The FastDay Forum

Hi everyone - how did our half marathoners (Susan/Olsen) get on today?

We had a good parkrun on Saturday, 23:57 for me (2014 PB) and 29:35 for MrsPete, no great problems for either of us for once - things seem to be looking up!

@CreakyPete Well done on your PB at the weekend! The weather was lovely here, hope it was for you too.
Olsen posted on another forum about his half marathon, and did a PB too (I'm sure he will be here to tell us about that and the carb loading soon!)
My half isn't until April 13th, so still a couple of week's training to do yet. Did a 17km run on Saturday, then Sunday training with the club, 5km jog then intervals of 4 x 1400m, so quite an active weekend even without any racing! Hope everyone else had a good one

Hello Runners!
The half marathon went really well, new PB with 1:44:33. It was a massive event with 30 k people running so naturally there was a lot of changing "lanes", and "sorry", "coming thru" etc. My run went smoothly keeping the same speed all the way. Legs were really good so my conclusion is that carb loading works. However, it will take some more experimenting to find a way to load carbs without upsetting my stomach totally. You have to ask yourself: Do I really want this (possible) advantage for that price?
I suppose it's easier when you are on maintenance once youe have reached your goal weight. The difference between 5:2 ing and keeping below or at TDEE daily and carboloading is massive. I was afraid I would have it all ruined by having to stay at toilet, or getting problems mid run. Luckily everything clicked a few hours before start, but that was luck (and prunes + coffee).
Next time I will stick with maple syrup and try with corn porridge as well. Maybe some white rice, but I have to read more about it all first.

I had that problem with the last half-marathon I did. I guess i'm not used to all those carbs (I don't low-carb on purpose, but I don't really eat a lot of carbs). I was in the loo up until about 5 minutes before the race, and had to stop once on the way. Still… having done long runs on the day after a fast, it's really necessary to have some fuel to burn…

Anyway… congrats on your PBs, @RunningOlsen and @CreakyPete!

Congrats on your half marathon @RunningOlsen you must be thrilled with that time. I hope I can do as well in a oouple of weeks. I definitely won't be trying carb loading, though...like @MaryAnnI don't eat a lot of carbs and I they always say the worst thing you can do is drastically change your eating habits before a race. For a marathon I think that a change of diet and increase in carbs is necessary, plus gels or some sustenance during the race, but for a half I think I'll just do as I do for a 10km, but take water with me as dehydration is more of an issue for me.

Thanks and Big congrats to @CreakyPete! Great time!

Thanks! That was the best performance for six months, although I should be able to run a minute quicker. Ideally I shall knock a few seconds off each week so as to post a new PB each time! When I started parkrun three+ years ago I got my all-time PB within a couple of months, and only three PBs in total - now on this new event I have managed three consecutively, which does help determination & enjoyment...

Well done Olsen for sub 1h 45m, that rings a bell with me as my first attempt at a half at the tender age of (half a lifetime ago), never expected to do that well on a hilly course having not run the distance in training.

Regarding the carbo loading, I must admit I eat more carbs even leading up to a Saturday parkrun 5k, just the Thursday and Friday normally but also after a decent bike ride just to ensure glycogen stores are not depleted!

Good time Olsen. I am having my first injury plagued period for quite a while having tweaked a hamstring but, hopefully, that is all behind me now. Great to hear about everyone's times and events. Keep it up.

Hi Simon, nice to see you back, I have been wondering where you had got to!

If I recall right you were aiming for a sub-25 min parkrun by Easter - still on target?

Not sure yet. I have missed about a month's proper training so it feels like I am running uphill through a vat of treacle whilst wearing diving boots at the moment. I may have to bump my targets on a month. Booooooooooo

it feels like I am running uphill through a vat of treacle whilst wearing diving boots at the moment

What a wonderful way to say it! I guess we all feel that way from time to time as most runners do get injured. However, I read an article (I'll try to find it if any interest) about it wasn't so much the loss of training (VO2max etc.) as after a week without running we slightly "forget" how to move optimal. So when it feels harder it's partly because we are re-learning to run like we did when we were on a roll. This also explains to me why after tapering to a big race you can experience legs that feel stiffer/"dead"'er (at the race) than expected after a break in training and you think "Why didn't rest help more"?

Congrats to all, Simon-I hope your injury has resolved. I continue to make progress as well. This past weekend I completed this years first half, it was a PB, first sub 2hr run(1:59). Last years best was 2:03 and the previous year was 2:10. Dropping the weight surely has helped but I do get lot's of aches & pains. Ice, rest and ibuprofen seems to bring me back within a couple days so I usually get one short and one mid length run in during the week. Hope the weather is conducive for running this weekend for all.... forge ahead !

Belated congratulations to @RunningOlsen on the PB. I'm aware (as far as I know from The Killing, Borgen, etc) that Copenhagen is fairly flat, but just getting past people in that big an event is impressive

Help, I need some advice! I've just had an MRI scan for my knee which has been painful ever since I sprained it 3 years ago. I can run, but the first 2 kms have always been painful. The MRI shows a torn meniscus and a meniscal cyst (apologies if it isn't right in English but I was in a French hospital!)
I have to see a surgeon as surgery (keyhole I think) is required. In the meantime I don't want to stop running as I've had it for so long it isn't really a problem for me, even in races (except for the initial pain during the warm up). I've got a half marathon in a week and still intend to do this, am I being really stupid? The thought of not running, or doing any exercise is just awful

Susan, that sounds scary! Given that you've been running on it for 3 years, I can't imagine one race will make a difference. But I'm not a doctor. Did they give you any advice when you got the MRI?

My 10k on Sunday went ok. I knocked another minute off my PB, but I still didn't get under an hour. After spending the 3 days before the race tromping around Tokyo looking at cherry blossoms, and not getting nearly enough sleep the night before the race, I am surprised I did that well.