Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2020
Hot Weather Complainer
Sorry to hear this JMac - hopefully you can find something to maximise the shape you're in right now. I'm now officially worried about the ChCh marathon. Given NZ's isolation we'll probably have a lag of a few months before the cancellation craziness arrives. Would be frustrating as it's the end of a 9 month training cycle, but not much I can do about it.
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
Problem Child
JMac that sucks. I must be in the minority of people worried about COVID-19 simply because the flu happens every year and nothing gets canceled. somehow this new COVID-19 election year virus is all of a sudden so horrible we need to stop cruise ships and society needs to stay inside in full panic mode. Three hour drive? So I assume you'll be getting a hotel.
Workout today went well. 5x1.2k. First 4 went well and number 5 was all about breaking the mentality of quitting. It wasn't even close to pace (6:05 conservative goal to try and see how race pace MIGHT feel) and it was in the same heart rate range I'd expect (170ish) for a VO2 max aerobic workout. I think 172 starts pushing my lactate threshold heart rate but at 5k pace after 4.8k of hard running I was seriously starting to doubt myself finishing at 6:05 pace and just didn't want to quit.
Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.
VDOT 53.37
5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22
Mother of Cats
I would very much like not to be trapped at home for 2 weeks and not be able to go running. So that's one reason to not want COVID-19.
I also have some concerns about a) myself (because of asthma) and b) my parents, who are in their 70s.
I was planning on visiting my parents in the next few weeks, but may skip, just to be safe, since one can be shedding the virus without symptoms, and it's already in my area (but not where my parents are)
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.
Zebano my wife said I was grumpy during marathon training but that was back in 2014. Its definitely draining when you try to fit in work, home chores and been a parent.
I think when losing motivation to race it's been important for me to do some running even though that was only 12 to 16 miles per week. This last down period I got that up to 25 mpw which has been better.
Mark I wonder if your brother has your running potential?
I watched some of that LA marathon on youtube but the coverage was very patchy cutting between womens, men's, wheelchair and lots if street reporters talking to spectators. The commentary was hard work. They had Des Sinden I think who was great but the guys were terrible.
It was an Asics sponsored race and Zane is now sponsored by Asics. He was wearing bright pink shoes that looked a bit like 4 % but I guess they were Asics.
Brew those workouts are always tough. Nice job on the first four.
5 x 1000s knackers me.
I'm sure you guys have seen this one doing the rounds
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 "
Steve - it's very early days so I wouldn't worry too much about CHC yet (that is what I am trying to tell myself). So far our border control and self-isolation protocols seem to have been very effective and I think (hope) the hysteria will peak over the next 2-3 weeks. Waterfront HM and Rotorua Marathon will probably send a pretty clear signal one way or the other.
(you could always do Southern Lakes - the chance of a 500-capacity race getting shut down is lower because at that level you'd have to shut most schools around the country!!)
Darkwave - agreed, it seems to really only be the elderly or those with existing medical conditions who are at risk. Bizarrely kids (who also have developing immune systems) seem to be almost totally unaffected.
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: Runway5 / National 5k Champs, 16:22, National Masters AG Champ!
Up next: Still working on that...
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
JamesD
JMac - Sorry to hear it. Hope the new race works out. I’m hoping the small April 25 half I’m considering does take place, because if not, I’ll have to wait until fall for an attractive half anywhere near. It's a 3-1/2 hour drive, but to a town we've never visited (Aiken, SC), and it seems like it would be a fun trip.
Zebano - No offense taken at all. I might have handled the deluge ok if my water-resistant vest had actually been waterproof, but I’m flexible enough with my running times (I’m retired) that I can usually just avoid running in heavy rains and so haven’t felt the need to buy something light and truly waterproof and expensive. Now that it’s starting to warm up, I should be ok for the next several months even when it does rain. I was fine going 11 easy in the rain today, but light rain at 60 with no wind is nothing like heavy rain in the low 50s with strong wind.
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
Not an 80%er
Rakers - burgers and cake sounds just perfect!
Jmac - it’s good to know you’re getting better. Sorry to hear the race was cancelled. If the US numbers continue to skyrocket I assume they will cancel a lot of other races too.
On the bright side you guys are getting refunds unlike with the Tokyo marathon.
Brew - at least sub 19. Start out at that pace and hang on for dear life. If your face is not blue (due to lack of oxygen) by the end of the 2nd mile you’re doing it wrong.
Embrace!!!
Darkwave - hopefully your injury does not last long
Mark - It really depends, it could be an issue if you need to take your daughter to the ER for some reason and it’s overcrowded with COVID patients.
Piwi - I agree with Jmac, go run one of those park runs behind someone’s yard.
Hilarious picture. On a more serious note, here's a picture of a soldier distributing food to the population in quarantined Italy
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)
Tool to generate Strava weekly
Flavio I might be blue in the face from the conditions. It's supposed to be kind of cold out there for race day. Sub 19 is pretty high up there in my book for some reason.
Stotan Disciple
JMAC - 3/14 You can always put that fitness to good use if you want to ride a bike and escort me on the OSR 30M urban race.
I wanted to sign up but don't have a bike escort which is required. 2 really fast guys (Kilgore & Reitinger) are running, your job would be to keep me from getting lost and them in sight + Fluids, gels directions, encouragement etc. Console me on why I'm racing off the grid.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9kkOOqHFkw/
These two (half) races below I have runners in that are local enough.
Queens Distance Run3/22
Philly Love Run 3/29
Thinking should be done first, before training begins.
Philly love run is a good race. One big hill (in two parts - up, flat, up, flat, down, flat, down), but otherwise very fast
RIP Milkman
I'm in for the Queens Half! I'm supposed to be in Hawaii 3/29, but as with racing, that's all theoretical. I hate living with all of those unknown. Right now, my company is forcing work-at-home, so I just don't know what any component of my life is going to look like over the next month. Guess that's the new normal.
Brew - I second Flavio's point. If you aren't starting mile 3 thinking "I've made a huge mistake" you're running too easy. I find the 1/2 mile from 2.0 to 2.5 to be horrifyingly difficult. Not close enough to the finish to get through it mentally, but the pain is 10/10. Embrace the suck.
Flavio - what is in higher demand right now, toilet paper or cannolis?
Piwi - amazed they ran LA. Unfortunately all the of the latest coverage in the US is to shut everything down. Get ready to watch your beloved OKC play in an empty stadium. It's going to be weird when someone throws down a huge dunk and it's dead quiet in the arena.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Good luck Jmac! Glad you'll be able to squeeze in a race before everything else cancels. Gotta wonder when we will see the official word on Boston now. The governor has declared a state of emergency and Hopkinton, Ma schools have closed now. My guess even slightly smaller events now will fall that way
1mile: 4:46 (12/20) | 5K: 15:57 (3/21) | 10K: 33:40 (4/20) | 15K 51:43 (4/21) | HM: 1:15:03 (12/20) | FM: 2:40:30 (1/20)
I'm really hoping the NBA broadcasts from empty arenas, it would be awesome to hear all the smack talk that goes on.
I'm 99.9% certain Boston won't be run. =(
I always break 5ks up into 4 parts
mile 0-1 - You know it's quick but you're semi-relaxed and cruising .
mile 1-2 - Roll up the sleeves, work noticeably harder than mile 1 but somehow go the exact same speed (or horror of horrors, slower)
mile 2-2.5 - who the hell thinks 5ks are a good idea anyway? This is the stupidest thing you've ever done. Work your tail off and go nowhere. It's like running two second laps in an 800m.
Mile 2.5-done - somehow find a second wind because you know the end is coming soon.... try really hard not to hurl.
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
Get ready to watch your beloved OKC play in an empty stadium. It's going to be weird when someone throws down a huge dunk and it's dead quiet in the arena.
I may actually watch an NBA game, then, to see if it reminds me of my days playing on our college's court (except for the huge dunk part, of course). If our 15,000-seat on-campus arena wasn't being used, students could play pickup games on its court, and some friends & I did so many times. The squeaks of our shoes and the other player noises would echo around the empty arena. Lots of fun, even though as a basketball player I had all the explosiveness and jumping ability of a slow-twitch distance runner.
Brew - it's 6, 7 minutes of misery at most in a 5k. As opposed to at least half an hour in a marathon. OK it's slightly more intense than marathon suffering but 5 minutes after the race you'll be feeling fine, maybe even thinking about how you could improve next time.
Piwi - yeah I'm not really sure about my brother in terms of running. He was never great at sports but neither was I, really. He has 2 (soon to be 3) kids and a very demanding job so we'll probably never know.
Hit a 30km long run this morning with the last 10km at MP. I wore a pair of the original VF's that I got cheaply end-of-line that I've been saving for longer MP work. Averaged 3:42/km which was really pleasing considering goal pace is 3:45/km - admittedly I did kick it up a bit the last 2km because I was feeling good. This week is kind of the last week of the first block of marathon training with a lighter week next week so I'm feeling good with where things are at.
About halfway through the tempo block I was catching up to a guy, who heard me coming and kept turning around to see where I was. He definitely sped up to try and not get passed and looked quite freaked out. When I did pass him I was tempted to tell him to just do his own thing and don't worry about me. A couple of weeks ago Cameron Brown (12x Ironman winner) screamed past me in almost the exact same spot and I just had to admire it.