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.

Ooo snap @OhOneOhTwoOhThree - we've got a 15 mile trail run in March but it will feel like 17! I'm getting back to Adriene today - I skipped two days as I did Bodybalance on Thursday and a yoga class yesterday. I've enjoyed what I've done so far though.

Hi everyone, long-time lurker here! I've been running since June last year. I haven't done any running since 2014!

I've got a few races booked in over the coming months, a 5 mile in 2 weeks and a 10k in both Feb and March with the aim of a half in April. I haven't ran a half since 2014 when I finished in 2.14 so hoping for a PB on that front!

I've been focusing on my 5k time and got a PB this morning (on a hilly route) of 27.55 which I'm super happy about. I had to really push myself and felt a bit sick afterwards! My main goal this year is the Great South Run. I did it last year in a disappointing 1.41 so hoping for a big improvement.

My question is, would it be possible to maintain my 5k pace for a 10 mile race with 10 months of training 🤔. How would I even go about that? I'd love to do the Great South in October and get a 1.15 time!!

Welcome to the thread. @Hawkerslife

Well done on your 5K hilly pb this morning.

Did you mean to put 22:55 rather than 27:55 as your time?

Not that 27:55 is anything to be embarrassed about, but you mention wanting to get 1:15 at the Great South Run, which means you'd have to run at a pace of 7:30 minutes per mile. If you were running at that pace for 5K, then your time would be 23:18.

To take your previous time from 1:41 to 1:15 means running 2 minutes and 36s faster per mile for 10 miles. It's not impossible, but I think those sort of results are easier if you have a coach.

No, I did mean 27.55, my maths just clearly isn't very good!!

Thank you for the advice. I have thought about getting a coach. There's one that lives 5 minutes from me so I'll drop her a message to enquire as to her availability and prices.

My current aim is to get sub 1.30 in the Great South but after this mornings run I feel emboldened 😂. I guess it's just a case of increasing my run distances whilst maintaining that pace.

Ah, a sub 1:30 target is definitely doable at your current 5K pace in 10 months time, I think.

In your shoes, I would establish a weekly routine of running maybe 3 or 4 times.
Do one or two easy run of around 30 minutes to an hour, one speed workout or hilly run, and 1 long easy run of up to maybe 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you're not used to that length of time, then increase your distance by 1 mile or so every week.

You have the other races before then,so use those as practice opportunities. There's of course always parkrun to work on improving your 5k time.

Do you have a local running club or informal Facebook running group? It will help to getting know others who share your interest in running, and there will be people who can give you ideas about training and preparing for races.

Hello @Hawkerslife and brilliant advice from @xsquared.

I've finished the week with a 5 mile run, so 14.75 under my belt since NYD. My usual riverside route is flooded so I had to stay on the road rather than my preferred trails. My swim was cancelled as the lake has flooded and although it's going down it was deemed not safe for swimming - which gave me an extra couple of hours in bed this morning.

Back to work this week so will be more of a struggle to fit everything in.

Hi everyone and happy new year! It’s been ages since I’ve checked in, hope everyone is well and enjoying life and running so far this year!

This week I started my new half plan via Garmin for my half in May. Went out for 12k this morning in the snow which was very nice.

I also did my first ever park run in December! Was visiting friends in Clapham and did it with my dd and our friends’ dd. Was great, I wish we had it in Switzerland!

Happy running everyone 🤩

@Lamontaine well done on the snow running - we had a bit snow and a half-hearted gritted road so it was very slippy (and I broke my hand this time last year so still pretty nervous of slipping), so I went to the snow-less lakeside yesterday for my long run. I might have braved it in deeper snow, which would have had more grip!

Anyway, end of week 2 of my 16-week HM plan and it was an 8k long run yesterday - another difficult run for me. I'm going to use today and tomorrow to eat well, get more sleep, take my vits and try to get back into better shape for running cause all runs are a struggle at the moment!

Welcome @Hawkerslife! @xsquared has given some brilliant advice - I'm not sufficiently fast to add anything other than sub 1.30 does sound very plausible.

Work is always such an impediment to running @OhOneOhTwoOhThree. I'm away quite a bit this month but I think I've got to all planned out. With only two runs a week I am actually sticking to it, which is going better than a more ambitious plan.

Good to hear from you @Lamontaine - the snow runs sound spectacular!. Clapham's a big parkrun isn't it?

I saw the new route for the Nottingham 10k so DS and I are going to do that, maybe DD too as she's actually running more now than he is. I think the GNR ballot opens tomorrow so we're all going to go in for that and see what happens.

@Trickedbyadoughnut, that sounds painful, I am not surprised that you’re wary of being out when it’s slippery. Luckily for me it was just snowing, not yet settled on the ground so not too treacherous. However since then it’s settled and very cold so I think tomorrow’s run will be on the treadmill!

@chutneypig there we’re about 400 people at Clapham, they said that they usually have more (I guess the rain and the date - 30.12 - had something to do with that!). 10km in Nottingham sounds good! When is it? Is it hilly?

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree hope being back at work ok. Back since yesterday too and it is a struggle fitting it in as @chutneypig says (especially with travel). Up early for me today to do some Pilates. Have also gone back to intrerval / strength training which I think will help running but means one less day for training but I feel ok with that.

have a good start to your day everyone

Welcome back @Lamontaine Glad you got to experience a parkrun!

I got up extra early and went running before work today. Our office has a gym, showers and a drying room so there’s no excuse really. And I felt smug all day.

@OhOneOhTwoOhThree kudos - a good start to your return to work! I used to cycle ten miles to work and always felt smug all day 😆

It started snowing at lunchtime yesterday, just as I was about to go out, but I put my NB Garoés on (a sort of softer trail shoe) and ran anyway - I only had 3k to so took my chance and it was fine. Not sure how I'll fit tomorrow's in as it supposed to be 5 mn fast, 5 mn slow so not sure I want to try that in the snow, but I'll figure something out.

Hello everyone, I'm checking back in after 6 week break from the HM I did in November. My knees were worryingly sore afterwards so I thought it would be best to ease off. Then I did a number on my back...I went to physio and she gave me glute exercises and massaged my muscles which she said felt like a well done steak 😆.

I find it so hard to stick to physio exercises but this time I've been a very diligent patient and I'm now doing a '10 minute butt workout' on YouTube which is great at keeping me motivated and actually doing the bloody leg raises and clams etc.

I got back out for a 4km run last week for the first time since the end of November and I was shockingly unfit, I had a raspy throat, blotchy face and I was seriously out of breath. But! I've done another two since and my fitness has improved massively already. I'm going to continue with the 4kms for a few weeks and will then look to build it gradually to 10 and then maybe I'll be ready for another HM in May. I need to find myself a training plan...the haphazard approach I took previously is probably what caused the knee pain. Everything was spasming from the shock of it all.

@brooksghost you were the first lady in your race?! that's amazing. You sound very presidential btw.

@Trickedbyadoughnut we are very similar in speed, I did my HM is 2 hrs 36, I hope to get to under 2.30 for my next one.

@Spirini that's great news you're seeing improvements in fitness, you've been very sensible taking it steady.

@Trickedbyadoughnut fingers crossed the snow isn't too bad tomorrow for you

That's great going @OhOneOhTwoOhThree. I'm in a hotel tonight and have my stuff for a run in the morning. It'll have to be early and I don't think I'll feel safe even with a head lamp and reflective jacket. I have got my new folding yoga mat so going to do YWA tonight and tomorrow instead.

@Lamontaine The Nottingham 10k is 10th March. It's going to be a brutal finish - through the Park to finish in the castle. I don't like the Park three miles into Robin Hood, never mind as the last push on a 10k but it'll be far more interesting that recent iterations around the university.

Thanks @Trickedbyadoughnut ! 10 miles each way sound long to me - well done! Planning to do the same again tomorrow.

Welcome back @Spirini , good to see you. Take it easy.

And I think I cross posted with @chutneypig - well done on keeping up with the YWA. About to do today’s.

I was quite tired this morning but I still went out and ran 3 miles. We had an all day conference and I needed the energy boost to get me through the day.

Rest tomorrow, a bit of parkrun tourism on Saturday and 5 miles planned for Sunday.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I incorporated a Hiit workout on Wednesday evening which I'll continue to do. I did 8k at lunchtime today and plan to do a 10k over the weekend. I'm doing the Garmin January 80k challenge and currently on course to meet that.

I had a warm-up of 1.5k, then 5mn fast, 5min slow x 5, then 1.5k cool down on the schedule. I ran the fast bits on feeling, but on checking I was fairly consistently between 6'23 and 6'43 (the last interval) so, while I realise that's not exactly fast, I'm pretty pleased with that. It was 2 degrees and misty, and I forgot my headphones, but it went by surprisingly quickly!

I ran down by the lake as it's very slippy near home, but I think I need to figure out somewhere else to run my 11k long run on Sunday as it's getting a bit samey and that's not going to help motivation! But I think it'll still be slippy in a lot of places.

Well done @Hawkerslife and @Trickedbyadoughnut ! Speed doesn't matter, you went out in the cold and murk and RAN!

Hi everyone, I'm doing my first half marathon in March and can't quite convince myself I'll be able to run such a long way! Last year I'd worked up to 8 miles or so but got covid which knocked me sideways for a while. Now got myself back to running 6 miles but have to start increasing my weekly long run by about a mile a week. Feels a bit intimidating but trying to just relax and enjoy.

@Ponks congrats on signing up.
Just run slower and that will help build the miles in a less overwhelming way.

I'm a huge fan of zone 2 training for running...and I mention it a lot on here! Slower running builds endurance and the speed naturally follows.

I had an hour of zone 1 on my plan for today; whilst I like zone 2, zone 1 was so boring! But, I have a race tomorrow so had to keep it very easy.

Thanks @brooksghost , I'm trying to consciously slow down for my longer runs (not that I'm fast, just very one-paced), got myself a garmin at the beginning of the year to help with pacing. Got a lot of work to do on that - according to the watch I spend a lot of time in zone 4&5!

Well done @OhOneOhTwoOhThree for getting out there before work 👏.

Thanks for the info @chutneypig - definitely sounds like tough (but interesting!) finish. My dd has an athletics competition that weekend otherwise I may have been tempted to come over for that! Maybe RH in autumn. My mum used to work near the castle. She died 11 yrs ago but being around her old haunts is nice for me.

@Ponks welcome and well done on signing up!

@Trickedbyadoughnut, where are you based, your weather sounds similar to mine! Well done for getting out. I had my trainers on on Friday but just couldn’t face the cold and ice. Did an interval training workout in my living room instead!

@brooksghost good luck for your race today!

I’m about to head out now for a quick run. It’s going to be a cold one but I need the fresh air after a get to together with friends last night 🤦‍♀️🥶

Buzzing now as ran just over 7 miles this morning, consciously keeping a slower pace, and it felt very comfortable. Love a Sunday morning run followed by brunch.