Sub 1:30 Half Marathon 2021 Edition (Read 448 times)

watsonc123


    Mark, Piwi and Steve - good weeks.

     

    I suspect Piwi's vehicle has the engine under the front seats, as that's a pretty common set-up.

     

    My week ended up Ok considering Wednesday.  I'd gone a month without a good week, and so this week was going to be a good week.  Monday was fine.  Tuesday was fairly good, although my steady pace was just starting to be a struggle near the end as I had a very small fade, which I normally don't have for that workout.

     

    Wednesday was an "easy" 7km.  I felt all fine, and then around 3.5km, my right hamstring went really tight.  Very similar to what happened start of 2020 with my left hamstring - that injury took me out for months.  But Wednesday I stopped and stretched a little, then restarted for 20 seconds and it was still bad, so stopped again and I was thinking it was Jan 2020 all over again on the other leg which would mean a limping walk home.  But then I stretched and was able to run home with a slight limp.

     

    I took Thursday and Friday off.  Saturday I had a bike ride (not recorded).  And I managed to run today, with the hamstring a little sore but not too bad.  This week will be "play it by ear", hopefully it will come right.

     

    I've booked Sep 21, and Nov 9 for my Covid-19 vaccine.  Nov 9 is two days after the Wairarapa half which I'm hopefully running.

     

    Weekly for period: From: 16/08/2021 To 22/08/2021

    Date Name mi km Duration Avg/mi Avg/km Elevation Gain
    in m
    16/08 Lunch Run 4.34 6.99 00:35:51 08:16 05:08 13
    17/08 Evening Run - Steady Pace 3.0-13.0km 8.77 14.11 01:04:27 07:21 04:34 32
    18/08 Afternoon Run 4.32 6.96 00:36:39 08:29 05:16 11
    22/08 Afternoon Run 3.19 5.13 00:27:10 08:31 05:18 0

    Total distance: 33.18km

    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

    Running Problem


    Problem Child

      Reno

      Lots of people posting at the same time!

       

      RP - where do you live again?

      Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

      VDOT 53.37 

      5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

      darkwave


      Mother of Cats

        Marky_Mark (and all other Kiwis) - I'm very sorry you're dealing with all these cancelled races. It just sucks. Your run titles made me smile.

        As for " The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)" I came close to purchasing a yoga mat with that wording on it. I'm not sure if that would get me kicked out of class. I usually opt for yoga mats with skulls on them - the instructors either laugh or look at me oddly.

        Steve - I hope you get the drop in restrictions. I'm glad the soreness in the calf was a false alarm. Re: the wind - I think knowing how to adjust pace for both a headwind and a tailwind is a good skill to have, and benefits from practice. I don't think running the hard parts with a tailwind is cheating as long as you don't do it every single workout.

        RP - I said it in the other thread, but I am sorry about the awful AQ - that is obviously just not safe to run in, and completely different from our normal weather whining.

        Watson - I really hope the hamstring is just a blip, and that your days off do the trick.

        Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

         

        And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

        darkwave


        Mother of Cats

          (the kilometers and weather whining version of my weekly report)

           

          61 miles (98 km) running, 3 hours pool-running, and 1500 yards swimming.
          M: 90 minutes pool-running and streaming yoga.
          T: 11.5 miles (18.5 km), including a track workout of 6x800m in 3:10, 3:09, 3:08, 3:06, 3:05, 3:00. Mostly 2:2x-2:4x recovery after the 800s (3:11 recovery between 5th and 6th reps). Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.  (temp and dewpoint of 72)
          W: 8 miles (13 km) easy outside (9:39 pace per mile) plus drills and four strides (temp 77, DP 76), then upper body weights/core, followed by 4 miles (6.5 km) very easy on treadmill (9:29 pace per mile).
          Th: 90 minutes pool-running and streaming yoga.
          Fr: 12 miles (19.5 km)  on the treadmill with a tempo workout of 7x5 minutes at tempo effort (7:09 pace) with 1 minute jog recovery in between (inside temp 78, DP 71). Then did leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.
          Sa: 10.5 miles (17 km) very easy outside (9:19 pace per mile) (temp rose from 71 to 77, dewpoint 71) plus drills and four hill sprints, followed by upper body weights/core.
          Su: 14.5 miles (23.5 km) progressive, split as first 5 averaging 9:41 pace, next 4 averaging 8:13, next 5.5 averaging 7:15, and then a half-mile cool-down jog (temp rose from 71 to 78, dewpoint rose from 71 to 76). Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.

           

          Feeling much better this week - it was pretty high humidity but my heart rate is getting lower and lower and easier to control, and my legs feel more bouncy.  The Lialda medication takes 2-4 weeks to get intestinal inflammation under control supposedly, and this was week 3.  So all very promising.  I'm getting my iron levels checked again this week, and I'm anticipating they'll be much better.  It certainly feels like they are.

           

          I ended up doing tempo intervals on my treadmill for a second Friday in a row.  We were under a flash flood watch (meaning there might be flooding) and the place where I normally tempo is low lying and requires me to drive on some flood prone roads to access.

           

          I was glad I made this choice, as the flash flood watch was changed to a flash flood warning (meaning flooding is happening, do not drive) while I was on the treadmill.  Not much serious damage in the area, since most of what flooded this time was streams, and low-lying roads and running routes.

           

          Here's a video of what one of my normal running routes looked like on Friday morning.

          Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

           

          And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

          JamesD


          JamesD

            Race Report: Lakebottom 5K, Saturday, August 21

             

            My rustbusting 5K went much better than I had expected, but that’s partly because my expectations were so low.  Every run in the week had been slow and sluggish despite reduced mileage, and my 200s were by far my slowest ever.  Also, I had much more frequent than usual soreness in both my upper hamstrings and my glutes, and turning left hurt my left upper hamstring.  I ran this race last year in 19:54, and I figured that with my limited amount of slow speedwork even before this week, 20:30 would be a good result - if I managed to finish.  

             

            The race starts and ends at the park where I do most of my runs.  Unlike last year, there were almost no covid precautions, though hospitalization rates in the state are about as high as they were a year ago.  As usual for summer mornings, it was very humid, but with the temperature only 76/25 and lots of cloud cover, TDP of 148 wasn’t an issue for a 5K.

             

            I lined up behind a bunch of shirtless skinny high school boys who I assumed would go out faster than me, while nobody behind me looked like they would trample me.  I got off to a steady start with the usual mass of people around me, but within 200 yards the crowd had thinned out.  I was immediately behind a couple of 6’5”ish (1.95) guys who were lumbering so badly that I couldn’t imagine it would be a good idea to follow them.  I decided to focus instead on a slim woman farther ahead who, in addition to being worth watching because she was dressed very appropriately for hot weather, was running smoothly and steadily.  

             

            After half a mile, we left the park and had a gradual half-mile incline through a tree-lined residential neighborhood, passing a pre-Civil War mansion with white columns (think a smaller version of the Gone With the Wind house).  On the hill, I eased past the big guys, an 11-year-old boy, and several others who couldn’t hold their opening paces.  That left me fairly close behind two high school guys and the woman.  After the mile marker (~6:16), we turned right onto a bicycle path.  With just a slight increase in effort, I passed in turn the guys and the woman in the next couple of minutes and was pretty much on my own for the rest of the race.

             

            After about half a mile, we turned right off the path and then took another quick right and started our return on a broad street that curved around a country club golf course.  The return was mostly flat or a very gentle downhill, and I concentrated on keeping a steady effort.  I felt fairly strong but didn’t feel like I had a faster gear, and the runners I could see were too far ahead for me to catch.  My second mile was around 6:27.  As the curving broad street passed the city’s flagship high school, we turned right onto a cross street and again right into the park and finished in a parking lot, with a 6:26 third mile and 0:38 last tenth, give or take a few seconds (the organizers, while accurate at measuring courses, are casual with mile markers).

             

            I was pleasantly surprised with a 19:47.4, seven seconds faster than last year.  The splits showed that I faded a little bit after the net uphill first mile, but the third mile was about as fast as the second.  My upper hamstrings and glutes were sore during the race,but it didn’t feel like the race had aggravated them, and they felt no worse than usual during my cooldown.

             

            I’m not sure what to think now.  My time, though not great by my pre-injury standards, was much better than I expected, as my speedwork and tempos this summer haven’t been as fast or as long as they were last summer.  Still, it was after this race last year and a few more track workouts that I reinjured my hamstring, and it’s worse now than it was at this time last year.  With no half looking too attractive for the rest of the year, I probably should stay off the track for a few weeks and maybe cut back on the tempos for a while too.

             

            Keen - Since this may wind up being my only (or if not only, best) race of the year, can you put it on the front page?  Thanks.

             

            Sun - 5.2 miles very slow (60 mins) on treadmill

            Mon - 6.2 miles sluggish in park @ 8:48

            Tues - off

            Weds - 4.7 miles including 4x200 worryingly slow (fastest 0:42)

            Thurs - 3.6 miles slow including slow strides

            Fri - off

            Sat - 9.0 including 5K race in 19:47.4

             

            Total - 28.7 miles

            YTD average - 45.9 mpw



            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

              Darkwave good to hear you feel better and great work on another impressive week. That's some serious rain that you had over there. Especially in New York.

               

              Watson sorry to hear of your injury niggles. Hopefully you can build some mileage before that half in November.

               

              James excellent sub 20 with all your setbacks. I enjoyed the race report. Glad you didn't settle behind the slim lady the whole race 😂

              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 "      

               

              SteveChCh


              Hot Weather Complainer

                darkwave - Wow, that's some serious rain.  Very nice week.

                 

                watson - I'm booked for September 13, the day after Dunedin.  I think I'll be able to better estimate the percentage chance of the race happening by the end of today.  Hopefully higher than 1%!  Bad news on your hamstring but it sounds like knowing the signs may have saved you a long lay off.

                 

                James - That is very impressive for a rust buster, especially considering all your recent niggles.  And as a bonus, no need to source a Lady Gaga costume to fulfill the Flavio rule.

                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

                Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

                Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

                Marky_Mark_17


                  Watson - bummer on the hamstring (again) but sounds like you got ahead of it.  I have similar dates to you booked for vaccinations.

                   

                  Darkwave - that's an impressive level of weather complaining, you really have got into the spirit of this thread!  Great to hear that the HR and energy levels are improving too.

                   

                  James - great job on the race, sounds like you paced it very well.

                  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: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                  Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                  "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                  SteveChCh


                  Hot Weather Complainer

                    I'm not entering Dunedin, I'll just pay a late fee if it happens.  I'm down to 5% now.  I think best case scenario now has us down to level one on September 11, the day before the race.  I just can't see the organisers risking having to cancel it that close to the event though.  I think they'll make a call next weekend, or sooner.

                    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

                    Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

                    Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

                    Marky_Mark_17


                      I'm not entering Dunedin, I'll just pay a late fee if it happens.  I'm down to 5% now.  I think best case scenario now has us down to level one on September 11, the day before the race.  I just can't see the organisers risking having to cancel it that close to the event though.  I think they'll make a call next weekend, or sooner.

                       

                      I don't like the chances either, not impossible but certainly unlikely.  Honestly mate I am gutted for you, we've all been impacted by race cancellations due to Covid but I feel you've probably worn more than your fair share.

                       

                      I'd say NZ Half Marathon Champs (mid-Sept) is also almost certainly a non-starter.  Would mean I am technically still the defending national champ at Masters level though since it hasn't been held since 2019.  Although I'd much rather be racing!

                      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: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                      Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                      "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                      flavio80


                      Intl. correspondent

                        Steve - I can identify the kiwi accent when they say BEE tter instead of better 😂

                         

                        RP - I reckon mask usage has gone sky high on your area ?

                         

                        Piwi - that’s a nice week and that tempo seems too long, 10K seems far enough.

                        That's a nice ride, good to hear the kiddo is back for some nice family time.

                         

                        Watson  - Sorry to hear.

                         

                        Darkwave - that’s a lot of water.

                         

                        James - thanks for the race report, nice strategy following the properly-dressed-for-summer lady. Also nice job on avoiding the Gaga costume.

                         

                        me - Wednesday last week I woke up with a nasty back pain, like being crushed with a heavy weight. I got mad and just closed the week right then and there. Just stopped running for 5 days and tomorrow I'll try again.

                        By the way, I'm feeling considerably better at sea level here in Portugal. I reckon I did too much too son at altitude and then had altitude sickness for the whole duration of my stay in Colombia (Poor planning 😁).

                        Now back at sea level, thing seem better, going for a nice shiatsu massage this afternoon to hopefully solve some of the back issues.

                        LOL, on the old forums it would censor shiatsu, I remember Piwi calling me a potty mouth LOL good times.

                        PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021

                        Up next: no idea

                        Tool to generate Strava weekly

                        zebano


                          I had a good running week due to lockdown 

                          Nothing special but I did a fast 14km portion within my 20km run today and averaged about 3.55/km for that section.

                           

                           

                          Piwi, your nothing special weeks are pretty spectacular. Especially compared to the women's 45-50 BQ time 

                           

                          Mark I also don't love the Kinvara 12s but at $55 / pair I'm reasonably happy.

                           

                          Steve  Glad the soreness cleared up. I hope you find a race that's worth running that has a chance to actually happen.

                           

                          RP Go east young man. No air problems here (I'm sure the family will be totally understanding )

                           

                          DW Woah that's a lot of water. Were any houses damaged or was it jus the trails and roads?

                           

                          James great race! Especially wonderful that you ran hard and the hamstring didn't bother you.

                           

                          Piwi You can't catch a break, sorry about your back.

                          1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

                          zebano


                            I had a solid week but not a great one. Spoke to my coach about midway through and we're going to go back to 2 quality sessions/ week as my body seems to handle that a lot better than 2 workouts and  a long run. In particular I was not recovered in time for Tuesday's workout. I also failed to get my heavy lifting in (I do some mobility work with light strength stuff like calf raises and 1ldl most every day but don't log that). As a bonus my office-mate and I got standing desks on Wednesday and they're really nice.

                             

                            M off!

                            8.2 w/ 3mi up  + 5k tempo (goal was 21min, I ran 22:03 legs were simply not ready) + 5x :25 hills on walk down recovery (about 2 min) which felt way way better than the tempo. + mile CD. Had some hamstring niggles during the tempo

                            W 55 min easy - right calf unhappy today

                            Th 12.4 mi "push the uphills". Averaged 8:15/mi which is much faster than I usually run this.

                            Thur PM 15 min recovery swim

                            Hour really easy

                            45 min easy but hilly (also: camping + canoeing 10 miles). Got freaked out at 5:30Am with the headlamp when I thought I saw a huge cat so I backed up and went the other way. I eventually saw a ton of deer and the had the same facial structure so I don't think I saw a cat at all 

                            Sun 10.4 mi w/ 4x(600m 400m, 200m) in there. Similar to the week before but 200jg recoveries had a little walking and 400m jog between sets meant I hit all my paces. Starting in the third set my adductor and hamstring got unhappy on my right leg so I turned around and ran the other direction since no one else was on the track and that helped.

                            Sun PM: 25 min jogging at the off-leash area with my pup that had been neglected while we were camping. =)

                             

                            51.9 miles (83 km)

                            no lifting

                             

                            Lots of little aches and pains so I found a way to do Nordic curls at home and I think I'll add those to my mobility routine to see if I can't get on top of this.

                            1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

                            Running Problem


                            Problem Child

                              Keen I liked the "Reno" score. REEE-no. Not Ren-oh like Ren-oh-VAY-shun.

                               

                              DWave It is temporary unlike your reoccurring GI testing/displeasure/life. I bought the most expensive, highest rated (MERV 10 I believe) air filter the hardware store had. The aisle was STOCKED with boxes on shelves and in the aisles. I told the guy "well at least you won't get yelled at for not having any in stock. As if you personally brought the smoke to town." he laughed and I remember the customers who treated people as if they were personally responsible. It's week three (i think) and the smoke can jsut add to the story of CIM. Phoenix rising from the ashes and such...as long as I train where I'm at not where I want to be.   I know a guy who told me it has rained so much he is reseeding lawn every day for 2 weeks, and it flooded a parking lot 3 ft deep. Couldn't you practice the "plastic bag shoe" trick from Boston again? Don't be one of those "when it was THIS bad I ran on the treadmill" people. 

                              *watches video* OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH. OH MY GOD!!!! Sooooooooo....water crossing and trail running experience required? Any videos of people in inflatable rafts on the news?

                               

                              JMac How was the tropical watch/storm? I've only seen words of it mentioned on random websites I visit.

                               

                              Flavio Not only is mask use at an all time high (they are even being worn outside where not required), but people are actually staying home to stay safe. My Saturday run mirrored March 2020. It was glorious. At least from a "there are too many people outside potentially spreading COVID 19 for it to be so scary" point of view some people seem to have.

                               

                              Zeb I could actually go West about 2 hours to my marathon course and be in ait good enough to run. I think they are in the 120s which is practically fresh at this point. Seriously, it was almost weird running with blue skys on Thursday. I know how people in Seattle with gray skies feel about seeing the sun now.

                               

                              James Stop comparing yourself to last year. It's a bad thing to do. Trust me I've been doing it and it is VERY HARD to NOT do it. Go with what you have right now. A real solid 5k time. A 19:47 as a rust buster is a good starting point to train for something. I think March of this year I FINALLY broke 20 in an organized event, and started training specifically for a 5k and landed a PR. I'd pick an event you want to race and setup a training plan after a week off.

                               

                              My week.

                              Not bad OVERALL for what it was. Thursday's run was an attempt at finding marathon fitness. I've accepted I need to train where I'm at and let race day be race day. Training to be in a sub 3 shape right now will lead to bigger problems, and using my 5k time from Memorial Day doesn't point to a sub 3. 3:07 at best. Tuesday's speed work seemed to go better. Possibly from the 5k training plan focusing a lot on speed. Sunday's run was in an AQI of about 155. I wanted to go farther but I was starting to get stomach pains that wouldn't go away, and a few other indicators of smoke being a problem. Legs felt OKAY and I could tell I'd been doing some workouts but nothing I'd end a long run over. I got what I could and thankfully went out because the air quality got worse hours later. EPA says it is 269 (EPA SCALE) Purple air said 400+ for the 1 hour average. I'm trusting purple air on the actual air quality. This is 100% based on looking outside and thinking "I'd call it hazardous if the neighbor's tree has a haze in front of it, but maybe EPA knows better."

                               

                              Weekly for period: From: 08/16/2021 To 08/22/2021

                              Date Name mi km Duration Avg/mi Avg/km Elevation Gain
                              in ft
                              08/16 That time red eyes, a dry throat, and a headache are due to Covi…aaaaalifornia. 8.11 13.04 01:10:59 08:45 05:27 440
                              08/18 That time it was like Mavricks BRAH 8.00 12.87 01:06:56 08:22 05:12 118
                              08/18 Working break 0.00 0.00 00:34:41 00:00 00:00 0
                              08/19 That time it wasn't much of anything. 8.50 13.68 01:09:54 08:13 05:07 135
                              08/20 That time I have a really stupid idea. 10.59 17.04 01:27:31 08:16 05:08 400
                              08/21 That time red is the new green. 11.32 18.21 01:36:26 08:31 05:18 479

                              Total distance: 46.52mi

                               

                              Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

                              VDOT 53.37 

                              5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

                                Rp nice week in trying conditions.

                                 

                                Zeb you will be proud of me doing some upper body work now 💪.  It's nice to feel the arm muscles pumping up. I also like working out with my 15 year old and its a good hobby for us to share while he's at that " difficult " age.

                                Nice week. Oh and I still suck at squats.

                                 

                                Flavio glad to hear you are safe and sound in Portugal.

                                That's shit about your back. Mines behaving.

                                Yes 14km tempo is the most I've ever done. I kinda just wanted to test my fitness and show I could dominate a sub 40 10k right now. I did throw on the cheater shoes which have been gathering cobwebs.

                                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 "