Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2020
RIP Milkman
Zebano - thank you for that great article. It confirms I was doing this wrong by just doing slow running with some strides. I think throwing in a tempo run will help. The one confusing thing is what constitutes "hard" running, or anaerobic. A marathon training plan doesn't really have much hard/anaerobic running, yet I certainly wouldn't call that base building. So I may take some exception to that, but I think the point around getting in something other than easy is important.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Jmac yeah I've consistently cycled in and out of running racing motivation for the last....4 years. Even now I feel it waning. It always happens just after I start to get in reasonable shape. I think the seasons here dictate some of my priorities and as it warms I start more water based activities.
I wouldn't be surprised if you guys are carrying some inner stress and anxiety over current issues in the US. Once things settle down you will likely get a huge boost in motivation.
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 "
JMac,
I know JD likes to use "hard" and "Interval" interchangeably, but in the more standard definition of hard meaning "difficult" I think it makes a lot of sense. Remember all workouts have 4 variables: reps, duration of said reps, recovery and effort. Even an easy effort run for long enough without break will become difficult. On the other hand a very quick effort will quickly become hard unless the duration is kept really short with longish recoveries. By the same token a 5 minute run at threshold isn't a big deal but do 6 or more of them with minute breaks and all of a sudden you're working hard (as always this scales based on what fitness you're in).
Last time I did a true marathon plan was Hanson Advance and yup, those Thursday's always hard even though the pace was easy initially.
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
Jmac yeah I've consistently cycled in and out of running racing motivation for the last....4 years. Even now I feel it waning. It always happens just after I start to get in reasonable shape. I think the seasons here dictate some of my priorities and as it warms I start more water based activities. I wouldn't be surprised if you guys are carrying some inner stress and anxiety over current issues in the US. Once things settle down you will likely get a huge boost in motivation.
It's funny you mention this because I actually have a race on Saturday .... and I'm just not that excited about it. I'm so bleh that I'm going to run my normal 12 mile group run tomorrow for the camaraderie and just train through the race letting the chips fall where they may. That said, I have no desire to skip out on training, in a lot of ways I enjoy training more than racing ... which is really odd. I dream of big races and breakthroughs but I think I only had 3 races last year where I got to the start line and had that nervous feeling of this absolutely matters to me.
Well you know I struggle through this all the time Mark. Piwi is a great model for us, but you see his struggles too. The high mileage of marathon training can definitely lead to burnout. I find I'm enjoying things more in the 50-60 mile range (with down weeks in the 30s) than the 70+ range. I also think there's something to only having X good years of racing in your body, no matter what age you start. It woul be great if you did the NYCM given you have relatives here. Cant imagine how different it is than what you guys normally race, so it woul be quite the experience. Maybe in 2022
Well you know I struggle through this all the time Mark. Piwi is a great model for us, but you see his struggles too. The high mileage of marathon training can definitely lead to burnout. I find I'm enjoying things more in the 50-60 mile range (with down weeks in the 30s) than the 70+ range. I also think there's something to only having X good years of racing in your body, no matter what age you start.
It woul be great if you did the NYCM given you have relatives here. Cant imagine how different it is than what you guys normally race, so it woul be quite the experience. Maybe in 2022
Kinda feel like that 50-60 mile zone is my mileage sweet spot too! I'm not clocking the mileage that you and Keen do but even so I'm finding it a bit of a grind getting through the work at the moment.
I'd still really love to do NYCM some day it just feels like a long way away right now!!
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"
JamesD
I’ve had to revise my summer/fall training schedule again, as another 5K I had been planning workouts around has been cancelled. My race August 22 is still on, but I had planned for it to be a rustbuster for one in early October. Between the anticipated rustbusting effect of the first race and the more favorable starting time (6pm versus 7am), I had expected to be faster in the second race. All the fall races except those planned by our local running club have now been cancelled. The running club seems to have figured out how to hold its races, so that’s good.
I’m still planning around a November 1 half in Dothan, Alabama, but if that’s cancelled, I may do a nighttime 5K the local club is holding on Halloween. The Dothan half was originally my fifth choice because there probably won’t be anyone to run with, but I can’t justify spending a night in a hotel out of town given the virus situation. Among other things, it’d be a bad example for our son, who loves the beach and baseball games and hasn’t been out of town all summer. He returns to school next week for his senior year, and we’re crossing our fingers that all the precautions will be sufficient. He had a bit of a scare last week when the country club where he’s a pool waiter for the summer closed briefly because some indoor workers tested positive, but they gave the place a deep cleaning, and there’s no sign that any of the outdoor areas or workers were affected.
Speaking of kids, how are the babies and moms, JMac and dps? Hope all of you are getting some sleep.
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
Zebano I think the longer you do this the harder it is to get that adrenalin boost. I dont think I'm willing to go to the " well " like I used too in races. My family dont come anymore so I dont have any cheerleaders either
I can barely go to the well in my training right now, as Piwi keeps jabbing me about on Strava
I would love to race right now. I think that would ignite a new fire in me as I see the people who beat me and think "that guy should not be running faster than me."
James - hopefully your son stays well! We are getting some sleep as we have help in the house for the first month and the baby is doing well by sleeping for longer stretches at night than we expected.
I'm not sure if I mentioned it in this thread, but my wife tested positive for COVID antibodies before giving birth (required testing here in NYC). She had no symptoms all spring, so that was quite a shock since I tested negative. Either way, a bit of a relief for all of us that she should at least have immunity in the short term and the baby as well.
Cobra Commander Keen
No surprise at all over this, but the OKC marathon decided to cancel go virtual. No big deal for me since it was rescheduled from late April to early October and clashed with the date of my favorite half marathon (still hoping this small race will go forward, too). I know the reason for the usual mid/late April time frame, but it's remarkable how they manage to schedule this thing for practically the worst possible times of the year for running a marathon.
There's no indication as to how they'll track if anyone actually runs the distance (they give a time frame of Oct. 4-18 to do so), but say that anyone doing this will get $20 off next year's registration or can opt to defer to either of the next two years. That seems like it's becoming something of a standard these days.
JMac - Interesting that your wife showed antibodies yet you didn't show any. Pretty similar to my in-laws' experience with it as well. MIL had it but no discernible symptoms outside of some annoyingly lingering symptoms of a (separately diagnosed & months prior) respiratory infection.
Somewhat sucky workout this morning between GI issues and the temp and dew points both being ~10F/5C higher than they have been for a week, but here are some notes on the Endorphin Speed:
All in all I'm definitely looking forward to putting more miles on these to see how they feel once I get more used to the slight rocker design - I'll probably wear them for my entire next workout (warm-up/cool-down included) rather than just the speed portion.
Did I miss anything anyone's interested in hearing about?
5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22
Upcoming Races:
OKC Memorial 5k - April 27
Bun Run 5k - May 4
Jmac having the antibodies without ever been sick must be quite satisfying.
I also see people faster than me that I used to beat and it helps motivate me. It's like when some says " you motivate me " which may mean " I want to beat you, you bastard "
The demotivators are people who run much less but still run faster than I've ever run. Damn genetics.
Keen thanks for the shoe report. Alot of the new speed shoes are designed for midfoot/forefoot running. If you are more of a heel striker which we know is fine if you land under your centre of mass, then they may give your calves a shock by forcing your foot strike forward.
Piwi - There's no visible wear & tear on the shoes yet (there better not be after less than 5 miles!), but the majority of the discoloration/debris on the bottom is about here. MId-foot-ish, I guess?
I think feeling it a bit in my calfs while running at the faster paces is mostly not being used to the different geometry, but I'm certainly going to keep an eye on it just because it's kind of interesting.
Is a heel lock the same as runners knot? I have been doing runners knot for a few months - I am not sure it makes any significant difference to me.
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
Yeah, they're the same. To me it seems like it changes how the pressure from the laces being cinched feels, but I don't know that it makes me any difference. Mostly I use it just to eat up some extra lace length because they're so blasted long on altra escalantes.
Mother of Cats
CK- Interesting on the Speeds. Any reason you went with those over the Pros? (I picked up a pair of the Pros, and did a quick jog in them today. Based on about 100 feet of running in them, I really like them....)
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.
Enjoyed doing hill sprints on a bike path Monday, and my speed wasn’t bad - second or third fastest out of nine tries of this workout over the last few years. On my next-to-last repeat, I even passed two (very casual) bicyclists who had underestimated the hill. The hill work may have contributed to my feeling stronger and going somewhat faster than usual -- around 8:30 pace instead of ~8:50 -- on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. It’s not quite as hot as it was a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve been getting out later in the morning than usual, thus the high TDPs. That problem should end soon; my son starts school on Wednesday, so I’ll be getting up and out earlier.
Most of my family has no clue about running, but a cousin’s granddaughter runs in AAU meets. She did well at the national age-group championships this week - 14.3 in the 100 and 29.5 in the 200. The child is 10 years old. I can probably still take her in a 10K or a half, but she also plays soccer, so I expect she could beat me in anything 5K or shorter.
Sun - off
Mon - 5.3 miles including 10 ~180-meter hills/~1:45 rest
Tues - 7.7 slow recovery
Weds - 10.7 not as slow as usual, esp. with TDP 161
Thurs - 29 minutes swimming
Fri - 12.1 steady, not as slow as usual
Sat - 8 including a few strides, easy but not as slow as usual, TDP 160
Total - about 43.8 miles
12/26/52-week averages - 46/44/38 mpw