Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 half marathon in 2017
Deleted - accidentally quoted myself for double post. Not sure how to delete.
Personal Bests: 5k 19:43 (04/2017), 10k 43.24 (10/2016), Half 1:33:18 (10/2017), Full 3:32:47 (05/2017)2018 Targets: 5k: sub19, 10k: sub41, Half: sub90
Blair - good week. I guess you didn't mean to quote yourself?
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
Blair - nice week! I found my LR on Sunday pretty hard work too. I think cumulative fatigue plays a part so probably hitting peak week for you contributed.
Me - had a pretty cruisy week, 68km mostly easy. The legs were definitely tired after last Sunday's 35km-er so I really dialled it back this week other than a great track session on Saturday including a 3km TT in 9:37.4 (including a new 1 mile PR of 5:08). Sunday's long run was kinda hard work though and really felt tired in the last few km's. Mostly easier weeks from here on until the marathon though. For some reason my right foot got a bit sore yesterday afternoon / evening and is still a little sore at times today, hopefully just tiredness and nothing serious.
M: weights
T: 6.8km with a few short sprints
W: 10.5km incl. a few strides
Th: 8.3km easy
F: 7.3km easy
S: 6.4km incl. 3km TT (9:37)
S: 28.7km LR
Total: 68km
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"
Intl. correspondent
Watson - yup, GPS can be as far as 1% inaccurate, if not more due to buildings and stuff.
Blair - damn right if you’re moving it counts hehe.
Remind me again please what’s your race and when is it?
Mark - watch that foot very closely. Great week and awesome time trial.
me - My week ended up at 52km 32 miles with an 18K long run, The long run felt quite good, a good portion of it was with a headwind and the way back with the heat over my head since the wind was no longer there to cool myself.
Here are the racers for October, if anyone is not included let me know and I'll put you up on the board.
jmac11
October 14
SoNo Half
sub 1:29
BlairJB
October 22
Legs for Literacy Half-Marathon
sub 1:30
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
JamesD
Blair - If you're needing bathroom stops during runs, you may want to consider foam rolling beforehand. This may just be my own personal weirdness, but foam rolling my legs 10-15 minutes before I leave for a morning run almost always leads to what I'll call a successful outcome before I head out the door. Maybe it's because the rolling promotes blood flow, or maybe it's just psychological, but it certainly seems to work.
All - Blair's statement that pre-race shakeout runs usually help with this problem got me thinking. I wouldn't have time to take advantage of that, because I usually go straight from my 5-10-minute shakeout run to a few stretches and strides, finishing 5-10 minutes before the start of the race, depending on the temperature (colder=shorter break) and how much the race director has to say. Should I be starting my shakeout runs earlier and allow a little more time between finishing strides & starting the race?
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
Thanks for welcoming me, everyone! Wow, this is an active thread.
flavio1980 - Yes, you're right, too early to think about target pace it's the runner's mind, though...
I'm in the non-Oktoberfest part, right in Berlin. Very good city for running (because of space, parks, etc.), but also less so (because of the weather).
halfdecent - It’s never too early. Willkommen! Welcome aboard. Make sure to post your weeklies and remember, the way there is part of the journey. You will learn so much from this crowd. It’s a bit early for you to decide on a target pace. For now focus on doing smart training and avoiding injury. Are you in the part that celebrates Oktoberfest or the one that hates those lazy lederhosen bastards LOL just kidding.
halfdecent - It’s never too early. Willkommen! Welcome aboard. Make sure to post your weeklies and remember, the way there is part of the journey. You will learn so much from this crowd.
It’s a bit early for you to decide on a target pace. For now focus on doing smart training and avoiding injury.
Are you in the part that celebrates Oktoberfest or the one that hates those lazy lederhosen bastards LOL just kidding.
As for weeklies, here was the week before last.
Mon - Easy, 20 min.Tue - Easy, 20 min.Wed - OFFThu - 6 x 1 min. @ 5k pace, w/ 2 min. restFri - OFFSat - Easy, 4miSun - Easy, 6.5miTOTAL: 18.7mi (2:50)
And this week that just ended. Only 3 days of running but same overall volume as previous week.
Mon - OFFTue - 3 x 1 min. + 3 x 2 min. @ 5k pace, w/ 2 or 2:30 min. restWed - OFFThu - OFFFri - OFFSat - Easy, 4miSun - Long, 75 min.
TOTAL: 18.8mi (2:47)
D'oh! Nope.
Flavio - Looks like you got the details for the race correct
JamesD - Thanks for the tip on the foam rolling. I shall try that my next morning run. I've been foam rolling 2-3 times per week after runner's yoga but I've never done it before a workout.
As for the shakeout run, for me it is almost a wake-up and to get mind and body set to race soon. I usually get up 3 hours before race time. For example, my half- in two weeks is at 8am. I get up at 5am. Very light movement/stretches, get dressed and a light, light 10-15 minute run (this is my shakeout run). I like to just get the blood flowing a little, get moving (I'm very stiff for the first couple hours of the day) and help with the bathroom, of course. Then I am awake to get my routine in: shower, get dressed, light breakfast and coffee. Use washroom again. Head to the race. Do warm up. Port-a-potties. Dynamic streching warm ups and Get lined up.
On that note, what do you guys do for a half-marathon warm-up? This is only my 2nd half-. Last time I think I did my shakeout jog, then 30 minutes beforehand maybe a 5 minute easy run with some dynamic stretching. I do 5 or 6 30-50m strides for 5k's but is that burning too much energy for a half? Also to consider, this is the biggest (contestant-wise) race I've ever run. There will be about 700 running the half, add in another 200-300 in the full and if they start the 10k at the same time we could be looking at 1200-1500 runners. Every race I've run has been much, much, much smaller so getting to the start line and finding an appropriate position has never been an issue. Looking at past results, shooting for sub90 (or low 90s) should be top15-20 in the half. Which means I should be fairly close to the front, depending if they start the 10k at the same time or not.
Blair your warmup looks pretty good. I must admit Ive never heard of a shakeout run. For a 5k I will run the course as a warmup and do strides as close as I can to start time, a half about 10 mins jog with some strides, and a marathon nothing.
Flavio both my last 2 races have shown short on my gps. The half last year with Mark was about 100m short and my 10k 200m short. Its becoming a bit of a pain as it wont show on Strava as a legit half marathon etc. With so many races put on now by event companies, there isnt enough management around course measurement. I would say one dude runs/bikes with their gps and measures it out and thats it !
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 "
I've had the issue with a number of races so I thought I would go back through my races and see how they measured...
Hawkes Bay Half Marathon 2016: 21.29km
Taupo Half Marathon 2016: 21.10km
North Shore Half Marathon 2016: 20.8km
Devonport Half Marathon 2016: 20.92km
Auckland Half Marathon 2016 (certified course): 21.21km
Queenstown Half Marathon 2016: 21.10km
Omaha Half Marathon 2016: 21.00km
Coatesville Half Marathon 2017 (certified course): 21.21km
Orewa Half Marathon 2017: 20.92km
North Shore Half Marathon 2017: 20.67km
Devonport Half Marathon 2017 (course change from 2016): 21.10km
Other than the certified courses they are more often short than not!! Even the ones that GPS had at exactly 21.1km are probably a bit short as the cumulative impact of not running the exact racing line on every corner means that you tend to go a bit further than 21.1km on a certified course (e.g. Auckland and Coatesville above).
Piwi funnily enough my GPS for Taupo had me at 21.1km exactly!!
50 mile week for me. Ran with my wife on Sunday and did 3 miles with her followed 4-ish miles solo with a few 400m repeats thrown in to get to the 50 mile mark
Going for 60 this week.
Week 13
Ran my 10th half of the year. Race 13.1 Raleigh. 16th Overall and Age group 1. Slowing inching towards the sub 1:30 goal. I have bettered my time from all the last years races by at least 2 min.
RIP Milkman
Blair - For race day, have you thought about cutting out fiber? I have found this to be the single most effective thing for racing. For a half, I'll stop eating fiber 2 days prior. This means only white bread, white rice, fruits without skin, no veggies, etc. You'll be amazed at how much it binds you up. I also cut out all spice and dairy. Otherwise, coffee is the best stimulant for me the morning of, although I rarely use it.
Warm up - For a half, I usually only warm up for about 10 minutes. No need to go crazy. I've only run big halfs where I need to be in my corral 45 minutes before the start. Blair - It's funny that 700 people is a big half for you, I've only run one race this year with fewer than 10,000 people, and my half at 25,000! Anyway, for smaller 5k/10ks, I would give yourself at least 10 minutes of rest before the start. Something like 20-30 minutes is probably ideal. It's not the end of the world if you have to warm up 60 minutes beforehand so that you get enough time for the bathroom. The point is just to get your stiffness out and the blood flowing.
Course Measurement - after hearing all the horror stories with short/long courses, I only run certified courses.
Mark - As I mentioned over in sub 3, cumulative fatigue is finally starting to get to me as well. I guess that both means we're peaking at the right time?
Arvind - King of the half marathons, still amazing you enter so many. I'd be broke by now if I ran as many as you do!
Me - As mentioned, cumulative fatigue finally getting to me. Had a great 4x2 cruise interval this week. Really made me feel like I'm ready for a full marathon for the first time, but it took a lot out of me. My legs were dead for the rest of the week, especially for my long run this weekend. Mentally willed my way through it but I didn't enjoy anything past mile 5. My half is upcoming this weekend. As mentioned, I will be looking to run at MP. Weather looks warm and humid again. I can't seem to catch a break weather wise, which isn't a good sign for my marathon. Anyway, temps around 68/20 and dew point high again at 63/17. I'm thinking sub 1:30 in that weather would be a confidence booster.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)