Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2019
Intl. correspondent
Mark - Does your coach also give you impossible workouts? This week was especially insane, though I suppose with me not hitting the paces on any of the runs he might tune it down a little next week
me - So my 12k workout didn't go as planned but not too bad either. I was supposed to run at 4 per km 6:30/mi but didn't have it in me, stuck to the pace until 6km and started losing steam on the way back for a still excellent 4:10/km average.
I have a sore throat and I'm doing everything I can so that it does not turn into my 3rd 10-day forced rest due to the flu this year.
With regards to nutrition I've been a happy dude lately with rye bread + peanut butter + banana for breakfast. And the peanut butter will have to go. I'll have to give up desserts too, until the weight starts pointing in the right direction.
Jmac/Keen/Mark - Just imagine trying to race a 3k with 2 of these strapped on your belly
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
RIP Milkman
Flavio - trust me I thank the heavens all the time for my genetic gifts
No PR today, 1:17:16. Knew by mile 3 that I was working harder than I should. I thought I turned it around by mile 8 but it was a slow fade after that. I always forget how hot 60 and sunny is, but not sure that really impacted me. I'm not disappointed though, it was always going to be a tough goal to PR in the half coming off a marathon so soon (I'm recovered, it's just you lose about 4 weeks of training with the taper and recovery after the race).
I'm on VACATION at the end of this week, so it'll be 9 days off for me. Will be a good reset before summer 5k training. I'm excited to get back to speed work, haven't touched anything like mile or 5k pace in over a year at this point.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
JamesD
JMac - Nothing wrong with being within a minute of your half PR so soon after a marathon. Enjoy your vacation. Where will you be? We still haven't decided where to go in July - my wife likes cities, our son likes beaches and spectator sports, and I like national parks and running, so it gets complicated. Best one was probably several years ago when we went to San Francisco for a few days, then Sequoia National Forest, and took a separate long weekend at a Florida beach.
I woke up Monday with a sore right hamstring. Since that kept me on the shelf for three months last year, it got my attention. I swam instead of doing the planned long run, and I took it pretty easy the rest of the week. Not sure what caused it; I suppose it was the two hill sets I had done in the previous 11 days, but it’s odd that it felt worst four days after the second set and after a rest day. (I never did figure out what caused last summer’s injury either.) During the week I felt the hamstring some during and after runs, but only about like it was when I was coming back from the injury last year, and by yesterday I had stopped feeling sore upon waking. Oddly, it was mildly reassuring that my left hamstring hurt a little too; made me think I had just overdone something rather than having a specific injury in the right one. With four runs and two swims in the week, I probably haven’t lost much fitness, and I think I’ll hold off on resuming faster running until the exercise in Flavio’s video (for which, thanks!) works its magic and the soreness is gone.
Sun - off
Mon - sore hamstring, so 35 minutes swimming
Tues - 6.2 miles easy
Weds - 6.2 easy
Thurs - 37 minutes swimming
Fri - 8.1 easy
Sat - 9.6 easy just so I could continue my short streak of 30-mile weeks
Total - 30.1 miles
12-week average - 35 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
Wind is not my friend.
No PR for me either. 1:25:38. Ran pretty even splits for the first 7 miles but definitely knew at about mile 4 that it was going to be a tough day. 70 with 70% humidity ended up being a killer. Was still at okay pace through 8 but then I just dropped off. Hit 4 consecutive 6:50s before the last mile of 6:33. Weather definitely dropped me but I knew I needed more base so time for a new plan for the Summer.
Next half in October.
Jmac - Still a solid race especially so soon after your marathon! Congrats!
Flavio - No peanut butter? That’s doesn’t seem like a good idea. Very few things better than that! Ironically the half today had a ton of peanut butter sandwiches at the end and no one took them. Lady was pushing them hard, had to have been a couple hundred leftover.
"Current" PRs
5K - 18:00 (4/19) | HM - 1:19:28 (4/22)
Next Race: A 5K of some sort (Goal: Sub 17:30)
Flavio - yeah occasionally there's an impossible one that sneaks in where I just have to dial it back. Not this week though, fortunately.
JMac - bummer, but sometimes it's just not your day. It's crazy how one good race or two can change your expectations, considering that a few months ago, that time would've been a PR for you. The reality is that 1:17 is still a very sharp time, even if it was an off day. Just don't fall into the trap of expecting/hoping to PR every race because that will take all the fun out of it (trust me - been there, wasn't fun).
CC4 - doh! 70F is definitely warm for a half, anything above 60F is when it starts to have an impact and more so if it's humid, so that definitely would've slowed you down a bit.
James - man those niggles can be such a mystery sometimes. It's funny how a different one popping up somewhere different is oddly reassuring.
Me - I survived 'my coach is trying to kill me' week. Legs were pretty tired for this morning's workout (45 min steady effort with HMP surges) but got it done. Tuesday's workout was suckage (hill sprints at the end? that's just mean) and I was pretty nervous how the week was gonna go but it turned out OK. Anyway that's the big week 3 weeks out from the race done and overall I'm pretty happy with how it went. I think my coach was trying to make me work hard on tired legs, mission definitely accomplished on that front. Slightly lighter week this week, and then taper the following week.
M: weights
T: 14.8km incl. flat sprints -> moderate effort -> hill sprints
W: 23.1km long run
T: 15.8km incl. 20 min steady effort on flat, 20 min steady effort on hills
F: weights
S: 13.2km track session incl. 6x800m / 300m jog
S: 15.6km incl. 45 min steady effort w/ HMP surges
Total: 82.6km
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"
James and Mark - good weeks.
JMac - nice race. As Mark says, you cannot PR every race.
My week was good. In terms of minutes ran, I think it was my biggest week of 2018 and 2019, mainly as I was really slow. Three weeks of races seemed to have accumulate a little, as recovery took a while.
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
Jack- Still a fantastic result. Like Mark said you can’t expect a PR every time out there, something that I really need to learn.
Enjoy your vacation!Cc - That’s a very nice time for a hot day. In my experience hot weather accounts for at least 4 minutes in a half.James - I’m glad that video was of help and hope you’re quickly back with the faster running.Mark - that’s an amazing week, 4 workouts !!!!. Your coach seems to dose it perfectly for your abilities.My week is complete:
M: Functional training
T: 5x400 + 2000 + 5x400 + 2000
W: 7ez
T: 15x 1 min off/1 min on off avg 5:16 on avg 3:39
F: Functional Trainnig
S: 12 @ 4:10
S: Off/have a cold
Thanks everyone. I definitely need to remind myself PRs won't happen every time out there. I've PR'd in every race I've run over the past 12 months, so this was a good wake up call that they don't come easily. I was shocked how gassed I was just a few miles in, breathing harder than I should have been. I thought I executed my pacing well (one mile was sub 5:40 but it was significantly downhill), so it really just that I wasn't ready for another PR.
I'll be in Japan for 9 days. I've thought about running there, but:
1) I haven't taken a week off this year
2) I'm not traveling all the way there to run. I'd rather sleep, eat, and drink my way to coming back fatter
I will probably be perusing, but don't let this kingdom come crashing down while your leader travels.
Speaking of kingdoms crashing down, time for GOT!
Mark - Nice week! Hill sprints at the end of a workout are horrible. What kind of weights do you do each week? I've never really been a weights person. Maybe some bodyweight exercises but I'm pretty lost if I'm not on the treadmill (which I'm lost there too!)
Flavio - I'll take the 4 minutes if that's the difference. I'll give it another shot in October after a much more complete training cycle.
I'm a bit sore today from yesterday's race but nothing too crazy. Got down to the beach with the wife for a couple hours. It was windy and chilly there but only 20 minutes away it was 80 degrees and sunny. Weird weather for that area. I used the cooler weather for a nice 3 mile run and surprisingly felt decent. Lots of little runs this week.
JMac - NO SPOILERS (some of us are at work)
Flavio - 3 workouts in there for you too, maybe I am not so crazy after all!
Watson - nice week
CC4 - I tend to do a couple sessions each week - one lower body and one upper body (with some core work both days). If I've got a rest day in the schedule or 6x running days I'll just do one weights workout with a bit of everything. I did weights before I got into running, but now I've just tailored the programme to be a lot more running specific rather than generic strength stuff.
Cobra Commander Keen
JMac - Enjoy the vacation! I'm looking forward to seeing what your 5k training will look like.
Ben - That's a pretty toasty HM! What's your October half? That's the next time I'll run one as well, though more for pace than time since it's really hilly and was hot and really humid last year as well.
Mark - Great week, and congrats on surviving it.
I finally got a nice week up again. I was planning on 14-15 for my LR, but decided to cut it short since I could see a thunderstorm blowing in. When I was 4 miles out I knew I wouldn't beat the storm, sprinkles started at mile 3, and I got absolutely dumped on the last two miles. With the winds (35mph+) and lightning it was probably the worst weather I've ever run in - as I was getting back into the neighborhood DW was in the van coming out to look for me! Just after I got back in the house my phone started blaring - the National Weather Service had just declared a flash flood warning for the area. Possible big weather today, too - we're supposed to get from "just" severe thunderstorms with flooding and/or large hail all the way to big tornadoes. The hidey hole is cleaned out and stocked!
Monday, May 13, 2019 thru Sunday, May 19, 2019
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
Keen - another nice week.
Cc4 - as others have stated, a warm day does cost quite a bit on a half.
JMac - take the time off. Enjoy Japan.
Keen - Nice week. Planning on doing Hershey HM in PA. Pretty good course and two tickets to HersheyPark comes with each entry so a nice family day as well. Did it a couple years ago and then stayed in the park until 8pm. Never been more fried!
Jmac nice race enjoy the vacation
cc4 nice race by you as well
Steve how was/is your time in Florida?
Marco that is a lot of traveling...
Nice weeks by everyone!
I have officially missed the fist 3 half marathons I was planning on running this year, the last was was this past weekend
I am still not sure what the issue has been but I know it is not a hernia and thankfully nothing more serious going on in the area. I do have a groin pull at the moment, I'm not sure it that has been what was causing the pain in my lower abs or not... but I have been referred to at PT so hopefully i'll start on the right path to recovery.
Things are starting to fell a bit better but still only ran about 12 miles last week the rest was biking.
Have a good week!
Weekly SummaryMonday, May 13, 2019 thru Sunday, May 19, 2019
PR's
1m 5:38 (2018)
5k 19:59 (2019)
HM 1:33:56 (2018)
FM 3:23:07 (2018)
CFarr - Sorry about the injury! Glad you were able to get in a little running and biking in. I'm not sure when the last time I actually rode a bike was. Maybe 20 years ago? I can't swim worth much either. World's worst triathlete!
Yesterday's "run" felt like death. Only a little over 2 miles but my quads were just feeling like they were about to rip apart at any moment. Then they decided to continue screaming at me while I was driving this morning so that was fun. I hate recovery week. I'm motivated to get going after a less than optimal race but of course, have to let the body heal a little bit. I'm at least spending the time thinking ahead to the new training plan while also adding a bit of core, stretching, etc.