Half Marathon Training Spring 2024

@chutneypig @OhOneOhTwoOhThree Thank you! Given current levels of fitness and only having started running in October I think a run/walk strategy is best for me. I will try a few things and see where that takes me. I noticed my times seem faster on Strava in earlier weeks of Couch to 5K when I was run/walking more - presumably because my heart rate was more under control! It’s really high (180bpm) when I am running now, which I think is just a fitness thing as I am running at a conversational pace. Onwards to the autumn!

Hi @gm2023 - I run/walk all my runs from parkrun upwards. The ratio that seems to suit me is 10 minutes running, 2 minutes walking. I keep meaning to join up the runs, but never seem to get round to it.

With training you will manage the distance.

@Trickedbyadoughnut a 2.30 HM sounds achievable if you can cover 10K in 1.15 and you manage the training. Good luck!

@gm2023 it sounds perfectly sensible. I jeffed all my long runs when training for my first half and it's a great way to get time on your feet without overdoing it. I'm currently a similar time for parkrun and my most recent halfs were either side of the 3 hour mark. I did next to no training for those. A lot of running halfs is the confidence to do it and a good plan will take care of that. You've got a good stretch of time to work your way up too.

Thanks for tagging me. I have now finished Couch to 5K but I am only running up to 4.5km at the moment as my pace has slowed a bit. I’ve fallen into a pattern of doing 5km in about 38 minutes, which I recognise is a bit slow.

I’ve joined a running club to repeat Couch to 5K over the next few months. That’s two running sessions a week taken care of until the spring. I feel a bit lost without Jo Whiley although I’ve found Nike Run Club’s short guided runs a good substitute. For the third session a week, I was thinking about following this plan and “jeffing” the Saturday runs (perhaps 30s run, 30s walk): https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.disney.com/media/rd/redesign/running-training-programs/runDisney-Half-Beginner-Training-Plan.pdf. If I start next week and manage to follow the plan that should take me up to May.

I am thinking about registering for the Cardiff Half (October) as the cut-off time is 4.5 hours but given I have only been running continuously for about 35 minutes and cover 4.5km in that time, it feels wildly ambitious today! Going more than four times that distance seems eye-popping but I think if I stick to a run/walk strategy it will be doable, even with my poor levels of fitness.

Does this sound sensible?! I just need a sense-check before I register.

Thanks @chutneypig. I'm definitely looking at adding a little bit of weight work after my HM, but I'm a bit nervous both adding weights and ramping up the distance. I think it might be too much for me.

Welcome @newyearnewknees!

@Trickedbyadoughnut I think you'd be ok aiming for 2.30 too, you'll naturally get the pace increase with that amount of training. I often run around those times. I have hypermobile joints but am lucky as they don't give me much trouble apart from weak ankles on trails runs. Some weights really helped my pace a few years back when I was in a huge pace rut - would that be a no no for you?

Thanks @Jumbojem for the encouragement and the calculator! A part me thinks trying to go from slow to marginally less slow is a bit of a pointless, but another part thinks PBs are for anyone!

I think it's realistic to aim for 2.30 if you've done a 1.15 10k, especially as you're following a plan.
Jack Daniels (US running coach, not the drink) is the go to for training pace calculations. The online calculators let you enter your results and it will give you paces for the other distances. Or if you want to target a time for a distance it will give you the paces you need to train up to.
https://news.vdoto2.com/2023/04/pace-calculator/

Would anyone like to help me work out my HM pace for my training runs? It's a bit of a novel, this post ...

I have a road, flatish HM booked mid-April. My only other road HM was in 2016 (yikes) and completed in 2'34. I did quite a few trail HMs after, but none since 2019.

I haven't run consistently since the pandemic, so I started C25K in July, then did the BUPA beginner 10k plan, completed a 10k race in December in 1'15 - cardio-wise, was fine, legs pretty stiff afterwards though, so don't think I could have gone faster.

Now following a 16-week Runtastic beginner HM plan, which has 1 easy, 1 long and 1 tempo/hill/fartlek run a week, plus two cross training sessions.

I can't run more than three times a week as I have hypermobile EDS and I have to be super careful of my tendons/joints - sometimes I do have to skip runs in the plan. I do one swim and a bike ride/hike as cross training, Yoga with Adriene on YouTube and three 30-min sessions of physio exercises with a bungee.

First goal is to complete - but in my training plan, some of my running needs to be at HM pace - would it be realistic to aim at breaking 2'30? I am also 5 kg over a normal BMI, so if I did lose some of that between now and April, it would probably help with speed.

Not sure it's realistic to think I could run my HM in twice the time it took me to do 10k, even if I have four more months of training under my belt? (And hopefully a few fewer pounds.)

Welcome @newyearnewknees and congratulations on your first HM. Please do join us, all welcome here!

I hear you @BogRollBOGOF! I went out this morning and my usual riverside route was one long puddle. I try and do as much trail running as I can but some of my favourite routes are off limits at the moment.

I haven't got any races booked. I'm toying with a HM in about a month as I'll be away for my usual one late Feb.
I'm currently on a 10k improvers plan (Garmin Coach) which has a lot of speed work. Between that and autumn HMs/ 10mi races, I've got it in the tank to gently complete a HM with no time pressure. Partly why I'm doing the 10k plan to tide me over the winter.

It's just as well that I'm trundling through my base running with some intention because the constant rain put a premature end to my trail running options since October as they're now shin-deep mud-swamps and rivers where there should be little streams. They're normally dodgy Jan-Mar, but the mud set in early this year after October's record flooding.

It gets a bit tedious when everything is greige to look at!

Hi all, would it be ok for me to join? I did my first ever half marathon yesterday and now I feel as if I have whiplash I had avoided jogging like the plague until a few months ago but have been shocked to find that I am growing to like it. A bit. I was planning to book a half in March and May to keep the momentum going, worrying that without a goal to work to now the first one is done I'll just stop going for jogs!

Very impressive @brooksghost! I wasn't troubling anyone on that front today!

@brooksghost wow, well done, what a start to the year!
@xsquared good luck with the marathon training. Sounds like you've got a handle on the training.

@Jumbojem I've done a few of the Maverick races; they are really well organised so I'd recommend them if you are thinking about a race with them.

I went to Parkrun and did indeed run a season best! Course was muddy and slightly precarious in places so I focused on staying upright whilst pondering my choice of (wrong) shoe! Got 1st lady so that was a good start to the year.

Waving to you @Jumbojem I'm in the Poldens which I guess is the middle of Somerset, or the dodgy bit as I like to call it. It seemed to be a friendly and nicely run race - that said it's the only one I've ever done - and you could get a chocolate bar at the end, then walk back through Cheddar and buy a latte before getting the bus back to the car parking/start. They have the road races in September and the Cheddar trail/challenge in June. I don't think I would run down Cheddar gorge without the roads being closed to vehicles.

If I ever get fit enough I'd like to do one of the Albion longer Mendip races, but I'm probably 2 years away from doing anything like that.

@CatherineMaitland you are in my neck of the woods! I'm in North Somerset. I considered the Cheddar running festival races last year but think it clashed with something DS was doing. I really should have a look and commit to something. There were Maverick races on the Mendips last year which also looked good so might see when those are.

@chutneypig well done on getting up for parkrun. Hope you enjoyed the run, probably a good atmosphere on NYD parkrun, more so than the usual good cheer of PR. I didn't get out of bed until gone 11 😆 I have been for a run though, 42 minutes of easy pace as dictated by the Garmin to whom I'm now a slave!

Happy new year everyone! I'm up and at the coffee before parkrun.

It does sound like you can work round the half @xsquared and it'll be good motivation.

I've had a look at YWA so might start it off and see how I go. It's work travel for me too @Jumbojem that was putting me off. But I'd forgotten about double days and I did get a travel yoga mat for Christmas. I'm trying to do a couple of yoga/pilates classes at the gym each week too so maybe could stretch it out and try and do some yoga every day.

Hope everyone enjoyed theirs parkrun this morning and I'll hold on to @brooksghost thought on season best

Wow at the 1000+ miles!
I ended on 875 which was good for me given injury and illness. My biking numbers were way down on previous years but again, the first 6 months were plagued with injury, illness and stress.
However, despite lower numbers than previous years, I'm fitter and faster than ever (well, post-kids).

Parkrun tomorrow to start the year off...and it'll be a season best even if I jog round!

Happy New Year to you all...and may 2024 bring you lots of running achievements and PBs.

Thanks @Jumbojem @xsquared @OhOneOhTwoOhThree ! It will be the Cheddar half marathon with Relish Running. I did their 5km road race in September which was fun (although I didn't realise that a downhill road race meant everyone else would be super fast, I am not and likely never will be super fast but I'm still glad I did it) It's very local to me and I've done a run or two on some of the terrain already. I need some proper trail running shoes for it though, my poor little Pumas were a bit outclassed on my previous run.

I'm a bit wary of joining a club as I feel I will be too slow, plus tricky with work, but I try and run on tracks, roads, and also sand as I am close to Burnham-on-Sea with miles and miles of sand. One of our village roads is permanently flooded in rain and I had to get a bit used to getting my feet wet. Once I get some proper shoes I'll make sure I do more trails before June.

@Jumbojem I think I managed all of January and half of February with YWA last year. Then we went away on holiday and I got out of the habit. I went to an in person class a few weeks ago (which turned out to be one to one as nobody else turned up) which I absolutely loved and made me want to get back to it. Not that I have made any effort to do so...

We're off to parkrun tomorrow - I'm running and DH is volunteering. I volunteered yesterday. Hope the wind drops for you @Jumbojem .

@xsquared congratulations on your London place - I'd missed that. And I think with an end-January HM you are first up!

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree wow,well done on the 1000+miles. It's been my Strava goal for a few years but yet to make it. I was on track until June then I stopped the long runs and am now far behind.
@chutneypig there's a YWA Flow thread, I saw @OhOneOhTwoOhThree is on it along with myself and various others. I'm also on a general yoga thread if you want something to keep you motivated without the pressure to do it in Jan. I can't keep up with daily yoga beyond Jan (and frankly even that's an effort, I think last year I did a few double days to keep up). I've got a fair bit of work travel in Jan which is going to limit both running and yoga opportunities.
Good luck to those of you parkrunning tomorrow. I did it yesterday (and got a small PB) as our local one was apparently heaving on Christmas Day. There are even fewer locally on tomorrow than Xmas day so I have a feeling it will be rammed, and a narrow course. It's also blowing an absolute gale here at the mo, we nearly got swept away on the sea front this afternoon. Bloody weather, and there we all were moaning about the heatwave back in June 😆

A big welcome to you @CatherineMaitland! Like the others have said, we're on a fairly random collection of runs this year. This group is fantastic for support and advice.

I wish I'd gone to parkrun on Christmas Day @brooksghost. I was worried about getting dinner done in time and didn't go, which I regretted. Lesson for next year, don't put exercise last. That's definitely why I'm in such poor shape.

That's a great distance for the year @OhOneOhTwoOhThree - well done! I must have a look at Yoga with Adrienne - I've done the January one a few times. I'm not sure I can fit it in this January but was wondering about doing it in February, so I'll be keen to hear how you're finding it.

That's a definite quandary @xsquared - how long are your long runs at the stage for London?

parkrun for us in the morning, hilly one to start the year off. I'm also aiming for better balance between volunteering and running parkrun in 2024. It's not done my fitness any favours this year.

Hello @CatherineMaitland and welcome aboard! This is a continuation of a thread that started last year and has just kept going (I was going to put "and ran and ran", but's that what we did). Feel free to add your HM to the list I posted above - always good to see what people have planned.

I've finished the year with a 4 mile slip and slide through mud and puddles and along the river bank. This takes me to 1020 miles for the year - I'd never have imagined that last January.

I don't need to start training for my next event until late January so will try to just keep ticking over until then. I've have a few swims booked and have signed up for the January Yoga with Adriene for some strength training. Happy New Year to all!