Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2019
JMac - excellent that you were still able to get that long run done with taping. I'm no expert on taping but it's certainly helped minor niggles for me in the past, nothing nearly as serious as yours though. I think mixing up the shoe drop is probably a good idea and hopefully that will prevent recurrence.
Flavio - I sold my race entry to my coach as either her or another of her athletes were going to run (someone else is "Marky Mark" out there today!). I'm kinda sad about it, as I've run that race every year since I started running, also conditions were perfect out there today, but it was still the smart thing to do even though I'm feeling a lot better now. They had the strongest elite mens field for the half in years and there was only 2 seconds between 1st and 2nd. The womens field was pretty shallow though.
Also, no beer?!?!?! OH NO!!
Me - somehow still managed to get 80km on the board this week despite it being all easy running. I was definitely not feeling up to any efforts during the week, but I was feeling a lot better by the time the weekend rolled around. WIll be done with antibiotics on Monday and feeling almost back to normal. Back into it this week and I'm optimistic things will be back on track for Kerikeri in 5 weeks time.
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"
RIP Milkman
Flavio - I didn’t comment on this earlier, but really sorry to hear about your food issues. That is quite an extensive list. The lack of beer is hard enough, but I think the thing that would hurt me the most is garlic. It’s in basically everything I love, especially cooked vegetables. Are you working with a good nutritionist to get to the bottom of it?
Mark - good job working through your illness. Missing 2 days myself made me SO cranky and depressed, because I build out an entire schedule and feel like it’s all going to shit when something misses, even though I know it didn’t impact my fitness at all. Hopefully you took your down time better than mine!
Forum Survey Time!
Taking inspiration from Mark here.
My most recent 10K puts me at a 1:16:45 for a half. This was only 2 weeks ago. That race was not tapered into. I will be mini-tapering into my half this weekend (assuming my foot holds up, but after 22 miles today, I feel pretty confident).
Of course, I’m going for a PR either way. But here is the main question: Do I go for a PR, or do I get more aggressive and go for sub 1:15?
The mini-taper into the races gets me into PR territory for sure. The problem is that going for 1:14:49 is a huge leap at this level, as it’s over 5 seconds per mile, which is a lot.
I’m afraid going for sub 1:15 is just because it’s a nice round number. But it may be something that really pushes me in the race and forces me to go completely to the well to go for it. The risk, of course, is I blow up and miss the PR. Something similar happened in May with my half where I went for a PR and just fell off the wagon in the last 3 miles, where I slowed down a ton.
So what do you all think? Go for a PR pace, and just see if I can pick it up in the second half? Or do I go for sub 1:15 pace and just hold on for dear life?
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Jmac firstly see if you can get into your wheelchair unaided then set a target from there.
Flavio sorry to hear about your food issues. It could be a good thing and turn you into a wiry piece of muscle.
Gotta look for the positives !
My week done at 40ish miles. Took today off
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 "
Mmmm Bop
Does anyone believe that JMac knows the difference between a niggle and an injury?
5k - 17:53 (4/19) 10k - 37:53 (11/18) Half - 1:23:18 (4/19) Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)
Forum Survey Time! Does anyone believe that JMac knows the difference between a niggle and an injury?
I vote yes, but I may be biased. I couldn't even walk on Wednesday, I think that counts as a real injury. I will however admit I do not know how to avoid sandbagging, which is exaclty what this is for
Mikkey stop only I'm allowed to tease him
Intl. correspondent
Paul - thanks, 3000 miles for the year is massive!
Jmac - are you doing strength training? The reason you have issues on the feet is very likely weakness on the upper chain (hamstring/ glutes/ quads).
Low drop shoes is not the cause, it’s a symptom.
As for the food issues I’m working with a doctor and the root cause is acid reflux. Those foods cause increased acid production on the stomach which makes the problem worse.
As for the half race, I’ll paraphrase yourself: “BOTT”. Sub 75 minutes or Gaga.
Piwi - LOL no doubt my siblings thing I’m SOOO disciplined haha, it’s just every time I try to be funny with food I pay the price.
my week 54km 34 miles. Working hard to foam roll out the niggles. I believe the issues started after I've done the split squats on Monday. I did them without any weights and I've had my form checked. So it's just my old body complaining about doing extra exercise.
M: Strength training
T: 10 with 10x 1 min hard 1 min ez
W: am 10ez pm Strength training
T: 10ez
F: Strength training
S: 10ez
S: 14 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
JamesD
I seem to be trying to keep up with the rest of you, but in a bad way. My left knee picked this past week to change from chronic niggle to possible injury. It had hurt more than usual the previous weekend and at the start of the week, so I took Tuesday off and then didn’t swim during the week because it often hurts the morning after a swim. It improved for a couple of days, but the discomfort has returned. My 1200-meter intervals Monday were a few seconds slower than I had expected; I hope that was because the track was wet and soft after a rain, but my recent tempos and long runs have been slower than expected too. It’s finally cooling down (lows down to about 59/15), so maybe that’ll help me speed up.
Sun - off
Mon - 6.8 miles including 5x1200 @ 4:33 w/3:15 rest
Tues - off, knee hurt
Weds - 9.3 easy
Thurs - 6.2 easy
Fri - 7.8 easy
Sat - off taking son to see soccer playoff match in Atlanta
Total - 30.1 miles
12-week average - 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
3 months til Masters
James- I left knee issues is the thing that has kept interrupting my running for the last decade. Get it checked and do the exercises or you'll end up like me taking 2-3 years off after a year of running over and over.
flavio-I just started with more core and stability work for my knees. My body is rejecting the idea as well. Keep it up.
Jmac- I would go 1:15 cause your not going to race for quite a while (i'm assuming) so why not go all out and give your self a few weeks of recovery as you head into winter. My 2 cents
Getting caught up...so more notes later likely...
My week:
First week of my training plan for base building toward my spring marathon. A little different form past cycles as my long runs will be moderate pace (6:40-6:55/mile) while base building which will give me quicker long runs which will be good for keeping warm in the Minnesota winters, and relieve some of the boredom of 8-10 miles at 7:00-7:10 / mile day after day. Starting lower mileage and slowly build back up to 80-90 a week.
Mon 6 miles at 7:20 in very hot muggy weather in Florida
Tues 6 miles at 7:13 also hot and muggy. 6 striders afterwards
Wed 6 miles at 7:08 back in Minnesota felt good to run in cool air
Thurs 6 miles at 6:47...very fast cause I ran with my dog and she dragged me most of the way...6 striders at the end
Fri 8 miles at 7:07
Sat 12 miles most at 6:40-6:50 pace. Ran with the team. I'm switching my long runs to Saturdays because it is more convenient with my work schedule
Sun 6 miles at 6:53 pace. Was supposed to do 8 at 7:00 or slower, but life got busy and ran out of time to get the longer run in.
51.5 miles this week. Should have been 53.5 but i'll make up the two miles on Monday.
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
JMac - yeah I'm kinda lucky to have escaped with really only a couple of workouts as the casualties from a week of sickness. Overall a pretty good outcome in the circumstances. Anyway I'm with DPS - I'd go for it. From memory when I googled it, the course profile was net downhill on the way out and net uphill on the way back. I'd shoot for the sub-1:15 on the way out and try and bank fast km's in the first half. If you're hitting pace or ahead of it, then you can keep it rolling through the middle and you'll just have to dig in for the uphill coming back. If you're not feeling it then you can back off a touch through the middle to save something for the end and probably still hit the PR.
Flavio - ahh the joys of the foam roller. Nice week anyways.
James - nice week, hope that knee is nothing serious. I always find I'm a touch slower when the track is wet too.
DPS - nice week. Are you able to run outside all through winter or will you get forced onto the treadmill at some point? Brent (who was on the forum earlier this year) lived in a particularly cold part of MN and got stuck on the treadmill for months on end.
I can generally run outside except for the end of January and early February. Minneapolis is in about the middle of the state (but far eastern edge). Due to having been injured on ice and snow enough times, my plan is to run if it is above 15 degrees, but after that head to the tread mill. There is about 2 weeks in February where the high won't get about -10F at any point and can get as cold at -50F with windchill. I have a gym 5 min from the house so it will not be fun, but they have treadmills with TV's so i'll just go during a basket ball game or something and watch it while i run. They also have courses programmed in so you can run trails in NZ or California or Germany...so it just moves through as though someone is running with a go pro so that can be a nice alternative. The screen and the variations in incline helps with the boredom and is easier than running on the perfectly flat treadmill for 18 miles.
Big +1 on hoping everyone heals up.
I had a pretty good week.
Monday - 4.5 miles, treadmill
Tuesday - 6.6 miles, treadmill
Wednesday - 9 miles roads with some 45 second pickups
Thursday - 7 miles roads with 3 miles tempoish (7:25, 6:43, 6:20)
Friday - 4.5 miles roads with 6x 20-30 second barefoot strides at the end
Saturday - 20 miles roads (ran with a friend training for a marathon)
Sunday - 10 miles trails with some strides at the end.
Total - 61.6 miles
Nice week Paul. Solid 20 mile in there. Impressive.
Glad everyone is on board with me going for a half at close to the pace I just ran for my 10K and blowing up . I think I’ll go out around mid 1:15 pace and see what happens.
Mark - course is actually just a bunch of small rollers (10M or less). Shouldn’t be too bad, I actually like having small rollers instead of a dead flat course, it keeps your mind working on different things than just keeping up pace. You mentioned Brent, we’ve lost a few guys this year.
DPS - speaking of losing guys, I’m glad you’ve stuck around. It’s great to have someone new with the engagement you’ve had. I was tracking a lot of your runs in Florida. I bet it’s quite a relief to come back to much cooler weather. I know Florida weather in October can be both nice but also dangerous with really strong storms coming through.
Paul - remind me, are you on Strava?
James - what part of your knee is bothering you?
Flavio - so used to you doing a lot of workouts, so it’s good to see you getting some EZ miles in.
Me - I think I’ve already documented my week well . MY INJURY WAS REAL EVERYONE. This was the worst pain I’ve ever felt from a running injury in my day to day life. I can’t believe how much better it feels. Very sore today after my 22 miler yesterday, but that’s expected. I know how to handle tendinitis after the acute phase so I feel good about getting through this week before my half. One more big workout on Tuesday, and then I’ll continue into my mini-taper. Overall, lost about 15 miles this week compared to what I was expecting, which isn’t the end of the world.
RWOL app seems to be broken so won’t post the week, but was at 62 miles with a Vo2 max session and a 22 miler.
Glad everyone is on board with me going for a half at close to the pace I just ran for my 10K and blowing up . I think I’ll go out around mid 1:15 pace and see what happens. Mark - course is actually just a bunch of small rollers (10M or less). Shouldn’t be too bad, I actually like having small rollers instead of a dead flat course, it keeps your mind working on different things than just keeping up pace. You mentioned Brent, we’ve lost a few guys this year.
You'll need to find another gear later in the race to hit the sub-1:15 if you think there's enough in the tank. But, you've run a few negative split marathons so, given I was wrong on the course profile, that approach makes sense.