Anyone else training for a half marathon?

I'm still lying on the sofa .

My boys made me do hill sprint races with them when I got back & I could barely walk it (they're only almost 4&6 & it's not exactly a hill, but it felt that way at the time!).

Top work Onedev! I need to do that tomorrow. Then somehow stay awake for the rest of the day while looking after my DDs, with DH at work..

I managed my 11 miles - yeah

I'm going to aim for 11 miles today - haven't gone that distance in recent training so hope it's ok.

Hopefully it'll be a lovely hotel Lexi

I've just spent ALL my pocket money on the very last hotel room anywhere near Durham. minimum 2 night stay, the cheeky buggers.

OK, some of you sound like you really know what you're talking about!! So. This morning I have done a 5k route out the back of my house on an old golf course. It's a mile end to end but if you do all the innyouty bits round the edge (and all the ups and downs!) it adds a third basically. I'm looking at my pace on Strava and I was pretty consistent whether going uphill or downhill or flat. So the grade adjusted pace is all over the place.

Now, I think that means that if I can run the same speed uphill as I am typically doing on the flat, I could be doing better on the flat, yes? I don't know how to make my legs do that though. I always had a problem (in a former life as an army reservist) with pace length when doing loaded marches, it felt like my hips just didn't want to let my legs extend out very far in front and I always had to trot to catch up (v bad form).

Yes kiwi that's what I did last night! Only for a mile though and I enjoyed it- I think it took me back to the c25k days which I enjoyed doing (even though it was torture!) sore legs after it though- did not make my early morning boot camp class fun this morning!!!

Ido try fartlek running? That's where you go at gentle pace then do random sprints so eg pick an object (lamppost) and run fast to it then back to normal speed. Unlike intervals it's more random and quite fun Classic intervals is more like 1 km fast, 1 km slow (although if you don't have a gps you can also do it by time, eg 1 min fast, 1 slow or 5 fast, 5 slow or 1 fast, 5 slow...!

Issy I'm aiming for between 1 hour 40 and 1 hour 45. Haven't done a half before but quite a few 10kms recently and my 10km PB is 46'10 so should be do-able

Ido, I think that's interval training yes - when I try that, it always seems to be when I'm on a slight downhill! I swear it's not deliberate but always works out that way so think that's my bodies way of rejecting them

Well done! Really wish we had more hills around here as that is worrying me!

So is that 4 of us doing the GNR??

I've only been doing flat runs- there are no hills here! But I try to do the odd stair if I see it! Hopefully that will see me through!! Is interval where you go fast then slow etc? I tried that tonight between the lamp posts, I did it for my last mile before my cool down walk and I actually really enjoyed it. It wasn't as difficult as I imagined it to be so next time I might try to do it for 2 or 3 miles.

Hi Lexi, I booked last night to stay at the Novotel by Newcastle airport as couldn't find anything else. I'm hoping that'll be ok as it said its on a metro route!

I dont have the discipline for interval training either so have been building my running generally. It was on my thread that one poster said about the hills so I've been trying since then but don't think I'm having much success with finding something suitable.

Hi! I was on onedev's GNR thread. eek, only two weeks to go - and I haven't booked anywhere to stay the night before in Durham.

Have seemed to plateau in timings of my runs recently, but have been trying to do more hills and intervals but I lack the discipline to really do intervals properly so either need technology to shout at me or a running club, neither of which are going to happen in time, so I just plan mid length training runs that have hills in instead.

My time is currently about 10.30 a mile or 6.40 a km at the moment. Haven't looked too closely at how hilly the Great North is, but hopefully I can maintain that for 13.1m, which would mean 2h20m ish.

One thing I am terrible at is drinking enough water! I go out for a training run in the late morning from work and realise I have only had a small breakfast and two coffees. Ridiculous.

Just seen this thread - Im doing the Great North Run too & hope I'm ready when the time comes. I've heard it's really hilly & been trying to find hills around here to practice on but struggling to find something which is suitable as I've no idea what the GNR is like to know what I need!

Issy yes I am indeed! Have heard its a nice course. Are you aiming just to finish, or for a particular time?

Hi - I too am doing the Great North Run! My longest run so far has been 10 miles last Saturday but tomorrow am doing 12 . I have been following the Runners World 10 week programme re distances etc but not done any speed work really - just want to get round as it is my first (and last!) half marathon.

Hello! Just spotted this thread. I'm training for 1/2 marathon on October 7th. Have got up to 10 miles (last weekend). Nice to meet you, fellow runners :)

I'm not really following a specific training plan except doing a mix of intervals, speed work, long runs etc. I belong to a local running club so do track sessions with them on Sat mornings and a 10km improvement thing they are running on Tuesday evenings. I've got a 10km race in a week or so as well. I'm doing about 4 or 5 runs a week, anyway. Am on maternity leave at the moment with DD2 (she's 10.5 months now, also have DD1 at nursery, she's not far off 4 now) so it's nice to be able to escape the total chaos and plastic stuff.

Issy you're heaps faster than me! My 9miler takes me 1hour 45. That's is with a 5min warm up and 5min cool down walk (so I'm sure that's why its a slow time and I'm still a few years off 40!!!.