Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2020 (Read 618 times)

JoshWolf


Part of TLC

    How steady is your pacing on your longer efforts? I personally manually lap my watch every 5 minutes just to get feedback on that however, I also check my watch roughly every 100 breaths (roughly 2:15-2:20 at tempo effort). My 20 minute tempo WO went like this

     

    100 breath pace = 6:50 (I feel that's a touch too hot)

    5 min lap pace = 6:59 (i.e. 2nd half of the lap was at ~7:10)

    100 breath pace = 7:10 (mentally refocus on finding the right pace)

    5 min pace = 6:56

    100 breath pace = 7:10 (refocus)

    5 min pace = 6:59

    100 breath pace = 7:15 (refocus, but caveat I had small rolling hills here, the rest was almost flat)

    5 min pace = 6:58

     

    In short I seem to be running 2.5 minute "switchblade" workouts alternating between 6:50ish and 7:10 instead of just holding 7 flat. Should I obsessively check the watch more often? Maybe autolap every minute? Is running similar to horseshoes and hand grenades?

     

    Quick drive-by-intervention:

     

    Are those paces on different screens? That might be the reason - my Garmin often shows running paces that are slower than my time per km on auto lap. Another possible reason: Counting to 100 makes you lose focus, in turn you run slower. In an ideal world I'd advise you to forget about the watch and run strictly by effort. In my own real world I just manage to not to get waaayyy too fast, but I always get faster and faster towards the end of tempos or cruise intervals. Maybe that's just old age and I need more time to really warm up. As long as my breathing isn't labored I don't really care, though.

     

    Me - everything's alright, just extremely busy. I'll be back.

    Don't hurry - next AG will start 2026

    zebano


       

      Quick drive-by-intervention:

       

      Are those paces on different screens? That might be the reason - my Garmin often shows running paces that are slower than my time per km on auto lap. Another possible reason: Counting to 100 makes you lose focus, in turn you run slower. In an ideal world I'd advise you to forget about the watch and run strictly by effort. In my own real world I just manage to not to get waaayyy too fast, but I always get faster and faster towards the end of tempos or cruise intervals. Maybe that's just old age and I need more time to really warm up. As long as my breathing isn't labored I don't really care, though.

       

      Me - everything's alright, just extremely busy. I'll be back.

       

      Interesting thoughts. I do all may splits manually on the watch so the counting to 100 is kind of a mechanism in that I know if I do it twice, I'll be close to 5 minutes. I suppose I can actually setup a workout on the watch and see what happens. Regarding your first question, no. My screen during workouts shows elapsed time, lap duration, lap average pace, lap distance. When I push the button I see duration + lap pace but it matches what I see on that screen. My breathing was labored in the final 2 minutes of this workout so I think I got the overall effort about right.

       

      Regarding the warmup you mentioned, I've been very deliberate this year in that workouts are always preceded by 15-20 minutes easy running, 5 minutes of moderate, then 4-6 strides followed by another 2-5 minutes where I let the HR come back down (often just standing). This makes my warmups at 30 minutes long but it has helped me feel really ready to roll during the first rep.

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

      Marky_Mark_17


        Ugh, think the second set of antibiotics (Doxycycline) have whacked my running a bit.  I'm feeling heaps better but sustaining efforts is pretty hard work at the moment.  My course of antibiotics is only supposed to finish a couple days before Mt. Half so I'm definitely just going to run that one on feel 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: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

        Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

        "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

          Mark sounds nasty. You must have had a doozy of a bug.

           

          My manflu cleared today so I celebrated with 10kms this morning and 10kms this afternoon. My legs are very fresh after 2 rest days.

          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 "      

           

          flavio80


          Intl. correspondent

            Zeb - Let me show you another side of this. As you know, training is done by effort, not pace. Pace is a rough guideline.

            I’m also a nerd for numbers, what I do is check the pace a third of the way in the first 3 or so reps. Usually I can figure out how fast to go for I and T pace based on my cadence.

            All that said, I just see the result on the watch at the end of the rep and think - I need to slow down / I need to pick it up a bit. And then live with that.

            Some days you will be faster, others not so much.

             

            Steve - You on the other hand should be looking down at your watch every 100m during your race 

             

            Piwi - I'm glad the manflu has left you.

             

            Mark - I see that Doxycycline made you run 4:11 per km. I'll try a double shot of that see if I can run that fast too 

            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

            JMac11


            RIP Milkman

              Steve - good luck this week, i'm sure we will check in more as we get closer.

               

              Mark - I agree with Flavio, I'll take whatever bug you have if you're still running sub 7:00 over 10 miles!

               

              Piwi - feeling good enough to go after a PR?

               

              Zebano/Keen - I missed this chess match starting. I feel like Mark used to play too, no?

              5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

               

               

              CommanderKeen


              Cobra Commander Keen

                Mark - Sounds like the antibiotics are treating you about like they do me. I always run terribly while they're in my system.


                Piwi - Good that you're over that bug.


                JMac - Do you want in on the chessic action? I thought I remembered Mark having played before, too

                5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22

                 

                Upcoming Races:

                 

                 

                zebano


                   

                  Zebano/Keen - I missed this chess match starting. I feel like Mark used to play too, no?

                   

                  No idea, but Keen and on our third game now. I'd always welcome another game.

                   

                  Mark - I'm going to pile on and say sub 7 minute miles while sick garners no sympathy from me lol. That sucks that the first round didn't do the trick.

                   

                  I'm doing another workout today, I'm going to try and actually program the watch to do the intervals and just run them by feel. We'll see what happens. I have to admit though, that lately I haven't had any real structure to my workouts, they're just whatever I want to do on a given day since with Covid I figure I'm not training for a particular race so I might as well just enjoy things.

                   

                  Piwi - doubling !! You're gonna rip a sub 37 10k here soon aren't you?

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

                  JMac11


                  RIP Milkman

                    No chess for me, I know how the pieces move and that's it. Probably have played less than 20 games in my life.

                    5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                     

                     

                      Jmac thats 20 more games of chess than me 

                      By PB you mean 50+ ? I probably could run faster than that 38:55 strava run in my signature but it would need to be on a flat course at a cool time of day.

                       

                      Zebano sub 37 is my current 5k pace  so im nowhere near that. I only ever ran sub 37 twice and that was in my mid 40s when I was really motivated and running 60 mpw.

                       

                      I did manage a nice 10k paced workout this morning with 6kms @ 3.50/km but it was on dead flat road and in 12c which won't be the conditions or course next weekend 

                      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 "      

                       

                      Marky_Mark_17


                         

                        Mark - I'm going to pile on and say sub 7 minute miles while sick garners no sympathy from me lol. That sucks that the first round didn't do the trick.

                         

                         

                        I'm starting to wonder if it was even a sinus infection in the first place or just some weird virus.  Whatever it was pretty much cleared up several days ago so I'm going to stop the second round of antibiotics early.  My doctor had prescribed them for 14 days but all the research I've found says 7-10 days is recommended even if it's a second round of antibiotics (noting that there is a real tendency to over-prescribe) and I've done that much.

                         

                        Again, this is why I'm never running a marathon again.  Last time I got injured, this time I got sick.

                         

                        Steve - good luck for tomorrow!! Just go out and have fun!!

                         

                        On a related note, I have seriously good memories of this weekend from last year when I ran the half at Kerikeri (it's always the same day as Queenstown!).  It seems like a long time ago now for many reasons but, damn, that race was something else.  I still can't quite believe I ran 1:10, I know I've copped some flak for it being downhill but even looking at the splits now I was running 3:20/km on the flat for the last few km which was above average race pace (including the downhill) so I must've absolutely nailed my pacing.

                         

                        Even though my training has been pretty disrupted since the marathon, I'm still looking forward to having a good crack at Southern Lakes HM in May next year.  There's an outside chance of breaking 1:10 if I can have another day like 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"

                        SteveChCh


                        Hot Weather Complainer

                          Thanks Mark.  I know of a couple of people (overseas) who thought they had a sinus infection and it turned out to be Covid, but I assume you'll have been tested.

                           

                          This race week with a Saturday race day really creeps up - I'd been thinking of things I need to get done this week and had pencilled them in for Saturday forgetting I'll be racing then at the pub then flying home...last time I did Queenstown it was on Canterbury Anniversary weekend which has a holiday on the Friday but no such luck this year.  I'll put another reminder out there that there is tracking on the Runaway app (bib number 3300) because if I imagine people tracking it will make me feel accountable.  It's not the best though with the only mid-race update at 11km which won't tell you much.

                           

                          I've been thinking about my strategy with the goal to finish strong and not spend the last few km thinking about never running again.  The first half is harder with more winding and climbing - it is a net downhill course but that's basically all down to one brutal downhill at about 3.5km from the road down to the river trail where you need to focus hard on not falling down the hill.  4-6km have a few little climbs and one at 9km but the rest is fast and flat.

                           

                          I think I'll spend the first 3km easing into a steady 4:15-20 pace because that's all on the road and flat.  If I get any hints that it's a bad day I'll try and adjust quickly.  I've had headphones for last 2 races which I think made sense given one was running solo and one was a very small race where I slotted into 6th and didn't see anyone for the rest of the race.  I've decided no headphones this time and to relax and talk to people at the start and maybe even the first few km.  They have bands along the course and great scenery so I'm going to try and soak it all in and enjoy the atmosphere.

                           

                          A slight hiccup is my ride to the start is in doubt which means I may have to get the shuttle so I'll have to leave an hour earlier and have lots more waiting round.  I was very spoiled last time with a drop off 30 mins before the start close to the start area.  I know those who have done Boston or New York will consider this hiccup ridiculous but hey, it's the advantage we get for being isolated in a tiny country - along with not having to run the full distance of course.  Last time I ran this it actually measured 21.09 which is the lowest ever in a "big" race but possibly not surprising due to the winding trails.

                          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

                          zebano


                            Steve, That sounds like a smart plan. I always advocate planning to start conservatively, build and if all goes well, negative split. My best races have gone that way anyways. Do you have a plan for the giant downhill beyond "don't fall".

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

                            SteveChCh


                            Hot Weather Complainer

                              zebano - I think it only lasts 100 metres or so but it's very steep if I remember correctly (so it will probably end up not as bad as I imagine) so I'll probably just be careful not to fall and look forward to getting back to the flat and enjoying myself.

                              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

                              watsonc123


                                +1 to Steve starting slowly.

                                 

                                Elbow break healing well.

                                 

                                Shoulder not so much.  Still very limited ROM, although is improving slowly.  Had another x-ray, no shoulder breaks.  About to have UltraSound.

                                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