Anyone training for their first HM?

I have had to drop out of two HMs this year - the first one as I was recovering from surgery and the second in June as my stupid IT band was not behaving. Signed up for a local one in August, but now have hip problems and am really struggling. So fed up, but daren't run at the moment :( I have a cross trainer at home and cycle 4 miles a day so hoping I can get out again soon.

It's one injury after another. The most I've run so far is 7 miles (started a year ago) so need to get cracking!!

Good to know ohone - about the water and the cheering of slower runners!

Week 8 (last one) of c25k this week. Hoping to easily run 4-4.25k in my 28 min run tonight, will bode well for getting up to 5k in 35 mins by the end of the week.

Hopefully I really like the bottle (and also work on the principle that it is good for the arms ).

I agree that anyone who can do 10 miles can do a HM- after all, it's only tagging on a parkrun to a long run.

I have done some huge HMs (fields of several thousand runners). Yesterday I did a tiny local one - only a couple of hundred, mostly v serious club runners, but the support yesterday for those of us bringing up the rear was fantastic

Yes you are Thursday .

Well done on the 10.8 miles Vlad. Liking the sound of jelly snakes as essential training fuel.

Morrigu I just do it at home. Can't afford a class, spent all my spare cash on the world's comfiest running shoes (for me). Skechers, which I was a bit about, but they are fab, quite minimalist but still with enough support and cushioning.

Aaah, thanks everyone!
I do feel able to run 13.1 miles, I'm just not sure how much I'd enjoy the conditions IYSWIM.
But on the flip side, I won't feel as if I've done it unless I've done a 'proper' HM.

F**k it! I'm just going to have to sign up! pay the money and deal with it aren't I???

Me! I wanted to do something that was a real challenge in order to fundraise for our local hospice - I walk a lot but a HM has always been 'what athletes and really fit people do' rather than something I'd expect to do myself IYSWIM.

So I've signed up to one (Windsor) in September - not sticking to the training plan as much as I should (quite constrained as to when I can actually train with a 4yo and husband who works away a lot) but try to get one long run in at the weekends. That's going a bit better than expected - I managed 10.8miles on Saturday so the HM distance is looking acheivable.

Circuit / weight training once a week is really helping a lot with stamina and hills. Speed is my downfall too, but for this one I'm telling myself just to get around it (even if I would love to do it in 2hrs if I can). I did try having terribly healthy things before running but the thing that really seems to work is jelly snakes- have to hide them from DD though...

I missed that you ran 10 miles Thursday. They do say if you can do ten, you could do the hm as nerves and adrenaline would carry you the last few miles. Autumn is ages away too. Go for it!

Do you do shred at home or a class Hopefully?

Thursday if you are already managing 10 miles you have nooooo worries re an autumn HM. Pick one and sign up!

One of the reasons I like carrying water is because I imagine it is helping tone my arms too . I still have post natal bingo wings .

Day off today, I hate days off, but I love how easy my run feels after one - I run tue, thu, sat and sun, and cross train (well, Shred) on a Weds, so my only post-day-off runs are tue and sat. Thurs is always my least impressive one.

Also planning on doing my first hm in Sept. 12 weeks. Eek! Not following any official training guide but kind of making it up as I go along while glancing at several different ones.

Was running 3/4times a week and crosstraining in the gym too but with the summer holidays approaching and being a lp to 2dc that has gone to the wall and I'm lucky to fit in 2 runs a week sometimes. Not looking for any specific time for the hm just to get round under the 3 hours allocated so there's no pressure. My last week long run was 9 miles so I'm fairly confident now I can do it.

Speed wise I'm sure hill sprints have helped me. Hate, hate intervals so I avoid like the plague but since doing hill sprints once a week I've pb'ed my parkrun time by almost two minutes and got sub 25.

I always carry water with an electrolyte tablet dissolved in it if I know I'm going to be out longer than 10k. Don't like carrying it in my hand so have a belt.

Hello!
I'm following a HM training plan on Runkeeper too, with a view to entering a local HM in the autumn. Currently I'm too chicken to decide which one and actually sign up for it though

I am v much a lonesome runner (apart from parkrun) and am a bit nervous of looking a fool in front of serious gunners.

I also need to consider water options. I ran 10 miles in the evening last week with a small bottle of water. I hated carrying it, and drinking whilst running, but going without probably would have been a disaster.

Well, I was up and out at 6.15 this morning for a 6 miler. Can't eat at that time of the morning and never take water with me. I should I know but really don't like the thought of carrying something the whole way. A hilly run and through some woods at one stage - managed to trip over and am sporting a scraped thigh and knee now. I am a martyr to my pain though and got up and carried on - 55 minutes. Dh had already left for work and I have 3 dcs but the eldest is old enough to look after the youngest whilst I'm out. In fact they were all still asleep when i got home!

ohone do you get on with the bottle?

There is a trail running club near here which I may brave next year - I quite fancy doing some running on the moors but am scared!

I can start off quite fast, but lose pace, so I'm the opposite - no stamina! I know it will come though, am still 30lb heavier than pre preg, and nowhere near as fit. Just as long as I manage to get round this HM in Oct I am promising myself I won't stress about an amazing time.

I have a mix of group/solo too. Did hill training today, then I went and did my run

Speed is my downfall. Got stamina but that's it!

I think if I lose some more weight (2 stone to go) I might get faster?

Hopefully I have one of those bottles

I think interval training is supposed to help with speed.

I have found joining a club fantastic in keeping me motivated and I can certainly run much furthrr in a group than I can alone. Rrally friendly people aswell. I do enjoy running alone too so lovely to have a mix

Also don't particularly like the idea of running clubs! I like the headspace time when I run, after the noise of DH and three DCs at home.

I hate the idea of a water belt/camelbak, but am toying with getting something like this bottle instead of a plastic doughnut one.

No real experience of trying to improve speed, but suspect hill training would be good. Also googled 'bodyweight exercises for legs' to find strength training you can do at home (one leg squats etc). I used to do a lot of bodyweight training before last pregnancy and it was great for toning.

Thanks. Weight training? Not sure I can fit a gym session in aswell as have very limited free time without dc's and wwouldn't really want to sacrifice a run! Would including more hills help then instead as I would imagine this must help to strengthen legs more?

I asked the same question of a much more proficient runner than me just the other day re: increasing speed. My stamina is increasing but my speed (currently average about 8:50 a mile) is static. He reckons that you need to develop your leg muscles - so some weight training is the way to go. Clearly you'll get a little faster just with keeping up the running practice, but to make significant gains, weights is the way to go. Which is sad, because i really, really don't enjoy weight training.

I seem to always need water even on a short run so have a bottle carrier that straps round my waist which is great as wouldnt fancy carrying a bottle in my hand. Any tips from more proficient runners on increasing pace? Currently do about 10.45 minute mile on a 5k and if I try to it any faster I seem to have to slow again quickly and somehow my overall time is then slower!