Race, Run or Ignore

ftrobbie

After some advice please.

My history, male 49, only been running 10 months, starting with C25K, progressing to B210K, run a 10km race 4 months ago and completed my first HM 2 weeks ago in 2hr6min. Training volume 30-40 miles a week.

I am intending to run another HM at the end of June, a must do for me (Humber Bridge) and a first FM at the end of September, in my home city.

So the question is, there is another HM that sounds so pretty in the middle of May, running around the hills of the Peak District in a small event. I am torn between ignoring it, running it or racing it. I am genuinely conflicted. I want to do well in the June HM and want to make sure that I enjoy the FM, these are key for me. So I don’t know whether the mid May HM is a HM too far. If not, do I run it or race it? It will be 6 weeks before the must do HM.

Thanks for the help

Roxiegirl2008

I ran the Star Wars 1/2 marathon a week out from running the my full marathon in NOLA. I know a lot people asked me why I would do such a thing...but its a Disney race and they are really fun. I will say that I didn't run it to get a PR. I just ran it for the pure joy of running in Disney and used it more as a last long training run. I ran one last five mile recovery run that week (Wednesday I think) and then didn't run at all until my full marathon on that Sunday. I enjoyed every step of the full. I felt really strong and had no issue with cramping or anything like that.

Good luck with your HM and FM.

_Waffle_

6 weeks? You can probably race both of those things. I don't see why not if you have at least a full month in between. IMHO of course.

Robbnva

Run it, id probably do more if the wife would let me. Mental note, budget money for races in 2016

lporter229

If you are at 30-40 MPW, you should be completely fine to race it. Who knows though, if you choose just to run it, you may surprise yourself given the current mileage you have been putting in.

ftrobbie

Why am I conflicted? I still mechanistically follow plans, and the plan says no, so my head says no but my heart says yes. But I won't forgive myself if I screw up the Humber Bridge Half. Thanks for the input, it sounds like I need to convince my head and trust the training for the HBH.

Robbnva wrote: »

Run it, id probably do more if the wife would let me. Mental note, budget money for races in 2016

Made me chuckle, my issues is not cash it's time, coaching on Sundays which happens to be rundays in the UK. Eight months of coaching and four months off. The 10k and HM were done on coaching days, I got time off for good behaviour.

HAve fun

kristinegift

Run it! 4-6 weeks is plenty to recover between HMs. And by that time you should be starting to ramp up mileage for the full marathon, right? It'll be good race experience, and if mid-May rolls around and you wanna race it, go for it!

CarsonRuns

Yeah, race it. Plenty of recovery time for the second one.

MountainMaggie

I say do it.

brandiuntz

I'd say at least run it, race it if you're feeling good.

ftrobbie

Crowd sourcing answers, it's great

So the general feeling is run it and race it if feels good. I'm going to hang fire entering until the next credit card period and then go for it.

The good people of Eyam just have a few more coppers for their charitable funds. I have amended the training programme to allow this as a longer training run with a small bit of tapering to give me the opportunity for going harder if it feels good.

Thanks for the support.

ftrobbie

I ran it at the weekend, had a niggle in my calf so did not race. The gun time was 6 secs slower than the chip time at my last HM (Silverstone) which was pancake flat. Below is the profile and pacing. Guess when I walked on the hills. Thank you for the encouragement, I did enjoy it, but it was hard.

Have fun with your running

WhatMeRunning

Congrats! Nice pace btw.

brandiuntz

Congrats!

LittlePinkShotgun

It's a pretty standard practice to incorporate "B" races into the training plan for the "A" race
Glad you had fun!

glevinso

Noshesnomore wrote: »

It's a pretty standard practice to incorporate "B" races into the training plan for the "A" race
Glad you had fun!

Yea this, I have "B" and even "C" races in there as part of my build-ups to major A-races. Common practice.

ftrobbie

Thanks, given I had only done one before and I was really hoping to focus on Humber, I got all nervous as teh training plan I am using doesn't really go near HM distance. It's the nervousness of not wanting to blow Humber due to tinkering with things I don't truly understand. However far happier now, as it has served as a validation of the training for this race.

Cheers again for the comments and support

tmarie1989

Roxiegirl2008 wrote: »

I ran the Star Wars 1/2 marathon a week out from running the my full marathon in NOLA. I know a lot people asked me why I would do such a thing...but its a Disney race and they are really fun. I will say that I didn't run it to get a PR. I just ran it for the pure joy of running in Disney and used it more as a last long training run. I ran one last five mile recovery run that week (Wednesday I think) and then didn't run at all until my full marathon on that Sunday. I enjoyed every step of the full. I felt really strong and had no issue with cramping or anything like that.

Good luck with your HM and FM.

My sister and I found out about the Star Wars Half and are going to do next year's! I'm so excited - we both recently watched the whole series and my life has changed (for the better)! It'll be my second half and second time ever at Disneyland!

snowflakesav

I would do it. 6 weeks is a good interval between 1/2 marathons. The concern with summer races is that is you happen to have a hot day for either one of the races you might be very disappointed at how it goes despite being trained. Your chances of having hot weather ruining a perfectly good training cycle is good.