Amazonian Princess
Hello, I'm a penguin in need of half-marathon training help. I'm not sure where to start so I'll fall back on the "what 3 things do you need to know about..."
I signed up for my first half marathon (Two Cities, 11/2/14) with the intent to run:walk and picked Coach Jenny Hadfield's run:walk plan which I start tomorrow. I've got loads of questions which I took to my personal trainer, but he's a lifter not a runner, and I'm starting to get anxious. So, hoping for input, my first few question is:
Thank you in advance...
I can. I will. I am.
#RunEveryDay
If you are more comfortable with one minute walk intervals, then try that. Your overall time might be a bit shorter (not sure if your plan is by time or distance), but not much different. Keep the run intervals set out and adjust the walks to a minute. Training plans are just a guide; what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the next person. Good luck!
And give it up with that slow stuff. It takes courage to go out and run. You are faster than everyone who doesn't try! And speed will come. I'm not very fast, but I'm improving. It takes time. You'll get there. Just keep going!
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
Hi Bacon! Glad you made it over here! I don't know a thing about run/walk past the level of couch to 5K, but my uneducated opinion is that maybe you're already a little stronger than what the plan assumes people are starting with the ability to do. So whatever you choose, that's probably good news.
I'm no expert, but I would recommand also to stick to what works for you. I don't know what the plan says, but maybe increase the frequency of your trainings and/or the distance of each, without overdoing it
Hello, I'm a penguin in need of half-marathon training help. I'm not sure where to start so I'll fall back on the "what 3 things do you need to know about..." I'm a 44 y.o female weighing far more than I should and have a kidney disease called IgA nephropathy I started run:walk two years ago with C25k and a few months ago (before I got sick as hell) my LR was six miles at R6: W1 I'm slow, the 15 minute mile is a friend of mine, but in a 5k I can do a 12+ min/mile I signed up for my first half marathon (Two Cities, 11/2/14) with the intent to run:walk and picked Coach Jenny Hadfield's run:walk plan which I start tomorrow. I've got loads of questions which I took to my personal trainer, but he's a lifter not a runner, and I'm starting to get anxious. So, hoping for input, my first few question is: Coach Jenny's plan calls for 2 min walk breaks (reduces to one minute around week 7) but I don't like to walk more than a minute because I feel like I cool down too much; stick with one minute like I'm used to or follow the plan as written? Thank you in advance...
Hi! I'm Lisa - and 41 years old and I weigh far more than I should but I'm working on it. I generally run my long runs as 10:1s and will likely stick with that till I'm closer to goal weight and a little bit faster. Right now I have lots of room for improvement (after 9 halfs!) that it makes more sense to me to improve on that before I worry about getting rid of the 1 minute walk. That's all just so you know where I'm coming from. There are other, far faster AND far more experienced runners here who I'm sure will help too
I've never seen Hadfield's plan but if you're starting back up - which it seems like you are, although two minutes might seem like a lot, it might not be based on the running portions. Especially if you're just coming back from being as sick as hell. I'd say compromise, give it a week or 2 as written and if it does seem really easy to you, add 30 seconds of running into the 2 minutes.
And WELCOME!
First or last...it's the same finish line
HF #4362
Thank you for your responses! I think I'm going to compromise this first week and take 90 second walk breaks. It's longer than I'm used to, but I know I'll finish the workout feeling good.
CanadianMeg - Thank you for the encourgagement I don't mean to say I'm slow in a self-deprecating way, I just say it in the same way that I would say I'm 5'8". I've been moo'ed at, passed by speed-walkers, senior citizens, dogs (including a dachsund that appeared to be hovering, it's legs were moving so quickly!) and have placed DFL in a 5k on my birthday. None of that has stopped me, yet!
Hi, Zel! I remembered that you mentioned this group a while back right after I signed up for Two Cities. I'm still having those "OMG, did I really sign up for a half?" moments but deep down I believe I can do it. And I love your Costa Rica blog!
Cyberic99 - I do like the idea of sticking to what works for me, and reducing the walk breaks from two minutes will result in a little more distance but not go off-book too much. It's a very gentle plan, not quite Couch to Half, but no hillwork or speedwork, so based on what I can do, I think I can do a little more than what's asked for, if that makes any sense.
redleaf/Lisa - Thank you for your intro it's a little weird jumping in to a new forum because it feels like everyone knows each other already. I'm glad that there's someone else who uses an intermittent walk break; how did you figure that 10:1 was a good fit? I was using 6:1 because that's what someone else uses but I think 5:1 might be a better fit (and that's what Coach Jenny works up to on this plan).
So next, newbie question: about how much leeway do I have with re-organizing plan workouts? Is it usually okay to mix up the days as long as I do each workout or is there a pattern I should be observing - like LR's on the same day of the week or a rest day before/after a LR? If I'm short on time, can I do a double to get two workouts done? I know it's hard to comment without seeing the plan and knowing my level of abilitiy, but some general input would be great!
Hi ya Bacon, This is a really wonderful group that has all kinds of paces, and experience levels. You will definitely get some sound advice and honest opinions here.
Question #1- I would work towards what you are comfortable doing, regardless of what the plan says. You shouldn't need to take a step backwards. Your plan of 90 seconds for a week or two sounds good.
Question #2- any plan is just a guide. If you need to flip flop days, it will be fine. I know I sure do that. Be careful with doing a double though just to make up a workout. If you have to skip a day, try to fit it on one of your rest days. If you are not used to running yet on consecutive days, introduce this very slowly.
Hope that helps a little and welcome to the group.
I'm really not sure. I had just built up to 10:1 before my first half. I looked at my log and realized I went faster at 7:1 so I ran my first half at 7:1. I'm in Canada and our big running store chain is The Running Room. They rum clinics and stuff and for the longer runs they always do 10:1. At our big races there are almost always pace bunnies for both continuous runners and 10:1s.
so I think the answer is a lot like yours - that's what I was shown
Hiya, Baconista! I would recommend to stick to what works. Keep trying the mileage Jenny recommends but use the 1m walk break as you have done in the past and see how you feel. Good luck!
Damaris
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Hi Baconista,
Hey, I'm in my 40s and no one would accuse me of being fast...
Yup, I agree with the others. If you match the mileage in your plan by week shuffling the days should be no problem. I would try to spread out the running days fairly evenly and not do a double until I had a plan that required more than 6 runs a week - pretty advanced.
I also do most of my long runs with a run:walk strategy, a lot of people do! I personally like 10:1 or 15:1.
A
Recalculating...
Welcome Baconista,
I am in my early 50's and who cares how slow or fast. A mile is still a mile.
I ahve to agree with the others to do what you are comfortable with and the plans are just a guide.
Lots of good info and tips here. Can't wait to here how it goes..keep u sposted with your training
Run, Walk, Crawl, just Finish.
HF # 1189
Hello, again! Work has been brutal (basically my job is being audited and my position may be closed) but I wanted to pop in.
Starting Week 3 tomorrow and it's going good. Been doing 90 second walk breaks since I wasn't able to run much in the weeks before (was sickity-sick-sick but my doc took me off work for a week in July and I'm doing great since!) and I'm a weather-wimp so heat sucks the life out of me so the extra walking has been helpful, I think, without feeling like I'm going backward. The first week I was geeking out,"this is the first run interval, of the first workout, in the first week of my first training plan" This week I'm going to cut back to one minute instead of 90 seconds.
I've also been thinking and kind of narrowing down what I'm worried about (Mom used to say to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst)
Thanks again for helping a newb