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?

That's good news Cherry about being able to keep running. I know I've been struggling with motivation at keeping the pace up but I've been feeling much better this week so I just need to keep pushing I think.

That's a great base london. I've found our local hilly parkrun has worked wonders for me.

That's good Cherry that you can keep running.
I was supposed to get out for a 10 mile run this morning. I started coming down with a cold yesterday afternoon and feel awful today.
So no running for me hoping I can get out at the weekend instead.
Dh is away next week so I'm going to do my normal two 5k runs with the kids on bikes. That will be fun!!!!

Good news on the running cherry but don't overdo it as hip problems seem to translate into knee problems quite quickly when I do.

Hope the long run goes well chutney - I'm planning on running from home up to the top of the Serpentine and back tomorrow for mine to start getting used to the hills. Just got back from Parkrun - bit daunting today as everyone just bombed out of the start and I like to start slow and build up. Meant the hills were a real killer. Still I wasn't the last to finish...

Sven hope you're feeling better. Take care.

How was the Serpentine london? I try and stay back a bit at parkrun after I got caught up for the first half a km in front of DH and DS, the rest of the run was hell!

Definitely worth resting Sven - good luck with the bike runs.

Luckily I had a short long run this week as I had a five hour drive today but still got out in the evening, so week four is done and pretty pleased with it. It feels like I'm settling into it now.

Serpentine was OK - not as hilly as I had recalled but I had forgotten about the London Surrey bike race and got a bit snarled up on the Mall on the run there so a very slow time overall. My legs were a bit leaden from the Parkrun as well but 16km was a good session. I'm going to have a slightly lazier week this week though otherwise I think I'll start doing some damage.

Glad you are getting in to it chutney - sadly I was at the back of my parkrun - more than 200 people managed it in sub 30 (and 30 in sub 20). As the first 50-54 woman was 22 minutes I don't think I'll be taking that spot any time soon either... Is this normal for a parkrun or are my lot just super fast?

London that's rapid!!

Which one do you go to?

That is a good session and probably harder for getting tangled up in the bike ride. A bit of a rest sounds good!

I've found really does vary between parkruns. My home run has 3-400 so would usually get 200 in under thirty and the rest spread out, usually to 50/55 but often over the hour. That was pretty similar on the tourist run I did at the weekend. On the other hand the other run I do regularly is very hilly and we tend to get fewer runners, 120 maybe now and the last runners come in under 40 usually. I'm usally fairly close to the back there.

Thanks for that chutney think I'll just do a gentle 3-4 miles today. Scotland has kindly agreed to turn up to one of my parkruns and pace me in a few weeks time - so I'd better start running all the way up those hills in the meantime...

Your own pacer! Excellent, that'll be fun.

I did some speed intervals yesterday, barely managed to summon any enthusiasm at lunchtime but got out and and it went well. 3 min fast 2 slow (I walked) repeats. I might try for some hills today. My plan has two mid week sessions in, struggling a bit to fit them round my classes which are on a Tuesday. I am making an effort to stretch more, that had gone by the wayside over the last few weeks, so I've been trying to do a short fitness blender stretch session most days.

Hi chutney et al. Have been wallowing in achy bum misery for a while and am really finding it hard to get going with training this time. In fact was wondering whether to just give up. But several things have cheered me up = physio gave me a massage on Monday which seems to have really helped, did a fastish 5 miler on Wed, looked at my training plan which is only 8 weeks and have discovered its only week 1 so could get back on track, looked at the finishing times for my HM and they are much slower than the last one so even if I walk part of it I still wont be last.

So have decided to get going, not worry too much about speed but just look forward to having a nice trail run.

Planning an 8 mile early morning run through the woods tomorrow. Hope hip holds up.

Hope your run went well cherry. I had a beautiful run in the woods this morning, I always remind myself to look around and enjoy the setting, not easy during intervals but I managed sometimes! Hope your hip behaved.

How did the run go cherry did the hip hold? Had a lazy week this week so only got out once for a 5k mid week but it was the first tempo run of my training plan and went well. Today's long run was shorter at 8 miles but it was really grim in the heat - 7:13 average pace and no hills. I'm hoping it will cool down a bit this week as there are a couple of 5 milers in the plan - one tempo.

london - your average pace sounds v fast - is that mins per km or per mile?

8 mile run went well. Woods were nice and hip has been fine all weekend since till it woke me up about an hour ago . Still just in time to watch Adam Peaty do his bit in the Olympic pool.

I have got tempo run this week - not looking forward to that much.

Just over 8 miles for me too yesterday (my plans on time, 90 minutes). Luckily I'm blessed with canals so a. I don't have to think about routes and b. It was mostly shady with a few blasts of sun. But boy could I feel it at the end. Covered a bit more ground than on my last training plan at this point but still not feeling likes I'm making massive gains on last time.

I'll follow Cherrys excellent stance of enjoying it.

I'm going to be very jealous if that's min/mile london!

Intervals are not designed to enjoy the surrounding I don't think emummy but yours always sound so lovely.

Two sets of intervals for me this week, glad it's cooling down a bit.

Hope your hip has settled down this morning Cherry

You will all be pleased to know that 7.13 is km not miles - I would have been very happy with a 7.13 mile.......................................

Glad you all had good runs - the paper says it is going to cool down in London so I'm hoping tomorrow's tempo will be bearable.

Phew londonmummy! Was a bit scared of you for a while there! 7:13/km is still an excellent pace though. Hope you don't melt on tomorrow's run! Shouldn't be a problem up here, apparently it will be 3 degrees overnight!

Hello runners I fell off the thread a couple of weeks ago when RL got in the way. Am now on holiday and have had a few runs along the Notth Notfolk Coastal Path which I have really enjoyed. I plan to do a not of Royal Park running once I am back at work in Central London next week - Londonmummy drop me a pm if you want to meet up sometime.

It's nice to be back! I will catch up properly at the weekend when I am home.

Coastal path runs make me jealous Fifty, lovely way to spend time on holiday. It'll be a bit of a contrast running in London I expect but both good.

I was all set for a run yesterday lunchtime and it tipped down, dratted weather. Hoping for better today. I can't believe it's so cold overnight emummy, how's it in the day?

How was the tempo london? How does that work over five miles?

Tempo yesterday only 4 miler and it was much cooler so bearable - tomorrow is the 5 miler and I am dreading it. Chutney the plan I'm following is a specific walk run so the tempo sessions just have a much longer run section rather than speedwork - still potentially quite tough though when you are used to a 3.30:1 split to have to do 5:1.

It's fascinating to hear about all these different options. Best of luck with the five miles tomorrow.

I did a fast intervals session today, four lots of 5 minutes run and 2 walk - I was supposed to be doing it at 30-60 seconds per mile faster than race pace and was actually in the right range. Once I'd converted from miles, I'd left my phone on miles since my long run and I cannot think in miles! Tomorrow plan is 2 min at 90% with walks in between. I'm never sure what 90% actually is

I wish I had the self discipline to do intervals. I am sure it would help me knock a couple of minutes off my overall time.

The coastal path running is lovely. Here is a photo I took last week. Am hoping to fit in a final run this afternoon/evening.

Very jealous 5908

Gonna manage a whole one later but they are called Snickers now!!

That looks lovely FiftyNine.
We got up to 16 today chutney but it was about 10 degrees and wet when I went out this morning. Had a tempo run this morning, was quite hard but got through with gritted teeth. Leaving for home tomorrow, may squeeze in an interval session first.