The FastDay Forum

Slight improvement at parkrun for me, 24:18, and felt much better in the first mile due to intervals on the bike yesterday (see HIT thread) but wilted in the last half mile. Managed a sprint to finish in front of old rival but only because he shouted that he was coming to get me!

MrsPete is disconsolate having had to walk a couple of times despite two good training runs in the week, 30:48 or thereabouts.

How about the rest of you?

Damp and cold here - but all my technology worked, including my new New Balance running tights, very comfortable.

Towards the end of the 3rd lap, a PB in my sights, Minnie decided she needed a poo. I do try to encourage to have one before we leave the house, but sometimes.....

And if I'm running with dogs I ALWAYS carry a bag, and I ALWAYS pick it up. But my finish time was (a pretty respectable) 27 minutes dead, 16 secs off last week's smashing breakthrough PB.

Our first anniversary is looming in March - the points race is on!

I've set my training targets now and number 1 on my list is to go sub 24 minutes for the Heaton Park Parkrun. I am gearing my training up towards the run on 29.03.14 so we will see what happens between now and then. It is a difficult course but I am a far better runner on the hills than on the flat.

Watch this space!

Great target, good luck with the training! I have not been under 24 mins for ages and I am aiming to get there within the next couple of weeks, having started doing intervals on the bike and walking with a heavy rucksack...

Hi Guys,

Just found and read through this thread, some awesome achievements.
I do some running as well, my PB for 10km is 54.20, for 15km is 1.26.12 and 21km is 2.15.22.

Currently I am struggling with shin splints that just won't go away, only managed 54.5km training in December and a measly 22.5km in January.
I recently started mountain biking, that I can do without any pain but running is still my favourite.

Keep it up.

Cheers Brian, nice to find another male runner! Some of the ladies here are on their way up, I am definitely on my way down but used to be keen. My problem is hips which are wearing out but I know shin-splints is very unpleasant, MrsPete was suffering for quite a long time with them last year. Hope you can get rid of them and get back to proper training as soon as possible. Keep checking in, let us know your progress...

Well I've been feel really heavy-legged since new year and I've also found a non-stop 5km impossible at the moment. So last week I ran shorter distances (between 2 and 4km) Monday through to Thursday, so I actually ran on my fast days for the first time and found that I could survive and not feel any hungrier afterwards! Thursday I finally got round to joining Bridgnorth Running Club and we did some Kenyan Hill Training which was great but I really felt it the next day in my glutes and core muscles.

Friday I allowed myself a rest day so that I could attempt Telford park run again on Saturday - it was a pacing event and I was hoping to be on the tail of the 30 minute guy but I could see him in the distance and just couldn't catch him. At the 2km point I suddenly felt like I was running in thigh-deep water (it was raining, but not THAT much ) and I couldn't catch my breath so sadly I had to pull up.

The only thing that slightly reassured me was that the pacer popped up on FB later that day apologising for his speedy start, so I'm guessing he had to slow down further into the run.... So I think I just ran too fast too early on and my body objected.

Meh....

Hi Guys,

Just found and read through this thread, some awesome achievements.
I do some running as well, my PB for 10km is 54.20, for 15km is 1.26.12 and 21km is 2.15.22.

Currently I am struggling with shin splints that just won't go away, only managed 54.5km training in December and a measly 22.5km in January.
I recently started mountain biking, that I can do without any pain but running is still my favourite.

Keep it up.

shin splints-ouch! I hope you recover soon. I've never gotten them from running, only basketball.

I'm worried I'm not going to get another long training run in before the half-marathon on Feb. 1. If I can't do it today or tomorrow, I think I should forget about it. This cold is hanging on a bit, and I'm afraid a long run won't help with my recovery. I'll get a few hill runs in, though, as the course is really hilly, so it might help. And HIIT, if the spin bike doesn't bother my bruised tailbone. Can you tell I'm not having a great week?!

@Brian nice to see you here! Shin plints sound painful. I still have a problem with the cartilage in my knee but am getting by, funnily enough it hurts less the faster I run!
@Mary Ann what was the longest you ran before doing your half marathon? I'm planning to do one in April and did an 18km run on Sunday morning, nice and easy, in around 1 hour 40 mins, so am looking at doing <1 hour 45 mins in a race. Should I do a longer run before the race? I usually only do 10kms races and it isn't the same thing at all!

My last long run was going to be 18k. I've been adding 2k to my long run each week. I've seen everything from about 16-20k in training programs. I've been told that as long as you've trained to at least 3/4 of the race distance, you'll be ok. I'm no expert though! You're much faster than me. I took almost 3h for the only half-marathon I've run, but I really hadn't adequately prepared for that one.

Hi Susan, 18 km is plenty for a long run, MaryAnn is correct that you do not need to train over the full distance. And April is still a long way away - you will be fine if you do a handful of 15 - 18 km runs before then, but try winding the pace up a bit on the shorter ones perhaps? Good luck!

Thanks Mary Ann - I thought that 18kms would probably be OK. Good luck with your training plan!
Pete, my training programme is interval training twice a week, one long run with variable pace at the end, and one long jog (hour and a half).
I'm pretty sure that my race pace for a 10km run (nearly 13km per hour) would be impossible to maintain for a half marathon, so I'm not quite sure what to aim for in the race. I'd be really happy if I could do 1 hour 40 mins. The race I'm planning to do is quite flat and good for the chrono.

A rule-of-thumb for half-marathon to full marathon used to be double the time plus 10 minutes, there must be a similar relationship for 10km to half-marathon but I don't know it, maybe double plus 10 still works (because of the extra 1km)? In which case, you should cruise 1h 40m!

When I was last a proper runner, in 2010, I ran 45:13 10k in April and 1:38:50 half marathon in May, if this helps...

Thanks Pete, you have given me hope!

When I did my first 21 the longest I had previously run was 15km.
My approach was to tell myself after 5km, easy peasy you run 5km no probs then after 10km, done that many times now 10 to go, at 15km it's only 6 to go now and before you know it, you've done it.

Start like a tortoise and end like rabbit, relevant to your fitness of course. You are clearly talented and your times are super, go and enjoy it.