Barca bound...

Week 10 - 13/01/2025

Sun 7 miles easy (8:42p/m, HR135)

Mon 12 x 400 off 400m recovery. (8:05 p/m, HR153)Repeat of the first speed session of the plan, and this is also the last 5k paced work I’ll do – moving onto the “strength” workouts next week which are longer reps (1-3 miles) at paces slightly quicker than half marathon pace. Did this out near sandymount, laps of sean moore park. It went fine, ran the 400m reps a smidge quicker than last time, all around 1:34 (target 1:35-1:38), so 6:16p/m or 3:54 p/km. and also ran all the recoveries a bit quicker than last time too which made it a bit more challenging, but happy with how it went. Also nice to be back running in just a t-shirt again, think it was 12 degrees for this which felt extremely warm to me at least!

Tues - 5.3 miles easy – 8:40p/m, HR 138

Thurs 8 miles with 5 miles @HM pace (8:01p/m,HR153)Splits were (7:07,7:12,7:05,7:07,7:16), targeting 7:05-7:10 per mile range. Went a bit better than last week, but still hard, will aim towards 7:10 per mile for next week’s 6 mile tempo and see how that goes.

Fri 6 miles easy (8:55p/m, HR135) heavy legs after the previous day, kept this at an easy pace

Sat 12 miles easy/moderate. (8:18p/m, HR146) I have recently been referring to this version of the hansons plan instead of the book to set up weekly runs so I missed the distinction between the types of weekend long runs that the plan in the book makes. In the book, from week 6 onwards the weekend long runs are labelled differently, alternating between “easy” and “long” every other week. The “long” runs are supposed to be run at a moderate/steady pace (HM pace +50 seconds or so at their quickest, but it gives a range), this wasn’t entirely clear from the book so I raised a question via the lukehumphreyrunning site and one of the coaches came back to me to confirm this, and suggested to aim towards the lower end of the long run pace range (using this calculator) for long runs once I’m feeling good. Anyway for this run I started off the first couple of miles at normal easy pace, and then ran the last 10 miles between 8:05 and 8:20 per mile (avg 8:12). Was really pleased with how this went – kept an eye on HR from time to time and was trying to make sure it didn’t go too much above the top end of Zone 2, and this worked out well, again a nice finish to the week.

Weekly mileage 47 (17% above HR Z2)

Week 11 - 20/01/2025

Sun - 5 miles easy (8:53p/m, HR133)

Mon - (1.5 warm up, 6x1mile off 400m recovery, 1.5m cool down). First “strength” session of the hansons plan – I had this flagged in the diary as when the plan starts to get hard and it didn’t disappoint! Pace target for the 1 mile reps is 10 seconds per mile quicker than target half marathon pace, and this is the target pace for all the strength sessions on the plan, so setting this as 7 mins per mile. 6:56, 6:55, 6:53, 6:59, 7:03, 7:00 were the splits, ran the first 3 mile reps a bit quick but was more consistent in the last three. Last rep was tough, effort felt ok but legs were getting a bit sluggish. Overall though I’m happy enough to have this done.

Tues - 6 miles easy (8:53p/m, HR136)

Thurs - 9 miles with 6 miles@hm pace. (8:01 p/m, HR157) Got this done and mostly close to my target pace, mile splits were 7:17, 7:08, 7:11, 7:08, 7:07, 7:08. It was an early morning run with a head torch in the wind and rain, so wasn’t exactly perfect conditions. However HR was up a bit again (avg 170 for the tempo segment vs 161-166 on previous tempo runs), and it went up relatively early in the session too. But overall the effort felt pretty similar to the last two tempo runs so not sure what, if anything, to make of that.

Fri – plan was for 5 miles easy, didn’t even try thanks to storm Eowyn

Sat - 13 miles easy (8:36p/m, HR141) Plan had this as a 10 mile run but given I missed the day before I added a few miles to this and did a nice loop I haven’t done in a long time, lovely crisp morning for it. Finished up a couple of miles short of target for the week (43.5 vs 45.5)

Weekly mileage 43.5 (23% above HR Z2)

Week 14 - 10/02/25

Sun 6 miles easy (8:30p/m, HR135)

Mon 1.5 warm up, 2x3mile off 1m recovery, 1.5m cool down. (7:53 p/m, HR 152) Made a mess of setting this workout up on my watch and then wasn’t paying enough attention so did a longer warm up than intended which ate into my first 3 mile rep, so this only ended up being 2.5 miles. Second 3 mile rep probably made up for this a bit as a good chunk of it was into a fairly strong breeze. Avg mile pace for the first 2.5 mile section was 6:51 (17:07 in total) and the second rep was (20:44, avg pace 6:55 per mile). So ok with this overall, paces were fairly consistent with the half marathon tempo effort the previous week too. Fairly tired though after this!

Tues 5 miles easy, (8:31p/m, HR134)

Thurs 10 miles with 7 miles@hm pace (7:48 p/m, HR 155) Wasn’t necessarily expecting much heading out the door for this, only had a window at lunchtime to run which isn’t my preferred choice, would much rather get this done first thing. But nonetheless the mile splits were good 7:04, 7:04, 7:03, 7:03, 7:01,7:02, 7:05 (used boston 12 for this run so not quite a super-shoe this time). I’d say I could have done another 3 miles at that pace but 6, not so sure. So happy with this considering the extra mile at race pace added on from the prior week’s session. HR also back up in what I’d consider normal range (mid-160s) for this run compared to the previous week where it seemed a little low. These sessions are a real validation of the training plan for me also, really good progress since struggling a bit through some of the 3-4 mile tempo runs early in the plan.

Fri – 5 miles easy (8:32/pm, HR134)

Sat – 14 miles easy/moderate (8:32p/m, HR145) Ran a route with more rolling hills than I anticipated (20% hilly according to runalyze), so didn’t really try and push the pace too much on this, just kept it towards the top end of prescribed easy pace. Another 50 mile week done, just one more of these to go before the race on Paddy’s weekend.

Weekly mileage 50 (23% above HRZ2)

Week 15 – 16/02/25

Sun 7 miles easy (9:05p/m, HR133) met some friends out running just after starting this run, and did a 6 mile loop with them. Was perfectly timed actually as I kept this on the lower end of my easy pace, suited all of us quite well.

Mon 7 miles easy (8:38p/m, HR 136) did this early before heading to Dublin for work – switched this easy run from Tuesday so I could do my hansons “strength” session at home the next day, just find it easier to get these longer weekday runs done early in the morning at home.

Tues - 1.5 warm up, 3x2mile off 800m recovery, 1.5m cool down (7:55p/m, HR154)Well the session wasn’t any easier in practice, probably the hardest run of the plan so far effort wise. Legs were a bit heavy by the second rep and just hung on for the last one. Splits for each 2 mile rep were 13:43, 13:51 and 13:45 which were similar enough to the last time I ran this a few weeks ago. HR was all fairly similar too, a bit higher for the last rep but just overall found this hard.

Thurs 10 miles with 7 miles@hm pace (7:58p/m, HR 157) Another hard run, very windy out during this, had about 4 miles of the tempo segment into the breeze (first 3 miles and the last mile), and was generally cursing the wind for most of the first half. Probably should have eased off a bit into the headwind in hindsight but didn’t, and then just had to slog it home for the last mile. No chance I could have ran another 6 miles at that pace but hit close to my target of 7:05 for most of the reps (7:06, 7:09, 7:03, 7:06, 7:04, 7:03, 7:04 were mile splits) so its done at least.

Fri – 7 miles easy (8:39p/m, HR138) just got out in a window of sunshine between some heavy showers – HR fine but some heavy legs after the previous days tempo.

Sat – 5 miles easy (8:32p/m, HR 139) Plan originally had an easy 10 miler, but shortened this significantly as I had spread the miles through the other easy runs earlier in the week. Was heading out to watch the six nations for the afternoon and had other jobs to do at home first so settled for a shorter run.

Weekly mileage 47 (24% above HRZ2)

Week 17 2/03/25

Sun 6 miles easy (8:50 p/m, HR 134)

Mon - (1.5 warm up, 6x1mile off 400m recovery, 1.5m cool down) (7:54p/m, HR155) Last hard session in the plan, and a repeat of the first strength session from mid-January, so a good test of progress since then. So in the interim I have revised target half pace down a bit to 7.05 per mile, am hopeful it is doable based on some of the tempo runs I’ve done on the past few Thursdays. So target for these mile reps was 6:50-6:55. This felt as hard as the first time I did it, but given I pushed the paces a bit (beyond what I needed to perhaps) as a last big effort, splits were all a good bit quicker than last time - 5-10 seconds per mile, and the last mile more than that. Mile splits were 6:48, 6:48, 6:49, 6:49, 6:53, 6:39 (last rep I just pushed the final 400 metres to completely empty the tank). Exactly two weeks out from race so ample time to taper in any case.

Tues 6 miles easy (8:20p/m, HR 137) my usual Dublin run around ringsend, sandymount, docklands

Thurs 8 miles with 5 miles@hm pace (7:50p/m, HR 152) was expecting this to feel a little easier than it did, was only ok. Quicker paces and lower HR than last time I did it, but didn’t feel as easy, maybe it shouldn’t! Mile splits for the half marathon paced bit were 7:09, 7:02, 7:01, 7:04, 7:05

Fri 6 miles easy (8:28p/m, HR 134) legs felt a little sluggish during this run, probably a low HR for what the effort felt like also.

Sat 8.5 miles easy (8:37p/m, HR 135) Last run longer than an hour in the plan, felt more normal on this this run effort wise compared to previous day. Am loving the brighter mornings for running, that I can be out the door before 7 without needing a head torch is great. Further mileage cut-down for next week, down to 25 miles of easy running for the last week in the plan.

Weekly mileage 45 (21% above HRZ2)

Week 18 9/03/25

Sun off – had an extra couple of days off (vs the plan) with the day the race falls on, so I didn’t bother running

Mon 6 miles easy (8:31 p/m, HR134)

Tues 5 miles easy (8.13p/m, HR 136) Definitely feeling the taper benefits on this run, feeling very fresh, just picked it up to hm pace for the last half a mile of this. No speed prescribed in the plan for the final week but just wanted to move the legs a bit.

Thurs 6 miles easy (8:25pm HR 137) did a few strides at the end of this, Fri off, Sat 5 miles easy (8:22p/m, HR 137, Sun – 3 miles easy (8:45p/m, HR 131)

Mon – Mullingar Half Marathon

Result 1:32:56 – (13.16 miles, 7:04p/m, avg HR 171) ran a bit over distance but nothing too drastic!

191st out of around 1500 finishers, 64th in the M40 category

Miles 1-3 - 7:13, 7:05, 7:02 (21:20)

Pretty good conditions for race day, about 7-8 degrees and wind forecast was about 15km/hr up to some gusts of 30km/hr (only felt the wind in the first 5-6 miles really). Settled myself between the 1:30 and 1:40 pacer balloons at the start and off we went. Plenty of room and didn’t have to do too much manoeuvring on the road to settle into race pace. The first mile or so has some small uphill bits, so just eased into it.

Miles 4-6 – 7:02, 7:09, 7:02 (21:13)

Whatever breeze was into us for this stretch quite exposed along some backroads. Took a gel here during mile 4, perhaps no need on a half but couldn’t see what harm it could do - also had taken one during one of my long runs during the build up and felt a bit of a boost so thought I’d repeat on race day. Feeling reasonably comfortable at this point, but some pre-race daydreams of running 7 min miles and going close or under to 1:32 were parked at this stage! Felt like I was at the right pace.

Miles 7-9 – 7:02, 7:16, 7:01 (21:24)

Mile 8 was the second bit of uphill, the flyover over the motorway before turning back onto the canal. I just backed off the pace completely going up this hill, and my second fastest mile was the subsequent one so felt like the right approach – took another gel during this mile also. Still feeling ok and I think once we got back on the canal it felt like the breeze was helping a bit.

Miles 10-12 – 7:01, 7:04, 7:05 (21:11)

Was aiming for 10 miles in 1:10:50 and was just over this at 1:11:01 so still felt reasonably on track at this stage. Had been keeping pace with a group of mullingar harriers runners during this stretch and lady in a Birr AC singlet for a good bit of the race. She started to pull away a bit during mile 9-10 so I just tried to keep pace with her and follow along as much as I could, passed her during mile 12 I think. Consistently uncomfortable is how I would describe the last 2 miles of this segment, HR in the high 170s at this stage.

Mile 13 - 6:55p/m + 5:53p/m for the last 250 metres

Was struggling at this point, the last half mile coming off the canal towards the finish in the park was my low point, did not feel like I had a whole lot left in the legs. But once you turn into the park for the finishing stretch it’s a mild downward slope to the finish so just went as fast as I could, high five for my kids as I passed them and over the line! Got my quite nice race medal, a t-shirt that was too small in hindsight (unisex size m was optimistic!) and an energy bar and staggered through the finish. I will say a very well organised race from my perspective at least, 3 water stations along the route and never had any issues with over-crowding or anything – would definitely do again.

Overall then this is a 10 min pb, but this was my first proper raced half marathon (my previous pb was a virtual half in covid times at the end of 2020). Looking at race predictors, my garmin had me at 1:35 and runalyze suggested 1:31:30, so I ended up pretty much in the middle.

In terms of the hansons advanced half marathon plan which I followed it gets a thumbs up from me. Once I got my head and legs used to doing a couple of longer weekday runs (8-10 miles required every Mon and Thurs), which was a departure from any of my previous running plans, I felt the benefits. The weekly half marathon paced runs were definitely key, but also I did take account of increasing fitness during the block itself and lowered my target pace during the plan. I had been doing the half marathon paced runs at 7:10ish pace for the first 5 or 6 weeks of the plan but I pushed the paces down to 7:05 and this is what I ended up running.

Definitely a bit of DOMs today but the main casualty is my left big toenail, looks and feels the worse for wear this morning! Odd as I’d 50 miles in my race day shoes (adios pro 3) and hadn’t had that issue ever in a training run, but perhaps just didn’t lock in the foot enough. Going to scale back the running for the next while, will try and keep 35 miles per week or so as base mileage and maybe do a 5k or 10k later in the summer. I definitely can see another marathon in my future but just not sure when!