Training for a sub 2 hour half-marathon

joehempel

I've only run about 25 miles since my marathon last September....I had surgery in October, and did Insanity MAX 30 and 21 Day Fix Extreme during the winter (starting in January).

I kept telling myself that I wouldn't be a runner this year, I bought Body Beast and said I was going to do that....but now that the weather is nice, well, let's just say, I'm a runner at heart and I couldn't help myself and I started making goals. A bulk of those 25 miles came in the last 2 weeks.

The last two years I trained and ran two marathons. This year though, I REALLY want a sub 2 hour half marathon so my focus is on that. The half I'm targeting is in August, and last year I missed it by 70 seconds.....talk about heart breaking.

So, I've got 4 months, my 5.45 mile run yesterday was at 9:16 and was a lot of hills towards the middle-end, my first 3 miles were sub 9. My goal race is incredibly flat.

Any thoughts on this being doable??

AllanMisner

At this point, you're able to run 5 1/2 miles at your race pace (and this was a training run). You should easily be able to set up a progressive set with three pace runs of moderate, short, long each week at something like 9:45 - 10:00 and one speed run time or distance intervals at 8:45 & 10:00. By mid-June, you should be having long runs around race distance. Then you can drop back the miles and work on pace runs in the 9:00 - 9:30 range. By August, you should have an average race pace below 9:15 and easily be able to carry the distance.

joehempel

I'm thinking I can do it, but I need to have my pace runs between 8:45-9:00, and my longer runs between 9:10-9:20.

I believe my downfall last year was not putting in the distance at race pace and falling back on the ideals that long runs should be easier. I'm going to train up to 16 miles for it with the last 16 mile run coming in two weeks before the half

Curtruns

sounds like you have your goal....sounds like you have your plan.....I see success in your future

AllanMisner

joehempel wrote: »

I'm thinking I can do it, but I need to have my pace runs between 8:45-9:00, and my longer runs between 9:10-9:20.

I believe my downfall last year was not putting in the distance at race pace and falling back on the ideals that long runs should be easier. I'm going to train up to 16 miles for it with the last 16 mile run coming in two weeks before the half

If you pace the runs the way you're talking, without doing any speed work, you're likely to get comfortable with that pace and anything faster will burn you out too quickly.

I'm not a fan of training at what I expect my race pace to be. I always saw better results when I trained at around 80 - 85% of race pace and got a good feel for that across all distances. In the speed/interval runs, I'll go 110% and 80%. This will give you plenty of kick when you want it and you'll have enough distance to be able to maintain.

I'm also not a fan of over reaching on the mileage. Minimum effective dose is the new phrasology of it. If you're able to go 90% of the distance on your last few long training runs, you'll easily be able push through on race day. To do more miles only makes you more prone to injury.

With my training ranges, I'd cut the race into three parts (5 miles, 5 miles, and 3.1 miles) with a goal of 9:00 per mile (giving you a two minute buffer). I'd do the first five miles at 9:30. I'd do the second five miles at 9:00. Then, the final 3.1 will be based on feel. If I am struggling, I'll work hard to maintain 9:15. If I feel good, I'm going to push as fast as 8:15 (not counting the sprint the last 150 yards).

joehempel

I don't agree with that one at all, sorry.

If you want to run a race at a certain pace, you have to train at that pace or faster. I've always been a big fan not training easier to be faster at a race. I'm not even sure how that would even work to be honest. How are you increasing your lactate threshold over an extended time by doing that??

As far as over reaching on mileage, if you're training for a 45 minute 10k, you most assuredly should be running more than 6.2 miles to have a realistic chance at doing it. No, you don't HAVE to over reach your miles, but the longer runs can and will have a better impact on the run.

I train my track kids to run 1.5-2 miles on the road for a 1600m race, and 4-5 miles for cross country kids.

ljones27uk

I ran my first, and only half marathon to date, last month. In training I was running at just over 9:10 a mile and ran the half at 8:55 miles. Something about being in a race and with other people spurred me to run faster than normal training pace. A lot of my running buddies also advised that was likely to happen before the race, so Im inclined to agree with Allan as its certainly how it worked for me.
Good luck with the next half, reckon youve got this nailed

joehempel

I've never had that happen LOL. I know there is adrenaline going and you are supposed to perform better in a race situation because of that, but I've never experienced it.

scottb81

My best races have always come aftet running slower high mileage at much slower than race pace with once or twice a week tempo runs. Be careful of too much "intensity" at high mileage thoigh.

I ran a 1:35 HM wirh most of my training 90 seconds to 3 min per mile slower than that pace.

CarsonRuns

More miles, more miles, more miles.

16 mile long run is a good idea, but you need the rest of the weekly milage to support it. You should be close to 50 miles per week.

If you are trying to break 2, you don't need to worry about LT pace. Your aerobic engine is what needs to be developed. You do that by running more easy miles, not miles at projected race pace.

BrianSharpe

^^^ Listen to Carson & Scott........end of conversation.

joehempel

CarsonRuns wrote: »

More miles, more miles, more miles.

16 mile long run is a good idea, but you need the rest of the weekly milage to support it. You should be close to 50 miles per week.

If you are trying to break 2, you don't need to worry about LT pace. Your aerobic engine is what needs to be developed. You do that by running more easy miles, not miles at projected race pace.

Thanks guys!

When I was training for my marathons I was around 60 miles a week towards the end, so I can hit the 50 with no problem and balance the weekly mileage coming towards the end.

I'm still very unsure about the whole running at slower than my projected pace. I can see my higher mileage runs (14-16) being slower to build the endurance, but I would think my shorter runs and ones even getting close to the 13.1 mark should be at the very least within a minute or so (total time out, no mpm) of my projected race.

I've never really trained for a goal "time" before, just ran.

rybo

The training at slower than race pace is to allow you to get the miles in without beating your body up too much. Running a lot of miles fast is flirting with injury. You should still run a tempo run once a week, maybe some hill repeats thrown in, but most miles should be relatively comfortable. One thing you can do is run just the last 2-3 miles of a longer run at race pace. It won't beat you up, but let's you get that mental boost that you can run fast.

joehempel

rybo wrote: »

The training at slower than race pace is to allow you to get the miles in without beating your body up too much. Running a lot of miles fast is flirting with injury. You should still run a tempo run once a week, maybe some hill repeats thrown in, but most miles should be relatively comfortable. One thing you can do is run just the last 2-3 miles of a longer run at race pace. It won't beat you up, but let's you get that mental boost that you can run fast.

That sounds like a good compromise.

scottb81

The reason it works is because the pont where you are maximally trauning the aerobic system (where your energy source is 50% fat and 50% glyvogen) is around 75% max heart rate or about 70% heart rate reserve. A pretty easy pace.

Trajning harder than that most of the time just wears you out for a marginal short term gain and will inhibit long term gsins.

Ohhim

joehempel wrote: »

I don't agree with that one at all, sorry.

If you want to run a race at a certain pace, you have to train at that pace or faster. I've always been a big fan not training easier to be faster at a race. I'm not even sure how that would even work to be honest. How are you increasing your lactate threshold over an extended time by doing that??

Uh... ran a 1:46 last fall (8:09 pace), and a 1:47 4-weeks back. 80% of my training runs were between a 10:30-11:30 minute/mile pace (at around 70%-75% of my max heart rate). Did speed work about once/week, but even then, it was usually no more than 30-40 minutes at a time (tempo runs & 400 repeats). The key to getting faster for me was taking off weight (getting my BMI below 25 helped), and doing about 30+ miles/week of training. Doing all of your training near race pace is a sure way to injure yourself.

kristinegift

Is it doable? Definitely. Take a lot of the advice that's been given and work it into your training plan. 40-50 mile weeks sound good if you want your longest run to be 15-16 miles. My last PR in the half (1:58:28 after a summer of being around the 2:02 range) came two weeks after my first full marathon. All those long training runs really helped me get past that 2 hour mental block I've had since 2012.

However, as you probably know, if you've ran 25 miles total since last fall, you'll want to ramp it up nice and slow. Don't throw yourself into 30+ mile weeks too eagerly, or you'll risk injury.

joehempel wrote: »

I don't agree with that one at all, sorry.

If you want to run a race at a certain pace, you have to train at that pace or faster. I've always been a big fan not training easier to be faster at a race. I'm not even sure how that would even work to be honest. How are you increasing your lactate threshold over an extended time by doing that??

I've also been of the mindset that you have to train at a pace to race a certain pace. But recently I listened to the Runner Academy podcast episode about 80/20 running and have been trying very hard to run most of my runs at a slow, easy pace (9:15-10 minute miles) and one run a week at an 8:15 or faster pace. I've found that by doing that just for 2 weeks, I can do the faster run far more comfortably. I'm trying very hard to get on board the 80/20 train, even if it goes against what my instict would be which is to run as fast as I can for as long as I can every time I go out

joehempel

thanks!

Yeah, I'm ramping up slow.....I've done about 17 miles in a week and a half, 12 miles last week and plan on 15 this week with the long run being the 10k (can't believe I just said 10k was a long run).

CarsonRuns

Just to give you some perspective on training at easy paces. When I ran my HM PR a couple years back, more than 80% of my mileage was slower than a 9:00 mile. I ran 1:28.

It works.

scottb81

The other thing about running easy is you can ramp up your mileage really fast with little risk.

I took 15 months off doing nothing except getting fat, walked for a few weeks and then was back to 40+ mile weeks within 2 weeks of starting running again. But they were all really easy miles. At 7 weeks I got to 59 miles. Now at 8 weeks everything is still feeling really good. Nearly all is below 130 HR 77% max. Still slow but gradually getting faster.

lporter229

I agree with everything that has been said here. If you are having trouble with it, pick up a copy of Matt Fitzgerald's "80/20". It explains very well why this method of training works and has training programs. I used it to prepare for my last marathon. In the process, I knocked my half marathon PR down to 1:43 and change, which is a 7:55 pace. Most of my training runs were between 9-9:40. It takes some time to get used to running slower, but you just have to have faith that it works.