Half Marathon Training Spring 2024

I’ve got a niggly hip so I’m not running at the moment, although I ran my longest ever distance on Saturday (7 miles). I’m feeling quite anxious about the impact missing some time will have on my training but I don’t want my uncomfortable hip to turn into something painful. I’m hoping to try a couple of miles on Sunday to see where I am with everything.

Also - no London Marathon place for me (a relief, if I am honest) but I am hoping for a London Landmarks HM place.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree wow, I'm super impressed with that mileage, and having done mara distance twice!
Hope the weekend event is good fun.
Various events meant I only ran a total of 8 miles last week (2 or 3 runs) and so far been about the same this week. Hoping to get a longer trail run in this weekend as less happening and cooler weather.

I had a 4 minute mile a week or two ago when I lost signal for a bit!

I didn't try for the London marathon either.

Hope everyone is doing well. I have been keeping up with the thread but not posting.

I have a HM coming up on Sunday! It's part of a three day event which cumulatively make a marathon.

It will feel quite short compared to my ultra training - I have got up to marathon distance twice in the last three weeks, and my shortest weekday runs at the moment are 10lk. I'm going to take the summer off and just do parkrun and concentrate on my swimming for a bit. There's a trail HM I quite fancy in the autumn. so we'll see what happens.

I've never tried the London ballot.
I'd rather just book a place, although they've released the places sooner this year than previously? I sure it was in the autumn before.

Anyone have any luck in the London ballot? Not me (feeling slightly relieved 😅)

My Garmin went mad yesterday and suggested I had run a mile in 3 minutes and 51 seconds. I may be slowly getting faster but...no. Haha

It is most definitely too hot!

My plan has suggested only short runs this week although will be a 6 mile negative split run on Sunday. I've been trying to take it easy still, and the runs feel like a struggle but somehow I am getting faster - 1km in 5 mins 18 seconds now. Wish I could do it for more than 1k of course....

I'm getting to the point of looking forwards to being off plan... I'll probably last two weeks 😂

My plan's beginning to wind down now. My calves are so ready for this!

I'm wondering if it's New Shoe time. Garmin says it is although Garmin doesn't know when I've alternated with trail shoes. Saying that, they've not been used that much over the life of these road runners because the autumn/ winter/ spring were too swampy to get on to the trails and actually run. I did more milage in their predecessors, but for a run-all road race, fresh shoes might help... I could keep the current ones in action for bimbling...
It never works like that though does it 😂

@gm2023 yes, I see it like @BogRollBOGOF DOMs, even if not from running is a sign of muscles growing and I'm sure the stronger quads will help with the running.
I'm still to find the time to strength train...
I am loving having ditched any formal training plan though, I've done a few speed workouts and a threshold run yesterday. Felt fab last night, tired legs but I enjoyed that "pushed myself" feeling. Garmin has stayed at "productive" which it never did when I was actually following a Garmin plan?!
I'm going to run for fun for the remainder of the summer before looking for some autumn events, and cross country season again. I would like to go into that fitter than last year, thinking long slow runs and lots of hills?

My calves were at me last week and I ended up skipping Saturday's run. I thought my body would appreciate the rest more than a progression session. Did my long run yesterday and it was a lot more comfortable. At least I've known I'm at peak milage and ready to taper.

My legs don't like the slower pace- it makes me more flat footed and more time on the ground so more shock through the shins and more effort to lift back off. My trainers are not the newest either. I've felt more comfortable where the pace has picked up through a session and I can get more spring into it.

At least DOMS passes and is a sign of muscles being used and building up.

I’ve got such bad DOMS in my quads that I can barely walk down the stairs and bending is excruciating. All from the new exercise class I tried! It’s rather ruined my running plans this weekend. I did a slow 5K to see if it would help. It didn’t but it hasn’t made anything worse either. But I ran my fastest ever mile on Thursday at running club so I was all set to push myself this weekend to see if I could sustain that pace over 2 or 3 miles. No such luck!

I’m back to running club tomorrow but I’ve signed up for the same class again on Tuesday - although at a different gym and with a different instructor. I need a bit more instruction than I got on Friday at the cheaper class. I’m hoping I’ll be able to make it a regular part of my routine and doing it midweek will mean my legs aren’t wrecked for my upcoming long runs.

All in all, I’m feeling quite fed up tonight! But I’ve had a nice, active day (23k steps - mostly in the garden!) and I’ve got my highest VO2 max score on my Apple Watch (still low - 29.8 - but better than it’s ever been for me).

Trying to keep my spirits up but feeling a bit rubbish about the DOMS and I feel I’m stagnating a little with my running.

3 runs later and the legs are getting better - today was 4 miles with lots of uphill, first 2.5 miles easy, next mile harder, next mile hard. No chewed string feeling, but I still feel so underpowered and much more tired afterwards. Gah. That said, things are improving. Slowly.

Happy to see Jasmin Paris get an MBE! Sometimes when a run is tough I think "what would Jasmin Paris do?" to keep me going.

Thank you all for the encouragement! I’m running tomorrow and doing a functional fitness class on Friday for the first time. I’m hoping I like it and can make it a key part of my training. My plan then has me doing 3 miles at the weekend so I’m tempted to try to see if I can pull off a faster 5K. We will see…

That's dedication on the hills @Lamontaine!

I hope it all eases up soon @CatherineMaitland - love a good railway run 

That plan is really interesting @gm2023. I'd be very tempted to switch to that but I'm a bit too close to my half now. I'm in the exact same pace spot as you, although I'm think it's my blood,pressure that's my main issue. Not enough oxygen getting to where it needs, I'm doing a final set of readings to get them back to my GP so I'll see what they say.

My preference would be to opt for a class rather than an hour on the elliptical- I do like the elliptical but my attention span isn't that long!

@CatherineMaitland sure you’ll be back on it soon. Glad you’re feeling better.

@gm2023, looks like a great plan. I am sure you’ll get there with your pace; don’t worry about that now though, as you’ve said before, it’s all about getting out there, getting time on your feet, building that endurance slowly. You need to slow down to speed us! I am sure cross training will help too. I know it did for me, I used to go and then stopped everything for running. Decided to go back last October after a tough half race and I really saw difference in my running this year.

First run since being ill and my legs feel like chewed string! Hope they will feel a bit stronger tomorrow. It was a gentle 3 miles up an old railway line track and back down.

gm2023 - I'm sure if you keep plugging away you will get there. I know that's not much help but I have confidence in you!

This is the plan I’m following: https://www.rundisney.com/running-training-programs/ It’s probably too basic for many of you seasoned runners but I think it’s a solid choice for a new runner like me! I don’t Jeff with my running club but I do occasionally Jeff by myself (mostly because I find it breaks up the monotony but also because it helps to keep my HR down - 178bpm average is not unusual for me in my club sessions 😵‍💫). I have signed up for a PAYG fitness class on Friday to see what I make of it. Taking my first tentative steps into cross-training! Hoping it’s going to unlock some aerobic fitness and make running a bit more comfortable…

I’ve said before I’m a slower runner but the fact my HR is so high at modest speeds is really hampering me going faster! In the long term I’d love to be able to hold a 7min/km pace and get my 5K time down to 35 mins. (37 mins is about the best I can do now.) I can’t say I’ve got much interest in going faster than that but when I get there it’ll really unlock my participation in my running club (as I can only do beginner sessions right now).

Present focus is - of course - distance though!

@BogRollBOGOF sounds like a great run.

@chutneypig good news on the park run and getting out there.

@Trickedbyadoughnut, great race and effort, welll done! I did not manage the 12k. I went for a cocktail and a swim in the lake instead! Oops!

been for for 6k hill intervals at 6am today. So feeling very pleased with myself and ready for a substantial lunch!

It was an hour easy, 10 mins goal pace and a faster 5 mins to finish. Plus 5 mins either side to warm up/ cool down.

That's some elevation @Trickedbyadoughnut  well done you.

I like the sound of those alternating 3 miles @gm2023, very practical, especially over the summer. I've come a cropper several years when there's not been much wiggle room and I've been away at the wrong time.

How did they structure the progressions @BogRollBOGOF?

I managed a slightly improved parkrun and a slow but constant 30 minutes at the weekend. Im going to (try!) ignore pace and VO2 max etc and just focus on extending time on feet. It did feel like I was in the zone so that'll do me over recent efforts.

Well done on the race! Trail is definitely a different beast.
I did a 14.8mi trail "HM" last year. At least I knew it was a "bit long" I did a gently paced hilly HM in training and a hilly day each week but it was still a calf-buster! In a way, I trained some hills too steep and some of my local hills were realistic preparation. I really enjoyed the change of scenery in training though!

This week's longest run done- 85 min progression run 😖
The faster running was actually easier. To keep my pace down to the easy pace shortens my stride and I think I land more flat footed and my calves don't appreciate. It was better when I hit the goal pace and faster sections.

Well done on the race! I’m pleased to be back into the swing of things after a week off for half term. I did 20km in total last week over three runs. My RunDisney plan doesn’t really get going until next month - when I’ll have to run 6.5 and 8 miles - so I’m just using it as a benchmark for now to make sure I’ve done the minimum distance at the weekend (this month it’s only 2-4 miles). But week 1 of half marathon training is complete! Really happy with this plan so far, as it alternates long runs with a 3 mile run and I feel confident about sticking to it (and about being able to swap weeks around if something comes up).

My aerobic fitness is still really low but I’m planning to start cross-training once a week. I am trying to decide between doing an hour on the elliptical once a week or doing an exercise class. I want something that’s going to give my cardio fitness a boost. I don’t want to add any strength training into my plan at the moment as I’m afraid of DOMS impacting my running sessions - and I’m hoping to focus on strength/5k speed between October and January.

@Lamontaine I hope you managed your hilly 12k before the torrential rain and storms!

@gm2023 that's it - I can't fit everything with 4 runs

Did my "10k" trail race with 290m of altitude gain yesterday - they had to change the route at the last minute and we all had 12k on our watches and 450+. I was not really counting on 20 per cent extra and I was a bit undertrained for the trails (also possibly setting a 5k PB in boiling heat wasn't great prep either). Still had lots of fun, and it's definitely given me a heads up that I need to belt up and get out on the trails even if the rains persists, because my trail half in August is going to be a sufferfest if I don't get more climbing and descending in!

Feeling it today!

I like 3 runs a week too. My marathon training went really well on a modest alternating long/ mid-length run each week so plenty of recovery time between very long sessions, a weekly parkrun done at a steady pace and a mid-week couple of miles to feel, plus a couple of strength sessions.

I'm currently on 4 runs per week because of the plan and I find I'm not fitting in other things like swimming because of it. OK so rain is a factor too.

I'm looking forwards to tapering releasing some time then going off piste.

The trouble with a summer HM is that there's no point getting too optomistic about speed and potential pbs as the weather can blow all that out of the water at the last minute.