Half Marathon Thread continues .....

[mammymammyIRL]

Don't want us to lose contact !

Wow rankellior a full marathon that's impressive!

Excellence to hear! Thankyou for the replies.

Had a good early run this morning my longest yet 14.5k, but boy did I feel tired an hour later. Luckily DH took kids out for few hrs so I got some recovery time. I had been trying to do one mid week 45min run and one longer weekend run adding 0.5-1k a week to get me up to HM by Feb. But I’m finding it really tiring (&legs stiff) so wondering if I can switch to long run every other weekend but try do 3 X 5-10k runs over the week in between so the total distance is the same but hopefully I’m not SO tired every Sunday post run? How do other people do the training & keep normal family/work life going with out feeling shattered? I also swim 1-2x a week with lots stretches in between as I get really stiff

I did my 2nd half off 3-4 runs a week and found both the training and the run itself much easier than the 1st which I did off 1 midweek plus a long run.

Long runs varied from 10k to 12 miles and I had a reduced mileage every 3-4 weeks which made a massive difference.

I have come to the regretful conclusion that I won't be doing any full marathons until I am a lot faster - I don't have time to do enough long runs at my current easy pace and do life stuff.

Hope the injury gets diagnosed and fixed Rankellior

Thanks randomuseful to hear your experience- I think I will try getting in a third 5k run as I can squeeze that in I think with some planning around the kids/work, & plan in a “rest” type weekend every month as I can feel my joints need it!

The other thing is that most of your long runs should be very "easy" paced - so you can chat in full sentences throughout. I was trying to do long runs at 8 min/km at the fastest with my HM target at 7 min/km. For longer than 2 hours make sure you eat - and generally make sure you're eating enough to recover.

Tri I would maintain a weekly long run, adding distance week after week is a psychological boost if nothing else. I felt tired too during the training process, I think it’s inevitable. I ran 4x a week and aimed to run between 20 - 30 miles a week. I would ditch one of your swims and increase mileage.

pink forget the treadmill and get outside - running indoor is no way comparable. You need to know how your body will cope with pounding the pavements and adjust training accordingly. Unless you live in the big brother house, no one is watching and no one cares! Sign up for your local park run - it’s 5km/3m which will be more than manageable if you can already do 2m - the atmosphere is always really good and it will really help your confidence.

Thanks random & hrh my pace on the longer runs is slower than my 5k runs, and I feel comfy when “in the zone” I’d be around the 2.5hr mark for a HM I think based on current form. My body just really felt tired after last two long runs but I’ve also been painting DDs room this weekend life doesn’t stop just because mums had a long run luckily my DH does long bike rides & runs so understands the flopped out feeling too!

tri the tired feeling is awful but the more long runs you do the easier it will become.

Hoping it's ok to join you? I got into VLM, so as part of my training, I've signed up to the Worthing half in February. Before I got my acceptance, I hadn't run in over 3 years, and the most I'd run was 5k.

I did my first ever 10k yesterday (combination of walking and running) and now need to build up to 10 miles, which I'm hoping to do by christmas. Any advice greatly appreciated!

Shorter run but pace is picking up again

Hello I am jumping back in - I have been off MN for ages . I did the New Forest HM in September - a really bad time due to weight gain and my meds but the route was lush and I can recommend it - also flat/ a bit of a decline in places. We ran with ponies at one point!

pink - it is unlikely that you will be last...and if you are, it will be a massive achievement to have got round. You really do have plenty of time so just go one run at a time. I use the great run training site - its free and it will give you a calendar to get you to race day prepared.

My next is Hampton Court in February. It was favourite this year. really friendly and flat. I did it in 2.26 I think and I would love to beat that.

My first ever 5k on a treadmill tonight. Quite a lot of ny training will need to be done on one of these, so any tips to make it more interesting greatly appreciated!

Pink I'm running a HM on 26 Nov. I'll be doing the run/walk 4/1 programme, i.e. Run four minutes and walk one. I am doing a 13-week programme and it's been fine, except for a calf muscle spasming. The physio has been sorting me out. I've got four and a half weeks to go and so far my longest run is eight miles. The calf has meant I've had to switch to doing my long runs on a combination of elliptical and bike along with treadmill and soft surfaces such as the park.

I'm hoping that if I can stop the leg from spawning again in the meantime I will be able to make it on the say. Fortunately the HM is in a park, with trails.

loudestroar my SIL trained for London marathon this year mostly on a treadmill in her house by covering up the display & just watching TV whilst she ran!

Just been out for a 5k speed intervals session

Hello can I join you guys. I've just been allowed back to running after 4 months off and I need some support to get me through the grumpy period where every run hurts and I'm fed up because 10k seems impossible.

I've signed up for Hampton Court on 18 March stille is that the one you're doing or are you doing the rival one? I'm hoping some friends will do it too but I have no one to train with so could do with some support/people to chase me to get out there and run.

Knowing you could do it before londonmum is half the battle mentally hopefully in a few weeks your stamina will return. I’ve had long periods off in the past with injuries and it’s crap when you need that “fix”

Got a PB on my 5k tonight SO close to getting a sub-30min but not quite arhhh 15secs over! I’m trying to get there by xmas. I’ve only been running a year and I’m a complete curvy short arse so not got long legs or built for speed!

TriGirl have you tried doing a parkrun? I find that gives me the extra motivation to run that wee bit faster

My next planned Half is in March. Though my friend is trying to persuade me to sign up for a Marathon in April. Not convinced I'm ready, maybe next year. On my bucket list for before I'm 50, still got 4 years!

Been working on my speed, parkrun and shorter, faster runs. Feeling a bit stronger with my 10k next Sunday.

Loudest Sounds like you are building up gradually, which is the way to go. Are you following a training plan?

London I was injured over the summer, so am familiar with the return to running where every run is unpleasant. Stick with it and you'll get there

Our nearest park run is 10miles away at the moment but a local one is being developed soon. However I’m not big fan of crowds of people and mostly run as it’s my only “quiet head” space in the whole week so not sure how much I’d enjoy a park run tbh. I’ve done a couple of events cycling, Tri and a 10k but I just got really nervous about the people not the flipping activity! I did run faster though

Tri I get you, running is also my "thinking" time away from family life. But for me, not every run needs to be like that and I sometimes enjoy the excitement of a "race" (parkrun is not a race )

I'm lucky as we have 4 or 5 parkruns within about 10 miles of here. I've done 3 of them, my local is about 8 miles away and is lovely and flat. Even tried out Newcastle one when visiting my sister a few weeks ago. The DC have really got into junior parkrun on a Sunday too. So maybe I'm slightly fanatical just now

I enjoy cycling too and have occasionally wondered about trying Tri. Bit scared of the swimming though!

purple I taught myself frontcrawl over the last year (it was on my 40s ‘bucket list’ with my DDs help (she’s in a jnr club) that was the bit I was most scared of and was one of the last out the pool at the Go-Tri but I zoomed past everyone on the bike and kept going on the run - running fitness really is great.
I’m hoping to get my kids involved in the Jnr park run when it starts here soon.

It was a pool swim though - I’m not sure I could tackle a lake or sea swim at all!

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone - I'm going to walk run the HM - have been doing that previously anyway - I'm not after a time just to finish so 2.20-2.30 is going to be fine by me at my great age. I'm trying to summon up the motivation to get a 12k long run in today. We're in Cornwall next week so hopefully I'll get in some hill sessions on the cliff path to improve stamina.

Hi everyone sounds like we've got a good few members here again

I've no races booked which makes me feel kind of like what's the point!
I did sign up for a virtual medal 12k in the first 12 days of December, so I think I'm going to pick a 12k route & use that as a race to aim towards.

Did 9.9 miles this week over 4 runs
Loudestroar I hate treadmill running but I'm going to do it twice a week for five weeks because local community run gym is doing a trial of 3 mornings opening from 6.30-7.30 & I want to support it. I'm thinking podcasts?

Can I join pls? I’ve been running for years but never more than 10k. But a charity that has helped us asked if I’d run a half for them in the spring. The Big Half.

I said yes and am now trying to build up my distance. I ran 9.6miles this morning and was quite shattered a couple of hours later, once I’d had lunch.

I’m nervous because I work full time and do the school run in the morning and so don’t get much time to run. My job is quite unpredictable so I’m not sure a training plan would work.

Anyway waffle over. Hello!

Interested to see how others get on.