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

Jmac sorry about your dog 

So after five years of not running a half marathon, 2020 is not just completion but to dominate the half. But, training is where I’m confused with some key workouts to do. Any help/thoughts on this plan? It looks like it has some great speed work which is what I’m looking for. Some solid intervals on Tuesday and then tempo runs on Thursday is my plan. So the Tuesday intervals here seem to be a good starting place, but after not racing for so long, was curious to get some other eyes on it:

http://www.digitalrunning.com/advanced-half-marathon-training-plan/

So...I don't like this plan at all.

a) as noted by others, some of the workouts seem ludicrous - like the 8x1200 at VOmax with 2 minute recovery.

For the heck of it, I typed in my HM time of 85:30 from last month (I think I'm faster now) and was told that I should be running 1200s in 4:19-4:30.  I did 4x1200 yesterday in 4:31, 4:28, 4:28, 4:24 with around 2:40 recovery, and thought it was a solid, if slightly conservative workout.  I can tell you that doubling the # of reps while reducing the recovery to 2 minutes would have made for a brutal workout.

b) I don't like only one workout a week, plus a long run at easy pace.  I like to see some sort of quality at least twice a week.

c) my personal belief is that training cycles work best when one works on weaknesses at the beginning, and strengths at the end.  IIRC, you are someone who does better at shorter distances.  So this plan, which starts with a focus on speed, and then shifts to a focus on "threshold" would seem to be a bit backwards for you.  I'd honestly prefer a plan that had one workout of each for each week, with the emphasis shifting as you reach the goal race.

d) they have an expansive definition of threshold - for me at that 85:30 HM time, "threshold" pace is between 6:19 and 6:37.  That's a big range.  They have workouts of several repeats of 3 miles each - that is a vastly different workout depending on which side of their definition of "threshold" you run it at.

I'll echo the chorus of that being an awful plan. Forget the 8x1200; 6x1 mile at Vo2 max??? Are you crazy? 1 mile repeats at Vo2 max for more than 3x1 mile are for elites only. I would never attempt that workout.

I would also say this builds up mileage too much. I wouldn't attempt this if you were only running 35-40 mpw as stated on the site. This plan is more for people who have been playing around in the 50s and want to increase.

I'd also echo that you should buy a running book. Yeah, free stuff on the Internet is always better, but reading through books to understand how plans are structured is just as important as running the plan as prescribed. I obviously like Daniels, but Hansons is great as well, and so is Pfitz's road racing book.

Brew - at this point in a half cycle I would start focus on VO2 max. I think you've done a good job with the 200m/400m reps (although seemingly botching some aspect of it each time). I would do that for another week or two, then switch over to interval work while keeping up the LT work.

keen - if you get sick again, it's time you quite racing and just retire to the land of the uninspired and unfulfilled: ultras.

Kiwi athletes - I forgot Nathan Jones was actually a real person. I thought it was one of my made up names....

Watson - the only thing I really know about you is that you are a man of constant change. I've never heard a period of where it was just 6 months of "same old same old". Good luck on the new job.

This is the info I wanted.

I know Hanson has their plan online to use some of their stuff as a guide. Is the Pfitz book Advanced Marathoning the book to use? I'd like to just find some solid workouts from a couple of places and incorporate them. I know Hansons and Pfitz are both solid plans and its what works for me.

The 5x1 mile at 5kish pace yesterday has definitely left me tired today. I was planning on my own to do 4 miles that way, but felt good with the last mile. I'm just ready to bust the 5k and focus on a half at this point.

*edit* I bought Faster Road Racing.

mrakers - good luck on your half-marathon journey, you're in the right place.  I think sub 1:26 is very realistic.

JMac Perfect. Just about the time I figure out what the point of each workout is (longer recovery for REALLY fast running) I'm switching training. I was kind of thinking the same focus shift. Either I'm still in REALLY good shape from CIM, the reduced mileage is making a massive impact, or I'm sandbagging runs. 6x5T didn't really feel like much of a challenge for a 40 mile week workout. I assumed the VO2Max workouts would help with the 5K and HM. You didn't enjoy me nailing 7x400 with equal run/recovery around 84 seconds? 

uninspired and unfulfilled....I mean....it's not exactly a lie. I'd say more like "land of people who can be really nice, but kind of want to be left alone."

keen soccer? Do you use the metric system too? I'm pretty sure a lead balloon is considered flying wherever those metric units are used. I think it is just falling with style.

Reading Books I'll second reading books. Hansons, JD, Whole 30. All have a bunch of free information on the internet. Some of it loses the meaning/focus when it's retold second or third hand only because someone puts THEIR interpretation on things. I told coworkers doing a Whole 30 diet to spend the $20 and buy the book so they understand the point. 2 weeks in they fail because "oh well I read online" and the infomation they read wasn't correct, or accurate, and if they'd spent the $20 to see what the author said it would make sense. Same as me borrowing the JD book from the library vs. buying it. It's a lot easier, and convenient, to have the book to read and mark up with notes than it is to spend hours researching the free information. I tried it Monday for a workout and "Jack Daniels Cruise Intervals" kind of change the more and more I researched it vs actually reading what Jack himself wrote/said. How much are a pair of running shoes that last a few months and get tossed? A book lasts longer than any shoes I've owned. Except one pair of Solomon snowboots my step father gave me. They're about as old as me.

*fangirl scream* DID SOMEONE SAY HANSONS??? *end fangirl scream*

MMM BOP baby dop ba doo bop DOOBIE DOP BA DOO BOP baby dop ba doo.

mrakers Hansons has a 3x1 mile at 5K pace with something like a 600m jog repeat. 1-3 mile warm up and their weekly mileage is based on a 1.5 mile warm up and cool down for their workouts.

 

But....last Friday night was Valentines day, and I thought that was more important than fitting in another race

Bringing this over from the other thread to vehemently disagree (I'm not joining that thread until I start marathon training - why get slammed before I need to).  I can't think of any scenario where Valentines Day is more important than a race.  I'm shocked darkwave, shocked I say!

 

Bringing this over from the other thread to vehemently disagree (I'm not joining that thread until I start marathon training - why get slammed before I need to).  I can't think of any scenario where Valentines Day is more important than a race.  I'm shocked darkwave, shocked I say!

We all have our own balance, and that's mine.  My sig other is NOT a runner, doesn't really understand running, and is remarkably tolerant about all the crazy stuff I do.   I've run races on our anniversary, and he's been fine with it (and stayed home to watch the cats and clean the litter boxes).  He's a treasure.

So when I'm thinking about doing a low key 5K as a tune-up, and he then asks me if we can do something on Valentine's day, the answer is a resounding yes, and the 5K gets shelved.