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?

Agree to be careful if you're not well cherry and try not worry. You've done all your training up to now.

I think it's few and far between people that don't get ill at some stage. I certainly find coming towards the end when training hits its peak I seem to get unwell. I think the immune system takes a bit of a knocking.

Cherry look after yourself, you don't want to risk making yourself worse.

My calf stood up quite well to a 6 mile slow run with 3 friends, trying out the route of our town's 10K. But my foot really hurts. Maybe I need new trainers

That's a fantastic improvement in time Igotta. I found those last long runs hard but you can take into the half that you've done them and improving times like that. That confidence on the day and the atmosphere will help. Are you sticking at the 10 before the actual day?

How are you feeling after the long run Sirona? Good you're getting out and hopefully the physio will help.

Take care of yourself Cherry. Is there any chance it could be hayfever? It sometimes hits me like that and if you're out running a lot?

I definitely think trainers are warranted FiftyNine but I'm glad your calf is feeling better.

I've had a rubbish week on the exercise front and I'm not feeling good with it, mentally at least. My circuits class was cancelled, so I've only done Pilates. Which was good but not vigorous obviously. Too busy to get to the gym at lunchtime so I've only made it out once to the playing field with the kids. It seems strange after all the training. My number arrived for a 10k next month and hopefully I can have a good go at catching up next week while I'm away.

Thanks fifty sirona and chutney! My race is two weeks tomorrow. I've just done a pretty flat 11.5 miles, all tapering from now. Legs feel knackered!! And I've picked up a couple of blisters on my left foot, too late to change too much of my kit now isn't it?

cherry hope you're feeling better.

chutney I've also had a bit of a disrupted couple of weeks exercise wise. Hoping it won't matter too much in the grand scheme of things. DH has been away a lot so I'm on childcare duty. I've only done my big weekend runs and one short run during the week, not what the training plan suggests! On the plus side I did manage to get to a yoga class the other night, first time I've done yoga for years. Loved it despite the pain!! And I think yoga compliments pretty much any other sport so I'm hoping to carry on with it. Off for a cuppa in the sunshine now, happy weekend everyone!

Yoga is definitely a good thing, I wish I could fit a class in, I do try and do some at home but it's not the same. Despite my rubbish week I managed to knock 70 seconds off my parkrun PB today, so take heart from that!

Hi all! I've been reading this thread for ages but haven't posted (I don't think!). Running my first HM in two weeks and can't decide if I'm quietly confident or shaking in my boots trainers.

Training has been okay-ish: think I've been doing relatively well with the long runs but haven't done anywhere near enough speed work. I'm a seriously slow runner so my aim for the race is just to approach it in the same way I do the LSRs and not try and do a 'race pace'. Hopefully that way I'll be able to enjoy it, even if it will take me 3hrs!

Good luck to everyone running tomorrow!

Hello fellow HMers. I am very fed up at the mo. My cold has dragged on all week and have not been able to run. But worse than that, instead of going to bed early and taking Vit C supplements, I have lounged around, eating unhealthily and drinking too much wine.

I'm afraid I'm a bit of an all or nothing person and this week has been a nothing week as far as HM training is concerned. Only 3 weeks to go - can I get back on track?

My training plan peaked last week so now is meant to be tapering and so I don't know what to do - transfer last week to the coming week and miss a week of tapering, start tapering without ever peaking? Gah!!! I would like to at least try to run the full 13 miles once before the actual thing just for self confidence sake.

Cherry runners' wisdom is that you only need to go up to 10 miles before a HM (or so I have read), so I'd taper if I were you. I'm no one to speak at almost 1am, but get yourself some early nights and eat properly and drink at least as much water as wine

Honestly, you'll be fine

chutney well done on your parkrun PB

Yoga is definitely great, I only manage my class (which is across lunchtime) because it happens at my workplace, and it takes me 5mins either side of the class to get run from my desk to the class and back again. Now I've been doing it a while I'm more confident following youtube videos.

igotta are you vaseline-ing your blistered bits?

Hello Laughing quietly confident is better you'll be fine.

You don't really need a three-week taper before a half, cherry - sounds like overkill to me. If I were you, and only if you're up to it, I'd try and fit in a 10 miler this week and taper after that.

Just make sure lots of your shorter runs "count" IYSWIM - no point in doing a trudging 3 miles when you can do intervals or hill sprints.

FWIW, I ran my last half after 8 weeks training in total, a long run of only 8 miles, and two weeks off completely immediately before the race, as I was really ill. It wasn't a PB on the day, but at a shade over 2 hours it wasn't a horrific performance either!

Also, remember that running 13 miles at this point, before the race, won't improve your performance on the day, bit could well leave you injured.

Laughing - is it Leeds you're doing? I've got lots of friends running it, meant to be a great event.

Never need an excuse for new trainers fiftynine hope the foot's ok.

Caught a bit of the vlm today - some guy appeared to be running 4 odd minute miles I think in my extremely hungover state!! Like wow.

Fantastic with your parkrun pb chutney, that's some time off it. Was feeling surprisingly ok after the 15 miles, it's actually put me in the notion of maybe training for a full marathon.

Physio went alright, there's nothing seriously wrong with my back just irritation. Bit of a relief as my mum has chronic pain from back problems and I never want that to happen. Have lots of exercises to do and was helping, only I didn't do them yesterday and was out on the lash last night Feeling sore today again. Got the ok to keep running but have to stay away from weights/kettlebells etc until it's healed.

What was your last long run cherry? I'm sure you'll be fine. Agree don't push too hard at the last minute, I did that a couple of years ago - fell behind and decided to go for the 13 when I shouldn't have and ended up with shin splints and had to drop out of the hm at the last minute. It was gutting, especially as I knew it was my own fault.

Good luck laughing

I think I'd probably go for ten miles this week Cherryminx, like Running said. If you feel physically up to it. There is the confidence side, if it's been a while since your last long run. But thirteen might be a push. I did ten two weeks before mine and then took it gently after that.

Good to hear you're OK to run Sirona

The main thing is to enjoy it Laughing like you say. Quietly confident is good, I managed that till the actual day . It deserted me for the first couple of miles but was OK after that.

Thanks everyone! I have to say I was neither confident nor enjoying most of my 20km today... but that's it, longest one done now!

running no, I'm doing Hackney - hoping for an equally good atmosphere!

cherry hope you feel better soon. I agree, don't push it too much this week especially as you are recovering from illness - I'm sure you've put in enough training in the weeks leading up to now.

Sirona well done for your 15 and glad nothing too serious from the physio.

Done! 15 mile trail race, 1115 ft of climb and a PB by 24 minutes! Was a beautiful day and the scenery up around Lochnagar was gorgeous. Very happy!

Fantastic emummy, well done you. That's some elevation and a pb too

Nice! Sounds like a gorgeous event, I'm envious!

Crikey emummy - did I read that right - you improved your PB by 24 minutes? Pls share the secret of your training. Sounds like a lovely run. I went for a bluebell walk today and felt cheered up by the sunshine. Well done too chutney on park run PB.

Thanks for all advice re resuming after my week of slobbing. Am feeling miles better now. Have decided to do a combination of week 5 & 6 of my training programme which includes a hill repeats session and 12 mile long run (last one I did was 11 miles) and then do the tapering 2 weeks bit.

If the hill repeats don't go well I'll reduce the long run.

I am drinking much water and am teetotal now for the next 3 weeks.

Hello Laughing will be watching your progress with interest. Wonder what has happened to Lady C who is my HM partner in crime, depsite the fact she is in sunny Sydney bounding along the beach.

Ha Cherry, no amazing secrets I'm afraid! I think it was doing the training from the plan even the yucky hill repeats plus increased confidence from a good 10k a few weeks before. Amazing what you can do when you believe you can! Plus the route was so gorgeous I just really enjoyed it. Maybe that's the secret, only do races in really beautiful settings!

Wow, well done emummy! That sounds like a lovely (if tough) route.
I did a 13 mile run yesterday which went well. I felt I could have gone further at the end and it was in a good time too (1hr 53). First time I have gone that far. I have 5 weeks until my HM so I think I will try another long run or two and then taper. Not been following a training plan as such but I got in some hill sprints (yuck!) and a tempo 5k last week too. Will try for the same again this week. Much depends on how dd (and therefore how I) sleeps - teething and a never ending cycle of bugs from nursery have resulted in lots of disturbed nights . If I am knackered, an early night is far more likely than getting out for a run.

emummy what a run! it must be great to have confidence in your training and execute it on the day. I've really struggled to fit all my training sessions in because of small children and DH working away regularly. I think I've done enough to get round, but I'm already eyeing up a completely flat HM in September to improve my time!

The best thing about my training at the moment is that I've not had, ahem, a sniff of any problems with my bowels. Haven't changed anything, its a mystery but long may it continue!

laughing I'm running the same day as you, shame we're not doing the same one to compare notes. running good to hear positive stories about Leeds HM. Do you know anyone doing it this year?

cherry glad to hear you're feeling better. I now have the start of what feels like proper lurgy. Fingers crossed it doesn't come to much.

sirona you must be doing OK to feel alright after 15. Full marathon is calling soon for you! My DBil did his first marathon a couple of weeks ago in 3hrs20!!! Amazing for anyone but esp someone pushing 50! He won't mind me saying that I hope.

fifty I haven't been vaselining my feet - had never heard of that! But I'm pretty new to long distance running so it's never been a problem particularly. I'll give the Vaseline a whirl. I've also read that turning running socks inside out so the seam is on the outside will help. Any other advice seasoned runners?

Congratulations emummy!

Good luck LaughingM and Igotta, not long now.

Jaggy, sub-2 hours in a training run is fantastic, you will be even faster on the day.

My family came to visit over the weekend and we did a family Park Run. After 4 (official) attempts, I have managed to do a sub-30 Park Run and set a Park Run PB. I am over the moon! When I started running, running 5k in under 30 minutes was the benchmark, and for ages it has eluded me. I also bit the bullet and told my family that I have signed up for a HM. They were supportive, and there were no howls of laughter. I think I will wait a bit longer before telling friends. I am still trying to build up my long runs at the weekend, now up to 8k.

Lonoxo well done on PB. Igotta - hope lurgy is not too horrid.

Training going well this week - cold is a distant memory and managed to do 5 miles and 5 miles including hill repeats. 12 mile long run tomorrow - am going to try out using Imodium to avoid loo stops. Not ideal but after many weeks of training and tedious monitoring of my bowel habits I've come to conclusion that its the only way to avoid an embarrassment on the day.

Ran 13 miles today - I know everyone says you don't need to but after I'd done 12 it was downhill all the way home so I thought - why stop? Felt really tired after and had to have little afternoon nap - so much for making this evening's dinner.

It was really windy and more hilly than my actual HM so although it was hard I managed to keep going at a reasonable pace the whole way even towards the end. Which always surprises me - that you can feel a bit rubbish but still be going at the same speed as earlier on when you were feeling frisky.

Did it in my new trainers which are just the same as the old ones and feet feel pretty ok - no blisters.

Is anyone HM ing this weekend?

Great job Cherryminx. Even better to have done it under hard conditions. That's why I love my Garmin, I usually think I'm going slower than I am in the later stages and it helps keep me going.

Yes - we got DS a Garmin for Xmas but actually I have probably used it more than him. The only thing that's a bit annoying is that I can never break the speed records for a mile because its got his stats on it.

I'm pleased about my feet - I've got bunions which puts a lot of strain on my big toe joint but they held up ok.

DD and I are entering a race for Life in July so that's my HM wind down plan before ramping up again for the next HM in September.

When's your 10k chutney?

I save my Garmin records for the longer distances, the kids do borrow it occasionally for junior parkrun.

My 10km is the 15th, thinking of another later in the month and got the 10k Race for Life too in June, with the DC and another in July. I'm aiming for the Robin Hood in September for the next HM.

Glad your feet are OK. I'm thinking of going to see a physio about my arches/hip. It's not painful as such but niggles every so often and I wonder if I can do anything to help.

Any other May HMing apart from Cherry?