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?

Chapeau @Lamontaine

I don't normally run on consecutive days but now I'm thinking more about the Ultra, I thought I should try.
Headed out for "I'll only be an hour" run and returned 90mins later! Run felt good. My highest weekly mileage at 29miles this week...nearly the Ultra distance!

Yesterday there was the Centurion Thames Path 100 miles; some of the signs were still up on my run so I pondered how people run 100 miles. That's my run today 10 times...mind over matter or Duracell endurance or a bit of both? I am awe of these ultra runners...but not in awe enough to try 100 myself!

@Lamontaine great stuff, hope you are feeling super proud of yourself!

@brooksghost I know, 100 miles is a distance I only think about driving, not even cycling and let alone run! I used to be a regular "metric 100" cyclist in my younger days, even in the early months of my first pregnancy. Just seems unfathomable now.

Not sure who mentioned the niggles cropping up as race day gets nearer but my "taper" is fast becoming no running at all. My shin has become very painful which is so annoying as I thought I'd got past this, it's been pain free since the early weeks of training. Now I can only run pain free on grass or mud. My road half is next Sunday...

Nice running this weekend it seems! I have no idea how anyone could run 100 miles, incredible.

Thank you everyone for the kind words and support, this thread has been great!

I had a bit of a come down yesterday evening, very strange! And also feeling a bit confused about my time. My Strava was at a different pace but what I find odd is that the official race stats had me at 1:40 at 17.4 km and I finished at 2:07 which means almost 7 mins per km for the last 3.7 km whilst Strava was telling me I was running at around 5:50 for the last 4 km. I don’t feel like I was running at a much slower pace for the last few km. Not disputing the race time or anything and overall I am just proud I’ve done it but wonder if anyone else had had any anomalies like that with Strava?

@Jumbojem I had the niggles last week! My shin and knee were painful and worrying me. I iced them twice a day and applied copious muscle balms and took painkillers before we started. However, as soon as I started running there was no more pain. Hope your shin feels better soon.

Sorry for being awol - the apps been playing up and wouldn't show me threads I was on. Or let me post when I hunted the thread down. Hopefully this will work.

Well done @Lamontaine - fantastic time!

@chutneypig I have to reinstall the app (iPhone) every time they do an update otherwise I can't post or see which threads I'm currently on. It's quite annoying!

I've arranged a Physio appointment for next week to try and sort out my hip issue and (possible knock on) calf issues. 11 weeks until the Ultra so it needs seeing.

I'm feeling nervous about Sunday now! At least the weather looks good, as in not going to be hot and likely cloudy, so good for running maybe not those wanting a day out at the beach!
Shin still painful so no run since a brief slow one on Sunday.
I am going out with friends on Friday night so also probably sabotaging the good rest, nutrition and hydration points 😂
I've scaled back all my expectations to just completing it without resorting to walking, walked parts of my last two halfs and really flagged in my last one as went out way to fast for first 5k.
I have set up pacepro on my Garmin which my old watch didn't have. Have set it to allow me to be slower on the hills and slower in the second half of the race. It is very clever but I meant to test it in training so I understood how it worked but of course I forgot to!
@brooksghost hope physio is helpful. I will be working on my mobility after this half as did some tests (sit to stand) and realised how stuff my hips are.

I'm deep into (half) maranoia this week. Legs feel heavy and stiff and I can't imagine running a 5k let alone a half!
But a small victory this week as I got my almost 15 year old son out for a run. He used to be a very good runner managing a 18:50 parkrun aged 11. But gave it all up when all his friends were shooting up in height and getting much faster and he remained a shorty. However growth spurt is happening at last and he wants to get fit.

Despite not running for a couple of years he left me for dust! Oh to be young 😂

Dangers of skim reading: "he gave it all up when all his friends started shooting up". 😮

Oh dear! I'm glad to report that that wasn't the case!

As long as you're not going out Saturday night @Jumbojem! I'm glad the weather is looking good, that's such a big variable this time of year. The pacepro sounds like it'll be a great help.

I know what you mean about the maranoia @shamoola, a half is a much in your head as legs. My children are the same age as your son. My son kept coming along to parkrun but his heads back in it now. My daughter rarely runs anymore but she can pull it out of the bag when she does go out in that she's faster than me. Her parkrun PB is from when she was 9! She wants to do some more over the summer and they both want to join the gym after their GCSEs, so I'm hoping that will give a boost.

My running has been going backwards, my 10k on Sunday was shudderingly slow. I'm not sure what's the main factor, stress, hayfever, heat or having to come off my HRT. I'm determined to get out though and keep running several times a week. I suspect the hayfever is a big factor, my watch is definitely showing some dips in oxygen. Hopefully it'll pass soon.

Thanks @chutneypig
are you doing the Robin Hood? I’m from Nottingham so tempted to come over for it (after the initial feeling a bit flat after my race I am now feeling elated and never want to stop running 😂)

@Jumbojem good luck for Sunday! Friday night outing will take your mind off the nerves ☺️

Also @chutneypig hope you feel better soon

After having been fighting fit all winter, a week off running, and now I come down with a cold! So gutted, sore throat and sniffles, really hope the worst is gone by Sunday😭

I have a 14 yr old too, although just turned 14 in my case. He did a track 800m on Saturday and 4 of the 6 athletes in the U15 group were like mini men, broad and muscly. My DS and another runner were tiny boys in comparison, sadly they were 5th and 6th so we too are hoping DSs growth spurt happens soon. It's like flicking a switch when it happens and they shoot up like rockets if DS1 is anything to go by.

DD was a runner and, I hate to admit this, still has the household parkrun record! I need another 13 seconds and then it's mine! She doesn't run any more which is a shame as she was good.
My calf has gone funny again so I've not run since Sunday. I've rested it from running so hopefully it'll be ok for the weekend (parkrun and long run).
Off to race my bike tonight which could be fun albeit hard work.
My bucket list race was meant to be this weekend but I've pulled out for various reasons.

Fingers crossed the cold passes @Jumbojem - must be miserable and what timing!

I hope the bike ride was good @brooksghost - hopefully that'll give your calf a rest for the weekend. Thank you for the reinstalling tip, seems to have done the job. I'd never have thought of it as the rest of the app seemed to be working fine.

You should definitely think about Robin Hood @Lamontaine! I'm all signed up. Have you done it in the past? I missed last year as I wasn't in a fit state but I definitely felt like I was missing out as I do it most years. I even beat my husband one year, first and only time!

Hello everyone. Despite using the website rather than the app I wasn't getting any notifications either.

@shamoola hope the maranoia has settled and you are all ready for the weekend.

@Jumbojem hope you are having a good time this eveing wiht your friends!

@chutneypig hope you are feeling better.

@brooksghost sorry you have had to bin your bucket list race - can you defer to next year?

Not sure which member of our household holds our parkrun PB, except it's definitely not me. DS2 is a good sprinter but has no staying power, and DS1 is good over 10K, so it might be DH. They've only done a handful between them as it's not their thing.

I've been working in London this week so I had a lovely run along the Thames yesterday, and another run through one of my old stamping grounds from when I used to live there.

Good luck to anyone running a race this weekend!

Sadly couldn't defer my entry to my race; needed 30 days notification. Oh well.
So, this weekend is parkrun and a long run on Sunday. I'm trying to follow a marathon training program; it has me down for 12 miles on Sunday. I'm going to run loops round my area in case my calf gives in. Also, I can use my house as a feed station and work out what works well for longer runs. I'm trying Soreen bars this week :-)

Half marathon done.
1:49:11 so pretty pleased with that. Weather was pretty perfect. My pace was consistent, course nice and flat - lots of laps about 8.5 in total which was both good and bad. But the laps really helped with ticking off the miles.
Feet up for a bit and will now go back to bringing down the 5k pb to sub 23 mins.

@shamoola that is brilliant, well done. Fantastic work!

Congratulations @shamoola That is a fab time!

Fabulous @shamoola!

You've reminded me to get some soreen in @brooksghost - sorry to hear about the deferral, irritating!

I have just had to invest in a new watch as my strap (which was a replacement for the last one) snapped off this afternoon.

So I too will finally be able to have a garmin coach! I havered over spending a bit more on a swimming watch, but decided not to in the end - I always swim with a tow float which works as a dry bag so usually stick my watch in there, or wedge it inside my swim hat.

Well done @shamoola, amazing time!

@shamoola wow brilliant time well done!

I am lounging about after doing my half this morning. Was originally hoping to run sub 2 but training went off the rails a bit in the last month. Ran it steady up to mile 8, the last 3 miles are undulating on an out and back coast road which really messes with your head! Managed to get a blister despite never getting one before in these shoes, and the right side of my groin was giving me issues towards the end. The shin I had been worried about was perfectly fine though! Anyway came in at 2.08 which was a (small) PB so at least that's something. Hanging up my road half shoes now to focus on shorter distances and a trail half in the autumn. Onwards and upwards!

Well done @Jumbojem ! Glad all went well for you and the shin behaved, but how annoying about the blister. A PB is a PB!