Improve half marathon

Will131power

Not trying to spit in anyone's face. I'm just saying I know my body. I started this thread so I (& others) can get advice on how to train, not to be told by other people what I'm capable of. I understand it will take hardwork and don't expect it to be an easy feat. I rarely post to threads like this because of the negative people saying you can't/ shouldn't do this. I'm aware of the risk, I'm just trying to figure out what is the most beneficial way to train or what to work up to

pondee629

Shaving a minute+ per mile off your pace for 13.1 miles is a heck of a feat/goal. Check out the web for half marathon training plans/advanced and see what they suggest. here is one: http://www.walkjogrun.net/training/half-marathon/training-plan.cfm?planId=half-adv-run

Right now, for me, doing a 28 minute 5K is a goal. Hoping to survive the Half I've scheduled myself for in September, looking/hoping for 2:30. I've done 9 miles in training averaging 11:24. Moving up to ten miles this
Saturday. Mid-week I'm doing 5 miles on Monday, 5 on Wednesday, 3 on Friday and a the long run on Saturdays.

I wish you all the best. Report back on your results. Be well.

deluxmary2000

When you say that your current time “is roughly” 1:45 for 13.1, is that absolute max effort? I’m thinking that if that was your pace for more of a casual training run, then shaving off 1 minute per mile in an actual best-effort race may not be as big of a feat as some seem to think. Especially if the race conditions (temperature, humidity, elevation) are more favorable than your training conditions.
But feasibility aside, I say the first two responses you received gave good advice for improvement. Good luck!

mitch16

lporter229 wrote: »

ROBOTFOOD wrote: »

The difference between 1:45 to 1:30 is massive. Good luck!

So true. My half marathon time has been under 1:45 for over a year now and I am trying to get it under 1:40 for the fall. I plan to train by running 6-7 days per week with 50+ miles per week for the next 16 weeks. It takes a lot. However, I have been running a pretty long time, so I am probably closer to my peak than you. If you have just started running, you are likely to notice more rapid improvements.

As far as your question on running vs. strength training, most runners will tell you that the way to get faster at running is to run more. Strength training will definitely help your running, but it will also contribute to fatigue. It is tricky to find the proper balance. Most runners I know will do most of their strength training in the off season and only add body weight exercises as a supplement during their training cycles. You kind of have to decide what is most important to you based on your goals and focus on that.

I would also add that if you are gunning for a sub-elite/advanced time, you should be neither on an active cut nor an active bulk.

mitch16

Also--take it with a grain of salt, but if you've never raced a full half-marathon, you can use this to help predict your finish time based on other race distances...

http://www.runnersworld.com/pace-calculators/race-times-predictor

MeanderingMammal

Will131power wrote: »

I understand your concern, but being an athlete I have a different capability than normal, thanks for the concern.

Up to you, but be aware of the risks. Personally I'll run back to back longs at the weekend of between 13s and 20s, with my current A-race being a 12 hour trail event.

I'd observe that performance in one discipline doesn't inherently translate to performance in another. As a runner I'm comfortable with the idea of a Century ride with little dedicated preparation, but I wouldn't consider a comparable swim, 10K, without adapting to that.

Running is very easy to do badly, but some people manage to escape the injuries that come from doing too much, too soon. I hope you're one of them.

_Waffle_

Will131power wrote: »

So I'm planning on running my first half marathon this fall. I'm hoping to finish with in 1.5 hours. Right now my time is roughly 1.75. What are the best ways to take time off those long distances. I run 3x a week (10 miles +, 3 miles +, & 8 miles +) trying to keep a steady pace with wind sprints throughout. Any suggestions on improving time? Thanks.

Train for a full marathon.

ETA: I'm only half joking.

Will131power

@deluxmary2000 @pondee629 @mitch16 Thanks for the support, I am pretty happy with my training setup thanks to a few posts. I'll also check out those sites. Thanks again

ROBOTFOOD

Check out Sage Canadays Half marathon plan. I've ran it in the past and got good results. Only $10. Tops out at 55mpw. Not too bad.

Will131power

So my training camp is cut short, got a bad sprain training for another sport. I was able to get my average pace at 7m30s for 12 miles. Once my ankle heals I'll start running again.