Half Marathon Trainers

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HMT - February 2012 (Read 523 times)

    Leap year! Woot! An extra day to fill in and reach your monthly / yearly goals. Celebrate.

     

    Anyway, January was a good one for me. My first 200 mile month, first 50 mile week, lots of great runs, starting to introduce easy morning doubles twice a week (which are awesome for making the afternoon run a lot more productive).

     

    Also had to love the weather, averaging 13 degrees warmer than 2011, and 36 inches less snow - wouldn't mind that trend continuing this month...

     

    For Feb, I'm hoping to keep the mo' rolling, and to work in some more speed/tempo work as heading toward an April 1 race.

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


      January was good for me too! My first 150 mile month and a crushed Half Marathon goal time Smile

       

      Now February brings my first full marathon!!! Though it's not really a race as I'm running/walking with my sister who is slightly slower and hasn't been following her training plan very well, LOL. I had hoped to finish in under 5 hrs, but scanning her workouts I think we will be close to 5:30. I'm still getting the sticker and slapping it on my car though!!! Wink

       

      After that I will take a rest week or 2 then ramp up training for my next half in April.

       

      Hope this month is good to everyone!!

        Congrats Kevin (MTA: and Vege! You posted while I was posting) on the great month. Mine was very good as well. I had two small gaps in my training which were disappointing, but, despite that, it was my best month of running.

         

        A few bests:

        • Jan 1, beat 10 year old 10k PR.
        • Most runs ever
        • Highest mileage
        • Fastest average pace
        • Yesterday, during a tempo run, I had what would have been the fastest 5 consecutive miles I've ever run, if it weren't for Jan 1 10k PR. I wasn't racing myself, it was a legit tempo effort.

          Great to hear all of you had a great January!  Unfortunately mine didn't go as well.  I smashed my mile PR of 5:49 by a good 10 seconds just by upping my weekly mileage for about a month.  However, coming off the good feelings from that I tried to push through an 8-miler even though I was having a bit of pain in my lower leg.  I assumed it was just a recurrence of shin splints, but the pain started getting worse and more localized, hurting when I walked or put pressure on it.

           

          I haven't run since last Monday and I went to see the school trainer today.  She said my description sounds like it could be the beginning of a stress fracture which could definitely put me out for a long time and make running both my 10k on the 18th and the half on March 17th completely out of the question.  She recommends that I continue not to run until the pain completely dissipates, then resume slowly doing about 20mpw and making up the rest with cross training.

           

          I've resolved I'm not going to try running until after this weekend (I'm going skiing with a friend in NH!), then if my leg's not hurting go out for a short one and see how I feel.  I can't afford to take too much time off or I won't be prepared for the half, but then again I have to be careful and give my leg time to heal or I may find myself taking a forced running vacation.  It's frustrating because my training indicated I was going to smash my goal time and I was getting really excited.  Here's hoping things improve and best of luck to everyone going into February! Smile

          I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.

           

           

          Future Goals: 5:30 mile • 19:30 5k • 33:30 8k • 42:00 10k • 1:15:00 10-mile • 1:40:00 half-marathon • 1000 miles

              I can't afford to take too much time off or I won't be prepared for the half, but then again I have to be careful and give my leg time to heal or I may find myself taking a forced running vacation.  It's frustrating

             

            Believe me, I understand your frustration. I was rocking along all last summer, 5 weeks out from my big half, and bam - injury. It sucks. Big time. And it's hard to keep yourself from ignoring the pain, or pushing through, or getting back there too early. But you have to look at the long term. There will always be another race. You are at the very beginning stages of what is hopefully a long and happy running life. There might be more injuries in the future, but it's always more important to heal than to race. As much as it sucks. And it does. So hang in there. And heal. And make sure you fully heal. And then sign up for another race. Because there is ALWAYS another race. Good luck.

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


            Climbing Mt Ruapehu

              Jan was pretty good for me. I relaxed, I ran when i wanted, I did trails but still 150km odd.  Way better than the 5km i ran Jan 2011!

              Personal Race Records:

              M 3:52:48 (Auckland 2011), HM 1:38:16 (Taupo 2010), 10km 45:05 (Sir Barry 2010), 5km 20:21 (How Pak 5km 2010)

               

              2012 Goals:
              Run the 75km Hillary Trail in a day (done 10/3/2012)

                So hang in there. And heal. And make sure you fully heal.

                 

                That's definitely the plan!  I'm happy to say it hurt very little just walking around today, so I should be good to go with skiing this weekend.  I don't plan to try running on it until next week, so I'll report back with the results.

                I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.

                 

                 

                Future Goals: 5:30 mile • 19:30 5k • 33:30 8k • 42:00 10k • 1:15:00 10-mile • 1:40:00 half-marathon • 1000 miles

                  February! I am running along at a decent pace. My miles don't look like much, but compared to last January, I had a good month. In February I intend to increase miles and speed to put me in good shape for a late spring half as well as my Sept half. A few pesky medical procedures to navigate past this month and I should then be in the clear. You all seem to be doing well getting through the winter - you keep me motivated! Now I'm off to the gym for a few miles on the treadmill.

                    Got in a 13k (8 mile) run today, beautiful clear day, sunny and mild.

                    We have had a great winter so far, my lawn has no snow at all and the ice was nearly gone from the river. A couple of weeks ago there were snowmobiles roaring up and down as I crossed the bridge.

                    I keep wondering when the real winter is coming!

                    PBs since age 60:  5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.

                                                        10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.

                     

                    vegefrog


                      I keep wondering the same thing...We always have mild winters here compared to y'all northerners, but still...This year we have had maybe 2 nights under 30 degrees. It's been in the 70's here pretty much all of February and this week isn't looking much different. I think we will get a tiny cold front this weekend, down to 37 for one night.

                       

                      It was 82 for my long run yesterday. Was a much better day for the beach then for a run!!

                         

                        I keep wondering when the real winter is coming!

                         

                        Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don't wake winter...please!

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

                          I went and got an x-ray today and nothing showed up, but apparently 90% of stress fractures don't show up on the x-ray so I'm planning on having an MRI done soon to be sure.  The doc said I should take at least another couple weeks off (if it's just bad shin splints) and more if it ends up being a stress fracture.  This means I won't be running the 10k next week and it's looking unlikely that I'll be running the half in March.

                           

                          I should still be good to go for the 10-miler in late April, and there's another half in May which I may target depending on how my training goes.  I'm really disappointed because my training had been going so well the last few months, and these few weeks will probably erase most of the progress I had made.  But I also realize that missing a few races and a month of training isn't a huge deal in the grand scheme if it means I'll be able to return injury-free.

                          I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.

                           

                           

                          Future Goals: 5:30 mile • 19:30 5k • 33:30 8k • 42:00 10k • 1:15:00 10-mile • 1:40:00 half-marathon • 1000 miles


                          an amazing likeness

                            I should still be good to go for the 10-miler in late April, and there's another half in May which I may target depending on how my training goes.  I'm really disappointed because my training had been going so well the last few months, and these few weeks will probably erase most of the progress I had made.

                             

                            Don't push it -- you can do lots of things to preserve your base while letting things heal. There's a RA'er, Wannaberunner, who is constantly battling stress fractures and nagging injury -- and in an amazing display she ran something like a 3:11 marathon at Boston last year after spending months with nearly all her running on zero-g treadmill and pool running.  She kept her aerobic base primarily by upper body cycle workouts.

                             

                            Elliptical workouts, pool workouts, walking (esp up stairs and hills), upper body cycle -- all these can keep your aerobic system up.

                            Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

                              Alexander-

                              sorry to hear about the continued leg woes. I hope you do not in fact have a stress fracture. 

                               

                              My race plans are changing as well. I won't be doing my planned HM on Sunday, but I will probably run a different one next weekend. It's either that or hit a temporary reset button and wait until March 3. I'd rather run next weekend, but my training, at least with respect to long runs, becomes a bit screwed up. I'm probably over worrying about this. I'm happy with my conditioning overall, but was hoping to get one more long run in. As it is, I'll probably cap it at 8-10 this weekend as I really need a rest.

                                Hi Folks

                                 

                                SimonR - YOU WOKE WINTER! Wink It was 12F, with the windchill, at the start of my 5k this morning in Dallas TX!! Still had fun. Race Report Here.

                                 

                                I did get a chance to do a bunch of RA catch up today, great to read all your news and stalk some logs a little too!

                                 

                                Peter & Veg - you are both flying right now. great to see, keep it up!

                                Simon & LR - Also looking good!

                                Andy & Kevin - Very solid running guys. Nice

                                 

                                Alex - Sorry to hear about the injury mate. I can only add to the advice you have had already to let it fully heal. As Kevin says, there is always another race.

                                 

                                Feb for me is going to be a struggle of work/run balance. I'm going to need all 29 of those days to get to 100 miles and I'm going to make the call at the end of this month if I am realistically going to have a shot at 1:50 at the start of April. The adhesion to the training plan's not really there right now it's just miles, when I can grab 'em. Not complaining tho.. I am getting out the door.

                                 

                                Keep on keeping on folks and can you pesky Canadians take your winter back please - we don't want it down here!

                                 

                                Cheers!

                                2017 Goals
                                1) Run more than 231 miles
                                2) Be ready for  HM in the spring

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