Half Marathon Trainers

1

April Running (Read 13 times)

CanadianMeg


#RunEveryDay

    Getting nicer out there! Smile

     

    This month is a double race month for me. Gopher Attack Half on Good Friday followed by RPS Half on April 30. I'm nervous, not because they are two weeks apart, but that Friday race is throwing me for a loop. I don't know what to run this weekend - going to tentatively try a 7 and a 6 miler - because I don't want too much mileage. That two days earlier than most halfs is strange for me. I'm worried I haven't done enough or haven't done the right things. I need to do some major mental prep in the next week. I've never run Gopher before so course PR and I have a second shot at the half soon after so I should be able to just run it. (RPS was my first spring half last year and was not a good day.)

     

    What's going on? Smile

    Half Fanatic #9292. 

    Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

    hog4life


      Hey Meg! I still tend to get nervous in the leading weeks up to my races, but I've started going at them with a more casual approach to have fun. It really seems to help with the anxious an being nervous. I have completely given up on racing any distance, I just don't have the drive to focus on the speed work to help. I still like to run the middle distance stuff and tempo pace, I just rarely have the opportunity that I'm racing for myself. Maybe one of these days I can buckle down and start to focus on racing a half again.

       

      I have a 3/16/3 duathlon on Saturday, and then a HM on Sunday. We also can sign up for a 35.1 mile challenge to complete both days, and you get the cool little award. I'll post some pics later.

      Tiger Rag


        Did the Cardiff 10k and loved it. Got some training to do for another 10k and off to London at the end off the month to run with some friends.

         

        Currently waiting for the registration for next year's Paris half marathon to open.

        hog4life


          I finished the Heel and Crank Duathlon in 2:37:01. The first 3 mile run was 30:24, the 16 mile bike ride was 1:31:43, and the last 3 mile run was 31:27. We were about 3:30each time in the transition.  The next day, I completed the Bridge Street Half in 2:03:46 to complete the 2 day, 35.1 mile challenge. Here are a few pics.

          CanadianMeg


          #RunEveryDay

            Great photos! Looks like pretty nice conditions. Smile

             

            I ran the Gopher Attack on Good Friday. Wind wasn't as bad as forecast and was manageable the second half. Starting at about 30 gusting to 47kph, then backing off to 26 gusting to 37kph. The rain let up somewhere around mile 8 or 9. I was so rattled this morning I left the house without my Garmin and by the time I realized, there wasn't a point to going back to get it. I ran blind. It wasn't my best day. I walked more in the last 2 miles than I want to in a race. But I finished, the medal is heavy and pretty nice and my husband was a great race spouse today. He dropped me off at 640am. He was there when I finished and had brought a change of jacket, powerade, a carafe of tea with travel mug, and his phone to snap some finishing/post race photos. He got a couple of really good ones at the finish. Course PR because I hadn't done this race before. The other first for me was being in the group photo with the Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics; I've never done that before. I was talking to the race director of my fall goal race and he said there were about 200 runners. (It was a full/BQ, half and relay.) I'm exhausted now. I'm waiting on official results and my time isn't great (not my worst) but I did learn today that maybe I'm just slower at spring races than fall ones. I haven't got the volume of long runs with solid footing.  Smile

             

            Wonder if I can post a pic because I have a good one....

             

            Half Fanatic #9292. 

            Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

            hog4life


              Meg that is a great picture!

              CanadianMeg


              #RunEveryDay

                Thank you!

                 

                I ran my second half for the month yesterday. Regina Police Service Half. I ran this race last year for my first spring half; all my halfs up to then had been in Sept-Oct.

                 

                Trivia question of the day:  When is a course PR enough?

                Answer: When it's 5m16 faster than the half I ran on Good Friday/two weeks ago and when it's my fastest half marathon time since 2014! Smile

                 

                It was a nice morning although it felt pretty hot at time. By the end of the race, it was about 57* and the wind never got above 15-18kph. I worked hard and with about a mile and a half to go, just couldn't sustain my pace. I walked more than I wanted to in that last bit. I sprinted in at the end and I'm laughing now because the runner I decided I needed to beat at the finish, she finished 1 second behind me and is in my age group.

                 

                Splits: 11:00 - 11:00 - 10:58 - 11:04 - 11:00 - 10:52 - 11:07 - 11:03 - 11:02 - 10:59 - 10:54 - 11:25 - 12:09 (not including the last .10 here).

                 

                I set my half PR in 2014. It's pretty satisfying to have such a solid race, even if I did fall apart near the end. My course PR is an improvement of 2m26s. I felt mentally pretty strong through the race. I wanted to enjoy it and I did. (Extra notes: Instead of shirts, we got zipped hoodies and a reusable bag with all kinds of stuff including a small, a nice gaiter, ice pack, etc. There was fruit after the race on a table plus the post race snacks came in a cooler bag . We got red and black police service socks instead of medals. Great swag!) Smile

                Half Fanatic #9292. 

                Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.