Help me break 1:50 in the Half

Long Beach Half Marathon in mid-Oct. I'm signed up. I last did a half in 2005 where I did it in 2:03 (plus i had to take a crap during the run so i might have gone under 2:00?).

i've already started trash talking here at work but the time i want to beat is 1:50. so help me out.

any recommendations on books/websites to read? sprint workout recommendations? general training regimens?

my two best runs so far this year were a 7.45 at 1:00:38 and a 5.00 at just under 40:00. so i think the sub 1:50:00 half is doable but i definitely need to increase my endurance. the 7.26 at 1:01:30 this past weekend was really painful. i had to work at it.

also realize that i've never been a natural athlete like i imagine some of you are so be realistic in your recommendations.

-Jeff

In addition to your long runs, run short distances (3 or less) as quickly as you can, or at least outside of your comfort zone.

:55

/thread

Originally Posted by gamelan

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Long Beach Half Marathon in mid-Oct. I'm signed up. I last did a half in 2005 where I did it in 2:03 (plus i had to take a crap during the run so i might have gone under 2:00?).

i've already started trash talking here at work but the time i want to beat is 1:50. so help me out.

any recommendations on books/websites to read? sprint workout recommendations? general training regimens?

my two best runs so far this year were a 7.45 at 1:00:38 and a 5.00 at just under 40:00. so i think the sub 1:50:00 half is doable but i definitely need to increase my endurance. the 7.26 at 1:01:30 this past weekend was really painful. i had to work at it.

also realize that i've never been a natural athlete like i imagine some of you are so be realistic in your recommendations.

-Jeff

I'm also running Long Beach - I'll be running the full and my wife the half. My personal best half has been 1:52 (2 weeks ago). Long, slow weekend runs of 15 to 20 miles have really helped me to improve my endurance and time.

Good luck at Long Beach - might see you there!

Also - they are offering pace groups for the LB Half - go to the website and get in the 1:50 pace group.

******* THOMAS ###### ****** TX USA 36 M 1:45:21 (Aramco)

And I think I'm going to try again this year.

Start early with the long runs, I topped out at 12-milers on Sunday mornings, and I think I ran three or four of those in the months preceding the half. A couple of months before the race I started intervals and ran ladders (100/200/400/200/100) to get some speed in my legs.

On race day: for God's sake - draft off other runners when running into a headwind. I didn't and suffered accordingly.

Good luck!

Ive always wanted to do that since it goes right by my apt. but its tough to get up hungover on a saturday morning.

God, I can't run distance well at all until I find shoes that protect my soles from being shredded by pavement without shortening my stride. Running shoes are so inefficient but I want to run longer distances...

Get a heart rate monitor, train at zones, a Garmin would also give your pace, so you can work toward that race pace
Find on line training schedule with your goal time
Track work
Train with runner(S) a little faster than you
Research nutrition
Endure pain
Repeat

Hi, I do marathons and halfs. Three suggestions:

1. lengthen your long-runs. Make some of them 13-15 miles. This will give you better endurance;

2. build in periods on increased pacing for some of the shorter long runs. For example, if you do a long run at 2-2.5 minutes above marathon pace, try one long run where you do five to six 1/2 mile intervals at marathon pace.

3. Do intervals or fartleks one day per week

intervals son, intervals. http://www.sportslog.com/running-log...speed-work.htm

When I first read this I thought he meant the 800

First off, make sure your mileage is high enough. Daily runs of 6+ miles/day Monday-Friday should occur. Once you're constant with that, add in intervals, repeat 400s/800s/miles such that you have a total training volume that's high enough. Fartlek(sp?!) runs are also pretty interesting. Weekends are optional, but highly recommended. Long slow distances to recover.

I ran cross country/track throughout high school, but didn't care much for the longer distances so my best training run was only 9miles in ~56 minutes.

You posting a current training schedule/log would probably be the best way for us to help you.

Originally Posted by adversity04

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When I first read this I thought he meant the 800

First off, make sure your mileage is high enough. Daily runs of 6+ miles/day Monday-Friday should occur. Once you're constant with that, add in intervals, repeat 400s/800s/miles such that you have a total training volume that's high enough. Fartlek(sp?!) runs are also pretty interesting. Weekends are optional, but highly recommended. Long slow distances to recover.

I ran cross country/track throughout high school, but didn't care much for the longer distances so my best training run was only 9miles in ~56 minutes.

You posting a current training schedule/log would probably be the best way for us to help you.

1:50 for 800 is really damn fast.


Imo you dont need to go longer than 12 or 13 for you longest training runs. Save the 15+ milers for marathon prep if you decide to do one.
If you want to do repeat intervals for speedwork, i think longer intervals like 1200s or miles are more beneficial for a half marathon than something like 400s.

You are already able to run 7+ miles at close to or better than goal pace in training, so just inceasing your endurance by building up to longer runs will probably get you to a 1:50 half.

Originally Posted by adversity04

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When I first read this I thought he meant the 800

First off, make sure your mileage is high enough. Daily runs of 6+ miles/day Monday-Friday should occur. Once you're constant with that, add in intervals, repeat 400s/800s/miles such that you have a total training volume that's high enough. Fartlek(sp?!) runs are also pretty interesting. Weekends are optional, but highly recommended. Long slow distances to recover.

I ran cross country/track throughout high school, but didn't care much for the longer distances so my best training run was only 9miles in ~56 minutes.

You posting a current training schedule/log would probably be the best way for us to help you.

Originally Posted by jwied82

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1:50 for 800 is really damn fast.


Imo you dont need to go longer than 12 or 13 for you longest training runs. Save the 15+ milers for marathon prep if you decide to do one.
If you want to do repeat intervals for speedwork, i think longer intervals like 1200s or miles are more beneficial for a half marathon than something like 400s.

You are already able to run 7+ miles at close to or better than goal pace in training, so just inceasing your endurance by building up to longer runs will probably get you to a 1:50 half.

I respectfully disagree as to taking weekends off. You want to build in at least one long run per week and weekends are the best time to do that. Also, with a good schedule, building a base of 30+ miles per week is not necessary. However, intervals and fartleks are quite useful.

I generally agree with capping the long runs at 12-13 miles. In fact, one could do as few as 10 on the longer long run days. However, inasmuch as the OP indicated he wanted to increase endurance, one or two at 15-16 miles would not be a bad thing. NOTE: as a general rule, one would want to alternate the long runs, so one could do the following in a 16 week schedule (this is just the long runs:

week 1 - 6 miles
week 2 - 8 miles
week 3 - 6 miles
week 4 - 8 miles (3/1)
week 5 - 10 miles
week 6 - 8 miles (3/1)
week 7 - 12 miles
week 8 - 10 miles (3/1
week 9 - 14 miles
week 10 - 10 miles
week 11 - 16 miles
week 12 - 13 miles
week 13 - 10 miles (3/1)
week 14 - 8 miles
week 15 - 4 miles
week 16 - race

On the 3/1 days, you run the 1st 3/4 of the run at a comfortable long-run pace (think being able to talk in sentences) and for the last quarter you run within 30 seconds of race pace.

For the OP to do a 1:50, he will need to run approximately 8:23 per mile over the course. For the long-runs, comfortable can be about 10:00 to 10:30 per mile. On 3/1's, the last quarter of the run would be about 8:45-9:00 per mile. The notion on the 3/1s is to kick it at the end, which will build the endurance for finishing the OP seems to feel he needs.

It all comes down to his current scheduling which we do not know. Running Mon - Fri is the same as Thurs - Mon. Need to know his current schedule and mileage before we can say "thou shall do this"

OP: Please post a training schedule

Originally Posted by adversity04

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It all comes down to his current scheduling which we do not know. Running Mon - Fri is the same as Thurs - Mon. Need to know his current schedule and mileage before we can say "thou shall do this"

OP: Please post a training schedule

I do not disagree re: working from his current schedule. My sole point as to Monday through Friday was that simply running the same 3 of miles m-f is not the way to go.

From the OP description, he already has a base and has run in races this year, including two of more than 7 miles at an 8:24 pace. If her could keep the pace (e.g., build endurance) for longer he would readily meet his goal. Hence, my suggested focus on endurance building through long runs and interval and fartlek work to build speed.