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?

You can search for events here, worth a browse as quite easy to select the type & distance you are looking for

www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/

Hope that helps vet

Thanks lego that's really helpful

So many posts - wonderful!! Well done to all your GNRers.

I've been debating a trail 10k this weekend, but I'm a little nervous about twisting something the week before my half. Only one of me or DH can do it so he can have first dibs.

My cross training has slipped a bit over the past weeks Fifty, must get back to it. I've been doing Pilates religiously, which is great, but my circuits class has changed and I need to find something similar but not got round to it over summer. But I miss it and do feel it's impacted my running so the bootcamp sounds a great plan.

I weighed myself before and after my last run and lost 1.3 kg, didn't take any water with me, I hate running with it, but that's a lot of water lost. Think we've got three water stations and a lucozade one. I'm not sure I'll risk that as a first go with it, stick to the clif shots, I really like those.

That's planning ahead Sirzy, I much preferred spring training than over summer.

3 water stations ought to be enough chutney especially if you hydrate beforehand. First time I did the Great South I ended up puking the Lucozade at the side of the road so if you aren't used to it I'd suggest you left it alone.
Jean fantastic time - I'd be happy with half an hour on that....
Lego thanks for the link - now debating between the Thames Path and the New Forest for a first trail HM. Perhaps I should see how Royal Parks goes first though.

Disastrous 5k tempo run with my next door neighbour this morning - had to give up after 4k before I embarrassed myself big time. Sadly I don't get up early enough to take Immodium beforehand. Have agreed to take some local beginners out tomorrow night so I am going to count that as my 5k easy run. Most are part way through C25K so walk run is probably the name of the game.

Good for you for getting out london and 4K is quite a way round out of the 5. How many will you have for the beginners?

That's what I was worried about with the lucozade so that's finally made my mind up! Avoid! I'm planning on drinking a lot of the day before too. Just hoping it's not too hot with the weather we've had this week.

I quite fancy the New Forest half myself, saw some photos and it looked lovely.

I think someone on the parkrun thread had a DH who has recently done a New Forest half chutney must remember to go back and look and ask how it went. If this heat carries on I might try a long run on the Thames path sometime to see how it feels.

Just seen that my route for HM this Sunday is really flat, just a very short sharp hill to end with. Phewee!

Sorry, meant to add, if I do my last run on Thurs (4 miles) will that be enough time to rest for HM on Sunday? Thanks. Will also need to remember to drink loads in the couple of days before.

Joy my plan has a final run on the Thursday before a Sunday HM so I'm guessing it would be OK - never done one before so I don't know for sure but 3 days has always been fine before the Great South.

Once again thanks londonmummy, I think you're right that it will be ok! Looking at the Great South Run now

I think the run went well london but I must ask how undulating it was! I'm guessing the Thames one might be flat.

I toddled out at lunch today to walk a part of my route I know is hilly. Now I want to cry......

This bit is early on Join, think one at the end is easier to deal with. I've heard this one gets a lot of people going up too fast.

My legs are very tired this week so I'm just walking a bit. Think I'll do up to 10k Sunday and then a couple of 5k next week. I was aiming for the last run run on Thursday then tail running at parkrun on Saturday as special run for my DS. But that might not help Join as I can't remember for the life of me what I did last time!

Ouch chutney that looks nasty - you could always just do a quick march on the bigger hills - gets you to the top nearly as quickly and less tiringly... but I think I might cry too even the big climb on my hilly route is only 200ft. But I expect emummy would think herself lucky if that was all she had to worry about.....

Thames path is very flat - a friend of mine did the Cancer Research 100km walk along it last weekend and the elevation is pretty tiny. (There were some nutcases/shining inspirations to us all who ran it in about 7 hours though....

Good grief chutney

When I did the (horribly hilly) Sheffield HM earlier this year I overheard someone saying on the worst hill that it was more efficient to walk the hill than to run it.

Hello to newcomers, lovely to see you.

I had a hot and slow 3.5 miles with parkrun buddies this evening. Rather sore after yesterday's bootcamp!

I agree about walking up proper hills. I think KeyserSophie on the general running thread would have something to say about that.

Some of its on cobbles too . One of our park runs has a killer hill in the first km and I know if I walk for a bit my first km is faster than if I run (using the phrase loosely) it. It's only a mile or two in so I think it'll be pretty packed still by then (12,000 runners) so not quite sure how I'll manage it. is there an etiquette? I should say the rest isn't too bad! Flat for the last half of the course.

Did you enjoy the boot camp though Fifty?

100km walk? Sounds interesting, how log did your friend take london?

Walking on hills should be no problem, plenty of people do it. I would say though to try and keep up a reasonable pace, I find that the slower I go the harder it is to start running again! As for etiquette, don't stop abruptly tripping up the person behind you! And try to move to the side, make it easy for anyone who wants to keep running to get past. Of course, if there are a lot of people that may be hard to do, so don't worry about it too much.

Morning chutney. I did enjoy the boot camp thank you. It is an all-female class and the instructor was very nice and encouraging. Less stiff and sore today so I think last night's run loosened me up a bit.

Morning all - got 5.5 miles in this morning - it is so hot though that I ended up doing my post run stretches under the sprinkler in the back garden...
Agree about trying to move to one side if you are going to walk - I try to think of it as march rather than a walk to keep the pace up. I did that on the killer hill at our parkrun in the week and was nearly as fast as some of the guys jogging it.

chutney my friend did the walk in 18.hours - the average is 24. She has done a lot of training though - getting up at 3 am over the holidays to get in 70k walks etc plus a week marching round the Brecon Beacons. The blister photos on Facebook were something else though...

Can I join in? I'm running a HM this Sunday and can't decide whether I'm really looking forward it or worried I haven't done enough training.
Both, probably!
It's not my first HM, but my last one in March was disastrous, so I need this one to be good so I can remind myself why I do this running lark :)

Which one are you doing botters?

I am doing a 10k on Sunday but there is a hm at the same time

Two Tunnels in Bath. Apparently the tunnels may stop my watch from working!
Where's your 10K?

I'm sure you'll be grand and your last one wasn't as bad as you think! At least this will be better!