Half Marathon Training Spring 2024

[xsquared]

The other thread got full, so I'm starting a new one to keep us motivated.

How is everyone doing?

Went out earlier today for a 8 mile run, when it was a little drizzly, but then got completely soaked as Storm Babette did their stuff! I'm still glad to have got out though.

Since completing GNR 2023, I've been training for a 10 mile race next month with Hal Higdon, as well as running 2 of the XC fixtures for my club.

I found out earlier this week that I got a place at a HM race in January 2024 through the new ballot system, so I will start training for that soon.

Thank you @chutneypig - indeed the prep was clearly a contributing factor to the success 😅

Your canicross sounds great! Well done to you and your four legged friend

Well that was dreadful weather for a trail race. Definitely a 7 on the Bristol Mud Chart 😂

Finish lines not finish times.
A bit of heavy metal in the earphones helped for mental grit 😁

@Lamontaine well done on the time! Such a shame it wasn't as nice on Sunday as it was on Saturday. I almost signed up for Geneva so we could have crossed paths!

@chutneypig extra for points making it through your canicross despite the mud and your Garmin's lack of encouragement

@BogRollBOGOF that's a lot of mud! Congrats, I also use very loud angry music in cases of extreme running necessity.

@Trickedbyadoughnut - next time! It’s a nice course, I liked it last year. You’ll have to join me for Morat Fribourg in October, the classic race to celebrate a battle when the Swiss defeated the French 😂

Taper for me this week. Hope everyone is having a nice week of running!

I tend to go for the rock playlist if I'm aiming to run fast, so it was an unusual decision for starting a long distance race, but I really needed that music to fire my brain up to get going for a few tough hours on top of the palaver of getting there.

I'm glad I did it, happy with my time of 2:40 in those conditions, but it was the worst start to a race that I had.

Recovery's going well. I was pretty burned out yesterday. Not on top form today, but did my usual strength class and just took it lighter and more gently than usual.

I might be fine for an easy run tomorrow.

2.5 weeks away from my first race and I am starting to come down with a cold. I’m feeling a bit cross about this but hopefully it’ll be mild and short. I’ve reached 8.5km in training now and I’m hoping to run another 9-10km this weekend and next in preparation. I am feeling positive, in the main. I keep flip flopping about my ‘race strategy’ as I’m not sure whether to run or Jeff it. I am capable of running continuously but I did a Jeffing session recently and my pace was a good 10 seconds/km faster than I usually achieve by plodding along. I was consciously trying to run faster during the running intervals though. I think I might try picking up the pace for my next 5km (I usually aim for a comfortable pace!) and see what feels best.

I am then moving on to a “long” half marathon plan from the end of the month and looking forward to beginning that. I’ve been really disciplined with my 10km training programme and not missed any sessions yet so my motivation is high! I just need to work out whether to stick with my original plan (Jeff Galloway RunDisney) or fork out for a Runna subscription!

That sounds positive @gm2023 but you have a couple of decisions to make there. I've still yet to try jeffing, I have been thinking about doing a very long slow run this weekend so might give it a go jeffing for that. My plan is to try and run half distance but not worry about time, probably include a stop for a coffee.
I'm doing the Garmin Greg 10k plan but it's become very samey, two easy runs, one easy run with 10mins at goal pace, one short intervals session every single week, with the same pattern. All 45 mins when I'm likely to run more like 60 mins for the 10k (PB is 58 mins and hoping to beat this). No long slow runs, no longer intervals at goal pace... It's set up for a 10k in 4 weeks time. I'm getting twitchy about just switching back to Garmin daily suggestions as I have the event set up on my watch. The daily suggestions worked well for my boxing day race and had more variety, switched things if I missed a run, was tired and took account of any "of plan" runs which the Garmin coaching plans don't.

I am using a Greg plan for my attempt at a half marathon, but I preferred the Amy ones. It looks like various life stuff is going to get in the way of a June half marathon for me so I might target a September one instead and go back to an Amy plan. I felt I progressed more and was stronger with those.

Geneva half done and another PB! Took 5 mins off my time and finished in 2:02 so I am really happy. Weather dreadful again but I feel rain is my kind of running weather.

Hope everyone is having a nice running weekend!

@Jumbojem I found coach Greg a bit too samey too, so many slow runs, which I know is good but still. I did coach Jeff this time around which was a bit more varied. I didn’t however Jeff the race today as felt good, it is really hard to stop for walk breaks when you feel good and it’s a race. But I did walk through the water stations so I think that did help.

Congratulations on the half PB @Lamontaine shame about the poor weather. I know what you mean though, I generally do better in rain than hot and humid.
Did a slow steady 10 miles today, stopped for a coffee, walked a bit, resisted the urge to push pace apart from the last 500m on my road. Knees a bit stiff now but feel pleased the run itself didn't feel hard so my fitness is improving. Just need to figure out how to get faster now!

Hello everyone and big congratulations @Lamontaine! Great work!

Hope you've all had good weekends, I'm still plodding on with my training, 19 miles of jeffing today. When I looked at my Strava I'd lost signal for part of it, so probably did more. It was my first time out in shorts this year, a lovely sunny day here.

In London again this week, so planning a couple of new routes.

Well done @Lamontaine on your half pb.

Just curious whether it was a road or trail and did it have a lot of elevation?
There is someone in our running club who is Swiss and she's often posting photos of mountainous runs, which always looks amazing.

Congrats on the pb @Lamontaine !

My spring hay fever has kicked in now and I could feel the impact on my run this morning, felt a bit leaden and low energy. Managed 9 miles though so very pleased with that, I'd not planned a route just went where I fancied.

Been thinking about race/event planning for the rest of the year, I've got a 10k booked in but nothing else yet. I like to have a goal to work towards.

That's brilliant @Lamontaine - congratulations!

I feel the hayfever pain @Ponks, I could have clawed my eyes out this weekend.

I did a very very slow 10k yesterday. I only signed up last week when the rest of the family had a burst of enthusiasm. It felt mostly ok, and I've not gone that far since October but it was 10 minutes slower than I did it last year, which was already very slow. I'm feeling more comfortable running but there's zero impact on pace. At least I finished, DH pulled out after a km, very sensibly as his knee has been playing up.

Enjoy your London runs @OhOneOhTwoOhThree -I've been planning a few more when I'm next in. I've got some US runs before then, looking forward to that!

Thanks everyone!

@chutneypig and @OhOneOhTwoOhThree London and US runs sound great. It’s always nice going somewhere else.

@xsquared, the Geneva race is flat and road. There are some amazing trail races here though. One is Sierre - Zinal in August. Right in the middle of holiday season so unlikely I’ll ever do that! (Not to mention to 2200m positive elevation…)

Well done on the running over the weekend. Like the sounds of the coffee break @Jumbojem.
Hopefully the pollen will die down soon for those hay fever sufferers. Rain is indeed the best weather!

@Ponks what kind of race / event are you thinking of entering?

recovery run for me tomorrow. Looking forward to it

How's everyone getting on? It's gone from cool and wet to hot and I can't cope😂 I did the local evening 10k in the heatwave last year and barely made it round. It's coming up again in a few weeks and I'm really hoping it won't be hot. How do you all cope with hot/humid running?
I did parkrun last weekend, struggled to push hard but got an ok time, and first in my age group which I was cuffed about. Then did local one today, after wine last night, that and the humidity just killed my pace. Garmin Greg has gone down a lot in his confidence about my 10k goal and consequently I now can't bare to hear from him. I think we are going to part ways!

I've done naff-all this week. I've had some vile lurgy which left me feeling like I had a nasal waterfall bringing on a horrendous cough. Lots of ailing on the sofa.

I managed a delayed weights session yesterday. Been for a walk today. My body aches now from lack of movement and force of coughing. It was nicer being out walking than sitting around, but I'm not quite ready for resuming the plan yet. Hopefully a few days should make a big difference.

Hello all, I'm still trucking along. My long runs are getting longer, and I have a sore achilles (which I've had before) so I'm running slower and slower. But still on track for my big run in July. I'm also still keeping up the yoga, and managed a swim one night this week. I volunteered at parkrun this morning and ran later and it was super-humid and horrible.

@Jumbojem I tend to wilt a bit when it's humid - I cope with dry heat better.

@chutneypig did you have your trip to the US?

@BogRollBOGOF hope you feel better soon.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree are you doing an ultra in July, Thames path again?
I have nothing planned after the 10k until XC kicks off again in October. But I am eyeing up a local trail half next spring, it was muddy and puddly this year judging by the photos but it looks hilly and fun.
@BogRollBOGOF hope you feel better soon, sounds like resting and taking it easy is the best bet. I'm sure you'll be back at it soon enough.

@Jumbojem I'm doing a different ultra this year, a small trail one. It will be a nice day out if nothing else.

I'm also about to sign up for the marathon-in-a-weekend organised by a local running club - 5 miles on Friday evening, 8.1 x-country on Saturday and trail HM on Sunday.. Last year it was super-hot on the Sunday and I ended up walking the last couple of miles with a runner who was struggling, so hopefully I will be a bit faster this time.

I find the heat a struggle @Jumbojem. I like a sunny run but it really hits my pace. Humidity is the worst, I agree.

That sounds really rough @BogRollBOGOF, very sensible to put off running till you feel better.

I hope your Achilles holds up @OhOneOhTwoOhThree. I did manage a couple of short runs in the US, lovely and sunny by the river. Didn't realise I'd been spotted by a colleague, I hate that when someone tells you later they saw you out

I'm plodding along and have just started a half marathon plan that my daughter got for Royal Parks. I really need to work on running continuously and gradually extending that, I've gotten very prone to take a walk break too early in a run.

Did my first 10K race on Sunday in the blazing heat. Pace suffered a little in the second half due to the heat (I’m not used to running in warm weather, having only started running in the last few months) but overall I was really pleased with how it went. Pace puts me right where I want to be in terms of aiming for a 2:45 half later this year. I averaged about 7:40/km over the 10k so the focus of my forthcoming training block is going to be on maintaining that pace over the longer distance. Comforting to know I haven’t got to get any faster - just need to improve my endurance and stamina!

Well done @gm2023 ! So glad it went well for you.

That's great @gm2023, especially in heat. Well done and what a confidence boost for the next phase of training.