Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2020
Watson - fair enough, sorry I was probably a bit sarcastic there (humour as a coping mechanism...). I spend so much time on the move I've gotten used to doing it onscreen but it's hard to beat a good hard copy for a proper read.
Flavio - we do get less tourists but many of them are Chinese. The culture here around social distancing is quite mixed. Quite distanced around European, very much the opposite in Maori and Polynesian cultures. If it got into South Auckland it could escalate quite quickly.
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"
All the silly people went to the supermarket this evening.
I went to the liquor store. The supermarkets will be open, given they're essential services, but I'm not 100% confident that the liquor store would meet that definition.
If this is going to be the end of the world, or even just a 4 week lockdown, I'm going to need some decent strength alcohol.
For the record, that was the first time I've ever bought a 1.75l bottle of bourbon (that's 60oz for those of you in imperial-land).
(for those unfamiliar with NZ's liquor licensing rules, supermarkets can sell beer and wine, but not spirits)
Monday Morning! Whoo hoo. How's everyone doing? More coronavirus chat I see. I just want to offer up that the best part of working from home is that I can bake muffins every single morning!! So far I'm just using pre-made mixes but I'm going to try out Shalane Flanagan's Superhero Apple/Carrot recipe tomorrow. The downside is I've totally eaten myself out of bananas and need to go to the store.
JMac, I'm looking forward to that race report!
Mrakers, if you continue running high mileage with workouts through the summer and don't burn out (see what I did there hahaha .. sorry Monday morning) you're going to be in exceptional shape when we can actually race again. Just look at it a chance to hit the biggest PR since you outran your newbie gains. Kudos on the weight loss and single ab!
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
Intl. correspondent
LOL silly me making plans. The government has banned Amazon from delivering anything non essential. Which of course makes a lot of sense.
So I did suicide steps instead. 6 flors of stairs, from the ground up one level of stairs and back down, up 2 floors of stains and back down, up 3 floors of stairs etc etc.
My wife wants me to do an Aerohit class, but I'm not so sure. I don't have the Gaga costume to go with it.
Anyway, let's have a look at this compilation of mayors/governors from Italy telling people to stay home.
Compilation
@Marco - Once you've watched it, please let me know how many of them you could understand. Someone from Napoli was translating what the mayor of the open caskets was saying to another Italian on Reddit
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
Also Marco - I hope your family is alright
RIP Milkman
I will comment on a lot of this later, but one thing Flavio missed that they just don't know that could work very badly for New Zealand but be a positive for North America / Europe: the virus is seasonal. If this virus actually does tend to go more dormant in hot weather, the northern hemisphere is in a lot better shape than the southern hemisphere as we head into summer. Of course, this will reverse around September, but just something for the NZ folks to keep in mind. There's been some evidence that even in China, the virus wreaked a lot less havoc in the south than it did in the north.
In a positive note: I agree with the need for a good work chair and a good home office. I worked in our living room all last week and my wife in the bedroom. We've switched for this week. It's actually nice, feels like I'm somewhere very different this week
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Mother of Cats
I feel compelled to note that I have worked from home full time for coming on 12 years, and I have not used a desk and chair for 11 years and 11 months of those 12. (At the very beginning, I had the standard home office, but quickly abandoned it).
I do most of my work lying on my back on the floor, with my head propped up on a yoga block or foam roller. I bend my knees and keep the laptop there. This is really comfortable and I can work this way for hours (and regularly do). No matter how great the desk/chair set up, it's always been miserable for me to sit for too long.
...As someone has over a decade of experience working in a way that others are now adjusting to, I have two recommendations:
1) use your cell phone as your work line, rather than a computer VOIP or similar, or a land line (if you still have it). That way you can get up and move around or grab something to eat during long conference calls.
2) have a clear "tech cut-off" boundary each evening - no checking of email, phone calls, etc after that time unless it's an emergency. Otherwise you lose all boundaries between work and personal life.
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.
Cobra Commander Keen
JMac - Awesome job on the HM TT!Am I alone in thinking that a TT PR is almost by definition "soft"? Competition goes a long way toward helping performances.
Mark - Killer performance in the 10,000! Quite the healthy lead over 2nd, too. Off to read that RR.
DPS - You're killing me in the mileage game thus far. Stay safe, man.
Flavio - I don't recognize any of those brands, but that doesn't mean anything. In general, heavier is better and it can absorb the impact from running better. Folding treadmills save space, but adds moving parts that can break (and they're usually lighter, and thus don't hold up as well). I'd go for a more robust treadmill vs one with a swanky screen or fancy programs built-in. Too bad deliveries have been shut down, though.
A bit over 57 miles for me last week, all easy. A LRS has setup a virtual race series (run a 5k, 10k, and HM on different weekends) that starts this weekend. Not sure I'm in any sort of fast racing shape, so maybe I'll just do some sort of workout.
As an oddity for me, I listed to some short podcasts during my LR. One was an interview with an ultra runner in France, which was quite the eye opener as it sounds like they're basically in a police state right now. Papers needed to leave your house for any valid reason (groceries, pharmacy, exercise - but maybe only 1 mile or so). Police and military handing out ~$150USD citations to anyone who violates this (including homeless). Unemployment 40%+ "when the government reports it". Oy.
5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22
Upcoming Races:
OKC Memorial 5k - April 27
Bun Run 5k - May 4
not bad for mile 25
I bought my office chair on the way home, when I was evicted from my work office. Glad I did. My butt appreciates it.
I do most of my work lying on my back on the floor, with my head propped up on a yoga block or foam roller. I bend my knees and keep the laptop there. This is really comfortable and I can work this way for hours (and regularly do).
This is very cool, but I would have difficulty working with a dog on top of me, licking my face.
...As someone has over a decade of experience working in a way that others are now adjusting to, I have two recommendations: 1) use your cell phone as your work line, rather than a computer VOIP or similar, or a land line (if you still have it). That way you can get up and move around or grab something to eat during long conference calls. 2) have a clear "tech cut-off" boundary each evening - no checking of email, phone calls, etc after that time unless it's an emergency. Otherwise you lose all boundaries between work and personal life.
Excellent advice. Thanks.
JMac - yeah I did have the same thought re winter and flu season. If the 4 week lockdown here stamps it out, we will be OK, otherwise things might get interesting as May is when things start to get noticeably colder.
Darkwave - good tips. We started to promote a lot more flexible working over the last year and had all the right tools but were a little slow to change culture and adopt - this has forced change quite quickly! I'm lucky to have separate work and personal mobile phones, so I can just ignore the work one when it suits me to do so.
Keen - even if we got more police state here, we don't have enough police and military to really enforce it! I'd just avoid running near the airbase and I'd be fine haha.
Hot Weather Complainer
For the record, that was the first time I've ever bought a 1.75l bottle of bourbon (that's 60oz for those of you in imperial-land). (for those unfamiliar with NZ's liquor licensing rules, supermarkets can sell beer and wine, but not spirits)
I bought one of those on Sunday but I'm going to get a couple more today. I don't think bottle shops will be open, although there's been talk of food and beverage so you never know. Maybe they can deliver?
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
I already had another 2 x 1L at home but I don't think you can have enough bourbon at a time like this.
I'm fairly sure liquor stores aren't open - down in the Greenhithe village shops where I live, the same family own the dairy and the liquor store. They've said the dairy can remain open but the liquor store will be shut.
Problem Child
All the silly people went to the supermarket this evening. I went to the liquor store. The supermarkets will be open, given they're essential services, but I'm not 100% confident that the liquor store would meet that definition. If this is going to be the end of the world, or even just a 4 week lockdown, I'm going to need some decent strength alcohol. For the record, that was the first time I've ever bought a 1.75l bottle of bourbon (that's 60oz for those of you in imperial-land). (for those unfamiliar with NZ's liquor licensing rules, supermarkets can sell beer and wine, but not spirits)
SO in other words, NEw Zealand is like the rest of America where you have specific locations where you can buy your alcohol. California doesn't have state run liquor stores. Somehow they're screwing up every other state though. Just imagine being able to buy it whenever you want. OH THE HORROR! You'd fit in around the "Bible Belt" of America.
Wife stood in line at 7:15 am to buy groceries. 29F (so under zero C) and the guy behind her in his (useless) surgical blue mask would walk away and smoke then get back in line. Oh and he kept hitting her with his cart when she'd move forward. She sent me home with the kid because it was too cold.
1.75L is a normal sized bottle for me. Why buy a smaller one? The stuff doesn't go bad and you just run out sooner. I call it a "handle" because it's the only bottle size you get that (typically) comes with a handle on it for transportation. Handles of Everclear are all you need if you have some juice or soda.
Locally there is a bingo game. I'm participating in that I mark off squares as I finish them. I'm not really concerned with winning and making specific runs to show it. I did appreciate the "Run 26.2" miles as I considered it. One square is "run in a costume" and I don't think anyone would go for it. I still don't have the free square though...wash you hands. Does a shower count?
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
I dont drink spirits but like a couple of stress relief beers per day. My daughter is part time checkout operator so fun times for her.
We got my other daughter a last minute flight back from university before our full lockdown in just over 24 hrs.
I applied for the $585 per week from the government as my income will be near zero for at least the next 4 weeks.
My handicap race is cancelled as expected.
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 "
Well the bottle shop was sold out of 1.75 litre bottles. I got enough for at least 4 weeks...I don't drink on week days but that may change in this day and age. But I'll also need to be mindful of making it last. At least I can still get beers!
I love that in California you can get spirits everywhere, from grocery stores to pharmacies. I got so used to California that when I got to Maine, after the airline lost my bag containing my bottle, I figured I wouldn't need to walk far in my inadequate clothing (San Francisco in October is slightly different to Maine). Ended up walking for 45 mins and started turning purple so I gave up. I didn't feel like beer in that weather.
If anything good comes out of this, I hope it is spirits being sold in supermarkets. But I suspect our current govt will prefer to reduce freedoms rather than increase them.