26/13 3:40.34
back after some vacation time, lots to catch up to.
tara-welcome back from the Adirondacks. We were in Boston last week for a few days, loved it. We even went up Bunker Hill monument (294 steps), and I even did it twice. Good luck on your half, must be in taper mode now.
blue-great 10k, and a PR to boot.
me-knee if getting better, but still feel something when I twist it in karate class. Running is good, as it doesn't bother me anymore. Actually ran a 30k last week (my longest distance yet) in 2:54 and it was a "slower" pace, maybe 10-15 seconds slower than race pace. But it felt good. Have a 35k this weekend, then taper taper taper.
Steve
5K/22:33 10K/47:52 21.1K/1:44:06 42.2K/4:07:372014 Goals: 5K<22:00 10K<45:00 HM<1:40 FM<3:45
Godzilla
Jan- How'd the race go? Sorry you have to go back to school but......it could always be worse, as they say. You could still be with 2nd graders from hell.
2ft- Congrats on a great 5k! It's good to hear you're running well and have found the right shoes for you (I don't think they'll do away with the Glycerin but you never know when they'll 'improve' it so much that it doesn't work for you anymore). What happened to the marathon in England you were thinking about? Was it Sunderland? I can't remember. Maybe that was for next year. Anyway, my fall plans include the marathon in Dec. I'm hoping to achieve faster times in the 10k and HM through the marathon training. After this marathon, my final one (again), I'll concentrate on 10k and HM specific training.
blue- Congrats on a fantastic race! That pacing is perfection! Third overall is quite an achievement. Now play nice with your ITB and knee. They did well....
Zelanie- I got my 10 miler in, too! It's funny but even in the 'group' run I end up running by myself. It's a very small group with all levels and I guess we're all at different speed levels.
Nathan- I suspect you'll get your 2000 miles even with the hunting. You've made such huge gains in just a year. Amazing. (BTW, I managed to hit my paces in all my runs last week except I did run the LR a little fast. I was a little nervous about the paces for the first full week of speed/tempo/LR from the Hanson plan. Now I know I can do it.)
Wolfy- You've started school again, right? A midnight run sounds kinda cool except I'm usually snoozing by that time. I think there's a race somewhere around Sacramento that's run at night. I'd trip and bust my butt. I do that in broad daylight so it would be a given at night.
stever- I can't believe your marathon is so soon! It seems like you just started training. Glad the knee is better, at least while running. From your LR pace I'm guessing your goal is sub-4?
me- Just finished my 800s. My goal was 7:35 pace but I hit them at an average 7:28 with fairly consistent pacing. Total of 8 miles. Finished last week with 43.5 miles and hope to bump that up a little this week before a cutback next week. Trying to manage a case of shin splints (which I've never had before in my life) without cutting out runs but I know this could end up badly. Icing, rolling, massaging, etc. Tomorrow is a SRD which I will enjoy.
10K: 47:12* / 13.1: 1:50:56 / 26.2: 3:53:48
Every time I check-in everyone has great race reports and news.....
Blue - Congrats on the new PR! Loved reading the race report - how is the knee today? Sounds like you got a great day to race and pushed yourself -
Jan - Good luck returning to the classroom - I am in awe of teachers - anyone that can handle my kids (and lots of others) is amazing to me.....I loved 4th grade and my 4th grade teacher - my older is headed to 3rd and really excited.....my younger is headed to 1st and is really not! LOL - How did the race go??
Miele - Great workout - and packing almost 45 miles into a week to me seems unreal...sorry about the shin splints - is the other injury at bay ? I do hope so.....
Wolf - Ah to be young, at midnight I have already been asleep for many hours :-) - but it sounds like you are getting it done! Good for you -
Stever - Welcome to Boston! Or at least I hope you had a good visit - I've lived here now over 25 years - and can honestly say I love it - and think it's a great place to have a family and go for a run! Good luck with that last long run......
Zelanie - Sounds like you have built back up quickly after the injury - Are you following a training plan for your next half? I think I joined the group shortly after you ran your half.....were you injured prior to the race? Or did is sneak up on you during the race? It sounds like you have done everything right and are back to go after that PR -
And speaking of PRs - I snagged one myself this weekend. I was secretly gunning for this 10K as I had been feeling good the past few weeks and my intervals were strong. It was a decent course with only 3 significant hills (last one right at the finish - EGAD) - But I had a great race and finished in 43:27 - Only 3 more weeks until my half in Boston - so I'll hit a nice long run this weekend and then hopefully stay relatively healthy.....
Ready, go.
npaden- Nice job getting to your yearly goal. Your goal race is coming up soon!
Wolfwalker- Wow, you're getting that kind of mileage on only 4 days a week? Is that for scheduling reasons, or just what works best for you?
Stever- Glad the knee is feeling better. Good luck this weekend!
miele- So we both made our LR goal for the month. That's a bummer that you don't have a pace buddy in your group runs. There are a few people who are very close to my pace, but if they don't show then I sometimes end up going too fast or too slow. Hope the shins improve!
Tara- Congrats on the PR! Seems like the perfect amount of time to recover and then run your half. My training cycle for my half went really well, then I got some weird hip issue during my taper and hardly ran at all. The knee thing came on in a big way during my half. Since it was my first one and everybody always says that the last 3 miles suck, I just figured that's what it was. Only when I couldn't run in the weeks afterward did I realize that it was an injury. This time I'm not following a training plan at all. I'm just trying to carefully build my base based on how I feel, maybe still following the general philosophy of the Pfitz plan I used last time, but not getting stuck in getting a certain number.
me- Going out for my first post-injury track workout tomorrow. There's a group that meets weekly, and has been following a Daniels plan geared for the 10K that I am planning on running. I will go and give it a try. They will be running 3 x 1000 at T pace, 2 x 800 at I pace, and 4 x 200 at R pace, with what seems to me like very short recoveries. Yowza! But since the distance isn't really that much, I am going to give it a try. Luckily I looked up my paces on the Daniels calculator, because they are slower than what McMillan was saying!
npaden -- eh, what's 45 seconds a mile?! (The 10K I just ran was almost there... ha. It was 22 seconds a mile faster than the one I ran in October.)
Wolf -- you're just running four days a week? And still managing mileage in the 40s... whereas I'm barely hitting 30. Nice job!
stever -- good luck with the 30K.
miele -- ughhh, I'm sorry, shin splints suck! (Mine are actually behaving right now, which just figures... because if my knee hurts, the "something is in pain" thing is covered.)
Tara -- congrats on the PR!
Zelanie -- good luck with the track workout! I'm always too lazy to bother... the only "speed workouts" I do are occasional tempo runs. I really ought to change that.
me -- bad, bad ITB. I cut short my AlterG run on Monday because the reason it didn't hurt: I was running without bending my knee. This is not good, obviously. I'm seeing my PT tomorrow, so I'm not running until then (and am suitably homicidal). It feels okay now, I guess, except when going down stairs. I will be very upset if I can't run on Friday, though, because I absolutely hate birthdays (not all birthdays, just mine, really) and I need to be able to decrease the suckage of the day!!
Tara- I didn't know you were racing this weekend, too! Are you keeping secrets from us? Congrats on your PR!!! Such a good feeling..... You're going to have a great HM!
This injury might be a recurrence of the last injury. Who knows. It's not happy at all after yesterdays intervals.
Zelanie- How'd the track workout go? Hopefully well. I have to admit I have a love/hate relationship with intervals. I hate them before and during but love them after they're over. It's a great sense of accomplishment when I hit the paces and have a good, hard workout like that. I'm OK with not having a pace buddy at the group run. The leader of the run makes the rounds and chats with all of us at some point during the run. That's enough for me.
blue- Sorry you hate your birthday. Hopefully you can run and make it a happy-ish birthday. So I will wish you a Happy Birthday! (despite the fact that you hate them).
Edith- Don't you have a 5k coming up?
me- Well, the shin is pissed off. Now I have a secondary spot that's painful. I read up about taking time off from marathon training in the Hansons book and it said that 7-10 days off, although not ideal, is still possible if it's not in the 'strength' phase (which is later). And if it's possible to run to just cut out speed and maybe reduce volume. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I have a 10k in about 10 days which I'll run but all easy runs till then. Oh well.
Hello Everyone!
I'm just "running" in to say hi while I have a minute. My 4th grade students are actually working quietly, which is hopefully a good sign for this year! I'll be back later for personals and to see what you've all been up to.
The race on Sunday was awesome. I swear they added some hills to the course - seems like all we did was go up and go down. The gravel parts of the course were in horrible condition - washboarding and bigs rocks sticking up everywhere. It was also really hot, which I'm ok with. My son nabbed a 7 min. PR, and DH and I got a 6 min. course PR. I was so excited to finish under 2 hrs. for this sucker!
At the start of mile 12 I got a horrible pain in my right side - I guess it was a side stitch. It's still a little sore today. I didn't stop, but my hubby said I had tears running down my face and I was talking to myself. I'm sure those running close to me enjoyed the show. This stitch thing is starting to get me down. It's happened in 2 out of my last 3 races, and I certainly wasn't pushing the pace on Sunday. Our finish time of 1:59:50 was quite a ways off from our PR of 1:53:35, and I had no problems during the PR race. Dr. Google has suggested various things, and all of them make sense, but I'm not sure that any of them are to blame. Oh well, I finished upright.
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
If you ask
Back to school/work busy time!!!
I finally had a bit of time to check in to read all the updates.
I've been running, not consistently, as I've been busy. Tonight is my 5K (Miele, how DO you remember these things?) It's raining here so I am doubly not wanting to venture out. After the Half Wit, it took some time for my foot to heal, but I did get some decent runs in, including speed work. Last Saturday I ran 14 miles and felt fine. Nothing challenging. I have the half marathon next weekend (9/7) so that should be cool. It's a very hilly course (consistently up and down...sounds a bit like Jan's half), I'm not gunning for a time, just hope to naturally finish around the 2 hour mark. I may not run the half the following weekend bc my bro was able to get a bib for this first half so I'm not sure that I'm up for going into the city alone on a Sunday morning.
Anyway, once things settle. I will be back for personal comments and much more details of my running experiences. Remind me to tell you about running on a hot day last week, at 90 degrees, and the local Dominos Pizza denying to fill my bro's water bottle....
Bluerun- Man, you can't catch a break, can you? Sorry you're struggling.
miele- Hopefully the easy runs do the trick.
Jan- Good news about your class for this year! Congrats on the course PR, and sorry you're dealing with side stitches! Hopefully you're able to get to the bottom of it.
Edith- Hope you had a great 5K today! Good luck next week!
I modified my track workout following some advice in one of my groups. I just ran 2 x 1000, 1 x 800, and 2 x 200. I added extra jogging in place of the skipped intervals for much more recovery than was built in as well. So, the 800 sucked, but the rest of the workout wasn't too bad at all. Plus somebody I know from the social run who also hasn't done a lot of speedwork ran with me and also did the shortened version. We are very closely matched in pace (except she kicks my butt on hills), so it was a good run.
Just a quick pop in to brag about my interval workout this morning! I was a hammer and I nailed it!
6 X 800m intervals with 400m recoveries.
Shooting to run them at a 7:00 pace and my avg pace for the 800's was 6:54! Never felt like I was having to "race" them, although I ran the last one at a 6:40 pace and my HR did get up there a bit on it.
Still don't know if this is going to correlate into a 7:15 pace 10K in two weeks, but at least I'm hitting my paces on the workouts now.
Jan- Congrats to you and the whole family for running such a great race! Sorry to hear about the side stitch. I never understood what brings those on but I read a thread over on RWOL a while back about how to deal with it. Maybe it will work for you. I've used the technique a few times and I definitely feel relief. You try and blow out all of the air in your lungs. Every last bit. Like you're blowing out a bunch of birthday candles. Really push to get the air out. Now, this is not easy while you're gasping for air in the first place but, like I said, it's worth a try. I hope it helps. And, who knows, maybe you've found the right grade to teach? Here's hoping to a calm, non-stressful school year.
Edith- How was the 5K? And Domino's wouldn't fill your bro's water bottle?!?! What the hell!?!?! I'm officially boycotting Domino's in solidarity with your brother. (that won't hurt their business at all since I never eat Domino's, but still.)
Zelanie- Good call in modifying your first speed workout after the injury. Sounds like you did great! My easy running seems to be going well except I didn't stick with that plan (what is wrong with me?).
Nathan- Way to go on those intervals! Holy smokes. That's an interesting question: if I can run 800s at x speed what does that translate into for a 10k. Now I'm curious about that and since I have a 10k on Sunday, I'll have a chance to figure that out. For me, at least. My 800s were @ 7:28 so we'll see what happens at the race.
me- My leg seems to be getting better (knock on wood). I've been icing like crazy, massaging, rolling, doing strength exercises. That plus the KT and compression sock seem to be helping. I did run the tempo last week but I justified doing that because it's a much slower 'tempo' pace than the normal tempo pace. My leg wasn't too mad at me afterwards so it's all good. Since I have a race in a week, I'll make it a cutback week. Happy Labor Day!