Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2020
Good report, Watson. I was quite amused by how you spoke about the female leaders as if they were acquaintances, and then corrected that you didn't know nice them at all....
I did talk to Kristine afterwards. She is also older than me.
It makes the report a little easier using names, I could have done "middle age ginger woman, and younger blonde woman" but that might have been worse.
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
RIP Milkman
Mark - that's a big taper for 2 weeks out, surprised your coach cut that much (it looks maybe 55 percent of mileage?) But then again your coach has tapered you well into every half so can't question it now!
Also now that it's race week I'll stop needling you on the time (it's my way of returning the favor for others doing it to me ha). Keep sane this week. If you want some last minute marathon tips, let us know, we can help
Watson's RR - I'm curious what other people think about random peopletelling you how far behind you are the person in front of you. Is that standard? Maybe he wasn't an official, and just a random guy on the side of the road trying to encourage you, but I wonder how I'd feel as the lead runner. Also odd for him to announce how far behind you are to the lead woman?
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
He was not an official.
I was with the second and third place woman at that point. He might have known the third place woman?
He was not an official. I was with the second and third place woman at that point. He might have known the third place woman?
Yeah that may make more sense. Curious what mark and Darkwave think given they usually are fighting for W's
I’ve noticed it in a couple of races when I’ve been near the front. Had randoms call out the split from the person ahead. Us kiwis like to be helpful and the races are often small so it does happen.
JMac - it seemed like a reasonably large taper to me too but frankly I needed it!
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"
I've had people call out what position I'm in but it's no New York Marathon type race
London marathon tonight should still be good viewing even without Kenesea Bekele.
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 "
Most NZ races really small. The only big race I've been was at Sydney Blackmores where I ran the half. Just had a look at the results, I was 170th out or roughly 7000, there were 26 people within +/- 30s finishing gun time of me, excluding those finishing other race distances.
My week was pretty good. I recovered from Saturday's race quicker than I normally do, so I did two workouts during the week.
No hard sessions this coming week as I race the half on Sunday.
Long range forecast is really good right now
My week:
Mother of Cats
You flatter me with the "usually."
In my experience, it's very common to be told where you are, placing-wise, in the race. Especially if you are top 3, but often if you are top 5 or even top 10.
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.
Intl. correspondent
London marathon was WILD!!!
Watson - thanks for the race report. Hopefully you can recover in time for the target race.
Piwi - solid week at 50 miles again. You’ve been very consistent for the past few months.
Mark - time now to clear all those niggles and get bouncy and ready for the race.
Darkwave/Mark - Any time I mention to my mom that i've run a race, she will always - ALWAYS - ask what my placement was
I need to find another small unknown race that happens in the same day as the local marathon so I can try to win another race.
My week. Taper started after that super difficult workout on Thursday (10 days out). Now some easier runs next week as I'm given time to clear the niggles and get race ready. I've checked the race course and it's roughly flat, though I'm not sure how much the covid rules shenanigans will impact me as I get super triggered by disorganisation. Hopefully the race directors manage to nail it despite the difficult rules to enforce.
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
I've had spectators tell me what place I'm in a few times, but it's rare to have anyone tell me how far ahead the closest runner is. Don't think it would bother me if I were leading, though - most of my races have long straight sections, and if someone can't see me on one of those, they're not going to catch me unless I slow down.
Spectators do often help me know how far behind my closest pursuer is. Unless it's near the start of the race, I'm usually one of the first ten or so people who pass by, so they're still saying encouraging things to everyone, and I just have to notice how long it takes for them to say something after they speak to me.
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
Watson + Marky_Mark - fingers crossed for the forecast.
Flavio - 4x 10 minutes at 10K seems quite hard. I think anything more than a mile at a time, maybe 2000m, at 10K pace is very hard unless you are a 50+ minute 10K runner.
***
64 miles, 1000 yards of swimming, and 3 hours of pool-runningM: 65 minutes pool-running and upper body weights/core.T: 12 miles, including a track workout of 400/800/1200/1200/800/400 + 2x200m in 97, 3:16, 4:56, 4:53, 3:12, 90 and then 42 and 42. 76 second recovery after the 400, 3 minutes recovery after most of the other intervals (3:30 after the second 1200 due to track congestion). Full recovery for the 200s. Followed with leg strengthwork, 500 yards swimming, and streaming yoga.W: 12 miles very easy (9:25), plus drills and 6 hill sprints, followed by streaming yoga.Th: Upper body weights/core and 70 minutes pool-running.F: 12 miles, including a tempo workout on the roads of 2x2 miles at 10 mile race effort with 5 minutes jogging recovery (13:37 as 6:49/6:48 and then 13:16 as 6:41/6:35), then full recovery before 6x30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy. Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards swimming Sa: 12 miles very easy (9:19) plus drills and 6 steep hill sprints, followed by streaming yoga.Su: 15 miles progressive, split as first 5 averaging 9:05, next 5 averaging 7:59, next 5 averaging 7:05, plus mile cooldown. Followed with streaming yoga, leg strengthwork, and 45 minutes pool-running.
Got my lousy right ankle examined by a fancy ultrasound this week. The good news was that I appear to have two healthy parallel posterior tibial tendons in that ankle now - the doctor agreed with my hypothesis that at some point one tendon decided to unzip down the middle and turn into two. There is no horizontal tear across the fibers, so no concerns about a potential rupture. And there's good blood flow to the tendon(s), which indicates healthy tissue.
The less good news is that she could not find my anterior talo-fibular ligament (the other thing that we were double checking) at all. I'm not sure what to make of that - presumably if the thing decided to tear completely she'd be able to see the remnants of it. I'm not sure what this means for the plan to treat that ligament with PRP - the PRP injections are ultrasound guided, and I'm not sure how one works around not being able to find the ligament. I'll just wait for the doctor to tell me what to do.
In the meantime, my fitness is improving quickly, and I was really happy with Friday and Sunday's workouts. Of course, both were in fantastic weather on a very fast route - that never hurts.
Darkwave - nice week.
Flavio - nice week too.
There is ZERO chance I could do a 4 * 10 minute at 10k pace workout. Yesterday I did 6 * 3:00 minutes intended around 10k pace, and was slower although there was a headwind for most of it and it was warm.
Watson - nice week. Yeah the forecast is still looking very good (keeps fingers crossed) although we are still 6 days out and its spring so things could change.
DWave - you have two of one tendon but you're missing another completely? I'm not sure I'd make that trade. Anyways nice week of training.
Flavio - nice week. Hopefully the race directors get themselves sorted, you know JMac looks down on us Kiwi's for our sometimes poor race organisation.
4x10min @ 10k - I ran 4 x 8 min @ 10k effort once. It was very tough but it went well - this was probably helped by the fact it was at 5:30am in the middle of winter running laps of the lakefront park in Wanaka (favourite time, favourite season, favourite place, also in the dark before sunrise).
Oh hang on, one more thing...
ITS RACE WEEK!! *
*assuming 95% chance the race goes ahead as planned
Hot Weather Complainer
Mark - Exciting times! Hope the taper goes well and the forecast stays the same. I think we're all looking forward to seeing you get to race. Good luck to watson too. Your training has been great, I think you're in a great position to grab a sub 1:30.
darkwave - Nice week. You appear to be a freak of nature, in the nicest possible way.
flavio - Nice week. I didn't see London live but have caught up now. Even the greats can fade it seems. Kipchoge looks way older than he is.
piwi - Nice long run this week, you're smashing it.
me - First week of building back up after my race. Legs feel recovered this time. My short workout on Wednesday felt great. It's been very warm for this early in Spring (with the exception of the polar blast early last week) but I expect some more cool days soon.
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
Wow some good weeks all around: Watson, Flavio, Steve, DarkWave, and Mark. Race week!! Whoo-hoo (even if it's not mine, that's exciting).
My week was fine, lots of crosstraining and a gradual (?) return to running
Mon mile swim, weights, 20 min run
Tue 20 min ez bike, 20 min run, mile swim
Wed 20 min ez bike, 1.2 mile swim, weights
Thur 20 min ez bike, 20 min tempo run, 40 min ez ride --tempo was nothing special 7:40, 7:05, 7:16 (.8mi) but it was nice to churn the wheels
Fri 1400m swim, weights, 30 min ez run, mile tempo w/ the oldest boy
Sat 90 min ez bike, 20 min ez jog + 2 hours walking
Sun hour jog + 2 hours walking
3:04 hour running, 3:10 biking, 2:39 swimming
I'm prepping dinner right now but I think I'll spin on the bike for 30 minutes latter as it's a great way to kick back and watch you tube. If you haven't seen it and are at all interested in Ultras: Ricky Gate's Transamericana is interesting, "The Last Mile" and Golden Hour are engrossing looks into Western States and I've now started a special on Big Dog's Back Yard Ultra which is a concept I've always loved.
I've also done a stupid. Upon successful / easy completion of an hour run today, I opted into the "elite" training plan for the study I mentioned before. I know that I wouldn't be able to stick with the tiny bit of running called out in the Advanced even if it's potentially the right amount for me *right now*.
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)