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.

Hi all, round 3 of XC coming up shortly for me. DS to a video of me at the last one. I thought he was taking a photo. Ugh, it is awful, I look like I'm barely moving! I also look so chunky in the team pics alongside the others. I'm still the slowest.
Trying not to let all this negative talk get to me and just enjoy it.
I'm also thinking about a spring trail half buti was wiped out after a 10k last weekend so would def need to work back up to the long runs.

Well done to all runners getting out there at this time of year. @Jumbojem hope your XC went well. @chutneypig very envious of your trip to the US - hope you had some nice runs there. @Spirini well done on your first HM and glad you have not been put off permanently!

I am still bonkers busy in work and life but have reached the conclusion that when I'm running regularly I feel better able to manage the bonkersness so need to climb back on the waggon. I did my regular 4 mile circuit from home this morning and goodness I was feeling it. Am really regretting slacking off as much as I have since September - I said I'd give myself a month off to recover, but then life got in the way. My core felt like jelly so need to work on that too.

So, I'm going to sign up for the event next summer, and some HMs along the way . Kew Gardens at the end of March fit with the training plan - has anyone done it? It's advertised as London's flattest HM.

@Jumbojem I imagine XC is very difficult, all that mud and trying not to end on your arse must be tricky.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree Work getting in the way of things is a nuisance, I know that feeling.

I got out today for the first time since the half, I was quite nervous that my knee would start to bother me but it was ok. I only did 4km mind, so maybe longer distances might be an issue.

I've been reading a bit about knee pain and weak glutes seems to be a factor. I've been told by a couple of physios in the past that my glutes aren't 'firing' so I've been doing some squats and lunges. The day after my first set of lunges I could barely walk, the stiffness lasted three days and was worse than any stiffness I got from the HM! a sure sign that I need to work on my bum muscles :)

Decision made and a half marathon for April has been entered! It's the same one that I ran last year when I had my injury. I really want to run a decent time on it...which should be possible if I can stay injury free.
Zone 2 running still working as I ran another parkrun PB this weekend. All my zone 2 stuff is exactly 3min miles slower than my parkrun miles so who knows how that works! I nearly hit 80% age grade so that's the next aim for parkrun.

@brooksghost wow well done! My Garmin is always telling me I need to do more zone 2 (and zone 4/5) runs. But it's so hard to trust that those gentle runs are helping to run faster. So thank you for confirming! I do enjoy a nice plod, my friend was trying to convince me to do RED Jan, just a slow mile a day she said!
Fingers crossed for staying injury free.
Next XC this weekend. Mainly grassy this time and there will be less mud and only a small climb (but 3 times!). Then two months to improve my fitness and hill train as the Feb and March events are in Wales with some hefty hills.
How's everyone's 2024 plans going? I'm still mulling on it!

Well done brooksghost on getting another pb.

Maybe I will consciously try z2 running one day. I find it really tough to remain below z3 unless I'm doing a chatty run with someone.

We've just done our 3rd xc fixture over the weekend, and the next won't be until l early next year sometime.

Found out I got in the the London Marathon, but I'm in the middle of a half marathon training cycle for January 21st, so the taper period for that race will overlap with the start period of marathon training.

@xsquared wow, congratulations on the London spot!

I often get told by my watch that my easy runs are anaerobic - today I thought I'd really nailed the easy bit - 42 per cent in Z1, 32 per cent in Z3, only 12 per cent in Z2 🙄Ah well, maybe I'll figure it out - I just dislke looking at my watch when I'm running.

I’m not ready to join you but as I saw this thread I thought I’d ask - at what point in your running career did you decide to do a half-marathon, please? I have completed six weeks of Couch to 5K training so far and I’m now wondering what the future holds. I want to keep up running. I am slow and have little desire to go much faster but I’m potentially interested in an October 24 half marathon.

@gm2023
Deciding on a half marathon- for me, I'd had a long break (decade+) from running and then got back into going out for a run when I felt like it. Then one day I saw an advert for a charity place at a half and thought, why not!
I didn't get the place but I saw our town had their half on the same day so on a whim, I entered. I then started on a more focussed plan (found a training plan online) and followed that mostly.
Longest run before last years half was 10 miles.
However, running is my second sport so I had a huge base of fitness already.
If you are happy over 5km now, I would enter a half in the spring and start a steady build up. Consistency is the key. I swear by running to heart rate and spend 80-90% of time running very slowly...like really very slow!

I can't believe I've missed so many posts! Work is getting in the way of pretty much everything for me, role on Christmas.

@gm2023 I did my first half about a year after I finished C25K. I did a lot of parkruns then did a 5k to 10k plan after 6 months.

I'm still undecided for spring 2024. I agree @OhOneOhTwoOhThree it helps running so I need to get my head back into it. Time pressure is my biggest issue so I've put 20 minute runs into my watch, base, tempo, threshold and anaerobic. With some pace goals and then hopefully I can improve the pace for each. That's the plan anyway. Famous last words

Hi @gm2023 welcome aboard! I started C25K in January one year (so long ago I can't remember which year it was - something like 2010 or 11 I think), and just kept going - I did my first HM the following January, just because that was when my local one fell.

Hello @chutneypig - that sounds a good plan. I was so bad with doing the Garmin coach plan that it no longer reminds me to do the runs. Must.Get.Back.On.It.

I did have a lovely run yesterday - I took advantage of a work trip to run somewhere new. Only 5k, but hilly trail, my favourite kind of run.

Thank you, everyone! I started C25K in October and I’m due to finish it just before Christmas. All the remaining runs are 25-30 minutes so I’ve got a lot of base fitness to build but I’m ready to think about next steps. Your comments have been really helpful and encouraging - thank you!

I started c25k in Feb and did a HM two weeks ago, slowly but done nonetheless:)

That’s amazing! Congratulations!

Welcome @gm2023 an October 24 half sounds perfect if you are about to complete C25k. There's a 5k to 10k add on I think so that's probably your next step. Just steady increase mileage to avoid injury.

I'm thinking about just doing the Strava half mara challenge with the aim of trying to do one each month as a long slow run. I did the 10k challenge every month this year. Just while I think about events. January's would be a challenge, having not run long distance so much lately so would be looking to make that towards the end of the month (January ends on a weekend, handy!).

Thank you for the encouragement! I’m on week 7, running 25 minutes and covering 5k in about 35 minutes (a mixture of walking/running). Assuming I’ll build fitness over coming months but that my pace over longer distances will be slower, can I do a half-marathon (and not be dead last - in the back of the pack is fine!) in three hours? I’m looking at Cardiff, Bath and Royal Parks as potential targets at the moment but holding off looking at registering until I reach my graduation run.

@gm2023 sounds like you are doing really well.
Have a look for your local parkrun, it's a great motivator and will improve your running no end. People run, jog, walk/jog and walk their way round so you'll be absolutely fine.

You're in a great place @gm2023. I was similar at the end of c25k in terms of time. I ran/walked all my long runs training for my first half and finished 2.22 I think. I agree extending slowly is good. Also completely agree about parkrun  I did my 250th last week so I'm slightly evangelical about it!

I've been rubbish at getting out this week but have promised myself December is going to be better.

I love the sound of that Strava challenge @Jumbojem but don't think I can hit a half in January at the moment. Maybe the 10k one would be a good motivator though.

This is hugely encouraging! Thank you for sharing. I’m building up to doing Parkrun. There’s a few near me.

@chutneypig a Jan half would be a tough one for me too. But then I thought it's almost 2 months until the end of Jan? So at the mo I'm penciling it in for the last week and currently thinking I'll split it with a coffee and cake break at just beyond half way, not worry about time and if I have to walk the last few miles so be it.
I have XC tomorrow. It's going to be so cold! Not worried so much about the run itself but the two hours after while I wait for DS and OH to do their runs. Don't know about anyone else, but I get chilled to the bone if I can't get showered and changed pretty soon after a run. There's no where to change so hoping just wearing lots of layers will be enough.

@gm2023 all of those halfs are good ones, posters on here def ran royal parks and Bath. You can look at this year's results but I'm certain a 3 hour half would mean you weren't any where near last in these bigger events.
My running friend likes Cardiff bay 10k which I think is in May time (?). If you felt like an interim challenge before going up to half distance.

I forgot, I do have an event on the horizon, I entered our local boxing day 4 miler. Hoping to beat last year's time but otherwise it's just a fun thing to do and a good excuse to come home to eat and drink more afterwards.

Sorry I missed what you said about time @gm2023 - I can say with absolute confidence there were a lot of people at Royal Parks this year around the 3 hour mark, including me! The ballots quite tough though for that, I'd been trying to years to get in.

That's sounding more doable when you put it like that @Jumbojem. I hope you don't freeze at XC. It's probably no help today but that kind of thing is why a got a dry robe. They definitely do the trick.

Morning! It was freezing yesterday, and @chutneypig dryrobes or similar are hugely popular at XC. I was warm enough though with my running shorts , leggings and joggers on top. I didn't do much of a warm up as didn't want to remove my layers. Then went straight from the finish line to grabbing my flask of coffee and heading off to watch DS as his race was immediately after me. Consequently my legs are dead today.
Anyone have snow? This is where winter training is difficult! Just frost for us, and rained over night so must have warmed up now.

Well done @Jumbojem! Hope your legs are better soon.

Grey and wet here but no snow. Winding myself up to go for a run after another coffee. I had a slow parkrun yesterday as it was a bit slippery in parts.

Oops, hope I haven't killed the thread.

I've managed all the week 1 of my training plan runs this week - only 14 miles in total but a good baseline pattern to get into. I'm going to try to maintain this as a holding pattern until the training starts properly next month.

Today's parkrun took me to just over 1000 miles run this year - which I don't think I would have done if I hadn't joined this thread (or its predecessor). Thank you to all of you for the encouragement and accountability.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree 1000 miles sounds really impressive! Well done!

I had my fastest zone 2 run today so I'm happy with that progression. It would have been a lovely run had it not bucketed it down...I sloshed home after 90mins looking like a drowned rat.