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?

Thank you Sirona- that's really useful. I have tried googling information but it's nice to hear from people who actually run themselves!

It's it better to find a class Sirona to get the technique right? I have to be a bit careful - I nearly took someout out a few weeks back when I lost control of the barbell clip . Sticking with the cross trainer sounds sensible and you've got the confidence about your time and the distance now. How do you know you're overstriding?

I can find it difficult to get runs in a lunchtime Jaggy, but I'm finding the treadmill a bit easier to fit in and it's better than nothing. I'm looking forward to the Spring though.

Hello JeanGenie. I'm no expert at all but I've found following a training plan wth mixed run types has had a massive impact on my pace, which hugely stalled last year. I went for a very simple plan as some looked so complex to timetable. It's one long run a week at an easy pace to increase distance (one mile at a time), one shorter run at a faster pace (I usually use parkrun for this) and one speed interval - this I'm doing on a treadmill because it makes me keep up and because it eliminates the weather issue.

Thank you chutneypig- that makes sense. I am fortunate that I have a bit more time (a lot of the online plans I found were for only 14weeks leading up to race) so I want to be sensible and train well.

I ran 9k in 57minutes on Sunday, and will do some interval training tonight. I may only manage 40mins though as DH is out. Then I thought a quick park run on Thursday. My average speed is about 6km/min which I can maintain for the length of long run so I will try up that now.

My local city holds an annual half marathon in May I thought about doing that, as by way of practice for Great North Run in sept, but my DH seem to think that is a bad idea, I am only a novice, what would you all suggest?

Hi jean - Sounds like you are going really well! Joining a running club helped me. Until then I only ran alone and being with others spurred me on. It's also nice to hear encouragement! I used to run 20 miles a week 8 or 9 years ago but I lost my mojo somewhere along the way and had a period of on and off running. I have been back in the saddle properly now for about 2.5 years and have concentrated on 10k runs mostly with a few 5k a week. It seems a good compromise for a beginner. Now I am slowly increasing distance. I wanted to increase my pace too but I am simply not built for speed so I have stopped obsessing about that so much.

I did my 3rd 13 mile run at the weekend but because it was from our town to the next one my family are really impressed It was easier as it was ALL along the canal oath so flat and relatively smooth under foot (and I couldn't get lost).

Canals are great, I've been using them a lot, saves any planning. Are they impressed because they can visualise it maybe Irian?

It also sounds to me that you're doing really well JeanGenie. I'm pretty new to this, I only did my first 5k a year ago but my 10k PB is 65min so you're already faster than me. I'd say the distance you're doing now is a great base for a half in May. I'm aiming for one in April so I'm upping the long run to 8, 9 and 10 miles over the next weeks. Of course I've not done a half yet so you might find the more experienced of us have a better idea

Welcome Jean

I have run quite a few HMs, but I wouldn't say I was particularly good at them from really big ones (10's of 1000's of participants) to tiny ones (couple of hundred). I just chug along at a pretty steady pace and enjoy the head space. I once came last (in a tiny local one) but it didn't matter. Someone told me once that you don't really get the hang of the distance until you've done 10 or 12.

I see no harm in doing one in May so that you have the distance under your belt by the time of the GNR. Advice is to increase distance slowly, and as chutney says mix up your running (I am guilty of doing the same runs at the same speed over and over again - no wonder I never get and faster!)

As long as you can do 10 miles a couple of weeks before a HM you can do it on the day - once you get to the 10 mile point you just tell yourself you've just got a parkrun to go, and anyone of any age and fitness can manage a parkrun . Having said that, my HM PB was after several weeks of resting thanks to an injury - fresh legs must have helped!

I tried to do a quick park run last night but it killed me! I ran really quickly for about 10mins and then ended up settling back into my normal pace. I don't think the weather helped! I have friends round tonight and DH is playing footie tomorrow so it may be Saturday until I can run again, unless I feel particularly up for a 6am run tomorrow morning...unlikely!

Thank you Fifty- I really appreciate this thread and all the posters on it, it's given me some much needed direction!

I am doing the Great North Run in September and I'm really looking forward to it. I've just started running again after a knee injury last year and I'm taking it very slowly so I don't end up injured again. I've always been more of a plodder than a runner but now I am VERY slow so I'm hoping it won't take me all day to finish! I have a muddy obstacle run in a few weeks (eek!) so I'm hoping to survive that then do a couple of park runs and a 10k before my half marathon. I'm better at sticking to running when I have an event in mind. I'm using the Zombie Run app to train which is cheesy but a good distraction. I might look for a better half marathon plan nearer the time though - anyone using one they'd recommend?

That's reassuring fifty about getting a pb after resting an injury. I tried a treadmill warm up today and my shin started to ache so of course I bent down to feel it while it was still going - and nearly fell off the end :) Quick glance round to see I'd been spotted by some guy on the water rower trying not to laugh. Stuck to the machines but it was sooo boring.

My sister used the zombie run app too backinschool. I have mixed feelings about mud OCRs myself. They are fun but I find them absolutely freezing, took me about an hour to thaw and stop shaking after the last one. I hate being cold too. Learnt my lesson and plan to wear my under amour coldgear for mine in July. I just make up my own hm plan tbh by adding on a little distance each week :)

I'm scottish sirona so I tend to worry more about overheating than being chilly but this one is so wet and muddy I think I'm going to freeze. It's a one off - my friend is doing it for charity and asked me to join her team. What do you wear on your feet for these races? I don't want to spend a fortune on trail shoes for one race but I don't want to do a bambi impression in my old running trainers either. What do you wear? It's the The Royal British Legion Major North run I'm doing and it looks pretty muddy!

backinschool I'm in NI so we aren't much better here weather wise, I'm so used to the wind, rain and cold anything over 14 degrees kills me running. It was the water that got me though, jumped in and it went over my head and was full on take your breath away icy cold. I've just used old running shoes with mine but I'm doing Tough Mudder this year so plan to buy a cheap pair of trail shoes from sports direct for it. I can always use them walking in the forest or mowing the lawn something after. Yours looks like a lot of fun

Hi everyone. Been lurking for ages ahead of the Kingston Half on Sunday. I'm doing it as part of training for my first marathon. I'm not the speediest so am worried about coming last

Hi MrsHarveySpecter, good luck for Sunday! And if, if, you come last, who cares! You will still have done it and that's what counts. Plenty of people never take the chance and you have. I hope that the weather is kind and you have a great day, and I take my hat off to you, I couldn't contemplate doing a marathon at the moment! Which one are you doing?

Decided not to go for a run tonight, for no reason but laziness.

Then clicked on this thread and saw how well everyone's doing so I'm putting my trainers on now and going!

Thanks for the boot up the behind!

Good luck for your HM Mrsspecter! And PS, very jealous of your husband! Although I want him and Donna to live happily ever after.

Thank you!

I'm training for London. I am running for a charity I have a connection too. I'm very excited. London is my home town so I'm fortunate to be training on parts of the route. It should be a great day regardless of how long it takes me!

MrsHarvey good look for your HM tomorrow. And don't worry about being last - first of all it's unlikely in a largish field, an secondly if it does happen (and it has happened to me in a field of a few hundred) you will get a huge cheer and lots of encouragement

I haven't run since Sunday, off to parkrun shortly. Glad we gave you some motivation Aye

Ahh, fond memories of the WOLF run and not so fond memories of being bloody freezing at the end

Best of luck for tomorrow MrsHarvey, hope it goes well for you. I bet you are nowhere near last :) I kind of wondered if I would be last in my upcoming hm too as it's smaller, hosted by an AC very much aimed towards AC runners as their training for the city marathon. I checked the results of last year to give me an idea Saying that any event I have been to, as fiftynine says, the last runners have had tons of encouragement. Fair play training for a marathon, how is the training going?

Enjoy parkrun FifyNine.

I'm bringing a fleece onesie to put over my clothes next OCR. Saw a woman do it last time and thought it looked like a great idea to try and heat up.

How did it go Aye?

Haven't had a run from Sunday and I'm busting to get out. Gym and kettlebells just aren't cutting it. Did the hop on one leg thing and seems ok so might chance a small run tomorrow.

It was cold good Sirona thanks It was only a 4k one and I found it hard, but still finished within 30 seconds of my fastest time which is reassuring.

I need to start pushing the distance up though if I'm going to do Edinburgh!

MrsH what food are you going to eat today?

Good luck MrsH, can't wait to hear about it.

I hope it all goes well if you do get out tomorrow Sirona

When is Edinburgh Aye?

Hilly parkrun for me today, knocked a minute off my last attempt there. Painful but doing me the world of good. I'm hoping to get up to eight miles tomorrow. Thank goodness for canals, I couldn't face trying to work routes out otherwise.

End of May Chutney, loads of time (she says, confidently!)

How do people feel about running in the dark? I live in a city so there are street lights in most places, so the dark shouldn't stop me going out, should it?

Thanks chutney !

Aye, it's DD2's birthday so it's not been the ideal day nutritionally! Mostly sandwiches. Some nice fish, potatoes and vegetables for dinner though and it will be a bagel, topped with almond butter and a banana two and a half hours before the start tomorrow. I struggle eating any closer to a run of any distance so an early start for me!

I find the dark a big problem at the moment. I live in a village and our street lights are part time. When I started running with c25k I usually went out in the mornings and sometimes the lights hadn't come on. It was just about doable for thirty minutes to go round and round the village but now for the longer distances it really is a struggle. Even then I can't get into the run as much as I'm much more conscious of where I'm putting my feet.

Even my children are desperate for the clocks to change as they want to run in the evenings too.

Well done chuteny that's a great improvement!

I am fortunate in that I live in on the edge of a town, so have plenty of street-lit running, but I prefer to run in daylight, as that means I can run in a lovely country park a mile from my front door, which I reach by running along a river bank and old railway line so it's really flat

However, some friends and I are doing a night run at a nearby National Trust place in a few weeks, so I have had to invest in a head torch and have had a couple of practice outings, mostly to make sure it stays on when I run

Sirona I met a man at parkrun recently who had a fleece lined poncho that he used for OCRs - it was windproof and - he said - long enough to change under. He swore by it. Those foil blanket jobbies don't work if you are wearing wet clothes, as they just trap the wet and cold in.

However, some friends and I are doing a night run at a nearby National Trust place in a few weeks, so I have had to invest in a head torch and have had a couple of practice outings, mostly to make sure it stays on when I run

Amazing! I didn't know night runs like this existed.