Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon 2021 Edition
Problem Child
I went to a gym with the 300 challenge. A popular workout when the movie came out. The owner stopped it when people went only for time and lost all form. It was crossfit before CrossFit had a branded name.
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
Cobra Commander Keen
Say what you will about Flavio's upcoming reign, but I bet he makes the trains run on time.
Marathon Scott is who I want to be when I grow up.
Piwi - Definitely need to see you making a comeback next year.
Future Supreme Leader - I'm doing better and better every day, thank you (not that it has ever been bad). Tracking HR for pace on my runs is a great example of this. At the same super-easy effort my paces are getting faster every day while my HR gets lower and lower - it's already back to the same levels .
My little respiratory bug is actually covid. Only real symptom is a bit of fatigue, almost like I missed a few hours of sleep the night before (plus the standard "HR is higher than it should be because I'm running whilst sick").
It turns out my kiddos got it while I was away for CIM, and DW and I got it on our way back. Grand total is 1 asymptomatic case (DD1), two slight coughs (DDs 2 &3), and DW had my fatigue and the younger girls' slight cough (she developed it before I did) and exactly zero fevers.
5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22
Upcoming Races:
Keen - I found my HR was screwy for at least a month after my last marathon. Partly that was probably because I was overtrained. Fixed itself after I took that week off.
Anyhow, bummer about the COVID but good to hear it's very mild. That's almost the best outcome... get it mildly and then you don't have to worry about it for a while!
Flavio - I'm not that surprised it's slower than you think. Burpees take way longer than they should. And they feel even longer than that!
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"
JamesD
Keen - Sorry to hear about your covid, but glad that it sounds quite mild & that you're doing better. Since your whole family got it, is there any chance that you actually had it before you left for CIM and that it caused your trouble?
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
James - I had a negative test on the Thursday before the race, so it's very doubtful. My parents watched the kids while we were gone, and my mom started showing symptoms after we got back and tested positive herself. So likely she got it at work (counselor at a school), gave it to the kids, who gave it to DW and I. Mom's doing just fine also, btw.
ETA: What's everyone's favorite weather provider? My favorite app uses Darksky, but apple bought that and is killing it off for everyone else at the end of the year, so I'm shopping for a replacement.
Keen sorry to hear of the covid. Hearing of people you know catching it and not having bad symptoms gives me alot of reassurance and makes it less scary.
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 "
Keen - sorry about Covid-19. Are you vaccinated? If so, which vaccine? If vaccinated, then it is probably much milder than if you were not. I also wonder whether you caught it before your marathon (after the Thursday test).
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
Hot Weather Complainer
Keen - pleased to hear Covid is treating you the same way it treats 99.9% of people. Hope it doesn't impact your civil liberties too much while you recover. It's possible it was around in your race which would make you the unluckiest person ever, although if it was before you even noticed anything it might not have been the issue.
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 Marathon April 21, 2024
Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024
RIP Milkman
James - I had a negative test on the Thursday before the race, so it's very doubtful. My parents watched the kids while we were gone, and my mom started showing symptoms after we got back and tested positive herself. So likely she got it at work (counselor at a school), gave it to the kids, who gave it to DW and I. Mom's doing just fine also, btw. ETA: What's everyone's favorite weather provider? My favorite app uses Darksky, but apple bought that and is killing it off for everyone else at the end of the year, so I'm shopping for a replacement.
Keen - sorry to hear about COVID, but if it's mild and everyone gets through it, that's a great outcome.
For weather app, I've tried them all. I still think Weather Underground is the best. IBM screwed up a bit when they bought it, but it's much better now.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Reasonable week done and dusted. Hoped to do a bit more, but copped a bit of a cold courtesy of my daughter on Friday. Nothing major, just felt a bit bleh on the weekend so cut my long run a little short. Thankfully, the humidity finally disappeared on Saturday after almost 3 weeks. I'm sure it'll be back but it's crazy how 16C actually feels cold when it's only around 70% humidity.
Mark - nice week. We had 2 months of rainfall on Wednesday and rain most of the week. Crazy cold for December too so yesterday when the sun came out and it got to 20C I was finding it hot. Looks like summer is resuming this week so I'll slowly get used to it and start ramping up the complaining to try and catch you up!
My week was pretty solid, similar mileage to the peak of my half training but with workouts at a slower pace. Definitely had to work yesterday, I guess not being used to the distance after 6 weeks of shorter long runs, and a little warmth. My hamstring actually starting cramping towards the end which is very rare for me. The shingles has improved, much less pain and irritation but enough to wake me up a couple of times a night. Hopefully this is the week I get out of the spare room.
Keen - it looks like vomiting with Covid-19 happens sometimes. Given how bad you did at CIM, it must be a possibility? Given you averaged 85-90 miles per week in the build up, and your tune up race times, everything pointed to CIM in 2:55 to 3:05, and for you to then run ~4:08...
Mark - nice week. Humidity is hard. December where I am has pretty much been a cycle of warm and humid, more humid, warm heavy rain, cooler heavy rain, mild, warm and humid, then repeat. It looks to have finally stopped, as the last two days have been warm, moderately windy and low-medium humidity.
My week was low - Monday life got in the way.
I traveled to Christchurch on Tuesday for a Wednesday funeral, I got a run on Tuesday in very nice conditions (15 C, light winds, low humidity). No run Wednesday due to funeral, plus the heavy rain had followed me from up north (it was seriously heavy for Christchurch). No run Thursday as work was busy plus my return trip.
Friday was our clubs xmas rogaine, with the prize giving straight after (a few months later than normal due to Covid restrictions previously).
Saturday I unexpectedly got time for a workout as my daughters cricket team capitulated in their Twenty20 run chase so the game finished about 50 minutes early. I did a workout that was too hard for me, the aim was 200m @MP, 400m @HMP, 600m @10km, 800m @5k, 1000m @mile, 800m @5k, 600m @10km, 400m @HMP, 200m @MP with 200m easy in between. I did all the reps, but all the 600m plus were slow, probably due to fitness, it being moderately warm, and most of the reps being into the wind.
I did one strength session (Saturday morning). I neglected them a little in my Nov half build up, with just one session per week. I'm going to make sure I do two per week going forward.
watson - That's a pretty brutal workout! Apologies, I forgot to pass on my condolences last week. I hope the trip down went as well as it could have.
Steve - yes, too brutal for me. Still a hard workout even if too slow. Thanks for the condolences.
Watson BRUTAL workout. I'm not sure I could get through the 5k portion the first time. MY 5k and 10k PRs are 2 seconds apart. Technically my half marathon PR is a 6:55, but I just ran back to back 1:29 half marathons. My PRs are obviously really weird, and I'd have 2 paces for the entire workout. 6:40-45 and 6:15-18. Maybe I should give it a go.