Half Marathon Trainers

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Long Run Distance (Read 746 times)

CanadianMeg


#RunEveryDay

    I was reading the long run perspective thread on the main boards and got curious about this.

    For those of you running half marathons (but not full marathons), what is your longest distance you run in training? How many times do you run that distance in a training cycle? I know the standard YMMV but I'm asking anyway.

     

    (ETA: I just realized my race is one month from today. I thought I had 4 long runs left, but maybe it should be 3. Training calendar is on my log.)

    Half Fanatic #9292. 

    Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.


    an amazing likeness

      Meg,

       

      What "concerns" me about your plan as it exists today is not the distance, but the pattern.  I'd rather see you have a pattern of build, build, and then fall back.  Right now you are adding miles right up to the last weekend before your race weekend.

       

      My suggestions would be to: 

       

      (1) take out that planned 12 miler on Sept 4th and pull it back to 8 or 9 with the middle 5 or 6 at your planned HM pace.  That's too close to your race to be running that long.

       

      (2) shorten some of the long runs and 'partner' it with a 6 or 7 at race pace on Saturday rather than an easy 3 the day before.  This will bring you into the longer run on Sunday with tired legs from Saturday and you'll get the benefit of running when tired without having quite so many long runs where your just trying to survive to the finish.

       

      (3) As you go -- if you're getting worn out, take the Tuesday run down from 5 to 3 or 4, depending on you feel that day.  Give up miles in the Tuesday run rather than in the long runs.

       

      What's that mean?  Here's some specific ideas:

       

      8/27 -- 7 or 8 miles with 5 or 6 at HM pace

      8/28 -- shorten to 9

      9/1 -- up to 5 or 6

      9/3 -- 8 or 9 with middle 5 or 6 at HM pace

      9/4 -- easy 5 or 6, then you're done with race prep. Put the horse in the barn.

      9/6 to 9/10 -- looks good.

       

      Take these only as SUGGESTIONS from an outsider who only sees your training calendar and doesn't have any sense of how you're feeling after each run.  The pattern of 'build - build - fall back' is common in a lot training plans, as is the idea of running harder the day before your long run on Sunday to go into Sunday's run with some fatigue in your legs.  Both have worked well for me in the past.

      Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

      CanadianMeg


      #RunEveryDay

        That September 4 run was one I was having doubts about and thought I needed to change. I'm going to go through your suggestions so thanks for the feedback; this was my first attempt at creating my own training schedule. (That said, I'm not quite sure what my MP is.)

         

        The last couple of weeks I'm feeling mostly really good. Running is fun and I"m not feeling dead legged at all. I had a really poor week a couple of weeks back -- lost a Tuesday due to lightning and cut my 9 miler to a 4 due to extreme heat -- but since then, not feeling beaten up at all.

        Half Fanatic #9292. 

        Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.


        an amazing likeness

          (That said, I'm not quite sure what my MP is.)

           

           

          Your log shows you have a recent 10K run in some rugged weather.  That wouldn't be a bad target half marathon pace to try out in some runs and adjust up or down from there.

          Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

            My long run is normally somewhere in the 20-30km range, regardless of what I'm training for (its gets a bit longer pre-marathon obviously)

              I also made up my own schedule. Here's what I've done with LR's on Sundays leading up 12 weeks to race:

               

              9.5 - done

              11.5 - done

              11.5 - done

              8 (race) plus wu/cd - done

              12 - done

              12

              12

              13

              14

              14

              12

              7 (with a steady state 9 on tues prior)

              Race - Oct 2

               

              Nothing too radical. Not sure if it builds to close to race, but I think should be okay. Not like the "bulid" is that large an increment.

              Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues
              We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes


              an amazing likeness

                With all the talk of long runs, Meg had an excellent point in her original post -- which is the thread where Nobby and others are discussing the long run and pointing out while we tend to think its main value is that it is long, we should be treating it as one of the quality workouts for the week and not value it solely as 'long'.

                 

                This has been a recurring theme over a few years, and my take away has been to have some 'long' runs that are simply that...their value is time on feet running. Those are rare. In the majority, I try (try! being the word) to have something at planned race pace in the middle, or run them as 3:1 with the first 3/4 as easy long, then finish at planned race pace.

                Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

                  "something at planned race pace in the middle"  (or end)

                   

                  100% agree. One of three quality workouts. Hills, tempo/interval, and long with some significant portion at pace.

                  Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues
                  We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
                  CanadianMeg


                  #RunEveryDay

                    Thanks for the ideas and feedback. Smile It's interesting to see how many ways there are to the same end. Smile

                    Half Fanatic #9292. 

                    Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

                      I'm actually doing a plan from Masters Running (something that Nobby helped create) and all the long runs for my Half are done at a VERY easy pace. Course it also has 3 quality workouts  as well each week. This is the very first plan that I've ever followed. Will be interesting to see how it works for me. I think the longest it has me running once I was out of base building is  2:24.

                      Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

                      CanadianMeg


                      #RunEveryDay

                        Awesome! Let us know how that works out.

                        Half Fanatic #9292. 

                        Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.


                        Marquess of Utopia

                          I think you still need to run at least 16-18 miles or 1.5 - 2.5 hours for a HM. That long run is important to your aerobic stamina development.

                           

                          I know guys training specifically for the mile or 1500m, that still run 16-18 miles.

                          CanadianMeg


                          #RunEveryDay

                            I think you still need to run at least 16-18 miles or 1.5 - 2.5 hours for a HM. That long run is important to your aerobic stamina development.

                             

                            I know guys training specifically for the mile or 1500m, that still run 16-18 miles.

                             

                            Riggs, it would take me over 3 hours to do a 16 mile run at my easy pace. I am doing 90 minute to over 2 hours runs in training. I know I am not fast, but I'm doing the best that I can.

                            Half Fanatic #9292. 

                            Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.


                            an amazing likeness

                              Riggs, it would take me over 3 hours to do a 16 mile run at my easy pace. I am doing 90 minute to over 2 hours runs in training. I know I am not fast, but I'm doing the best that I can.

                               

                              This discussion is exactly why using time, rather than distance, is better for long run planning.

                               

                              Even deep in marathon training, I'm going to be very reluctant (or cautious) to get over 3 hours on a long run.  The recovery time means the next week's first 3 - 4 days of training have no quality. For me.

                              Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

                              HappyFeat


                                I think you still need to run at least 16-18 miles or 1.5 - 2.5 hours for a HM. That long run is important to your aerobic stamina development.

                                 

                                Can you please clarify - is it the MILES or the TIME you think is important??

                                 

                                Like Meg, it takes me 1.5 hours to run 8 miles and 3 hours to run 16 miles - which I have done.

                                Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

                                Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.

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