Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon 2021 Edition
Intl. correspondent
Steve - LOL
Mark - one 10k sounds better than two 10ks. Also better than zero 10ks
Zeb - Correct, that’s not how it works. Cropping it would be cheating
Keen - I forgot to mention but it’s so great that you got to race with other people!
Piwi - LOL, great minds think alike! if you check my Strava runs you will frequently see small loops nearby my house at the end.
Told you you should’ve raced Hopefully a down week replenishes you.
Watson - It's great to hear from you. I'm impressed that you can put so much dedication on exam preparation. I'm unable to focus that much, after 1 or 2 hours of studying I have to do something else or else my brain is on fumes.
me - A very short strength training session today, mostly mobility drills and a few stretches. No running. Some 50 minutes tomorrow, 30 minutes on Friday and no strength training on Friday. Saturday is off. Let's hope all the niggles clear out and I arrive fresh on Sunday.
Here's what should work in my favor:
1 - I've been running 50 mile weeks for a while now versus under 40 miles a week on the previous race (1h23:30)
2 - I've been running a ton more elevation (Porto Alegre and Ravenna were dead flat)
3 - I've done longer and harder workouts
4 - Most importantly, I've finally managed to get under 80kg, I'm at lest 2kg 4lbs lighter than previous races and that should make a world of difference.
5 - I did manage to race a 5k during the training block so that it would not go to waste should I have to interrupt it.
I also highly recommend racing during the training block for that reason. Don't take fitness for granted.
6 - Hopefully I don't get a cold in the week of the race like last time, where I was not sure I'd race up to the day before. I've been very diligent with my daily spirulina tablet and the golden milk.
Here's what should work against me:
1 - It's a time trial. I reckon I'm at least 3 to 4% slower on a time trial as compared to a race, without anybody to chase I just can't inject that last gear.
2 - there will be no water replenishment
3 - I'll be racing in relatively warmer temperatures than I have trained. It should still be cold though with temps under 10c 50f by the time I start the watch.
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
Flavio When are you going to change your subtitle to "King of Pasta"? Good luck with the race, the tempo runs have been excellent. Regarding water, could you make a looped course for yourself and leave a small waterbottle a little before a garbage can?
Watson - both are appropriate. You sound busy in a really good way. I hope you're able to get some running in.
Piwi cutback weeks are supposed to be every 4-5 weeks, I'd say you're due (or maybe strong enough to push up to 60mpw!!)
Keen - I've got a couple of races coming up that can be added to the front page...
Red Shamrock 6km (XC) 3/27 - Goal: Survive, give an honest race effort
Kewash 10km 4/17 - B Goal: PR (<7:24/mi); A-Goal: (<7:00/mi)
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
Flavio - any chance you could place a drink bottle somewhere? The AWS Professional and Specialty exams are hard and need a lot of preparation, yesterday it was the Database Specialty exam
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
watson - I'm working through the Azure exams and did the fundamentals yesterday and got through with a pass which was harder than I expected - a lot of network and security questions that required a deeper knowledge than I expected and aren't my area at all. Next up is developer/solution design which I'm far more comfortable with. Great to see you back - do you have any plans for races? Wellington half is a good length of time away...
Has anyone had issues with GPS on a Garmin? Mine has dropped out completely a few times in the last 2 weeks as well as having me going cross country and swimming through lakes at times. Yesterday I did some tempo kms and felt like I was going about the same pace for all of them but they ranged from 4:04 - 4:27. I've given the watch a restart but hopefully it's not on its last legs.
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 1:27:34
Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024
Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024
I find tree cover and lots of corners do tend to mess with mine - that's less of a Garmin problem and more just a general GPS issue. I really notice the difference in town going east on Tamaki Drive which is nice and open and there are very few issues, versus going west through Westhaven with lots of corners and loops of Victoria Park where there is a lot of dense tree cover.
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"
Yeah I've found that too but now it's starting to happen on open country roads - not just jumping to speeds that are clearly incorrect but just sitting on 0:00 for 10-15 mins at a time. I don't care on an easy run but I'm quite reliant on it in a workout (I know darkwave I need to get better at running by feel!)
This did happen to me once with my previous Garmin. Stopped and started it and it came good.
Keen - couple of amendments for me on the board.
Run the Point 10k is now 28/3.
Whenuapai HM has been officially cancelled so that once can come off. I swear I'll run this one some day considering it's basically my backyard HM but over the past 6 years, injuries, other races, and Covid have all conspired at various times to prevent me from doing it.
Steve - I realised I never answered your question about bucket list races outside NZ. The short answer is I don't really know, as I haven't really done a lot of research. I always thought Melbourne would be cool given it finishes in the MCG. There are some pretty picturesque looking half's in Vancouver and Anchorage too. NYC Half could be cool too.
If there's a realistic prospect of a travel bubble with Australia, I might have to check out some of the options there over the next little while. To be honest I'd be a bit hesitant though until vaccinations are more widespread, it's all well and good if there's a travel bubble but if something went awry while I was over there and travel restrictions were temporarily tightened then that would be a total nuisance.
Mark Melbourne marathon is excellent quite a fast course and twice as big in numbers to Auckland. Unfortunately the year I did it we couldn't finish in the MCG !
Watson I was wondering where you went. Welcome back.
Steve my Garmin 235 has been ok apart from losing heart rate. I had to reset and re Bluetooth it and ok now. Its done this before.
Flavio with the extra mileage and lower bodyweight you are looking good for a fast half. The fact its a time trial will make it tougher but anything under 1.25 should be a success and under 1.24 bloody outstanding 👏
You could try a Gopro mouth mount like the surfers use but may make breathing difficult
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 "
Mark - Yep, Melbourne is a great one. I did it 2012-14 and finished in the MCG for the first 2 years but, as piwi said, it doesn't always finish in the G and 2014 it finished outside the stadium. I think it's rare though and usually happens when there isn't enough of a gap between the AFL and cricket seasons. I'm tempted this year to be honest and if insanity prevails and the border got shut, I'm okay working remotely for a while! It's perfectly timed to be a goal race for me, with recovery time from Wellington and close enough to capitalise on the bigger base. Queenstown is a month later but last year showed me it's not a great choice for a goal race. Melbourne has a couple of steep bridges but apart from that is pretty flat.
RIP Milkman
Flavio - just wanted to pop in since I ran a lot of time trials last year, including a half.
I will say that the half was BY FAR the hardest of all the TTs I ran. You may want to go back and read my RR on the 2020 thread. I almost gave up around 4-5 miles in. Those last 4 miles were harder than anything I've done outside of the end of my 2019 Boston Marathon where I was overheating significantly.
Having said all of that, it's not to scare you! It's just to prep you that you need to really be ready to dig deep into the well. I always knew TTs would be hard, but I didn't realize just how hard a half TT is.
My two biggest tips are:
1) Don't stop. Seems obvious, but it really needs to be committed to early, no matter how many pink unicorns you see. I used a stupid trick around pacing. I was running between 5:40 and 5:50, and told myself "I will only stop if I see a 6 on that watch." It never happened, so I never allowed myself to stop
2) See if you can get someone along the route to "cheer" you on. I had my wife around mile 9. If she wasn't there, I may have stopped, but I said "if I stop, she's going to wait for me. I also will feel bad for asking her to come out here just to stop."
Hopefully that helps. Get whatever pump up music you have. You'll need it.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Problem Child
I second the ‘cheer’ group Jmac suggests. On my first time trial (only a 5k) there were a few people who commented on my running and it felt like a real race. Even if it’s just one or two people. I also agree with the ‘don’t stop’ mentality. At mile 2 it started to suck and I told myself I had to see it to the finish. It sucked more than anything up to that point but it reminds me of the times darkwave says every race has that moment where a question is a answered. I think I secretly enjoy the suffering and seek it out because it’s my limit.
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
Zeb - Not sure, it’s around some residential buildings, what if one of them thinks I’m littering. I’ll think about.
Watson - Yeah, I’m very familiar with those exams, they’re really hard. I just meant that I can’t do what you do which is focus on that exclusively over a given period.
Steve - You might consider hard resetting the watch, that should clear any existing data state bugs.
Piwi - I’m getting used to the head mount, this 2nd time the other day was much easier. I’m not inclined to film this one time trial though as it will be over 25 laps around some buildings.
Now if you managed to use a head mount to film your surf that would be super cool.
Jmac - Thanks for the advice, I remember your race report. It’s unlikely this is going to be the hardest I ever felt in a race.
Getting passed by 2 ladies while walking the Buenos Aires marathon to finish in 4h50 takes the cake.
Cheering unfortunately does not do much for me and I won’t ask my poor wife to be out there. She just might though cause she’s injured.
In HM races before the last one I was hurting by 14km and had to dig deep to reach the end. Except my previous PR race where I hurt in the last 3km.
And the current PR race was really weird in that I was slightly annoyed by 10 miles but held concentration thanks to the pacers and by 19km I just dropped then and blasted a couple of super fast Ks around 3:45 which is 10k pace.
I hope I start to really hurt around or after 10 miles, I should be able to just hang on for the last 5km.
Steve - congrats on the Azure fundamentals. I have heard the Azure Professional level is similar to AWS Professional level, so really hard.
I am running the 43km at Wellington Urban Ultra (Wu2k). Which is a week before Wellington marathon, and I am not doubling up.
watson - Thanks, I'm hoping it will pay off to have more certifications as you never know when you'll need a new job at the moment. Although being in local council, I guess I'm secure enough at the moment.
Oh yes, forgot about the ultra. Great that you're on track for such a big race.
Flavio - I agree with JMac that you need a fair bit of mental preparation for a half TT. It was possibly worse for me than JMac as I knew within the first 7km that I was missing my goal. I had people coming to watch too which motivated me to finish but I had to dig deep mentally and physically.
My vaporflies arrived today. I took them out of the box and was stunned with how light they are. Amazing. I didn't think shoes could be that light and I really hadn't realised how much heavier the Asics Kayano/GT-2000s are.