Goal of sub 1:40 half. (Read 3802 times)

 

I don't have cancer. It has been a rollercoaster. I have been doing updates under Health and Fitness. I had surgery last Tues and healing fast. I ran 4.55 miles today in sling with no issues. Thanks for asking.

 

http://www.runningahead.com/forums/topic/3ae96a336a9a47e78ccdd82b55b8e64e

Have not had a chance to read the post.  But wonderfull news! Great to here you do not have cancer!

 

I don't have cancer. It has been a rollercoaster. I have been doing updates under Health and Fitness. I had surgery last Tues and healing fast. I ran 4.55 miles today in sling with no issues. Thanks for asking.

 

http://www.runningahead.com/forums/topic/3ae96a336a9a47e78ccdd82b55b8e64e

Glad to hear you're healing fast.

Thanks a ton for the input on training. Did the first interval session this morning and you're right - it was tough but very manageable. My 1000s were a few (2-5) seconds slower, probably residual fatigue from the race this past weekend, but overall quite an excellent workout.

I just found out something super cool. My goal race is the Akron half marathon. There are pace groups for the full marathon including one for 3:20. The cool part is that the half and the full run the same course for 11 miles.

My goal is 1:37 for the half marathon but since I have never run one I will post here in the sub 1:40.

That is a 7:38 pace per mile seems doable.

 

I want to go out in 7:20s pace for the 1st half. Just keep logging sub 7:30s and see how I feel midway through the race. I have no idea how I can hit that pace though since I have only raced 5ks and nothing else.

 

I have a half marathon lined up for Sept. 27

 

Can anyone tell me how the 1st half marathon went for them?

Especially the opening mile or two compared to goal pace?

Did you die at the end or speed up?

My First Half ... I died the last few miles.  But that was due to not enough miles, longrun before race was only like 11 miles.

Second,  Went out a little fast, settled in miles 2 - 11 and actually finished strong picking up pace slightly the last 2 miles.  After racing that long after 11 miles you feel like you have the finish in site...kind of like last .5 mi of a 5k.

If 7:38 pace is your goal I would go out 7:30 -7:35 pace not 7:20 pace for first half.  Defintly should be an even effort race, if you start to flame at mile 7 - 9 its still a long ways to home. 

Trying to hammer the sub 20:00 5k this year, you will really have to keep the reigns on that first mile when the gun goes off, as it will seem slow.  Practice some 5 - 6 mile runs at those paces to see how they feel so you get used to the paces.  i actually do a better job maintaining the longer paces as can do better going by feel, I don't know I guess my mind works better on the long distances as know can't simply blast off as fast as I can, as I seem to think unsuccessfully on 5k's.

MTA --- See you volume is more than enough based on your current training, but would work that LR into the 14 - 16 mile range if you want a strong finish.

Well yesterday afternoon I went out to try 4 miles at 720-730 pace just to get an idea of the pace.

It was 82 degrees so a little warm but its only 4 miles.

Well it was a tough pace to keep for a training run.

 

I ran 7:26, 7:27, 7:24 then sped up a little on the last mile in 7:08.

 

The 1st three miles are around 1:37 pace for a half marathon and that seemed just a tad too fast perhaps.

Granted in a race I may be able to keep that pace. I think I may have to go out around 7:30 pace to go below 1:40 now.

MF, I think your biggest challenge will be restraint.  In a 5K if you go out too slow it's hard to make that time up.  The half is different.  You can make up time.  Don't get me wrong, you don't want to be jogging those first few miles, but 5 - 10 seconds a mile slow won't kill you.  When that gun goes off you're going to want to race.  You want to feel like you are holding back those first couple of miles.

My first half I went out too fast.  The first mile was downhill and I got pulled along by the crowd.  I slowed at the end, but didn't tank.

MTA --- See you volume is more than enough based on your current training, but would work that LR into the 14 - 16 mile range if you want a strong finish.

I'm going to disagree with this just a little.  You have what, about 6 weeks, right?  Rather than focus completely on the LR, also pick a day during the week and go longer there, too.  My bread and butter mid week workout is 10 - 12 miles with at least 45 minute tempos.  I would think if you could do 8 - 10 miles mid week throwing in that half hour or so tempo you did in the middle that would help you quite a bit.  Maybe also get the weekend run up to 12 - 13 miles, and pick it up some at the end just to get the feel of picking it up when you are tired.  You do this and I would really like your chances for sub 1:40.

MTA:  Buckeye, I actually agree with the 14 - 16 miles if he had more time.  I just think that going longer twice a week at the expense of a mile or two on the weekend is more beneficial at this point.  Not sure if I made myself clear in my post.

 

Glad to hear you're healing fast.

 

Thanks a ton for the input on training. Did the first interval session this morning and you're right - it was tough but very manageable. My 1000s were a few (2-5) seconds slower, probably residual fatigue from the race this past weekend, but overall quite an excellent workout.

 

I just found out something super cool. My goal race is the Akron half marathon. There are pace groups for the full marathon including one for 3:20. The cool part is that the half and the full run the same course for 11 miles.

Glad  you liked the work out - these will help you big time. Remember, think 10K effort as heat or fatigue or a bad day could affect pace. Take all of this into consideration when doing these work outs. Happy to hear you have some pace groups.

Flyer,

I know a lot of the Sub 20 guys are about racing by feel and a little anti-garmin.  But do you have one, if so I would wear it and use to monitor your pace versus a bunch of qtr mile splits to worry about.  For me I have the opposite problem as could probably run the longer races on feel but need my garmin from going way to fast 1st mile of 5k.

Half pace is just a little more comfortable than tempo pace (10k pace).   When you go out just make sure you are not feeling like you are dipping into the tank too much.

I also would not put too much into the calculators once above 10k, as their accuracy goes down the greater the distance from baseline race.  I think real good to help with a 5 miler based on 5k, 10k based on 5 miler, etc.  But when increasing race distance 4+ x's they tend to over estimate performance.  The disclaimer is times are based on being fully trained for that distance.  For example my times peg me for close to 3:30 in marathon but know do to increased distance realistically 3:40 - 3:45 is more realistic.

I think you will be your 1:40 if you can control early pace.  So if you pace for that 1:38 - 1:39 and you feel good around 9 miles you have the speed to kick it up a notch.

With 6 weeks out, any chance of finding a 10k - 10 miler around to test out some longer paces.

I remember in the first few miles of the half quite a few of the people around me were chatting a bit. This seemed weird to me at the time but I now realize they were the smart ones. A half is not run at conversational pace but if you can't get out a complete sentence or two every so often in the first few miles you are going too fast. This is probably a reasonable way of judging your effort rather than your pace - which is just an arbitrary number.

 

Heh.  This is what I love about the half.  If you run it right, yeah, you are running hard but there is a lot of chatting going on, etc.  Then after ten miles all of the sudden everyone around you shuts the hell up and there is a sense of urgency.  Then you're racing.  Fun, fun, stuff.

My goal is 1:37 for the half marathon but since I have never run one I will post here in the sub 1:40.

That is a 7:38 pace per mile seems doable.

 

I want to go out in 7:20s pace for the 1st half. Just keep logging sub 7:30s and see how I feel midway through the race. I have no idea how I can hit that pace though since I have only raced 5ks and nothing else.

 

I have a half marathon lined up for Sept. 27

 

Can anyone tell me how the 1st half marathon went for them?

Especially the opening mile or two compared to goal pace?

Did you die at the end or speed up?

I did my first HM in Sept 2006 .  My log shows that I was averaging 15mpw back then.    The prior month I'd run a 69 min 10 miler and a 19:30 5k.   I think my goal was 1:35 (7:15mpm) but for the first 7 miles I averaged 7:11.  Then the wheels fell off.  The last 5k was a real struggle and I finished with a disappointing 1:37.   It was pretty toasty that day and I didn't hydrate enough.

My 2nd HM was in Feb 2007 (in South Carolina rather than Chicago).  It was in the 60s and I ran 1:33.  I held somewhat even pacing (7:10s) for first 10 miles then I ran 6:40s for the last 5k.  I was now running a massive 20mpm.  Later that year I tried for a sub 1:30 on the same 20mpm - that did not go so well.

I didn't get under 1:30 until I started to put in more miles (35 to 40 mpm).  I ran the same SC race in Feb 2008 and ran a 1:28 and finished with a 20min 5k.  My longest run was 13 miles but I'd hammer out regular 5-6 mile tempo runs at 6:40mpm.

Anyway, as in most races, going out too fast will make it tough towards the end.  How tough depends on your base.  So, you really need to maintain your mileage and practice HM pace in a 10k or 10mile race.  Don't worry if it seems slow.  The goal is to know the pace.