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?

I'm back, didn't even really manage the goal pace repeats and only managed 1.5 out of the 3 sprints. Oh well, at least I got out there and Garmin said it was a VO2 max run which was a bonus!

Well done for going when you didn't feel like it @Jumbojem! Sounds like you worked hard.

I just had a super outdoor swim in the evening sunshine with a friend. Just the ticket after a long and busy day.

Hi Everyone,
It sounds like everyone is doing well with their running.
I'm just back from a few weeks away. I managed some good runs the first week and a half and then started my taper for this Saturday.
I think I'm ready! I have my food plan sorted- a banana and a mini soreen every 10km plus some Kendal mint cake and some salt tabs. We can pack our own food which is then taken out to the feed stations. I've trained in my 'race' clothes and trainers so I'm happy with how that all feels and I'm happy eating and running without issues.
Roll on Saturday...eeek! I have just two aims- to finish and to enjoy it.
In other news, I've officially qualified for both the Worlds and Euro triathlon champs as I did another qualifier and did surprisingly well.
I've also persuaded DH to do some trail races with me over the autumn so all I need to do now is put together a list and he can pick a few.

Wow @brooksghost huge congratulations on qualifying for the triathlon champs - amazing work. Well done. I hope all goes well this weekend.

@brooksghost wow well done! Good luck for Saturday, is this an ultra your running?

Amazing@brooksghost that's just phenomenal! Best of luck for tomorrow, sounds like you've nailed the training and planning.

Excellent work on the PB @Jumbojem, sounds like you're training is really paying off too.

15 miles definitely doesn't sound short @OhOneOhTwoOhThree -I bet it is daunting but you're really nailing the prep too.

I got out a bit this week and my Garmin even thought some of it was productive. Still feel very very slow but happy to be out there. RD for me tomorrow and 6 miles Sunday. I did get to a yoga session tonight which reminded me I need to do more of that.

My Ultra is over!
Currently, I never want to run another one!
50km/31miles. Im happy with my time (4:48 with stops/roads etc, 4:53 chip time).
Food and drink was fine, all kit was fine...in fact no issues at all except that I should have done some more long runs (20miles+) as it felt hard from 22 miles...and the final 2 miles felt like 200!
Im pleased I've done it and have scratched the itch; the itch is now gone and shows no signs of returning!

@brooksghost you are amazing! Huge well done, fantastic work!

I was out for a lot longer than @brooksghost today, and didn’t go as far. But was thinking of you advice @brooksghost to get in some 20+ runs. The plan said 26.2 today, so that’s what I did. My moving time was faster than my last two marathons (one was muddy trail, the other was after I’d had Covid and lost several weeks of training and was still really unwell on the day). My overall time was slower, as I had several stops to buy snacks and drinks, use the loo and shelter from the rain. I was tempted to ask DH to come and pick my up when it started raining but I pushed through and he came out to meet me towards the end. I wasn’t expecting it so it was a lovely boost for the last quarter mile.

46.2 ish miles for the week. Soooooo looking forward to the taper.

Some long distances being run here! Well done all.
I got to the end of my 5k plan - totally burnt out. It was much harder than the half marathon training. It was with the Runna App which seemed to give me three hard workouts and only one easy run a week. It was not for the faint hearted!
Therefore I bombed on my target race but at least with 5ks it's easy to find another race when I feel a bit fresher.
I'm just going to free style it a bit for a while and build up some mileage before another half in the spring.

@shamoola do you have another half in mind for the spring? That 5k training sounds crazy hard, well done for completing it.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree
My longest run was 20, plus I did 2x17 and some 15 milers.if I hadn't have done a few triathlons in the run up, I would have certainly added in some more 17+ runs.
By 22 miles my legs just weren't used to the constant pounding, the heart rate was fine but the legs were saying no!
Fuelling wise; my race had 5 feed stations of which the last three had the option of having your own food parcels dropped. I tried to eat every 5km (starting from 5km) so that I was constantly topped up. I alternated a banana with a mini Soreen plus some Kendal mint cake from feed #3 (30km). I also tried to have a glug of water every mile and then a big drink at the feed stations. Flat coke was the best drink ever on the day!
I feel proud of what I achieved and still have no desire to run another...though I have been looking up trail races for the Autumn (but no more than half marathon distance).

I feel like a fraud posting on this thread! Big loss of mojo here, even easy runs feel like a struggle. Bored of all the local routes, would usually do lots of trail over the summer but the rain has tempered that. My fitness has taken a nosedive since my half.
I am going to pause training on holiday, may do the odd run but our holidays tend to be pretty active anyway (we're going to the Pyrenees).
Think I need to enter something in the autumn and hope for some lovely autumn days as I hate this slump!

@Jumbojem I love racing so it's always a motivator to have a few races pencilled in.

I went to parkrun this morning; it's been a week since the ultra so I wasn't expecting much, plus it was raining and windy out. Completely surprised myself with a decent time. My legs weren't used to the speed or the cadence but that will return soon (hopefully).

@brooksghost not sure where you are based, but I've done a couple of events organised by these guys https://positivestepspt.co.uk/events, and enjoyed them. Well done on your parkrun - I ran with a friend, then did a second lap to make up the distance. Also swam 1K, so feeling quite tired this evening.

@Jumbojem enjoy your holiday and please keep posting!

I'm in awe as always @brooksghost. It's really interesting hearing yours and @OhOneOhTwoOhThree training experience for the ultras.

That training does sound intense @shamoola, sounds like a bit of free styling is what's needed now.

I am firmly with you @Jumbojem. I normally struggle in summer but this is ridiculous. Work stress has meant no time or energy to run in the last week or two and it hasn't half gotten me down. I'm on holiday this week so hoping to get some shorter runs in somewhere different. I'm feeling jaded at local routes too.

If I can keep up some semblance of 5 or 6 mile runs this month between holidays, hopefully I can manage a couple of longer runs in September before Robin Hood. I have been managing a bit of strength training which is good but also let my stretching slide, so need to get that back together.

Hello @chutneypig, hope you have a lovely holiday and that a change of scene does you good. I'm also bored of my local routes, have been going back to some well trodden ground from 10 years ago when I was training for my first marathon to mix things up a bit.

This week has consisted of:
Tuesday - 4.6 miles (should have been 6, but who runs 6 miles 2 days after a marathon?). This completed the recce of my 50k route, and took me to the nearest station to get home.
Thursday - 6.6 miles hilly trail (should have been on Weds and should have been 6).
Saturday - 6.6 miles (should have been 7) - soaking wet trail/forest parkrun, followed by a second equally wet lap on my own and some running around the car park. Then a 1.25km lake swim which was probably a bit ill-advised.
Today - 15 miles, mixture of trail, fields, river path and pavements. It was dry and sunny but really windy and I struggled at times today.

All in all just shy of 33 miles for the week. Mostly very slow as I don't think I'm over last weekend's run yet. Ho hum. Let's see what this week brings

Hi everyone, some great running going on, well done @brooksghost - fantastic. @OhOneOhTwoOhThree sounds like your training is going very well. Good work on the long runs!

@chutneypig , how is your holiday, have you been able to get some nice runs in? What about you @Jumbojem? Hope your trip to the Pyrénées has been rejuvenating.

I have just come back from Asia and it was absolutely boiling hot and humid but I did manage to keep up with running despite several near death experiences with traffic! However my max run was 45 min. Garmin coach has me down for 105 mins this weekend which will be nice I hope. Not long to go until my 17k run and then I have a half in October. Fingers crossed that the coaching plan pays off.

hope everyone is doing well 🤗

Hello @Lamontaine and welcome back. Hope you had a good time in Asia in the heat and humidity. Hopefully a bit cooler at home.

All good here, although the nights are really starting to draw in. I left work a bit later than usual and finished my run in the dark today.

Still clocking up some big runs but about to start the taper.

Tuesday 6.6 along the Thames
Thursday 6 around a local park
Saturday 7 (Parkrun +extra laps
Sunday 26.4 run/walk/stagger (last big one hurrah)
Today 7 miles

You're not wrong about the evenings drawing in @OhOneOhTwoOhThree - it was really noticeable while we were away. Although I think you feel it more camping. Are you looking forward to tapering?

I'm impressed you managed 45 minutes in heat and humidity @Lamontaine - sounds a lovely break.

I'm struggling even to manage 5k at the moment. I did get a few short runs in with my kids over the holiday which was lovely. And one very very hilly parkrun! I'm considering deferring Robin Hood at the moment, but have until the day of the race to do it so I'll see how September goes. I can't defer Royal Park so I want to focus on that. I'm hoping work will ease up enough next month to get into a routine. It's been impossible this month.

Hope everyone is ok!

We had another heatwave so running has been tough but this weekend it really cooled down which was good as I did a triathlon on Saturday! It was an ´initiation’ one, 200m swim, 10km bike, 2.5k run. Swim was ok, bike hard (I did it on my mountain bike!) and run was good.

I enjoyed it apart from being shouted at by a man during the cycling. I am not a very confident cyclist and he was shouting and swearing at me to move but I wasn’t quite sure in what direction. It shook me up a little and I was a bit disappointed to see that was a real triathlete, he won the race by miles and has won other regular distance triathlons in the past. So not sure what he was doing in a beginner event… apart from being proud of beating a load of people who had never done a triathlon before! Anyway, not letting it put me off and might do another one next year - with a better bike 😅.

Now trying to focus on my running training for the next race which I am a little nervous about but sure I’ll be enjoyable - nothing like running up a big hill! The crowds are supposed to be great, it’s a real legendary race in these parts.

hope everyone is doing well. @OhOneOhTwoOhThree - when is your event? @chutneypig have you been out a bit more, how are you feeling?

Well done @Lamontaine ! I really want to have a go at a short triathlon next year, although I only have a hybrid bike that's about 10 years old. Such a shame about the horrible man though.

Since I last posted I have kept up the training despite being on holiday. DH has been very understanding meeting me at the end of my longer runs - I did a 19 miler the first week we were here and 11 yesterday. We're also doing lots of walking which probably isn't advised for tapering but never mind. So lots of distance in my legs and nothing longer than 7 miles left on the plan. The event is on 9 September, so not long to go.

@chutneypig , @brooksghost how are you doing?

DS has discovered triathlon and loved it 🙈 I'm jealous.

I gently jeffed a half-marathon over the weekend. An undulating route and my butt has taken the brunt of it.
My goal race is in October, so in the next week or so, I'll begin more targeted training rather than relying on stocks of stamina from earlier in the year!