Half marathon training, starting 1/1/23

[JessicaBrassica]

Hi,
I'm planning to start half marathon training in n Jan 1st. Aiming definitely for an event on May 13 but plan designed around a race on 22/4. Just in case.

Anyone want to join me?
I've done several halfs before but not run a good one for a few years.
I'm using the Garmin beginner 3x a week programme.

Anyone want to join me?

@WalterWexler welcome. I don't think your half and 10k times are slow at all (they are similar to mine and I like to feel I'm neither fast nor slow but somewhere in between!).
I think you're plan sounds great and very sustainable, you've plenty of time to get up to the half distance and build fitness steadily.

That's very kind! I would be ecstatic with a 2:30 HM now.

I have some incredibly fit friends (and my husband does marathons for "fun") so I do feel very slow in my circle. Add On a 3 stone weight gain in the last few years post kids, and I'm definitely on the slow side of plod now.

Welcome @WalterWexler
Don't worry about times, just make sure you enjoy most of the runs!
I have two sets of PBs- pre-kids and post-kids so concentrate on just getting fitter slowly and sensibly. Build into gently, check your trainers are ok and have fun!

Hello @WalterWexler , good to see you have signed up and have come over here (I'm not a stalker, I got a notification because you'd updated your thread).

Hope the weekend runners are still basking in the glow. I had a 4 mile Royal Parks run today in the grey and damp murk this morning.

Hi. This sounds all very encouraging. I've signed up for a half in October but at the moment 3 is the most of done and that is a struggle!! I think it's my mind set, if anyone has any suggestions/ideas to help change my ways and get me moving it would be much appreciated please

@Tiredoftoday13 hi!
If 3 miles is hard work, try slowing it right down. The latest thinking is that 80% of your runs should be at an easy pace. Slowing down, walking, jogging etc whilst out will all help with speed.
I ran 10 miles today- a few weeks ago I raced a 10miler. Today's easy run was nearly 2 minutes per mile slower! I had to run an extra 20mins...it was a nice easy pace which will benefit me in the 'long run'.

Thank you @brooksghost that's good to hear. I'm trying not to worry about the speed or pace at the moment, I just would really like to up the distance just a small amount each week would be good. I think I've panicked myself in the past at some point as when my breathing gets a bit faster I lose it and then think I can't breathe so start to panic. Sometimes I can get my breathing back under control but then other times I just let it over come me and then that's when the negative thoughts creep in and I can't do it

@Tiredoftoday13 - have you tried run/walking? A friend of mine has done very well doing 30/30. I quite like 10 and 2 on a long run (as @brooksghost said, it's important to keep the pace down, I aim for a minute a mile slower than my normal pace).

@theworldhasgoneinsane I'm going to keep training for a better time in Oct. Will drop long runs down to 7/8 miles and force myself to do speed / interval / hill sessions.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree ultra!!!!???!!!! Oh my God you are seriously hardcore

I have absolutely no desire to go further. I've done HM for 5/6 years now and never even been tempted!

@brooksghost I LOVE my vest. Stuffed it with blister plasters, ibuprofen, spare headphones... it's so useful and I love not having something tied around my waist. Takes a bit of juggling to get a race number on though. 5 x 10 mile runs is an awesome place to be for your half.

@Jumbojem I fell out with Amy . We trained hard for sub 2 half pre covid and race day was a disaster. I don't trust her anymore. I'm trying Greg next time.

@WalterWexler I am also a plodder but you'll be surprised how quickly that base fitness comes back if you're consistent. Sounds like you've got a sensible plan to build up slowly.

I'm also going to play about with more heart rate based training rather than pace training to see what that feels like / if it helps speed me up.

It's how I paced my race and it worked a treat so wonder if I'll find it less of a chore than speed repeats

@FusionChefGeoff - DS1 uses heart rate training a lot for his sport and has had good results (and has a super-low baseline heart rate).

I'd love to do heart rate training but when I tried running in just zone 2 it was so hard to slow right down enough. I had to keep walking to bring my heart rate down. There's no shame in that but I need to get my head into the idea that this will help in the long term, mentally I feel like I need to be banging out faster paces all the time. Even now I've been doing easy slower than normal and the faster stuff which I never used to do, my Garmin still says most of my runs are in the "tempo" zone and there is a shortage of low aerobic workouts. Something I find so difficult.
@FusionChefGeoff yeah, Amy and I fell out already which is why I'm only partially following her plan now. Will switch to Greg when I move to 10k training as heard good things about his plans.

@Jumbojem I'm a coach Greg fan! Done his 5k plans twice getting a pb both times and I'm currently doing his half plan.
Includes some tough workouts but the plan has made sense!

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree no I haven't tried that. I use to run, well slowly, before I got ill and now coming back to it I think my mind is still in the same place as before!! But yeah the walk/run sounds good (again it's just the mind set that if I walk I've failed, it drives me mad)

I've been using Matt Fitzgerald's 80/20 running plan which is heart rate based. It's quite a lot to digest but there's a guide to working out your heart rate zones. They're higher than Garmin would set so I can stay in zone 2 running, usually walk for zone.

My max heart rate is 179 so the zones come out as:

1 123-139
2 140-151
3 152-164
4 165-172
5 172+

I've found it very good. It was a good start to getting back into regular running because I wasn't overdoing it at the beginning.

I'm late to this thread but I thought I would pop in and say hi. I am training for a half in mid May which will be in a quite special location (not saying where as I like my internet anonymity and it could be outing 😁).

I'm interested to hear why coach Amy is being dissed. I've been using her plan and opted to run 5 days a week and so far, touch wood, it seems to be going OK. At the moment she has only got me doing a long slow run of 10 miles. I have stuck to her plan pretty closely (only missed one short recovery run when I had a bit of a temperature) and I am starting to notice I can keep up much better with the young-uns on club nights. I'm late 50s now and hope to finish in around 2:10.

5k today and 42 mins (so 3 mins quicker than 5k last week). Got 2 long days at work coming up, so trying to work out what I can fit in around that. Thanks for the encouragement all.

@Dimpsey I followed Amy to the letter - but was nervous that she never seemed to be getting me to go fast enough for the pace I wanted. Didn't do anything at race pace and the long slow runs were sooo slow. I also didn't think she'd set the speed work fast enough but I thought I'd trust the plan. On race day the pace was just way way too fast and I couldn't sustain it so was ruined after about 5/6 miles and the rest was a horrible slog. I did get a PB but nothing close to sub 2 and it was a horrible run.

I've looked at my stats and I spent 98% in Zone 5 so I was certainly working at my max but the training just hadn't got me where I needed to be.

That's interesting Fusion.

My Long Slow runs are definitely slow but she also has me doing a run of about 5.5miles which just says 'hard' so I am running it at a pace which is about 40seconds faster per km than I hope to be doing on the day. There is usually a speed session or time trial and I must admit that because I am not looking at my watch I am doing short bursts at sometimes 4km pace which is faster than her suggested pace. So far I seem to be recovering well enough to do the suggested runs. I guess I will find out in May whether coach Amy suits me.

That's very interesting about Amy. I've got to say I have no idea what my race pace is at the moment - that's one element that is a challenge with the 80/20 approach. My Garmin seems to think I could be just ahead of my PB. In honesty I'd like to finish strong for LLHM and focus on on for my autumn halfs.

I had long intervals yesterday. 3 x 5 minutes in zone 4. The weather was foul so I opted for the treadmill. My HR was off but perceived effort was definitely ok!!

That's a great improvement @WalterWexler!

Morning all. Bad weather here has stopped me running this week, so I did yoga this morning instead. Found all sorts of tight bits that needed a good stretch so not in vain. Might try to get out later if the howling wind drops.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree me too - I am desperate to do something but wanted to rest a bit after my race, early work calls Tues / Weds and now snow!!

Also did some fairly strong vinyasa yoga yesterday as a compromise and have a pleasant ache in my upper body now but I'm desperate to get properly sweaty!

Gym is a drive away so don't want to join the chaos on the roads either.

Sigh. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better???

@Dimpsey sounds like you're doing much better than I did!! It was a few years ago so they may have improved the programmes too.

I should have trusted my instincts so as long as you feel like it's working then it probably is

I didn't manage my hill session yesterday due to DC (again). By the time I'd got them to school (90mins late) my stress levels were through the roof and I was ravenous. So, did a 3 mile jog/plod instead and then went on my turbo at home and did some HIIT which vaguely resembles some hill work!
I'll swim today and have a rest day tomorrow before a race on Sunday.

Hi everyone. After my 10 mile Saturday run and 3 mile Sunday run I have come to a standstill. I’ve been ill this week and couldn’t manage anything Tues -Weds (regular running days). Did 3 miles yesterday and was meant to go to Pilates this morning but too busy at work. Husband away this weekend too so I won’t be able to get out and run. Feeling a bit defeated! Next week will be a better one 😊.

Good luck with the snow, we don’t have any here in Switzerland but I did run a lot in snowy conditions over the last few months and had several near death experiences so be careful everyone!