Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2019
RIP Milkman
I don't have to worry about pressure of hitting a mileage anymore. I must say it's an awesome feeling.
This brings up that I think I'm starting to get to that point. I always have these time pressures in the summer with weekend plans, but it's starting to burn me out. I've pretty much committed to CIM in December, (probably) Boston in April, and then retiring from marathons. Maybe I'll keep up with 5K training as I can cut down my mileage 50% and still train very well with my aerobic base, but I'm not sure I have a lot more fulls/halfs in me. It's just too much dedication and I'd rather go for broke over the next 12 months with times and then just call it quits.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
JamesD
Piwi- I'm with you on trading. I like a structure where a team can keep its core players together for several years and have a sustained personality (or culture, I guess). That works pretty well in international soccer and in our baseball. It works to a certain extent in our university (American) football, as although players develop a lot over 3 or 4 years, they aren't traded and rarely transfer and can only go pro after three years, so most years the majority of players are known quantities from previous years. I've lost interest in university basketball, because the best players go pro after a year and teams change so much from season to season as a result.
This was a recovery week for me after last Saturday’s 5-mile race. Calves were very tight on Tuesday but ok afterwards, and my hamstrings were gradually less sore as the week went on. Was surprised how much swimming arm strength I had lost after skipping it for just three weeks. I’ll be at a beach in Florida Weds-Sun of next week and hope to come back rested and ready to focus on my November half.
Sun - off
Mon - 20 minutes swimming
Tues - 3.6 miles slow, sore
Weds - 6.2 slow, less sore
Thurs - 24 minutes swimming
Fri - 9.3 easy, only last ½-mile sore
Sat - 6.2 slow
Total - 25.3 miles
12-week average - 32 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
Nice weeks guys.
I have a big fat zero to report. It seems the worst part or the cold has passed by I still had a consistent cough this morning.
At this point I'm hoping to be back by Tuesday as the next running week starts.
I have no idea how you guys run workouts during colds. The body and head aches, the fever at times, it's just too much. I guess these colds are getting me much worse than most.
That said, my mom has just become blind on her left eye due to diabetes and my dad needs to lose weight but has been forbidden to exercise by the doctor due to a trombosis on his leg. My life is a walk in the park compared to theirs.
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
Mark and JMac - nice weeks.
James - good recovery week.
Re colds - I've ran with them, and I've found it's substantially lengthened and sometimes worsened the effect. Once I'm definitely over the worst of the cold, I'm fine running. Amazingly I have not had one this year.
My week was good. I did the Mona Fartlek again as per the previous week, this time pacing was much better.
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
Flavio - colds are a good time to just run easy. You definitely cannot run quality days. Even easy runs can be tough if you have a bad cough, but the thing is coughs can last 4+ weeks after the virus is out of your body, so you can't just wait for it to subside. I view them like aches and pains: only you know when you're ready to come back, because the rule of not running without a cough (or without pain for any injury) would result in me not running half the year.
JMac - I'm impressed how much elevation you've got largely around Manhattan. I guess all those rollers in Central Park add up. My runs are generally either dead flat (waterfront) or quite hilly (anything from home) so I guess they kind of average out. On the topic of pace, I've definitely noticed that now my mileage is higher, my longer/slower runs are slower than they used to be - often more like 4:30/km. This is the first time I've ever hit 5 straight weeks over 50 miles... the legs are getting used to it but I find I do have some days (like today) where they just feel tired. When I had that lighter week last week I noticed the difference big-time particularly on the workouts later in the week.
Would you look at trying to run one of the other big marathons like Tokyo or Berlin at some point to keep the motivation up?
Flavio - bummer on the cold. It does sound like you get them worse than most. Hope your parents are doing OK. It can be a bit scary when they start to get that age of having more serious health concerns. My dad was seriously sick with some virus for like 6 weeks last winter, gave him night sweats and everything. We were worried it might be cancer for a while but luckily it wasn't.
Watson - nice week, you are starting to get some more consistent mileage in there too. I'm impressed you haven't had a cold all year.
Piwi - yeah the early Sunday long runs are a fact of life at the moment. If I don't get it done before my wife goes to work, I'm probably not going to get it done. I actually love the peace and quiet at that time of morning, especially this morning on the back roads out behind the airbase at Whenuapai (glad I took my head lamp though!). To be honest knocking out 25km at 4:30am is easy compared to trying to entertain a toddler for a whole day when you're stuck inside because of the rain.
James - glad the recovery was not too bad, I'm sure a few days at the beach won't hurt either!
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"
Mmmm Bop
Why not just have some time out during the summer? That’s what I’ve done for the last 2/3 years and it’s easy enough to get back into it again when more motivated...just keep up with the strength training and keep an eye on your weight. You aren’t even 40yo and have only run about 4 marathons so quit the snowflake talk about not having a lot more fulls/halfs in you! And any particular reason why you want to run Boston again? If you are going to call it quits next year then I’d say find a different marathon/experience.
5k - 17:53 (4/19) 10k - 37:53 (11/18) Half - 1:23:18 (4/19) Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)
Ok cricket world cup finals tonight
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 "
Yeah, it is going to be a long night.
So I'm following the match, first half lasted 5 hours it seems. And now it's looking worse and worse for England unless they turn it around or the kiwis tire?
What, even Kate and William are in Wimbledon....
HM: 1:47 (9/20) I FM: 3:53:11 (9/23)
2024 Goals: run a FM & HM + stay healthy!
A tie at fulltime and now a super over shootout ...
Fuck
Now that looked like a 100 mile race decided on the final sprint.
If the game wasn't so long I might've become a fan.
I mean from my newbie perspective, it seemed impossible that England would catch up the runs.
For the non-cricketers here, that’s the equivalent of Game 7 in the final of the NBA championship going to triple overtime, still being tied, and then being won on a countback on 3 pointers or something like that.
Having said that, congrats to Mikkey and the English, that was an unbelievable final which will likely never be topped.