Forums >Racing>The Waltons aka Advanced Half Marathon Training Thread - 2022 edition
CC - Congrats on getting your crown back.
Mark - Sand dunes in a race? That sounds tough indeed. Good luck & have fun. I never liked Hokas - every pair I tried has been too high/firm at the back of the arch, causing my foot discomfort.
James - Nice recovery week. Yeah, too bad about the US team, but they exceeded expectations. They're really built for 2026.
Darkwave - Good news that the medication is helping. I'm sure you'll figure out the dosage and timing issues. Nice week of work. Hmm, all new shoes?
For the trail run, it occurred to my I have a nephew who's run that course many times and has also run the same 5k road race as me, so I need only ask him his times on the trail.
I usually do track work on Tuesdays, but with a greater than 50% chance of rain forecast for tomorrow morning, I switched to today. I’d much rather run in 27º (-3C) and clear than 39º (4C) and raining. The workout was 12 x 400m at a target of 1:52 – 1:54 with 400m recoveries. I met my RP at 6:00 and we started right up, managing to do almost all of them in 1:52 or 1:53 (the last one was 1:50). With the runs to/from the track it was 8½ miles for the day – the farthest I’ve run since my halves back in October. I took a bag with me that included an extra shirt and some other stuff since I was experimenting with what to wear. In the end, it paid off – putting on a dry shirt as the base layer for the run home, even one had been outside in sub-freezing weather for an hour, was better than running home in a wet shirt.
The heavy frost on the field and the seats gave the scenery a holiday feel.
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:57 (11/22); 10k 49:24 (10/22); Half 1:48:32 (10/22)Upcoming race(s): Run to Summer 5k, 6/14; NYC Marathon, 11/6/23
I likely won't do the reverse to get equal mileage on the shoes. 1) it was only three miles. 2) once I know the shoes are different, it's almost certain my mind will exaggerate the difference and mess up my run.
Who are you and how did you develop such an even keel?
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
I channel my insanity through my shorts.
JamesD
darkwave - Glad the medication is helping. As fast as you are, it seems like you might need to talk to race directors beforehand if you decide to take it just before the start of races. I can imagine some of your competitors getting the wrong idea and complaining.
Post-1987 PRs: Half 1:30:14 (2019); 10K 39:35 (2019); 5K 19:12 (2017); Mile 5:37.3 (2020)
'23 Goals: health; consistency; age-graded PRs; half < 1:30
CC congrats on that status!!
DW glad you're making progress. That 2x5 is a strong effort. Do you have a target marathon?
James nice consistent, nothing-special weeks are good weeks.
Mark that trail half sounds awesome. I'm with you on Hokas being clunky. I have some cliftons just for easy runs and I'll never buy them again.
Speaking of trail halves, my 20k was just terrible (28 mile week). I got two reasonable miles in and my right calf just stopped relaxing during the recovery portion of my stride. Made for an uncomfortable final 10 miles but a friend in the middle of a taper for a 100 miler slowed down and just coasted in with me so it was nice enough. Turns out that my concerns about the weather were overblown! I've run long enough that I know how to dress for that. I'm taking some time off now and just basically trying to decide how I want to train. Off the top of my head I could:
Kia ora, everyone.
Apologies for the radio silence - just trying to get back in the groove after a few quiet weeks due to a bout of gastro/food poisoning, my Wedding, and then Honeymoon in Fiji (which was way too hot for anything other than sipping cocktails by the poo)
Shoes - Am I the only one that loves Hokas? I have a pair of Rocket and Carbon Xs and really enjoy them. I also love my pair of Takumi 7s that I've heard others don't really enjoy, so maybe it's not you it's me...?
CC - Always fun to have a local legend or segment crown battle!
50+ age-group PBs: Half Perish 1:28:11 (Sept '22 Off-Road Half) - 10km 37:52 (2022 Local Road Champs); - Track 5km 18:49 (Aug '22); Track Mile 5:32 (2021) - Perish Run 3:17:42
2023 Goals: Perish Run Sub 3:15 - Half Perish Sub 1:25 - Road/Track 10km Sub 37:30 - 5km Sub 18:20
Hokas are terrible. Congrats on finding someone who puts up with you and all your running!
It certainly is a miracle! Although I do work hard to make sure that the family isn't impacted too much by my running.
Hash - Congratulations on your nuptials.
Zebano - If you keep playing around with the schedule, I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.
My first HM pace workout of the training cycle was today. 6 miles with 3 at HM pace. It didn't go so well. Part of it was slick streets and a headwind, but a good part was me. I certainly felt like I was working hard, but my average HM pace of 8:25 was well above the goal I'd set and above the pace I trained (and raced) at earlier in the fall. I need to get back into HM shape and that also means losing the pounds I've put on since the end of October. I'm not going to let one workout drag me down, though, as I know from experience that bad days happen.
Well unfortunately I seem to have come down with something, probably no big surprise given how nuts work was for a couple of weeks. Thought it might be Covid which has claimed a couple of my team earlier this week but so far seems like a run of the mill cold. Unless I make a miraculous recovery in the next 24 hours I won't be racing tomorrow. Bit disappointing I was quite excited to test myself on a challenging trail course but that's life I guess.
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: Xterra Waitawa, 21 May, didn't die
Up next: Xterra Hunua, 11 June, also aiming to not die
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Mark - Sorry to hear you may miss the race. Hope you feel better soon.
Hot Weather Complainer
Mark - That sucks, hope it disappears, I was looking forward to seeing how this went for you.
Hash - Congrats! Looking forward to having a beer in Christchurch after you go well under 3 hours.
Fred - I wouldn't be too worried about that workout, very early days.
5km: 18:53 12/22 │ 10km: 40:49 2/22 │ HM: 1:27:32* 5/22 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23
*Net Downhill. Flat course PR: 1:29:25 6/16
Upcoming Races:
Hagley Park Run July 1 and August 12, 2023 (threshold Check ins)
Canterbury Road Running Champs 10km August 26, 2023
Run Prix Half Marathon (Melbourne) September 24, 2023
That's a shame Mark. There's a lot of crud going around right now.
Fred - It's just one workout, you'll be back in shape in no time!
I've done 2 runs now and my calf seems fine so I'm pretty happy about that.
Thanks all. Odds were it was Covid given that'd been going around the office but I'm still testing negative so who knows. The symptoms for Covid right now if you're vaccinated are near-indistinguishable from a head cold anyways apparently (sore throat, sniffly nose, cough, headache...). Either way, not a good idea to run today. Have given myself a few days off and will reassess Monday. I was getting back into a good place fitness-wise so no point overdoing it now.
Not posting my week as it ended up at a miserable 29km. However, it appears my decision to not run while I was feeling sick may have been the right one. Perked up quite a bit this afternoon so back into it next week.