The Half Marathon support Thread

yungwan

Haha Peanut, it sure is a good place to hide stuff!

2nd row donkey - good luck tomorrrow, I hope it all goes well for ya!


Anyway I have been off work all week and except for alot of walking around the zoo and swimming I havent done any exercise!

So I have to motivate myself to go for a 7 mile now, and its not easy. Sometimes I wish I could have someone here to kick my ass! Or someone to run with.. it seems so daunting right now!

Must.. put... on... runners...

shazkea

yungwan wrote: »

Haha Peanut, it sure is a good place to hide stuff!

2nd row donkey - good luck tomorrrow, I hope it all goes well for ya!


Anyway I have been off work all week and except for alot of walking around the zoo and swimming I havent done any exercise!

So I have to motivate myself to go for a 7 mile now, and its not easy. Sometimes I wish I could have someone here to kick my ass! Or someone to run with.. it seems so daunting right now!

Must.. put... on... runners...

Go on you know you want to really . Reward yourself tonight then with a nice glass of wine or chocolate!!!

2nd Row Donkey

ummmhmmm.. a glass of chocolate. sound loverly!:D

2nd Row Donkey

yungwan wrote: »

Haha Peanut, it sure is a good place to hide stuff!

2nd row donkey - good luck tomorrrow, I hope it all goes well for ya!


Anyway I have been off work all week and except for alot of walking around the zoo and swimming I havent done any exercise!

So I have to motivate myself to go for a 7 mile now, and its not easy. Sometimes I wish I could have someone here to kick my ass! Or someone to run with.. it seems so daunting right now!

Must.. put... on... runners...

cheers big ears!

Must go home and stock up on pre-race pasta!

yungwan

DONE!

Depressingly slow time wise but done all the same

I was so stiff and tired which is annoying considering I should be well rested.

Once this Bank Hol is over Im going to throw myself into training properly including diet, exercises and cross training. I have four weeks left until my HM and Im at 7 miles so I think ill finish it anyway (touch wood)

I hope if I get to 10 ill be grand anyway??

Another drink filled weekend ahead so my training will be off til Tuesday but no excuses next week!!

Now, wheres me wine!!

fungirl1

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

Yeah fungirl, I think its time I invested in an ipod armbar thing or similar. beats holding the mp3 player by hand and it doubles up as somewhere for a key/cash etc.


I have my half marathon tomorrow (actually its closer to 14miles)
Its the breffni challange run - Cavan to Arva .. its advertised as 20km but its actually 22km as I measured last year afterwards!

Wish me luck!

Best of luck 2nd row...

fungirl1

yungwan wrote: »

DONE!

Depressingly slow time wise but done all the same

I was so stiff and tired which is annoying considering I should be well rested.

Once this Bank Hol is over Im going to throw myself into training properly including diet, exercises and cross training. I have four weeks left until my HM and Im at 7 miles so I think ill finish it anyway (touch wood)

I hope if I get to 10 ill be grand anyway??

Another drink filled weekend ahead so my training will be off til Tuesday but no excuses next week!!

Now, wheres me wine!!

You did it and that's the main thing...well done!

fungirl1

Where is everyone??

2nd row - hope yesterday went well.

I headed out yesterdy morning to the park to try to run the 10m couurse which is on in a few weeks - a big step up for me from 12km to 16...but I DID IT!!! 1h 42m 34s..I know its far from fast but i was delighted. Am now in W Cork on my holidays and the hills look huge :eek: - not sure how I will manage 5km not to mind 5 miles!!
Anyone know of some flat(ish) runs near Clonakilty?

2nd Row Donkey

yungwan wrote: »

DONE!

Depressingly slow time wise but done all the same

I was so stiff and tired which is annoying considering I should be well rested.

Once this Bank Hol is over Im going to throw myself into training properly including diet, exercises and cross training. I have four weeks left until my HM and Im at 7 miles so I think ill finish it anyway (touch wood)

I hope if I get to 10 ill be grand anyway??

Another drink filled weekend ahead so my training will be off til Tuesday but no excuses next week!!

Now, wheres me wine!!

Well done yungwan, seven miles when your not in the mood is as tough as 10miles when you are in the mood in my book.

2nd Row Donkey

fungirl1 wrote: »

Where is everyone??

2nd row - hope yesterday went well.

I headed out yesterdy morning to the park to try to run the 10m couurse which is on in a few weeks - a big step up for me from 12km to 16...but I DID IT!!! 1h 42m 34s..I know its far from fast but i was delighted. Am now in W Cork on my holidays and the hills look huge :eek: - not sure how I will manage 5km not to mind 5 miles!!
Anyone know of some flat(ish) runs near Clonakilty?

Hi fungirl

Yesterday went pretty well. Sore today do.

1h 43m is very good for 16K if you ask me, espesically at your first attempt at that distance.

Don't worry about doing huge mileage in Cork, I'd concentrate on doing faster paced runs on shorter runs... tempo training or whatever the season runners around heer call it. Must be plenty of good scenery down there... what about a spot of beach running!!. Running on sand is very tough though!:D

peanuthead

I have to say, there is some fantastic progress on this thread.

I hope I'm going to be able to do you guys justice. My training has been really crappy because I've been so busy.

Thing is, come tuesday I'm totally free during the day.

I don't think I've done much better than 5mile just yet.

Do you think that if I train very hard I can increase that by 1.5 miles a week? That would get me up to 9.5 miles for race day.

Do you think its possible?

2nd Row Donkey

peanuthead wrote: »

I have to say, there is some fantastic progress on this thread.

I hope I'm going to be able to do you guys justice. My training has been really crappy because I've been so busy.

Thing is, come tuesday I'm totally free during the day.

I don't think I've done much better than 5mile just yet.

Do you think that if I train very hard I can increase that by 1.5 miles a week? That would get me up to 9.5 miles for race day.

Do you think its possible?

Yes, personally i think you can.

Are you going to be free during the day, every day after Tuesday?
anyway, if you're soo busy you're finding it hard to put in the hours then concentrate on getting the most out of the time you have.

When I was stuck around the 6mile (10k) mark, I also had limited time to train so I started doing 35-45 min runs twice a week- mid week. During these runs i would try to run a little faster then i would in my long weekend run and I introduced short sprints... 30 seconds sprints every couple of mins. It had a massive impact. I went from running 5 miles on my long weekend run to running 10 miles 2 weekends later and 12 miles another weekend later.

peanuthead

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

Yes, personally i think you can.

Are you going to be free during the day, every day after Tuesday?
anyway, if you're soo busy you're finding it hard to put in the hours then concentrate on getting the most out of the time you have.

When I was stuck around the 6mile (10k) mark, I also had limited time to train so I started doing 35-45 min runs twice a week- mid week. During these runs i would try to run a little faster then i would in my long weekend run and I introduced short sprints... 30 seconds sprints every couple of mins. It had a massive impact. I went from running 5 miles on my long weekend run to running 10 miles 2 weekends later and 12 miles another weekend later.

free during the day, every day.

fungirl1

Hi Peanut head...I agree with second row think you should give it a crack anyway...the one think I think you need to be careful with tho is not to train every day..you will get too tiried - rest days are as important as exercise days...

2nd row - well done on your run at the weekend!!

Ran 7.5km this am found it v hard - it was warm and legs were heavy after 20km cycle yesterday with HUGE hills!!

2nd Row Donkey

fungirl1 wrote: »

Hi Peanut head...I agree with second row think you should give it a crack anyway...the one think I think you need to be careful with tho is not to train every day..you will get too tiried - rest days are as important as exercise days...

2nd row - well done on your run at the weekend!!

Ran 7.5km this am found it v hard - it was warm and legs were heavy after 20km cycle yesterday with HUGE hills!!

how anyone trains 5 or 6 days a week is beyond me... (maybe its possible if your in you're early 20's).

Thanks Fungirl - I feel a bit aimless now that I've done it and don't have another goal/race to train for.

Suppose I could do the Addidas half marathon in september and try to beat my time.

yungwan

4.5 miles done.

Lovely run actually. Ive decided I dont give a sh!t about my time anymore because its the single reason I dont enjoy my runs some days.

I did my 4.5 today without looking at my watch and I was happier.

Calves very tight - had to stop to stretch them twice but were fine after that.

All in all I happy.

2nd Row Donkey

Good one Yungwan. keep it up.

I remember reading something similar from someone else recently (possibly in the training logs section) and they ran better and enjoyed it much more without the watch.

Must give it a try myself.

jonnyfingers

About time I joined this thread. Have just started training for a half marathon on the 11th of December.

Have plenty of motivation, have my brother's wedding in Novermber and I'm the best man so could do with shedding a few pounds for that. Also I'm a groomsman for a wedding on New Years Eve so hopefully I'll have finished the Half Marathon in a good time and will have trimmed up the belly!

So far I have 8 miles done this week. A bit of speed work tomorrow and a long run at the weekend will round off the week nicely.

Going to follow the Hal Higdon Intermediate training plan as it includes speed work which I do most weeks anyway. Not sure how to schedule things as the training plan is 12 weeks long, the race is 19 weeks away but my first wedding/milestone is 14 weeks away.

I am going on holiday in a couple of weeks time which will result in a week without any training most likely. So I might do the first few weeks and repeat them until I'm 12 weeks away from the race and then follow the plan as normal. Looking forward to it.

Edit: as a bit of background I've been doing Sprint Distance triathlons for the last few years so have a pretty good fitness base. However I don't have the time to fit running, cycling and swimming, as well so soccer and other sports into one week anymore so going to concentrate on the running until the half marathon.

yungwan

Welcome Jonnyfingers! Good luck in your training!!


I was just thinking there that I could do with some help on my diet.

Some days I dont seem to eat enough and other days I worry I eat too much. I guess Im a little vain and find it hard to strike a balance, as my weight is important to me.

Presently I am 5"7 and 10 stone. I am a size 10 and dont really need to loose weight as Im slim but I have noticed since I started running that while I have toned up alot my hips have got bigger and more musclely.

This is what I ate today but Im still hungry!!

Breakfast: Porridge with skimmed milk, tea

Snack: Apple, orange and green tea

Lunch - 2x tuna wraps with rocket, tomato, pepper and onion

Snack: Banana, one slice toast with ham

Dinner: Pasta, tomato pasta sauce, stir fried veg, salmon

Snack: Toasted ham sandwich and a mini kitkat

Its alot for me tbh, but today I am just extra hungry. Is it too much/too little?

Want to get a good balance for my training, esp as my output increases.

Advice appreciated!

rasher_m

Is anyone here running the Frank Duffy 10 miler near the end of the month?
I ran 10 miles quiet slowly on Sunday morning in the park. I took a cross country trail through the forest area. It took me 1 hour 45 but I was very pleased as its only the second time I've run 10 miles ever.

Then last night ran 5km on the treadmill and some cross training on the rowing m/c.

How many days a week are people training?

dolliemix

Hi Johhny.

Is that the Half Marathon in Waterford? I'm hoping to do that too. I'm a novice though. The furthest I've run is 10k in the Mini Marathon. I've just started following the Hal Higdon 15k plan. I'll have that complete in October and I'll switch to the Half Program at that stage.

Yungwan - your diet looks great. Loads of fruit/veg and carbs. Had you eaten a lot of sugary stuff the day before or drank alcohol? When I drink or eat a crap food I always feel starving for two days after! Its to do with the blood sugar levels


So I started last night with my Half Plan with a 2 mile run!

yungwan

dolliemix wrote: »

Hi Johhny.

Yungwan - your diet looks great. Loads of fruit/veg and carbs. Had you eaten a lot of sugary stuff the day before or drank alcohol? When I drink or eat a crap food I always feel starving for two days after! Its to do with the blood sugar levels


So I started last night with my Half Plan with a 2 mile run!

Yeah that could have been it, I was off last week and pretty much ate what I wanted all week, including a fair bit of crap and a feed of drink at the weekend, so I guess thats why I was so bloody hungry yesterday!!

Not as ravenous today thank god!
you starting the half marathon plan from the start again?

Dow99

I'm getting nervous about the half marathon now,,, i'm getting little pains in my knee's, nothing much but a niggle and I should be upping my miles a bit but that's the last thing I want to do,,,,,,,, Currently doing a 6miler and a couple of 3's during the week, loosely based on the Hal Higdon's plan.
Also just looked at the map,, between mile 7 and mile 8 is UP the Kyber road which is a mile up hill and a bloody tough hill at that.
Up until a week ago I thought my training was going well and managed to drag myself to finish 10miles one day 2 weeks back but the thoughts of going running is not motivating me. Instead for this week I've been doing short runs 3miles but at a higher pace.
Another thing that is worrying me is that I am going on holidays for 2 weeks, 4 weeks before the HM so I return with 2 weeks to spare,, I fully intend with doing training while I am away but I probably will stick it to doing 3 and 4 miles rather then anything longer.
Nervous, very nervous,,,How is everyone else that is running the same getting on!! I'm just looking to complete the HM on the 18th of Sept not looking for any special time or anything.

jonnyfingers

dolliemix wrote: »

Hi Johhny.

Is that the Half Marathon in Waterford?

It sure is. Meant to do it last year as it was a New Year's resolution but I was busy on that date so couldn't do it. So again it's a New Year's resolution and I have nothing planned this year so should be ok!

Furthest I've ran is 10 miles, and that was the Ballycotton 10 about 5 years ago. It was my first race as well! Only trained to 6 miles and boy did I pay for that! Not making that mistake again.

Going to be bold and aim for a sub 2-hour half-marathon. I'm running 5k in 22 minutes at the moment which should translate to a 1hr 45min half-marathon. But I've been training at 5k distance for 3 years! Anything longer is an unknown entity so I'll allow for a bit of drifting on the pace. Still with 15 mins to spare I should be able to make sub 2 hours so that's what I'm aiming for!

yungwan wrote: »

Welcome Jonnyfingers! Good luck in your training!!

I was just thinking there that I could do with some help on my diet.

Your diet looks fine. The only advice I'll give you is; if you don't want to lose weight eat and train exactly as you have been doing but monitor your weight on the same day every week. If you lose weight up your calories slightly, if you gain weight reduce your calories slightly. It really is as simple as that. Don't weigh yourself more than once a week though as it won't be accurate as your weight can fluctuate from day to day. Over a week it should stay roughly the same though.

Remember to get some good calories in after your long runs to replinish your energy. After long runs you'll need to restore your carbohydrate level. Some pasta is great for that. A bit of protein as well will help avoid losing too much muscle mass as your mileage starts to increase. A nice cold glass of milk with my post-run meal usually sorts me out, it's almost the perfect ratio of carbs to protein as well. And make sure you have one day that's a treat day where you don't restrict anything you eat, this day keeps me sane although I do take the "no restrictions" part to the limit at times!

jonnyfingers

Dow99 wrote: »

Another thing that is worrying me is that I am going on holidays for 2 weeks, 4 weeks before the HM so I return with 2 weeks to spare,, I fully intend with doing training while I am away but I probably will stick it to doing 3 and 4 miles rather then anything longer.

If you're complaining about niggly knees and lack of motivation a holiday where you take it easy would probably be good for you. Just do a bit of training during the 2 weeks to keep your current level where it is, you don't need to be logging huge miles. That way you'll get enough rest to recover any tiredness to your body (and mind!) and with 2 weeks of good training before the HM you'll be in flying form. If you're just out to finsih the race (as I am) you won't need to run anywhere near 13 miles before the race, you've already gone 10 miles, adrenaline will get you over the line and you'll be fine.

rasher_m

I have to laugh at this being called a 'support' thread. The most ignorant clique i've ever enter. Not even a 'hello' back when I wrote on the thread. Maybe I should have said I'm running Triathlons in record time to get any kind of acknowledgement. Thx alot. Pack of licks.

hunnymonster

rasher m, please read the charter. no abuse of other posters is allowed. Posters in this thread don't owe you a "hello".

rasher_m

No, they don't but it is common manners thx

MaroonTam

Dow99 wrote: »

Also just looked at the map,, between mile 7 and mile 8 is UP the Kyber road which is a mile up hill and a bloody tough hill at that.

Hey Dow99,

Last years Adidas half was my first half marathon and I thought running up the Kyber would be a nightmare. In the end I went the other way and it was one of my quickest miles :eek:. Have to say it took me another mile or two to recover from the extra effort.

I would recommend trying to introduce some hill training if you are concerned. I found a hill near me, about 500 meters long, good gradient but not too steep (the Kyber itself would be a good one). Run up, jog down to recover. Build up the repeats from 4 to 6. Made a big difference to my general strength.
Also good advice is to try to make your long runs take in a few hills. Its great training to hit a hill when you are a little tired towards the end of your long run. Will build your confidence for race day.

Alan

2nd Row Donkey

rasher_m wrote: »

Is anyone here running the Frank Duffy 10 miler near the end of the month?
I ran 10 miles quiet slowly on Sunday morning in the park. I took a cross country trail through the forest area. It took me 1 hour 45 but I was very pleased as its only the second time I've run 10 miles ever.

Then last night ran 5km on the treadmill and some cross training on the rowing m/c.

How many days a week are people training?

HELLOOOOOOOOoooooooOOOO!

Don't worry, nobodies ignoring you.. you just have to keep asking questions and eventually someone will reply to you! Thats what I did.

As regards to how many days a week people are training. I think everyone is different depending on how much available time they have. I think everyone would like to train at least 5 times a week but thats not always possible due to work/family commitments etc.

As you've probably noticed, most people are roughly following the HH (Hal Higdon) guides... which usually involve 5-6 days a training per week.

Personally, i'm only traing 3 days a week (4 on a good week)