Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2020
3 months til Masters
Life is busy. I'll be back after my 8k in two weeks. Also a little annoyed with the marathon thread people. Going to be off the boards a bit to spend more time running and less time being annoyed.
2023 Goals
Marathon Sub 2:37 (CIM) 2:41:18
10k Sub 35:00 (Victory 10k 34:19)
5k Sub 16:00 (Hot Dash 5k in March (16:48), Brian Kraft in May (16:20), Twilight 5000 in July and August (16:20/16:25 Both heat index 102-103F)
Sub 1:16 Half Marathon City of Lakes Half Marathon 1:15:47)
Sub 56:30 in 10 mile (Twin Cities 10 mile, Canceled due to weather, 56:35 as a workout)
2024 Goals
Sub 2:37 Marathon
Sub 1:15 Half
Sub 34 10k
Sub 16 5k
DPS - bummer, it's been great having another regular on this thread. That marathon thread is a little nuts right now though.
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 peaked onto the marathon thread a few weeks ago. In the very unlikely situation that I decided on a late 2020 marathon, I think I'd avoid that thread.
Re back to back workouts - there's definitely something true regarding the volume - intensity trade-off. There's a certain range for a distance where it's probably doesn't matter too much. I suspect a half marathon runner could do just well on 50 miles a week or 70 miles a week, it's just that the 50 miles a week would need more intensity (in terms of absolute miles).
My hamstring is getting better. Nine days ago when at the physio when I tried single leg unweighted deadlifts on my left leg I almost looked like I had Parkinson's I was that unstable, a couple of days ago at the physio it was much better - so quite a few things were added to my routine.
I am now onto a mix of skipping, bike, single leg glue bridges, single leg unweighted deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts with a dumbbell, crab walk with a theraband, hamstring stretches, hamstring rolling, passive lumbar extensions (many times per day), and star balance tap.
Hopefully next weekend I'll be allowed to do some running.
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
Watson - sounds like good progress.
Me - pretty solid week as I start to get into some serious training. Few little niggles but nothing major. Thursday's MP workout was a confidence builder, a couple of seconds/km behind goal pace but given humid weather and a workout the day before it was a good start.
M: 6.5km recovery, weight
T: 16km easy
W: 14km w/ short intervals
T: 21.1km with 1 hr @ MP (avg 3:47/km)
F: weights
S: 14km track session (400's, 200's, 800's)
S: 24.6km long run
Total: 96.2km / 59.8 miles
JamesD
Darkwave/Elizabeth/Keen - Good luck, all! Get those PRs!
Me - This was a down week after 48/49/50 miles the last three. Was pleased with Monday’s tempo run, especially that I was able to hold pace for four miles after doing almost no faster running since my half in November. Also got in runs on five consecutive days for the first time I can remember, though at reduced mileage. Sinus trouble seems to have become a chest cough that’s annoying but not affecting my running much.
Highlight of the week, though, was going to Atlanta today to watch the U.S. Olympic marathon team trials races. Those of you who are interested will have seen it on TV, so all I have to add is that: 1) it was windy enough that several times, water bottles that presumably contained a decent amount of liquid were blown off the tables; and 2) at least four noticeably pregnant women ran - none of them very quickly, but faster than I would have expected given their sizes. Good crowds, especially considering that it was cold and windy enough to discourage mildly interested locals from checking it out. In keeping with Atlanta's reputation, the hills looked long and continuous, and I think I'll hold off on any goal races there until I can get a PR elsewhere.
Sun - off
Mon - 9.1 miles including 4.1 @ 6:48 (each mile between 6:46 and 6:51)
Tues - 7.3 really slow and easy @ 8:58
Weds - 7.8 slow @ 8:35
Thurs - 4.1 slow @ 8:41
Fri - 6.8 moderate including strides, 5.7 pre-strides @ 8:21
Sat - off
Total - 35.2 miles
12/26/52-week averages - 39/35/34 mpw
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
Intl. correspondent
Keen - so far so good. We’re at a lovely town, very quiet and clean, such a contrast to downtown Rome or Florence.
We’ve actually hired a consultant to baby sit us during the process, that’s making our lives a lot easier.
Keen - Darkwave - Elizabeth - Go get it!!!!
DPS - I hope things settle down on your end.
Watson - hang in there, you’ll be back at running in no time and this time from a stronger position.
me - running 6 days for the first time in a while due to being too lazy to run last Sunday.
It seems I'll be running 6 days a week from now on. Some fast stuff is planned for next week.
M: 30 min ez
T: 45 min ez
W: 60 min ez
S: 45 min ezS: 60 min ez
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
Hot Weather Complainer
Looks like it's been a tough day of racing, although I haven't seen how Elizabeth got on. Hopefully everyone pulls up okay and will live to fight another day.
After my good workout on Wednesday night (70 mins with 4x2km HMP), I've had very sore and tired legs. I had a massage scheduled for Saturday luckily, and have broken in some new shoes so hopefully things start improving now.
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
Mother of Cats
Hi all - checking in.
I dropped out of my marathon very early today. I think I've mentioned that I've been dealing with some intermittent pain/burning/stiffness in my hips and hamstrings over the last two weeks. Very early in my marathon today (right after a section on cambered road) my right leg started cramping and burning. When my gait started to feel off, I pulled the plug rather than run myself into a torn muscle. This was very early in the race, around mile 5 (had I been at mile 24, I probably would have forced it).
I'm not sure what is going on, but I need to shut stuff down and figure this out. I think I can bounce back pretty quickly once I figure out what the issue is. But, there's no point to forcing stuff until I have this underlying issue fixed.
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.
Sorry to hear this darkwave, but sounds like a very sensible call, that I think a lot of us would hesitate to make and end up paying for it. Much better option than doing serious damage.
DW - Bummer, hope you get it figured out
Mark - I didn't know Faith no More were still Touring! I better check that out. Loved your 10k RR btw, strong running as usual.
JMac - I read your injury question in the marathon thread. If it's your tendon... I would be careful. Back in 2018 I ignored my hamstring tendon injury and said if it doesn't get worse I'll train through it and then figure it out after my race. That was two and a half months of what seemed like a niggle. That cost me 13 months of no running afterwards. Depending on what's happening, even if it feels the same, you keep re-injuring the spot after it's healed a tiny little bit, and tendinitis can turn into tendinopathy. I had altered my gait even if I didn't know it and my left side was way weaker than my right when I finally saw my doctor. My other recent tendon injury was my triceps tendon when I combined a hard swimming workout with cutting a bunch of scrap wood with a reciprocating saw the same day in late May last year. I tried one more swim workout after 3 days of rest and it hurt a lot more than my hamstring ever did. I shut down my training completely, iced for pain in the beginning and did some heat after a few days for increased blood flow, and was good to go again in about 2 weeks. I know what option I preferred out of those 2...
Watson - Good news about your hammy
Flavio - I always think about you if I miss my strength training. Don't let me down now
Keen - Looked like a tough day out there today.
Elizabeth - Looking forward to hearing about your race.
Everybody else - Hi!
Double workouts - Double threshold training (2 in one day) are all the rage in Norway now since the Ingebrigtsens supposedly do them.
I'm doing my best to stay patient with my running, and increasing distance very slowly, and supplementing with strength training (that most times doesn't make it onto Strava). Been busy at work and haven't felt like running when it's dark outside, so my running has mostly been limited to the weekends. Just realized with my short distances I can easily supplement with some lunch runs now, so I will hopefully try that this week.
Also realizing that I should stop by here more often. At least I'm far away from any marathon training so I can just ignore the marathon thread.
5k: 20:32 (1/17) | HM: 1:34:37 (2/18) | FM: 3:31:37 (3/18)
Getting back into it
Recovery Phenom
Welp, that was a NO on the sub 1:30 half. Details here.
26.2 x 31 (3:15:34 PR)
13.1 x 35 (1:30:58 PR)
Author of the book Boston Bound
Tough day all round for the racers. Nice report Elizabeth, and sounds like you've got a good attitude about the race, despite not quite hitting your goal. I don't think it will be long until you break that barrier.
CK - Hope you've recovered and are feeling okay. Look forward to hearing about it in the next day or 2 when you are capable!
Darkwave - totally the right call by you. I would love to say I was sensible enough to do the same, but I would probably keep going...
Elizabeth - that's a nice RR. I pay big time when I start too fast, much more than you did. I'm wondering if the Vaporfly's do help you a little, even if just in the 30-60s range for a half?
Darkwave - Sorry about your leg trouble; seems like you did the right thing.
Elizabeth - Thanks for the good RR. What sort of taper did you do? I was blown away by your tempo workout about 10 days out, and I know you recover quickly, but I wonder whether you might have done better with more of a taper. Regardless, I think you'll get under 1:30 sometime soon.
Another example of why I"m glad for this place - DW posted on Facebook pictures of the Olympic marathon trials races. One of her friends replied asking in all seriousness how I had done. I know nonrunners don't get it, but that reminded me of exactly how much they don't get, and why it's good to have you people. (For the record, had I been allowed to run, I would've beaten the 8-month-pregnant woman and the 7-month-pregnant woman but not the woman who gave birth 4 weeks ago and ran a 3:14 on a very hilly course.)
Had a good week for me...
M - 9 easy on the treadmill around 8:20 pace
Tu - 10 miles: WU+CD/20 mins @ LT, 4 min recovery, 18 @ LT. Did not hit pace on second half especially. Muddy area but was tired. W - 7.5 easy
Th - 6.5 easy
F - 4.5 recovery
Sa - 18 total throughout the day: 5k PR - 18:32 for 2nd OA, was a 28 second PR since December. 2.65 wu, 3.1 race, 5.35 cd, 7 miles on treadmill later in day. Su - 5.1 miles @ recovery
Total 60.6 miles
Going to start following a Pftizinger guided plan this week since no more races til a speed check 10k 3 weeks pre-HM.