Training for a half marathon-anyone else?

[Happierwithouthim]

This weekend I'll be running 10k/6 miles. Plan is to increase by 1 mile a week.

It has been years since I ran a half marathon.

Well done to you both, it’s exhilarating isn’t it

Ohh I’m a bit disappointed- my race Sunday has been cancelled due to the bloody weather! I’ve got the half marathon next weekend but was going to use this one to get the dog used to running with other dogs and seeing a bit of life. Very annoying. Completely understand of course - but uurgh!

Quite often when races are cancelled at short notice, people turn up and run the route anyway @OrlandointheWilderness - particularly with fell or trail runs which I'm guessing this is as you mention dogs. Might be worth seeing if there are posts on the race FB group where people are making plans?

My second half is this Sunday and now I feel like I'm coming down with a cold! I'm desperately trying to not get ill by taking vitamins that claim to help your immune system and using Vicks First Defense spray.

Not sure if it's an early Christmas miracle, or if the Vicks stuff actually works, but I am not ill!!!! I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Well I did it!! 13.5miles in Northumberland- first 6 miles along Hadrians wall were absolutely brutal. I went along with the aim of just finishing and I’m so happy with my time of 3hours dead on.
I feel 98 and I think my toenail is going to fall off. The dog looks like he’s done absolutely sod all 😂

Well done @OrlandointheWilderness! Give the dog an extra biscuit.

My half went amazingly overall. It was brilliant running along and seeing all of the London sights like the Eye, Nelsons column and Buckingham palace. Got a PB!

Well done both of you. great achievements enjoy the post run munchies & soaks in the bath

I was exhausted yesterday went to bed at 7;30pm. Went out for a 4 mile run today after 1.5miles I realised I’m under the weather so walked to 2 mile mark turned around and walked home.

How is everyone? Post race I ran one 6 mile run which was fab - then realised the effect it had on the massive blister I got in Northumberland on my instep. Finally mended enough to run on, did 8 miles yesterday and a fast 3 today. Feel good, really good!
as does Cockle 😂

During my half marathon someone pushed past me, which caused me to land really heavily on my left leg. It hurt at first but I wanted to finish the race so I did, but then during last week it started hurting more and more as I gradually got back into my usual activities. I went to see the physio, and I have a glute medius strain. This means no running for at least 3 weeks 😭 Annoyingly, I was planning to use this time to work on speed as I really want to get under 30 minutes for my 5k. I'm doing a full marathon in April so will be moving onto marathon prep next year so this was the best time to fit it in.

I read recently that woodworking is 90% sanding, and so far running seems to be 90% sitting on the sofa and waiting to recover.

Oh no@DuckWithOneWing that’s so irritating! It seems running is bouncing from one reason you can’t run to another!

Ah duck how disappointing! Shame on that runner for pushing past you

My hip is still not better and it feels like it's been ages now. I'm still half hoping that I'll be able to do a parkrun on Saturday but I think realistically it's not going to happen.

What's actually wrong with the hip, Duck? Have you been told you can't run at all? As that seems a bit drastic for a glute strain. I'd have thought some rehab exercises and steady run/walking would be a good way of getting it back on track.

I've seen the physio twice now, and when I saw him last week he said no running for a week - which is up tomorrow. But it still hurts a lot so I'm not sure running would be a good idea, especially because I was hoping to work on speed so it's not just a gentle jog! I do have physio exercises to do, and I'm doing them, but I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. It has only been 3 weeks though.

I decided to do the parkrun yesterday, and it was a disaster. I didn't get a PB and I was in a lot of pain afterwards. I have my next physio appointment on Wednesday so maybe I'll be better by then.

You surely wouldn't have expected a PB though @DuckWithOneWing , given you've been injured? PBs are very rare things at the best of times!
And if you were running all-out at PB pace it's really not a surprise you've exacerbated the injury. When coming back from being injured you really need to ease back in and take things steady.

I have a half marathon in 2 weeks, training has been rubbish due to taking a break on hols them coming back with food poisoning which wiped me out so it means I have only done one 10 mile a week ago - then I got shin splints on Sunday. I'm not running this week but not sure what to do re training this Sunday and whether I can do my half or not? It's on a common so not hard pavement.

Anyone had experience of shin splints - they seem slightly better today but I can still feel them.

Hmmm @sunshineandpinkclouds - this really depends on what your base was like before your time off.

Are you saying you've never run a half marathon before and you've only done one 10 mile run in training - which left you with shin splints (probably as you hadn't built the base up)?! If so then you might be able to get round the half but there will be a lot of walking and you won't do the shin splints much good either.

By contrast, if you have several halves under your belt before this dip in training, then you should be fine to mentally cross off the last few weeks as an unexpected obstacle. You could crack on and probably be fine as your body would be far more used to it.

@FeelinTwentySixPointTwoI did a half in 2018. Built up a base to 9 miles then I think the long gap between gave me shin splints.

Mentally I would like to do it even with walking as I start marathon training end of Dec. However yes I don’t want them to get worse.

I think realistically, @sunshine, you don't have the base to be able to run the half without risking injury. The musculoskeletal adaptations just won't be there and the repetitive impact over what is likely to be more than two hours of activity (apologies if you are quicker than that but I was presuming not given the lack of training) will exacerbate the shin splints.

Also, which marathon are you aiming for? If a spring one - and if that is the A goal - then you need to really consider that injuring yourself in a half in November will mean you can't start proper training in December for it.

I would have a real think about what the main goals are and accept that skipping the half might be the best option if the marathon is the priority.

@FeelinTwentySixPointTwo I’m 2 1/2 hrs at peak fitness so this would be longer. It’s my first London marathon so yes you’re right I need to start fully fit. Thanks, not the advice I wanted to hear but very good advice that makes sense- I’ll forgo the half and start building my base up again when I can.

Oh no @FeelinTwentySixPointTwo I only mentioned I didn't get my PB because my original plan (before I got injured) was to work on speed and get one. And theoretically it should be easy because I haven't done a fast 5k for ages, so my PB is only a tiny bit faster than I ran the first 5k of my half marathon.
I did a mix of running and walking in the parkrun.

@Sunshineandpinkclouds I'm doing a marathon in April too, although mine isn't London. But it does involve a steam train.

@DuckWithOneWing Wow that sounds fun, where is that one?