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.

Something doesn't add up there though, regardless of injury. I think if you're running a half at your 5k PB time then you are starting way way way too fast for a half.

My 5k PB pace is 20 seconds faster per km than what I run a half and probably 45 seconds faster than a marathon.

Are you doing lots of long slow runs? Or do you train to race pace? Because if you do I think that's the error. Even my Tempo runs I don't do at half or marathon race pace. I do weekly intervals to keep my speed up then pelt it once a week at parkrun and the rest steady and slow. Some on my strava were gobsmacked at my last marathon time and there is one woman who always always trains to my marathon pace or faster and I beat her at almost every 5k, 10k, half that we do together. Every single time. She trains too fast. She will probably never get it. Wanna keep fast? Gotta stay slow

This also probably explains the injury I think

I’m heading to my next half on the 30th. It’s been a frustrating month as the blister I picked up at Hadrians wall half just wouldn’t bloody heal (I’m going to pretend that’s not because I insisted on running on it..!). I’ve changed shoes to Hoka speedgoats and they are fab.

@Sunshineandpinkcloudsis there a time cut off for it?

You've nailed it there @NoKnit. Agree this also explains the injury and struggle to recover.

My 5k PB pace is 20 seconds faster per km than what I run a half and probably 45 seconds faster than a marathon

I don't work in km so this made no sense to me - so I started from miles and went back to km. Results are even more stark than yours.
My 5k pace is 6:30 min mile. Half is 7:15; full is 7:55.
So for me my 5k pace is about 30 secs faster per km than I run a half. And almost a minute per km faster than my marathon pace.

As you said, anyone starting a half marathon at 5k pace is setting themselves up for injury (or blowing up halfway around the course, or both!)

Also absolutely agree about not training too fast. I know so many people who do their marathon training runs at target race pace and then are disappointed on the day when they blow up at 20 miles. The key is to train with long runs staying slow and speed sessions being fast, rather than doing lots of "sort of hard" runs at the same pace.

If you bothered to read my recent posts @FeelinTwentySixPointTwo and @NoKnit you'd know exactly why I was injured - I was pushed over in my recent half marathon. So I really don't need your advice if you can't be bothered to scroll up 10 posts since it was last mentioned.

Well that's a bit rude!

I guess it's just a bit confusing that in your previous posts you were saying the race went really well and you finished 7 minutes within your target time. Then in the more recent post you said someone pushed past you and you landed heavily on one side, which caused a glute strain. It wasn't clear you'd actually been pushed over.

I'm sorry you were hurt and hope you recover soon.

@OrlandointheWilderness Yes 3 hrs. I have decided to do mine v slowly on advice of a running coach. What happens if you miss the cut-off - do you just not get a medal but can still collect your bag etc as they clear up?

3 hours is a bit tight for a half marathon cut off. Yes I’d take it as steady as you can - I’m not sure what happens if you miss it!

Yes I thought it was a bit tight especially as it’s hilly trails! I’ll ask runthrough as I don’t want my possessions to end up back at HQ wherever that might be!

Good grief sorry no need to be so abrupt.

I did read the other day about the lady who was pushed over at the half marathon but I got confused with all the names and didn't actually realise it was the same poster. Your post came after that why would I want to scroll back?

But honestly any seasoned club runner or experienced racer would say the same. You do actually need this advice if you want to run a decent time. But you do whatever you want

I am having a hard time working the mile as only do km but yes the theory is definitely correct.

My 5k pace is 4.30/km but marathon 4.56/km so I'm not super duper speedy but maybe one day I'll get to a 3.30 marathon currently on 3.51

But I never run training runs at those paces.

@NoKnit there is a need for me to be so abrupt because you still didn't accept what you've done wrong.

I don't need your advice because none of it is relevant to my situation. I have no idea how you've taken a sentence saying "I haven't done a fast 5k for ages" and decided that means I do all my runs at half marathon pace - that's assuming you read the post at all. What I actually meant was that I haven't done a fast 5k for ages! I'm not starting my half marathon too fast, it's actually that my 5k time is too slow. But you know better and need to lecture me.

And no, @FeelinTwentySixPointTwo what is rude is making up a whole story about how I'm "struggling to recover" when actually I'm 5 weeks into an injury that will take 6-8 weeks to heal according to my physio. You've constantly told me how I'm doing everything wrong when you know nothing about the cause of my injury or the treatment I've been receiving for it. A few weeks ago you said that me not running at all was wrong, and now I'm apparently running too much.

what is rude is making up a whole story about how I'm "struggling to recover"

I wasn't basing that "struggling to recover" assertion on your most recent injury alone; it was your previous post about how you had spent more time recovering from injuries since you'd started running, than actually running.

This was why I tried to offer the advice about slowing down, particularly if you're planning on going into marathon training in the new year.
For marathon training you really need to have a decent base level of steady regular injury-free running; otherwise you're going to have a very tough time when you get into the long weeks of 3h+ runs. Essentially you'll just get injured again and either not making it to the start line, or starting with injuries. This happens a lot to first-time marathoners who get carried away with their cardiovascular fitness improving before the musculoskeletal adaptations have managed to catch up.

If I were you I would be focusing on slowing down, keeping moving regularly, working on strength and conditioning, and not even thinking about trying for 5k PBs or upping the mileage until fully back to fitness. I say that as a runner who went from struggling round a 10k in more than an hour to now running GFA marathon times - with a lot of setbacks along the way, and learning from bitter experience.

But honestly, do whatever you want to do.

Just back from my first run in three weeks. Garmin was dead so recorded on RunKeeper, which was a novelty, it told me my pace every 5 mins and worked in kms I’ve my garmin set to miles. 35mins 54 seconds to do 5k. My splits were good.

disappointed to see that this thread has had arguing on it, it was so positive & encouraging before. Hopefully we can get that back.
A local ten mile race has been advertised for Valentine’s Day. I had to give my entry away last year so think I’ll sign up and get back running consistently.

Well done @Happierwithouthim - that's great news! Good plan to sign up to the February 10k too. You have a good amount of time to get your mileage and fitness back up.

It's really crazy, but it's 8 weeks on from my injury that was going to take 6-8 weeks to recover from and it's fine now! It's almost like my physio knew more about me than random people on the internet who think they know it all.

And my previous injury was from when I was hit by a car, so obviously I'm wearing the wrong shoes or something like that

Hi, please can I join you all? I was training for a half marathon, but have sprained my ankle multiple times in the past couple of months so have had a month's complete break from running - I have a physio appt next week and am hoping to be cleared to start building things up again. I don't have a target race anymore, my plan is just to get to the point where I can consistently run without getting injured before I try anything else!

Oh that's not good @Smile - do you know why you're spraining it so often? And how was your training going before the latest injury?

It was actually going really well, and I had built up distance gradually from having had a calf tear, and was beginning to see an increase in speed, just through increased distance. I have hypermobile ankles anyway, and I first sprained it during a trail event, then every time since has been whilst trying to come back again (all on road). I am a bit worried that it has got so weakened it is going to become a chronic thing, but I really don't want to stop running, so I am hoping I can find ways to strengthen it enough to at least cope on roads, even if I have to strap it to some extent. I have a really bad pattern of just beginning to get somewhere and then getting injured again, and at the moment my next main aim is just to be able to run consistently.

Haven’t posted in the longest time, how’s everyone doing?

I got back running over the Christmas holidays and then January went to shit, five weeks without running and have a 10k booked for next Sunday. So I started again & booked a 4 mile run for 1st march did that in 45 mins. Then sat got bf to drop me off 5 miles from his house & was home in 56mins. 10k is achievable now. My quads feel heavy when I run, not sore. I had a calf tear last year which resulted in a weak hamstring got physio for both. So I’ve started doing my exercises again seems weak hamstrings cause this feeling in quads. Woke at 5:30 this morning so decided to go for a short run before work, it was 6:25 before I was out the door. Need a couple of short runs this week ahead of Sunday.

have a half first Sat in July so that’ll be the next goal.

Hows everyone else?

Sounds like you are doing great!

Everything went to pot for me with the niggles in my leg and then I sprained my non niggly leg ankle back in October and it's still recovering.

I'm seeing a chiropractor about my niggles and someone to help build my strength back up. Started back doing C25K, have yet to progress from the first week, it's very stop and start due to said niggles but that's fine, I don't want to push things so it will take as long as it takes. I've booked a 5K race for October to give me a goal.

I think running is the only thing I've not given up on!

@Happierwithouthim that's far too early to get up to go for a run! I can't wait for the evenings to get lighter as I'm not a morning person. But 10km isn't that much further than 5 miles, so I'm sure your run next week will be fine. Let us know how it goes! Actually, maybe you've already done it?

I'm in the middle of marathon training, and it's going really well. I've discovered a great site called X Miles where you can buy single energy gels from all kinds of brands - I really like Torq energy gels but I've never seen them in an actual store.

Duck it’s the best time in my opinion but I don’t do it much anymore because I don’t have as much energy in my 40s as I did in my 30s!

I did go at 6am yesterday morning but tonight at 9pm.

The 10k went well but there were hailstones and even though I changed every stitch of clothing before going to a parade & standing in the cold, I ended up with a chest infection and on antibiotics. I didn’t run from 15th March until last Sat. Downloaded Runna as my half marathon is in 11 weeks and it’s a hilly one. I’d love to improve on my time and my ability to do hills.

must check out that site, I had my first energy gel ever this evening. It was one I picked up in Lidl a few weeks ago. I didn’t like the sweetness of it but it definitely gave me a boost.

picking sorry to hear about your injuries, glad you’re getting help with recovering from them.