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?

@Lamontaine woah I'd have definitely needed a rest day after 10 miles... is that a long run for you or are you full marathon training?

I've just signed up with Greg aiming to match my PB in June (no race planned, may try my own virtual type run) then to improve on it by my actual race in October.

You have all inspired me to step beyond my comfortable plod!

@Lamontaine how lucky to live in Switzerland! We went there for part of our holiday last year, it was so lovely clean efficient and beautiful. If it wasn't so expensive it was a country I felt I could easily settle in.
More wet than snowy here in the West country but I had to travel to the snowy midlands yesterday for work which meant no run so my mileage for this week is well down.
I did do my Amy run today though. Bit of a random one, 1 mile time trial followed by 4 X 400m at race pace. It was good to find the race pace fairly easy to hit despite the fast mile.
I don't seem to have any "run hard" runs on my Amy plan. They are all to set paces apart from the weekly "tired legs" run, is this one I'm meant to run hard? It says something like "do your best". Hmm, maybe I need to start pushing myself on these rather than seeing them as easy runs!

Another bit of random running tomorrow, I'm doing the 10 til 11pm shift in a 24 hour relay on the local pier. Think I'll be taking that one as an easy!

@Jumbojem that sounds fun! Enjoy!

Jumbojem The 'tired legs' run is one of the ones that I try to push myself a little faster than my HM pace. Then Amy usually gives me a speed repeat session or time trial the next day as well.

Snow yesterday combined with a manic day at work meant that I just couldn't face doing my run (only the second time I have missed one of Amy's sessions). I'm not beating myself up about it though. Just hoping that the weather is a bit better over the weekend.

Fastest Parkrun of the year not a PB but then I'm in the depths of half marathon training - can't have everything. First women in my age group and 71% age grade.
Given me a confidence boost and I can see km 4 was where the pace lagged - so something to keep an eye on for next time.
Hope it's not too cold wherever you may be.

Wow @shamoola sounds impressive!
My Garmin says I had poor sleep and poor recovery last night. That's drinking cocktails for you😂 but I do love the insights the watch gives on overall health and wellbeing. My body battery only charged by 30 last night!
Hoping it stops raining for my pier run tonight, and long run tomorrow. This cold weather isn't really encouraging for spring race training is it?

That's fantastic @shamoola, really impressive!

Sounds like it's been a fractured week for many of us. I was actually going to run at parkrun yesterday but it was cancelled not long before the start. Disappointing but I was equally glad I didn't have to make the call myself.

8 miles for me today but I feel like I'm treading water rather than making any gains at the moment. Aside from moaning about my poor sleep, my Garmin has me down as maintaining rather than productive.

@chutneypig according to my watch my fitness has been maintaining since October! Can be a bit demoralising so I just ignore it.

Hope your relay was fun @Jumbojem and that you you a good race @brooksghost.

11 miles in the bag here. I was at 6s and 7s before I went out - the bladder in my hydration vest sprung a leak, so when I put the vest on it was soaking, so I had to change out of my favourite running top as that he got wet atom the vest, leave the vest at home and chuck the bladder. So not in the best of sorts. The river path I usually run on is flooded in parts so I had to adjust my route to avoid the worst of the flooding (and run through puddles in places - which I LOVE doing and cheered me up). I had lovely steady splits for the first 6 miles, with only 5 seconds between my fastest and slowest mile. But them somehow ran a fast mile at parkrun pace (not sure where that came from), tried to slow down and over-compensated and couldn't get back into my stride. Mile 10 was on trails and a disused golf course and although I really felt I was pegging it it was disappointingly slow. I think I faded because I wasn't carrying any drink or snacks - I nipped into a cafe at 3.5 miles and bought a juice and a water but there wasn't really anywhere else to grab anything.

I was dreaming of chips most of the way home, so am now enjoying a chip butty.

That's a shame about the bladder/vest @OhOneOhTwoOhThree
The pier relay was good fun even though it was blowing a gale, windy and a pretty high tide which made it a little spooky in the dark. We did 6 miles on our leg, got home at midnight and could just not get to sleep as my body was hyped up. Had to just lie there as OH was getting up at 6am for his leg!
Did another 6 miles this afternoon but felt like I had nothing at all in the tank
My Garmin has been on "Maintaining" for weeks now, it even slipped into "Recovery" on Thursday when I hadn't run for 3 days. I seem to be short on low aerobic activity, just about hitting high aerobic but most of my activity is sitting in the mid zone despite my attempts to run slow runs slow and only push on the speed sessions.

Blowing a gale and raining I mean, obviously blowing a gale is obviously windy. Can you tell I'm sleep deprived?!

my race went very well. It was an off road/cross country Duathlon. So much mud, so many hills, even more mud and a bit of extra mud so that I could bring it all home in my kit!
Total of 8 muddy, hilly trail miles run. Just over 2 hours for the race (including the bike).
Garmin body battery currently says 5/100!
Rest day tomorrow.

Well done @brooksghost ! Definitely a rest day tomorrow.

I'm quite exhausted reading about peoples adventures this weekend! Great work

I'll try not to pay too much attention to my maintaining - it's reassuring to hear that's not unusual.

@brooksghost that's great news but sounds like my idea of bell!! Give me a lovely flat road race any day of the week.

How are you feeling now??

@Jumbojem I have a Garmin Vivoactive 4 I think but have never seen the 'maintaining' 'recovery' bit - where's that??

Mind you it probably won't be accurate as I only wear my watch for exercise (it gives me horrendous contact dermatitis if worn too long) so my stats are always a bit skewed and my 'resting' heart rate is sky high

@FusionChefGeoff I don't think the Vivoactive series have the reporting function. I just upgraded from a 3 and it didn't have it. I've got a Forerunner 255. I am finding it useful as a gauge but like anything it sounds best not to get too het up.

Wonderful running people - I have NOT just done my race and buggered off.
No, I am still here, reading but haven't posted much.

Get out there you lot!

Everyone is doing great with all the running etc. I tried and went out running twice over the weekend for a short time and it wasn't too bad, still my breathing is a bit hit and miss which is frustrating

The breathing side is really hard to nail @Tiredoftoday13 - every time I try and influence it I feel like I'm suffocating. I'd be very interested in tips on that from the team.

I got out and did a mixed interval session today. I absolutely wasn't feeling like it but knew it would do me some good. I didn't quite hit the HR zones for each bit but felt very in control of my pace and the later intervals were the same as their earlier equivalents. Tempo run for me this week, although I might go for an extra recovery run in there too.

I managed 9 miles on sore legs today. In hindsight, I should have waited another day to get the Duathlon out of my legs, but...
I'm now in panic mode thinking I've not done enough long runs or enough fast stuff or enough intervals. 2.5 weeks to go and not really much I can do about it now. Hopefully it's last minute nerves as when I look at my Strava and can see consistency over the last 8 weeks. I'm possibly putting pressure on myself to run certain times...and there really is no need for that.
Argh!

@brooksghost that's great well done you. I can only dream of 9 miles at the moment!! I'm sure it is last minute nerves and you'll do great

Great work on the trial @brooksghost ! You’ll be fine in 2.5 weeks, I have no doubt.

I had a few days off and missed my long run due to illness and DH being away. Went out yesterday and today, short runs. Yesterday was hard and had to stop for a coughing fit. Today much better. So… I signed myself up for another half in October!

*trail