Half Marathon Prep

keith16

Hi All,

Looking for advice. Started running in October last year so still a bit of a noob.

Anyway, really enjoying it and I try to get out twice per week. I usually do one fairly intense (for me!) lunch run - around 7k at 4m:30s on average if I really push it.

In December I started doing longer runs - usually around 15k. My pace has been getting better here too and have got to around 4m:50s per km and relatively happy with PR 15k time of 1hr 13mins.

For a couple of reasons, I have had to stop running this week and next for various reasons and won't be able to get back out until 1st of May and the race is on the 29th.

Will a two week break have a major impact? Any suggestions on how I should prepare with the remaining 4 weeks? Would be targetting a time of around 1hr 45mins!

demfad

keith16 wrote: »

Hi All,

Looking for advice. Started running in October last year so still a bit of a noob.

Anyway, really enjoying it and I try to get out twice per week. I usually do one fairly intense (for me!) lunch run - around 7k at 4m:30s on average if I really push it.

In December I started doing longer runs - usually around 15k. My pace has been getting better here too and have got to around 4m:50s per km and relatively happy with PR 15k time of 1hr 13mins.

For a couple of reasons, I have had to stop running this week and next for various reasons and won't be able to get back out until 1st of May and the race is on the 29th.

Will a two week break have a major impact? Any suggestions on how I should prepare with the remaining 4 weeks? Would be targetting a time of around 1hr 45mins!

Do you definitely have to stop running?
Can you do any exercise? If you can you could do some cycling or other cross training to maintain the central adaptions in fitness you've made.

keith16

demfad wrote: »

Do you definitely have to stop running?
Can you do any exercise? If you can you could do some cycling or other cross training to maintain the central adaptions in fitness you've made.

Unfortunately so...I could go into details, but I will spare you the boredom.

I was last out on Tuesday - almost a week ago. Did 10k.

Realistically, I probably won't make it out again until next Tuesday - so a 2 week break.

Good idea on the cross training - but cycling is probably out too...

Would interval training help? Or hill running? I'm based in Switzerland so plenty of hills around :P

I have never done any sort of interval training btw...

demfad

keith16 wrote: »

Unfortunately so...I could go into details, but I will spare you the boredom.

I was last out on Tuesday - almost a week ago. Did 10k.

Realistically, I probably won't make it out again until next Tuesday - so a 2 week break.

Good idea on the cross training - but cycling is probably out too...

Would interval training help? Or hill running? I'm based in Switzerland so plenty of hills around :P

I have never done any sort of interval training btw...

Yes. Sure try and get some hills into your runs. Try and finish the odd run a little faster also.
You'd want to have run 18k before the race (or the time it would take you to run 18k if on a hilly run).
Look at the first week back as re-acclimatising. Then go for 2 weeks that are big for you, push up the kilometrage a bit. Go easy again the last week.
Hills make you strong. Just enjoy it. Try as many scenic routes as you can.
Best of luck.

keith16

demfad wrote: »

Yes. Sure try and get some hills into your runs. Try and finish the odd run a little faster also.
You'd want to have run 18k before the race (or the time it would take you to run 18k if on a hilly run).
Look at the first week back as re-acclimatising. Then go for 2 weeks that are big for you, push up the kilometrage a bit. Go easy again the last week.
Hills make you strong. Just enjoy it. Try as many scenic routes as you can.
Best of luck.

Cheers - so you reckon 1 lunch run and one long run (15 - 18k) per week would be ok, or would I try to get out three times per week?

Whereisgalway

keith16 wrote: »

Cheers - so you reckon 1 lunch run and one long run (15 - 18k) per week would be ok, or would I try to get out three times per week?

U don't need to run every run at max pace, ull burn out and injure urself. What's ur goal? Marathon? Half? 10 km in under 40mins. Tell boards what u hope to achieve, the more experienced runners here are very help be careful of bad advice trolls though

demfad

keith16 wrote: »

Cheers - so you reckon 1 lunch run and one long run (15 - 18k) per week would be ok, or would I try to get out three times per week?

2 runs per week is not enough.
at least 4. why cant you run more often?

keith16

Whereisgalway wrote: »

U don't need to run every run at max pace, ull burn out and injure urself. What's ur goal?

Goal is half marathon by the end of May in a time of of 1hr 45mins.

demfad wrote: »

2 runs per week is not enough.
at least 4. why cant you run more often?

I guess I would like to run more often but struggling to find a balance of the types of runs.

What would a 4 run week look like? I could imagine something like:

Monday: 7k lunch @4:30 pace
Tuesd: Rest
Weds: 15-18K @ 5min pace
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Easy 7k lunch "recovery run" @5min+ pace
Sat: Rest
Sun: 10k hilly run

demfad

keith16 wrote: »

Goal is half marathon by the end of May in a time of of 1hr 45mins.



I guess I would like to run more often but struggling to find a balance of the types of runs.

What would a 4 run week look like? I could imagine something like:

Monday: 7k lunch @4:30 pace
Tuesd: Rest
Weds: 15-18K @ 5min pace
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Easy 7k lunch "recovery run" @5min+ pace
Sat: Rest
Sun: 10k hilly run

That would be fine for now as you have a target ahead that you need to hit (21k).
I would start mondays runs slowly but run the final 15 mins hard. Add 5 mins hard per week.
Keep upping Wednesdays distance and keep upping Sunday's.
If you can manage it. try and run the last few minutes fast on either or both those days.

That schedule is not balanced for more long term improvement, but might be best until your race. When I say its not balanced I mean your long run is relatively long compared with the next longest (shouldn't be more than 50% longer). As your target is not far away and is 21k, you have little choice.
Just build very slowly. Try and get a good block of 10 days- 2weeks in before easing (30%) for the last week so youre fresh.

keith16

Well just thought I would update this thread and say I completed the half today. Got a time of 1hr 54, a bit longer than I would have liked but still happy.

Conditions were overcast but quite humid...terrain was also tricky in parts due to heavy rainfall in the previous days.

The course itself was also kind of tricky with a continuous climb of around 70 meters over a 7k distance in the middle which peaked quite sharply at the end.

I actually found the humidity harder to contend with than the climb and the first 10k I found very tough.

Winner posted a time of 1hr 06m

Really happy to say I did it, but a little ashamed I didn't stick to a training plan that looked anything like this in the thread. Got out twice per week (1 long run 15-18k) @ just under 5min pace and one intense lunch run at around 4:40 pace over 7k!

Thanks for the advice! Feeling sore but happy now