Half marathon - any one doing one?

[Cherryminx]

There was a thread last year which I looked at in admiration as I struggled through C25K and then went on to run a 10K. So I can hardly believe that in a fit of madness I've signed up for a half Marathon in May.

Training starts tomorrow! Would anyone like to join me?

cherry I think it's me next, 8th may. Just under 4 weeks to go.

Oops sorry emummy I see its your turn next. Although yours sounds way harder than my road HM!

chutney that's good you kept your pace the same between training and a race. I always worry I'll head off too quick in a race and then probably overcompensate by going too slow! I'm looking forward to see if I can improve my 10 mile time. It felt quite comfortable the other day but I'd settle for the same time if I can do it minus the loo stop. It's so annoying and potentially embarrassing if it strikes nowhere near a loo and I have to dive behind a hedge

Short run tonight for me and I might try a circuits class later in the week. Feel the need to do something other than running!

Anyone else still barely able to walk from the Sheffield half on Sunday? My legs are in a right state!
Fantastic race though, so much better than the old half marathon route.

I did Sheffield on Sunday and my legs still hurt too. I agree it is such a great route, I don't generally run on the road much ( find it a bit boring) but as a fell runner it is definitely my favourite road race. Did a club race tonight but it was an uphill only. Strangely going down is much worse than going up.

runningupthathill - perfect name for a Sheffield HM runner

My right calf is still really tight and sore (I could feel it rippling for the last couple of miles after all the down hills). I should foam roll it but am too much of a wuss The rest of me is a bit stiff, but not too bad. My colleagues said I was walking better yesterday than Monday. I have WFH today and not walked further than the kitchen so hopefully the rest will have helped.

chutney thank you for asking after my foot - it is no worse than before, and my calf is distracting me from thinking about it How are you after your HM?

Wowsers emummy, that sounds both tough and great!

Every cloud FiftyNine! I'm guessing from comments on here that foam rolling is not comfortable? I'm not too bad thanks, hamstrings are still making their presence felt but it is going. I reckon I'll be fit enough to try a kettle bell class tomorrow.

I love my circuits class Igotta, I'm sure it's helped with my general strength and posture. Pilates has been good too. Didn't manage either this week!

Sheffield really does sound intense! Everyone still glad they did it?!

Sheffield is indeed intense as far as road half marathons go, but it's by far the most beautiful half I've ever run too. The old course, which was faster and flatter, was just dull (aside from the Ecclesall Road mile or two in the middle) whereas the new route takes in amazing Peak District scenery. The support all the way round was on a Great North Run scale too.

All in all a brilliant race, though a tough one as my first race back after giving birth to my DD.

As for foam rolling, I quite enjoy it, but maybe I'm a bit of a masochist...

Haven't been on as I hurt my back and been resting for a week - missed so much. Apologies for the belated massive well dones fifynine, chutney, mudandmayhem, emummy and runningupthathill Hope I haven't missed anyone, seems it was a busy weekend! Some fantastic times too and hope everyone is recovering well.

14% incline is hardcore 59. I have a 14 near me and it's a sheer bugger to get up, I have to walk every time.

Really glad you enjoyed your first one chutney.Foam rolling is torture, I hate it with a passion

Foam rolling is torture, but you do feel so much better afterwards

6 miles of 1.5 mile intervals for me this evening. Legs v achy but hey I didn't have a loo stop and kept going the whole way. Have found this which is good for working out how fast to run for long intervals, tempoos etc and am very pleased with how its getting me going faster without overdoing it.

www.runningforfitness.org/calc/training/pace

Have booked a hotel for the night before my HM as its quite a drive away and my entourage started looking a bit dubious when I told them we might need to leave at 7am to get there with enough time for me to faff around beforehand.

The hotel is a good plan Cherryminx, I really didn't want any more faff than strictly necessary on the morning,

Thanks for the link, really interesting! It's good to see what I ought to be targeting for the shorter runs as well as the plans.

Sorry to hear about your back Sirona

Good link thanks cherry. Yay for no toilet stops Staying in a hotel sounds like a good idea, especially considering the time you would need to get up to eat before leaving.

True, it's one of those hurts like hell on certain areas but does feel better after. I've never tried the nobbly one, physio says it's a step up on the pain level from the straight one I have.

Thanks chutney, back not too bad now. Gone to it's usual dull stiffness than agony and was able to run an easy 3.5 miles yesterday which was lovely after a week of no training at all.

I suspect it may have been the recent crossfit classes did it. I love them as I find they really make you push yourself hard but I think it makes my form suffer doing so much. It seems to focus on quantity rather than quality exercise wise. Ordered a few books on stretching and trigger points (I find physio stuff fascinating anyway) and will see a physio later this week. Stick to running and strength for the forseeable :)

How was the physio Sirona? Hope your back is continuing to improve.

I tried a kettle bell class this week, my coordination nearly deserted me, but I did keep hold of it at least. I ache worse now than I did on Monday

What's everyone's running plans this weekend? Just parkrun for me.

I'm STILL broken from the Sheffield half! My knee is so screwed I can't even manage parkrun. Gaaaah. Envious of all of you who can get out and run on this beautiful morning.

Oh no runningupthathill, what have you done to your knee? Hope you're ok.

Haven't got round to making an appointment yet chutney . It's finding the time with the lo here, she's too young to keep herself occupied if I took her with me and my usual babysitters (parents) have been busy this week. Gonna try for this week as it's still annoying me. Really glad you enjoyed your kettlebell class. I seriously ached all over to the point I could hardly move after my first. Will you be back?

Still did a 7 miles the other day - didn't plan to be out so long but the sun came out and for the first time this year I stripped down to my vest and it was warm! Thought I may as well make the most of it :)

Can't see me getting out this weekend, might take it easy instead. Good luck with the parkruns today!

Don't panic about your knee, you need a bit of time to recover from a tough race. A day per mile raced works really well so nearly two weeks for a half, most of a month for a marathon. If you are not injured in this period you can do gentle running. I don't always follow this, but the only time I have been injured is when I raced and returned to full training too quickly.

Cheers both - and that's v good advice, mud. I did a very slow 15 minute jog today but to be honest, as I'm carrying a newborn around and always on my feet, rest isn't really happening! I should try and rest more, and take better care of myself, but it's hard with a newborn and a toddler.

Sirona - the knee is an old injury, not exactly sure what it is, but I've been to physio a few times in the past and uts cleared up. Only to flare up again when I go daft things like running a half marathon on bugger all training!

Hope you all had a good days' running.

hope your knee calms down runningupthathill and respect for you for running at all with a newborn and toddler

Sirona yours sounds little too. Well done on your 7 miles and hope the back continues to improve.

chutney OMG at kettle bells after a HM. I bow before you

Cherry excellent idea about the hotel. I did that last weekend, I ate early with DS and went off on my own for the night .

My calf finally felt better yesterday so I went to yoga, and to parkrun today. It was hurting a bit at parkrun so I took it easy and foam rolled when I got home and have been mostly sitting down ever since

Running's tough when your children are very small. My best years as a runner where definitely after my youngest went to school and I got to train on my non working days ( dh occasionally asks if I'm going back full time at some point I rapidly change the subject)

Ouch Running. Rest is definitely hard to come by at that stage. Go easy on yourself!

I'd definitely do another class Sirona. The gym near us is trying out new options for this session, but I'd hope it's kettle bells. The other option is a higher mix of cardio, selfishly I'd prefer the strength side.

parkrun was hard yesterday [FiftyNine] but lovely to be out. Aching a lot today. I consoled myself that my friend was also still aching from our kettle bells too but she did get a PB. I wasn't too far off but it was hard. Hope the rolling does the trick. Yoga has to be good too. I'm going to take it easy on the running this week I think, follow what mud said, then I'm away at a conference for a week in hotel with a gym plus a whole day largely to myself for a longer run.

Wow running very impressive doing a HM when you've got a newborn and toddler. Neither of mine could have been described as newborn when I got round to doing any significant post birth exercise!!!

I did another 10 miles yesterday, 1hr 36, so a bit quicker than last week. Different route so don't know if that made a difference. I found it hard from the start and it has had me doubt if I can do a HM. I'd like to enjoy if possible but I didn't enjoy yesterday's run much. Number has arrived today eeeeek!!!!

Exciting Igotta, when's your race? Don't forget the nerves and adrenaline will spur you on a bit, I find anyway. Sometimes you just get a bad run for no rhyme or reason, hope the next one's better for you.

Respect Running, finding energy for running with a newborn and a toddler. Hope the knee is feeling better.

Just right mud I'll not know myself in September once dd starts nursery and I have a little bit more time to myself.

I need to get back to kettlebells myself chutney. I'm a bit nervous about doing it with a stiff back even though it really helped it last time.

Finally got round to making a physio appointment so off to see them in a couple of days. I'm not expecting miracles but hoping they can point me in the right direction of exercises to do. Sore back or not, didn't stop me getting out today. First day out in shorts!! Did my longest run ever too, 15 miles. I'll probably suffer for it tomorrow and the last few miles hurt a bit but I'd gone that far out I had to get home again.

Well done igotta you are speedy!

Great running Sirona, I hope the physic sorts you out.

I think I am finally better - going to try a run tomorrow evening.

Glad to hear your calf is better FiftyNine, enjoy your run tomorrow.

I'm a bit under the weather.

Its very frustrating as this week is the big week in my training programme when am meant to do loads of stuff like hill repeats and 13 mile run. What's really annoying is that its not even proper ill - just feeling a bit weird - headachy, funny sweaty moments, slightly wobbly, mild sore throat. When it started I thought it might be a flu thing that's been going around here but its been like this for 3 days now.

I'm really busy with life too this week so no chance to just loll about and see if a bit of rest will help me feel better. Gah!

Be careful cherry - you don't want to make yourself worse by training too hard when you're ill.
Hope you feel much better soon.