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?

Don't despair lurking you can do it! Remember what fun we had last year! New kit sounds good. I got a gilet at Xmas which I like a lot, it has a lovely high neck perfect for chilly mornings. My training for the trail 15 mile starts on 1st Feb, just trying to keep things ticking along for now

Thank you, emummy. We did have fun last year, didn't we? I keep telling myself that if I can run a HM once I can do it a second time (and a third, as I am going to do two this year to stop me from slacking). Oh, those days of doing a 12-mile long run on a Sunday morning seem very very distant now .

Am in awe of your trail running. I could not contemplate that. Hills make me want to weep ...

I feel the same about hills! But I have discovered that after the pain there are wonderful views and peace - around here anyway, not many people at the top of hills at 8am on a Sunday!

It won't take long lurking. Sept 14 I injured myself just before a hm and barely ran for about 6/7 months after. Was difficult getting back into it and I remember complaining to my boyfriend at the start I could only run 2 miles and it was bloody tough going. He gave me the raised eyebrows 'only two miles' :) It is disheartening at the time but your fitness will definitely spring back quicker. Yay for new stuff, always spurs you on!

No running here, gym day today. Going to send ds to breakfast club in the morning and get out for my long run as I won't have a chance to do it the rest of the week. No particularly looking forward to it judging by the sleet, wind and cold the weather is predicting. I might need a gillet myself emummy.

Dd really not well with a bad cold and I'm constantly washing my hands and spraying antibac stuff, whilst trying to avoid the coughs and sneezes to my face. It's getting to that stage the fear is setting in of getting sick and behind with training Bloody germ infested dc.

Thanks for your encouraging words Sirona. That gives me hope!

I have just come down with a cold. Aaaargh! Off to bed with me straight after dinner to try and sweat those germs out of my system ...

Hi lurking, before you know it your fitness will be back and you will be running further and further each time .

One of my friends is marathon training and has invited some of us to join her for bits of her 20 mile run to keep her company. The idea of running that far all at once sounds impossible to me, but I did go that far, and more than once, two years ago

Totally sympathise lurking. I was running 10 miles up hills and through the woods in the summer but a cold in December knocked me out for 3 weeks and now its so cold and miserable even a couple of miles feels a long way.

Its excercise night for me. Better unload the dishwasher

The furthest I've done so is 10k but that seems a massive feat this time of year. I'm hoping to get the 'long' run (4 miles) in for my first week training plan at lunchtime today as it's supposed to be sunny. I'm hoping it'll be easier with some sun.

Hope everyone is either avoiding or recovering from those colds!

Hope everyones runs are going well - and your cold is on it's way out lurking.

Wow fifty-eight I couldn't imagine doing that kind of mileage. Were you marathon training at the time?

So far I've managed to avoid the cold. Hasn't stopped me pulling a stomach muscle sneezing fgs. Was gutted to have to cancel my weights class this morning but thought it the wise thing to do. Luckily the muscle is on a place that doesn't bother me walking/running so went for a quick run instead trying to dodge ice.

Am breaking in new shoes and oh my word they are fab. So bouncy compared to my older pair and much more supportive. I really noticed my shins feel so much better in them, they were getting a bit achy in my older pair when out for my long run. Might chance them for my longer run next week even though I'd like to rotate them in a bit longer.

I am running my first half marathon in march. I have been running for 6 almost 7 years but mainly just 5k distance with longest run of 4 miles.
The last two years I have been in a few 10k events. November last year I completed my first 10 mile event which was my goal for last year.
This year my goal is half marathon.
To keep me going I have entered two events before the hm.
In two weeks I am in a 10k and next month a 10 mile.

It definitely sounds like you were in need of new shoes Sirona, hope the breaking in is going ok.

How's the training going Sven? That's vey organised getting in the two events, a solid plan.

I'm finding the sun helping a lot even if it is cold. parkrun counted as my easy run for week two of training again and was a good effort for me. I'm hoping to get in a speed session during the week then up to five miles for the long run at the weekend, it's a bit much to fit in at lunchtime or before work until it gets lighter.

Good luck sven you sound very organized!
Getting back into hills now ahead of April's trail race. Made it up big one this morning, but only 5.5 miles as short of time and ,frankly, my legs were killing me! Lasting effects of hill repeats yesterday with dd's athletics club I think! Gorgeous day, beautiful views from the top made it all worth while.

Training is going great. Ran 9.5 miles on monday so I'm hitting the targets I have made for myself.
I knew for me to run a hm I need to enter other runs to keep myself on track.
I live in a fairly hilly coastal town so all my runs feature hills of varying steepness! And the seafront is always on my routes very cold and windy this time of year but gorgeous in the warmer months.

Seaside running sounds great Sven

I was talking to a lady at parkrun on Saturday who is planning either a half of a full marathon every month this year

Sirona, yes, I ran a marathon 2 years ago. At the time I said never again, but am considering another one this year or next

That seems to be the way FiftyNine, the pain of a marathon is usually forgotten. The only person I know who as said they would never run one again and kept to it is my dad. to running one every month, I take it she is a very accomplished runner? I was talking to friends of a friend when we were out the other week and they are doing three marathons in four days. That's a whole level I would never even contemplate.

You seem to be about the same stage as me Sven. Mine's in March too, I'm reassured you're doing about the same mileage long runs as I make up my own training plan as I go along.
I too live on a coastal town which can be hard going against the wind. Sometimes I try to catch it out and take it easy by running the way it usually blows as that's usually when it's changed to go against me again :)

Tried the new shoes for the long one today chutney so I'll find out tomorrow if they're ok or not. Yes 5 miles is a bit much on a lunchbreak, especially if you need to grab some grub in that time too. Good luck for the weekend.

Hi All. Haven't posted for a while. Training coming along fine although it all feels a bit easy at the moment - just doing 3 miles 3 times a week with some other stuff e.g. swimming and saucepan lifting thrown in.

I seem to have got very slow these days. Not sure why but looking back to my runs from Oct & Nov I'm running miles a whole minute slower than I was then. Maybe its because I was going running with a running club every week. The other thing might be is that my running monitor thing is just a glorified pedometer and I think it counts more steps when I'm wearing flappy clothes.

Am not enjoying the miserable wet weather but its got a whole lot warmer here today so maybe I'll feel better.

I don't think the weather helps at all with times Cherryminx, half the mud and rain and then half you just don't feel so bright. I felt so sluggish at the start of the year but things seem to have clicked this week. I knocked a fair whack off my parkrun PB yesterday which was from back in May.

My training programme is fairly simple, currently a shorter run of three miles, so I'm counting parkrun as that, one intervals, which I'm doing on a treadmill and the long run, which will be up to five miles today. I also do a circuits and Pilates class and both those have massively helped my posture.

I think it's probably the intervals that's helping the most, I'm rubbish at pushing myself so the thought of flying off the treadmill keeps me going . Yesterday it was having both DC helping me on, their PBs are considerably faster than mine. Even if it was slightly embarrassing having two eight year olds checking their watches and saying I could do it - I was rewarded by DS saying he might consider doing a 10k this year. He's very keen but been put off by having to run with me and now I'm not too slow.

Will you be going back out with the running club Cherryminx?

Hi half marathoners!

I managed to get out three times this week - 3 miles on Thursday lunchtime, parkrun yesterday and 9.65 today. I was really flagging towards the end, so I stopped at 8 miles and had a good stretch, then took it easy all the way home (and switched off my garmin and walked the last bit). I have eaten my body weight in carbs since and am feeling better

chutney I too am rubbish at pushing myself, but my last few runs have been faster (by my standards). Intervals and running clubs seem to be the best way of improving speed - when I started parkrun one of my friends and I ran about the same pace, but she joined a club an is now a good 4 or 5 minutes faster. I have been doing dry January and feel like I have shifted a bit of weight, so I think it has helped a bit.

Cherry when are you going to start to increase your mileage?

Hope the new shoes were good Sirona!

I find going out with a group really does speed you up cherryminx. Maybe need to shake it up a bit - I find it easy to slip into the same old kind of run. Maybe some hill sprints or intervals?

That's awesome your dc go out with you chutney. How did they start running? 8yo ds has been going on at me for months about coming out with me. He has asthma and the cold niggles it so I've told him once it gets warmer we'll get him some proper trainers and give it a go. Well done on the parkrun PB!

They're great FiftyNine. Teeny bit tight across one foot end of the longer run but hoping they'll stretch out. Will have a fiddle with the lacing and see if that helps any. Wore my older ones the other day for a shorter run and they were so uncomfortable in comparison. So I officially retired them on Garmin connect Ahh carbs, cures all woes in my book.

Also good week and managed to get out running three times one of them a hill run, gym session and a spin class. Not too sure if I'll be able to get in the three this week but long as I can fit in my long run and another one I'll be happy. Can do some HIIT in the house or something if I can't get the dc looked after.

My friend signed up for the Edinburgh HM but has now been invited to a wedding that day and has offered me her place...

I'm kind of running out of excuses to not do it TBH!

I told her I'd think about it this week. I really need the weather to improve a bit and go back to Park Run at weekends! Then I'll see where I'm at.

I guess it's very important to know when not to push it fiftynine? I've had a slight niggle in one hip off and on over the last year. Gait analysis showed that foot was overpronating. New trainers with a bit of support really sorted that out but I can definitely feel it this week. I wonder if my form got a bit sloppy towards the end of my longer run at the weekend. Maybe more carbs will help

The weather is a definite complication AyeAmarok. I've never spent so much time looking at weather reports!

My two are the same age as you DS Sirona. I did a charity 5k last spring when I finished c25k. They were so inspired by my amazing performance (ha) that they immediately demanded to start parkrun juniors. Then went on to the main parkrun. DS is quick, his PB is under 25. Needless to say he doesn't run with me very often! DD found it a bit tougher at first but she's really come on and has been excitedly discussing our summer training schedule. For fairness I ought to point out she's also much faster than me, but usually gets landed with me for parkrun.

Carbs are usually the answer chutney

With hindsight, if I had been running an organized event rather than my own long run I'd have been stopping for water 3 miles or so (or whenever it was on offer) and having the occasional jelly baby after an hour or so of running. So thinking I could just nip out of my front door and run 10 good miles with no water/snacks was a bit daft really.

I am glad the shoes are good Sirona

Go on Aye - you wouldn't be posting here if you didn't want to do it

Just thought I would mention that the ballot for the Royal Parks HM is open until 5 February

Did they do a c25k thing themselves chutney or just leap straight into the junior parkrun? There is no junior one here but the young ones are flying machines at parkrun they way they overtake you. Ahh to have brand new lungs and joints again I think ds would enjoy it as he loved doing the kids run at the start of my 10k during the summer. Hope the hip is better now.

You know what we'll all say Aye Plenty of time to train, you know you want to!!

Made it out for 10 miles in strong winds yesterday, had no choice as it's the only day I could fit it in. Felt like I was going nowhere fast down by the shore running into a headwind, then I'd two big hills to go. Wrecked wasn't the word but least that's the long one done for the week.

Got a letter through the door today offering early bird money off for a hm in Sept as I did it last year. Would be rude not to take them up on the offer no? :)

Absolutely Sirona you must taken them up on the offer! Well done on your long run, that sounds like hard work

Very wild and windy here today as well. I ran 6 miles round my parkrun park, and probably cycled another 3 or 4 miles running some errands. Home now and not planning on going out again until tomorrow morning!