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?

Parkrun was muddy, soggy, windy and crowded today.
I didn't run a particularly controlled run...I like to get faster each mile or have consistent mile splits. Today though I set off too fast and had 20seconds difference between mile 1 and 3.
Given the weather and conditions (and the last few weeks of DC stress) it was a decent time.

Windy but glorious sun here today. Moved my long run to today as going out for the day tomorrow. It meant 3 consecutive days running and the Garmin training app asked me if I was sure.
So to mix it up I did 8 miles partially on trails (flat ones by the river!). Making the most of the fields being cow free at the minute. It was slow and a bit of a grind but made a refreshing change and less impact than a road run (especially the squelchy muddy parts).
Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Hoping you have a great run tomorrow @shamoola!

Wel done on your river swim @TheOrigRights. I haven't swum yet this month, need to fit one in before Friday to keep up my "swim every month of the year" goal.

@Cantdoitallperfectly - hope your back eases up and you are back out there again soon.

@chutneypig hope you you enjoyed your parkrun tourism. I ended up at a new (to me) one so I took it easy for the first lap and sped up as I went along. Better than yesterday anyway.

@Jumbojem - I like the sound of your run. Glad the fields were cow-free - we had some local walkers trampled recently, and I had a close shave when out walking with DH last year so am now ultra-cautious.

@shamoola Good luck for tomorrow. Enjoy the day and the atmosphere.
I had a quick look at the event website and it really does look like a lovely course.
I'm looking forward to your race report.

I've got the last race of our cross country league tomorrow, and our club is hosting. So I've just made a lemon drizzle tray bake. I'm no baker but the drizzle always compensates for the dry sponge. It is about 1/2 the depth of the one in the picture (Mary Berry) but hungry runners don't tend to be too fussy about these things.
DS2's Birthday today and he's got a mate over. I'm packing them off to the garden office to sleep so they can eat Pringles, drink Pepsi Max and melt their 14 yo brains on their phones all night.

My river swim yesterday was about 10 mins swimming and then 2 hours of warming up!

Well that was a bit frustrating! Could have been a good course for a fast time but it was actually more of a swim then a run! Riverside paths full of potholes and very deep puddles that meant I gave up trying to avoid them as it just wasn't possible.
Despite this I was on target and feeling good. That was until the last three miles when it went onto grass (or rather mud) and knee deep puddles. It took all my energy to stay upright and I had to slow right down.
I got 1hr 57min when I was aiming for 1:48.
Does this mean I have to do another one when the conditions are better 😉

Congratulations @shamoola ! Sounds like you did fantastically well in the circumstances. I think you know the answer to your question 😄

Well done @shamoola
A friend of mine was at the same race today...on target for a good PB but then the mud and rain combined made her legs cramp.
The pic she posted of the medal is amazing! What a medal!

What's next for you?

That's still a great time @shamoola especially from the sounds of the conditions. Yes, def sounds like you need to enter another though🤣

It's an absolute whopper!

@brooksghost I was going to have a period of going steady and not train for anything for a while as I've been doing hard training for about a year. But I think I may enter another half in about two weeks to make the most of my current endurance and then move back to enjoying parkruns and long slow plods.

Now that's what I call a medal @shamoola!! Sounds like you did amazingly well under what must have been very frustrating circumstances.

Well done @shamoola! Love the medal!

Hope you have a less stressful week @brooksghost

6 weeks to go for me and I was meant to run 10 miles yesterday but I spent the whole day tidying the house as we had some renovations. I was feeling a bit frustrated by it all.
So I just did a quick 5k before work to start the week off well, not sure when I’ll fit my long run in though :(

@shamoola well done you. The last 3 miles sounds horrendous - exactly the opposite of what you need at the end of a HM. I imagine you knew your time goal was off the cards at that point (what with the potholes and rivers) so it was more a matter of gritting your teeth and getting to the finish line than anything else.

Of course you'll have to enter another! This run will stand you in good stead for when the going gets tough next time.

I'd give yourself a couple of weeks off hard running to recover then book another race.

Excellent medal!

@chutneypig saw this and thought of you this evening!

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree that's fantastic! What a shot

@chutneypig I will see if I find any more tomorrow!

It's taper week for me.
An easy 6 miles this morning which was good...no issues.
Obsessively checking the weather forecast (overcast and chilly) for Sunday.
Will do an easy run on Thursday with a few strides.
In my head I'm happy with just running it without clock watching; the stress this week so far has confirmed I'm making the right choice. I'm now looking to the Autumn for another half that will be my 'time' race.

Seeing the London photo just posted, I've also just driven past a 'roads closed for half marathon' sign here...all very real now!

Enjoy the taper for those with events soon. Lovely shot of big Ben, and the all important sign, in yesterday's sun.
What a miserable cold day it was today! I put off lunchtime run as it was wet. Then lay under my bed covers in my running kit trying to feel warm before I got out this eve.
Thankfully the run was one of those good ones. Did 4 miles at race pace. Legs are dead though so not sure how I'll manage 8 more at that pace.

Then lay under my bed covers in my running kit trying to feel warm

Like a pro!

I'm glad you got out. I've said it before, but race pace runs mess with your head. It will be fine.

Club training this evening, which was essentially running up and down a hill in an industrial estate in the pissing rain.

Tapering here too. Three miles this morning in the drizzle. I’ll be glad when this is all over.

I've pretty much auto-tapered, I've got nothing in me this week. The weather yesterday was really off putting so instead of doing a short base run I did an even shorter recovery run that made me feel rubbish. It's frustrating because I've never been so consistent with training before.

But .... the photo of Big Ben is a good reminder (thanks very much @OhOneOhTwoOhThree!) that I will enjoy Sunday, it's a great race and such a good atmosphere. It's served a purpose in getting me back into regular running. I'll ease off a bit after and work on pace for a while, then focus on my two autumn halfs.

It sounds like many of us aren't feeling so spritely this week but how much better am I feeling for knowing I'm not alone! Even if I wish we were all feeling it's game on.

I'm going to get out this morning and then a short session on Friday, see how they go.

Another short run for me this morning - the plan said 5 but I only had time for 3.

Should have run faster 😜

Marshalling at our club's 5K time trial this evening. I get to stand at the turn around point and encourage heckle everyone.

Ha ha no chance of that. I took the option of an extra hour in bed this morning. Swimming tomorrow, parkrun volunteering on Saturday and boom.

Enjoy your swim @OhOneOhTwoOhThree. My plan has a fairly gentler interval run today, not all out, so I'm debating that or another bodybalance session.

Weather is currently looking ok for me on Sunday, better than the blasting August heat last time I ran it.