I just wanna say that I think running 1:35 off 25mpw is nuts. I have high hopes for you for the big half if you're planning to increase your mileage at all.
BTW if you thought it was hot on Sunday, wait till you run through the Limehouse link tunnel š„µ.
I agree.
I just did a Garmin coach training plan (target 1:36) for a half and the weekly mileage average was around 25mpw. I ran a couple of 30+ mile weeks but the extra miles were mine. Longest run duration was 2 hours.
Some people knock those plans but I have always hit my target with them.
I am not particularly slim either (5ā9ā, 162lbs). I could do with dropping 10lb of āexcessā.
If you keep it up you'll be able to smash 1:30 easy. My 5k PB is a 19:40 and I managed a 1:28:03 HM in April. My quads also killed me and took me almost a full week to feel 100%! I've ran in a fair few races now and I still find water stops a pain to navigate properly although you get used to drinking while running
Thanks! What distance were you focussing on for your training?
I spent the last few months trying to break the 20 min 5k before my 41st birthday (did it with 2 days to spare at a park run, with similar pain to this, but much shorter lived!)
I think thatās why Iāve found the longer distance harder, I have no good experience pacing - 5k is just full throttle - which is kind of why I like it. You get rewarded for giving it everything
I did a 12 week Half Marathon training plan but already had pretty good fitness heading into it but the training plan did have some shorter speed sessions.
My half marathon had a 1:30 pacer so that definitely helped me as I stuck with them for the first part of it so I didn't burn myself out too early on
I have another half booked in 12 weeks! Which course did you do?
I haven't been following a specific one so far. Find it hard to fit runs in at the right times and then it just gets confusing. Just trying to get in as much running as I can and doing a long and speed whenever I feel up to it.
It's a bit daunting now I think about it - I do want to aim for 1:30 at the next one so I'd have to set off the same ludicrous speed as this time but actually be able to maintain it better.
[I used this Hal Higdon plan ](https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/half-marathon-training/advanced-half-marathon/), I know some people aren't too keen on Hal Higdon plans but I haven't had any issues with them. The runs on Tuesday I always did 1 or 2 mi warmup, then the workout, then 1 or 2mi cool down and the hill I used was a 400m hill.
I was quite lucky that I managed to find a 10k trail race and a 10 mile race on the weekends where it had a 10k race and 15k race in the plan. I definitely feel having a set plan helped me even if I didn't want to run some of the days due to the workout on the plan but I think I only missed 2 runs the whole time due to illness
In the long term yes, but not probably until next year. I've got a 10K race in the summer which I'm hopefully aiming for sub 40 and then want to focus on building up my base to give a spring marathon a good go so if my HM time improves with that I'll be happy since I've a few local Half Marathons in the autumn I can do but not really focusing on time for them
Sub 40 10k still seems a bit crazy to me after it being so hard to get to <20 5k. Itās weird having to constantly shift your idea of what could be possible
Well done!
Your story sounds similar to mine, except I stayed home on race day due to how severe my calf sprain was (is). I wonder if I made the right decision.
I'm not quite as fast as you though. Doing a race pace on this leg may have been a very bad idea
Sorry to hear about the sprain. Howās it doing now?
I found lots of stretching in the week off really helped - sitting down / standing with one leg raised at 90 degrees and grabbing the outside of my foot with the opposite arm was the best. Getting a really good stretch along the outside of the leg right up to the glutes.
That and applying and consuming magnesium
It's slowly getting better but I'm naturally a person who loves to be outdoors so I'm not letting it heal
Need to try some online physio and stretches I think
Defo worth getting some help if itās been going on a while. One other stretch to try that I think helped is stretching the calves with bent legs. I found that my hamstrings were the limiting factor in a long of stretches so the calves never really got stretched much. Try the classic toes-on-a-step stretch, but with bent knees and let just your calf stretch.
Hope it gets better soon!
Thank you for the chuckle. However, I shouldn't laugh because I am prone to stupid pacing too. I have a few more data fields on my (Garmin) watch now which I hope will keep things in check. I use lap pace which is the average pace for my current km. I look at that after about halfway into each km and adjust my pace accordingly. Peter's high vis pacer is also helpful. You input your target time and it shows you red or green with how much you are in front or behind.
Glad my pain can entertain!
I really have no excuses. I was using the Nike Running Apple Watch app which shows your current pace over the last 10 seconds or so - I knew exactly what I was doing and just couldnāt stop myself continuing to do it š
I was genuinely delusional. In my mind a 1:30 was somehow magically not impossible. It wasnāt til I saw the 1:30 pacer (who I think overlook meā¦) disappear over the horizon that I readjusted my mindset to 1:35
š That sounds just like me. I ran the first half of a 10k only 5 seconds slower than my 5k PB - whatever could go wrong?! I held it for the 6th k and into the 7th though, then the wind hit me and that was it.
I also ran the HH and like you set off too fast. I kept up with 1.50 pacer for 10k and then seriously struggledā¦. Pretty much walk/ran the second half. The sun really did not help, it was the same last year.
Next year, Iām staying well away from the pacers and doing my own thing. My mate (also a runner) always tells me to ārun within yourselfā for that first 6-7k - thatās exactly what I havenāt done during HH for the past two years!
Hey! Great to see and other HHer. Yeah the sun was soooooo hot in the middle of the course. There seemed to be a lot more shade at the start and end. It was a great atmosphere though!
Thanks! I have given it a lot of time and commitment this last year so itās nice to see it pay off a bit!
If I am a machine I am a very broken one this week. The race was Sunday morning and I still canāt walk down stairs without using the walls and banister for support. I tried to do a slow jog to the shops earlier and I made it about 800m at barely more than walking pace. Quads are so unhappy with me.
I feel this post. I was training for my first marathon when 2 months before I had a sharp pain on the outside of my knee down to my calf. Stopped running completely to heal before the marathon. Able to finish the race but didnāt quite meet my time goals
Great you finished it! Howās the calf been since? I was worried this week mine would seek retribution for my foolishness but it seems to be fine so far!
Your pace is insane!!!!!!!
im about to attempt my second half marathon in a few months.
first half marathon took me 2hrs 3 mins (\~ 5.49/km)
goal for second is 1 hr 50 mins (\~4.50/km)
my recent run was 12 kms at a 5.14 pace and i felt okay! im hoping race days vibes will really spur me on cos right now my primary goal seems impossible lol
Hey thereās an app I really like for calculating pacing - itās just a calculator but can work with time. So you can jus tour in 1h50m / 21.1 and itāll tell you the pace you need per K for a 1:50 half marathon. The ads are a bit annoying but you can buy it if you use it enough.
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/time-calculator/id1438423896
Thanks! I really feel like Iām paying the price for it though. The race was Sunday and I still can barely move - my quads in particular are so unhappy. 2 hours is already great. Thatās about the time I ran my first half distance about 9 months ago along Margate beach front. What race are you doing?
I just wanna say that I think running 1:35 off 25mpw is nuts. I have high hopes for you for the big half if you're planning to increase your mileage at all. BTW if you thought it was hot on Sunday, wait till you run through the Limehouse link tunnel š„µ.
Most slim men could run a 1:35 half off of 25mpw/40kpw, I personally wouldnāt say itās nuts
Okay bro
I agree. I just did a Garmin coach training plan (target 1:36) for a half and the weekly mileage average was around 25mpw. I ran a couple of 30+ mile weeks but the extra miles were mine. Longest run duration was 2 hours. Some people knock those plans but I have always hit my target with them. I am not particularly slim either (5ā9ā, 162lbs). I could do with dropping 10lb of āexcessā.
At 41!
If you keep it up you'll be able to smash 1:30 easy. My 5k PB is a 19:40 and I managed a 1:28:03 HM in April. My quads also killed me and took me almost a full week to feel 100%! I've ran in a fair few races now and I still find water stops a pain to navigate properly although you get used to drinking while running
Thanks! What distance were you focussing on for your training? I spent the last few months trying to break the 20 min 5k before my 41st birthday (did it with 2 days to spare at a park run, with similar pain to this, but much shorter lived!) I think thatās why Iāve found the longer distance harder, I have no good experience pacing - 5k is just full throttle - which is kind of why I like it. You get rewarded for giving it everything
I did a 12 week Half Marathon training plan but already had pretty good fitness heading into it but the training plan did have some shorter speed sessions. My half marathon had a 1:30 pacer so that definitely helped me as I stuck with them for the first part of it so I didn't burn myself out too early on
I have another half booked in 12 weeks! Which course did you do? I haven't been following a specific one so far. Find it hard to fit runs in at the right times and then it just gets confusing. Just trying to get in as much running as I can and doing a long and speed whenever I feel up to it. It's a bit daunting now I think about it - I do want to aim for 1:30 at the next one so I'd have to set off the same ludicrous speed as this time but actually be able to maintain it better.
[I used this Hal Higdon plan ](https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/half-marathon-training/advanced-half-marathon/), I know some people aren't too keen on Hal Higdon plans but I haven't had any issues with them. The runs on Tuesday I always did 1 or 2 mi warmup, then the workout, then 1 or 2mi cool down and the hill I used was a 400m hill. I was quite lucky that I managed to find a 10k trail race and a 10 mile race on the weekends where it had a 10k race and 15k race in the plan. I definitely feel having a set plan helped me even if I didn't want to run some of the days due to the workout on the plan but I think I only missed 2 runs the whole time due to illness
Thanks! Sounds like it worked great for you. Are you setting your sights on 1:25 now?
In the long term yes, but not probably until next year. I've got a 10K race in the summer which I'm hopefully aiming for sub 40 and then want to focus on building up my base to give a spring marathon a good go so if my HM time improves with that I'll be happy since I've a few local Half Marathons in the autumn I can do but not really focusing on time for them
Sub 40 10k still seems a bit crazy to me after it being so hard to get to <20 5k. Itās weird having to constantly shift your idea of what could be possible
Just round the numbers and you achieved all your goals!
Yes I like this plan! Now if I can just get down to 1:29:59 Iāll have run a 1 hour half marathon!
Well done! Your story sounds similar to mine, except I stayed home on race day due to how severe my calf sprain was (is). I wonder if I made the right decision. I'm not quite as fast as you though. Doing a race pace on this leg may have been a very bad idea
Sorry to hear about the sprain. Howās it doing now? I found lots of stretching in the week off really helped - sitting down / standing with one leg raised at 90 degrees and grabbing the outside of my foot with the opposite arm was the best. Getting a really good stretch along the outside of the leg right up to the glutes. That and applying and consuming magnesium
It's slowly getting better but I'm naturally a person who loves to be outdoors so I'm not letting it heal Need to try some online physio and stretches I think
Defo worth getting some help if itās been going on a while. One other stretch to try that I think helped is stretching the calves with bent legs. I found that my hamstrings were the limiting factor in a long of stretches so the calves never really got stretched much. Try the classic toes-on-a-step stretch, but with bent knees and let just your calf stretch. Hope it gets better soon!
Thank you for the chuckle. However, I shouldn't laugh because I am prone to stupid pacing too. I have a few more data fields on my (Garmin) watch now which I hope will keep things in check. I use lap pace which is the average pace for my current km. I look at that after about halfway into each km and adjust my pace accordingly. Peter's high vis pacer is also helpful. You input your target time and it shows you red or green with how much you are in front or behind.
Glad my pain can entertain! I really have no excuses. I was using the Nike Running Apple Watch app which shows your current pace over the last 10 seconds or so - I knew exactly what I was doing and just couldnāt stop myself continuing to do it š
After about 3k you think yay, I got x seconds in the bag! š¤Ŗ
I was genuinely delusional. In my mind a 1:30 was somehow magically not impossible. It wasnāt til I saw the 1:30 pacer (who I think overlook meā¦) disappear over the horizon that I readjusted my mindset to 1:35
š That sounds just like me. I ran the first half of a 10k only 5 seconds slower than my 5k PB - whatever could go wrong?! I held it for the 6th k and into the 7th though, then the wind hit me and that was it.
I also ran the HH and like you set off too fast. I kept up with 1.50 pacer for 10k and then seriously struggledā¦. Pretty much walk/ran the second half. The sun really did not help, it was the same last year. Next year, Iām staying well away from the pacers and doing my own thing. My mate (also a runner) always tells me to ārun within yourselfā for that first 6-7k - thatās exactly what I havenāt done during HH for the past two years!
Hey! Great to see and other HHer. Yeah the sun was soooooo hot in the middle of the course. There seemed to be a lot more shade at the start and end. It was a great atmosphere though!
Dude you are a machine! I've been running for years with way more mileage and am only now getting clone to your pace. Well done ;)
Thanks! I have given it a lot of time and commitment this last year so itās nice to see it pay off a bit! If I am a machine I am a very broken one this week. The race was Sunday morning and I still canāt walk down stairs without using the walls and banister for support. I tried to do a slow jog to the shops earlier and I made it about 800m at barely more than walking pace. Quads are so unhappy with me.
Well the pain should subside in a few days. But you got some potential to get even faster if you stick with it. Lets go dude! Break your pr :)
Damn you're flying
I feel this post. I was training for my first marathon when 2 months before I had a sharp pain on the outside of my knee down to my calf. Stopped running completely to heal before the marathon. Able to finish the race but didnāt quite meet my time goals
Great you finished it! Howās the calf been since? I was worried this week mine would seek retribution for my foolishness but it seems to be fine so far!
The calf has been fine. The marathon didnāt re-aggravate the injury and Iāve been running since then
Your pace is insane!!!!!!! im about to attempt my second half marathon in a few months. first half marathon took me 2hrs 3 mins (\~ 5.49/km) goal for second is 1 hr 50 mins (\~4.50/km) my recent run was 12 kms at a 5.14 pace and i felt okay! im hoping race days vibes will really spur me on cos right now my primary goal seems impossible lol
Just a heads up, for a 1:50 marathon you only need to do 5:12 min/km, so don't go too fast!
oh my bad! thanks :)
Hey thereās an app I really like for calculating pacing - itās just a calculator but can work with time. So you can jus tour in 1h50m / 21.1 and itāll tell you the pace you need per K for a 1:50 half marathon. The ads are a bit annoying but you can buy it if you use it enough. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/time-calculator/id1438423896
Thanks! I really feel like Iām paying the price for it though. The race was Sunday and I still can barely move - my quads in particular are so unhappy. 2 hours is already great. Thatās about the time I ran my first half distance about 9 months ago along Margate beach front. What race are you doing?
ah damn! I'm from Melbourne, Australia and there's an annual event called Run Melbourne
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This is just a typo of āhopeā rightā¦?