half marathon this saturday; training has been in the toilet

LoosingMyLast15

long story short (hopefully). i'm running my second half marathon this saturday (second time i've done this particular race so i know the course). thanks to a series of foot injuries/issues my training has been in the toilet this year. my pace is off and my distance is off. after trying a ridiculous number of ideas to solve my foot problems (PF and Peroneal Tendonitis) including visiting a podiatrist, i finally found something that has worked (superfeet green inserts). i went from 4/5 pieces of KT tape PLUS 2 pairs of cheap inserts in each sneaker to 1 piece of kt tape thanks to my superfeet green inserts. HOWEVER i only discovered these 3 weeks ago. so i kicked my training into high gear (as much as i could) and trained almost daily no mater what the temp (even got in an hour run sunday when temps hit 95).

fast forward 3 weeks and i'm no where near running 13 miles not even 10. other than getting in 1 final long run tonight (the weather is amazing today - low 70s) is there anything i can do to help myself get through this race (don't say don't do it - that's not gonna happen).

i'm no stranger to races - this year i've done three 10ks and four 5ks and like i said this is my second half.

since i trained during the hottest days (i live in VA - sunday was 95) will this help give me a little extra boost at saturday's race (temps are supposed to be in the high 60s - perfect running weather).

thavoice

long story short (hopefully). i'm running my second half marathon this saturday (second time i've done this particular race so i know the course). thanks to a series of foot injuries/issues my training has been in the toilet this year. my pace is off and my distance is off. after trying a ridiculous number of ideas to solve my foot problems (PF and Peroneal Tendonitis) including visiting a podiatrist, i finally found something that has worked (superfeet green inserts). i went from 4/5 pieces of KT tape PLUS 2 pairs of cheap inserts in each sneaker to 1 piece of kt tape thanks to my superfeet green inserts. HOWEVER i only discovered these 3 weeks ago. so i kicked my training into high gear (as much as i could) and trained almost daily no mater what the temp (even got in an hour run sunday when temps hit 95).

fast forward 3 weeks and i'm no where near running 13 miles not even 10. other than getting in 1 final long run tonight (the weather is amazing today - low 70s) is there anything i can do to help myself get through this race (don't say don't do it - that's not gonna happen).

i'm no stranger to races - this year i've done three 10ks and four 5ks and like i said this is my second half.

since i trained during the hottest days (i live in VA - sunday was 95) will this help give me a little extra boost at saturday's race (temps are supposed to be in the high 60s - perfect running weather).

Friend of mine said her most enjoyable HM was when she went in with very low expectations due to training issues like this.
She said it took the whole idea of a PR out of her mind and she just went and ran and enjoyed it!

Unfortunately these things happen. Just go out and have fun with it!

JTick

You should be tapering at this point, no?

One long run tonight isn't going to help you before Saturday. All it will do is make your legs more tired than they should be.

I would taper, and go in with the expectation of just finishing, and probably walking a bit of it. Or, suck up the cost of the entry and find a later half. You might be able to sell your bib depending on if entries sold out.

LoosingMyLast15

long story short (hopefully). i'm running my second half marathon this saturday (second time i've done this particular race so i know the course). thanks to a series of foot injuries/issues my training has been in the toilet this year. my pace is off and my distance is off. after trying a ridiculous number of ideas to solve my foot problems (PF and Peroneal Tendonitis) including visiting a podiatrist, i finally found something that has worked (superfeet green inserts). i went from 4/5 pieces of KT tape PLUS 2 pairs of cheap inserts in each sneaker to 1 piece of kt tape thanks to my superfeet green inserts. HOWEVER i only discovered these 3 weeks ago. so i kicked my training into high gear (as much as i could) and trained almost daily no mater what the temp (even got in an hour run sunday when temps hit 95).

fast forward 3 weeks and i'm no where near running 13 miles not even 10. other than getting in 1 final long run tonight (the weather is amazing today - low 70s) is there anything i can do to help myself get through this race (don't say don't do it - that's not gonna happen).

i'm no stranger to races - this year i've done three 10ks and four 5ks and like i said this is my second half.

since i trained during the hottest days (i live in VA - sunday was 95) will this help give me a little extra boost at saturday's race (temps are supposed to be in the high 60s - perfect running weather).

Friend of mine said her most enjoyable HM was when she went in with very low expectations due to training issues like this.
She said it took the whole idea of a PR out of her mind and she just went and ran and enjoyed it!

Unfortunately these things happen. Just go out and have fun with it!

i may do just this - change my thinking, focus on the enjoyment of it. the weather's going to be beautiful and just enjoy the race. i need to squash that little voice in my head telling me to beat my first half's time. stupid voices.

thavoice

long story short (hopefully). i'm running my second half marathon this saturday (second time i've done this particular race so i know the course). thanks to a series of foot injuries/issues my training has been in the toilet this year. my pace is off and my distance is off. after trying a ridiculous number of ideas to solve my foot problems (PF and Peroneal Tendonitis) including visiting a podiatrist, i finally found something that has worked (superfeet green inserts). i went from 4/5 pieces of KT tape PLUS 2 pairs of cheap inserts in each sneaker to 1 piece of kt tape thanks to my superfeet green inserts. HOWEVER i only discovered these 3 weeks ago. so i kicked my training into high gear (as much as i could) and trained almost daily no mater what the temp (even got in an hour run sunday when temps hit 95).

fast forward 3 weeks and i'm no where near running 13 miles not even 10. other than getting in 1 final long run tonight (the weather is amazing today - low 70s) is there anything i can do to help myself get through this race (don't say don't do it - that's not gonna happen).

i'm no stranger to races - this year i've done three 10ks and four 5ks and like i said this is my second half.

since i trained during the hottest days (i live in VA - sunday was 95) will this help give me a little extra boost at saturday's race (temps are supposed to be in the high 60s - perfect running weather).

Friend of mine said her most enjoyable HM was when she went in with very low expectations due to training issues like this.
She said it took the whole idea of a PR out of her mind and she just went and ran and enjoyed it!

Unfortunately these things happen. Just go out and have fun with it!

i may do just this - change my thinking, focus on the enjoyment of it. the weather's going to be beautiful and just enjoy the race. i need to squash that little voice in my head telling me to beat my first half's time. stupid voices.

yeah, I have that little voice too! One thing you may realize that if you run a smarter race you can still do very well and surprise yourself. My training for the second wasnt as good as the first but I ended up with a better time by a few minutes simply because I ran a smarter race especially in the beginning.

LoosingMyLast15

You should be tapering at this point, no?

One long run tonight isn't going to help you before Saturday. All it will do is make your legs more tired than they should be.

I would taper, and go in with the expectation of just finishing, and probably walking a bit of it. Or, suck up the cost of the entry and find a later half. You might be able to sell your bib depending on if entries sold out.

yes normally at this point i would be tapering but my thoughts keep telling me to get in one last good run. canceling is NOT an option. i would walk it before i cancelled. it's not in me to cancel just because my training has been crappy.

LoosingMyLast15

long story short (hopefully). i'm running my second half marathon this saturday (second time i've done this particular race so i know the course). thanks to a series of foot injuries/issues my training has been in the toilet this year. my pace is off and my distance is off. after trying a ridiculous number of ideas to solve my foot problems (PF and Peroneal Tendonitis) including visiting a podiatrist, i finally found something that has worked (superfeet green inserts). i went from 4/5 pieces of KT tape PLUS 2 pairs of cheap inserts in each sneaker to 1 piece of kt tape thanks to my superfeet green inserts. HOWEVER i only discovered these 3 weeks ago. so i kicked my training into high gear (as much as i could) and trained almost daily no mater what the temp (even got in an hour run sunday when temps hit 95).

fast forward 3 weeks and i'm no where near running 13 miles not even 10. other than getting in 1 final long run tonight (the weather is amazing today - low 70s) is there anything i can do to help myself get through this race (don't say don't do it - that's not gonna happen).

i'm no stranger to races - this year i've done three 10ks and four 5ks and like i said this is my second half.

since i trained during the hottest days (i live in VA - sunday was 95) will this help give me a little extra boost at saturday's race (temps are supposed to be in the high 60s - perfect running weather).

Friend of mine said her most enjoyable HM was when she went in with very low expectations due to training issues like this.
She said it took the whole idea of a PR out of her mind and she just went and ran and enjoyed it!

Unfortunately these things happen. Just go out and have fun with it!

i may do just this - change my thinking, focus on the enjoyment of it. the weather's going to be beautiful and just enjoy the race. i need to squash that little voice in my head telling me to beat my first half's time. stupid voices.

yeah, I have that little voice too! One thing you may realize that if you run a smarter race you can still do very well and surprise yourself. My training for the second wasnt as good as the first but I ended up with a better time by a few minutes simply because I ran a smarter race especially in the beginning.

thank you. i will keep all this in mind. run smarter. have fun. enjoy it. i'm super excited for this race because the scenery is SO BEAUTIFUL. i can't wait.

JTick

You should be tapering at this point, no?

One long run tonight isn't going to help you before Saturday. All it will do is make your legs more tired than they should be.

I would taper, and go in with the expectation of just finishing, and probably walking a bit of it. Or, suck up the cost of the entry and find a later half. You might be able to sell your bib depending on if entries sold out.

yes normally at this point i would be tapering but my thoughts keep telling me to get in one last good run. canceling is NOT an option. i would walk it before i cancelled. it's not in me to cancel just because my training has been crappy.

One last run just isn't going to do you any good. You'll be putting yourself into an already exhausted position on race day, and that's just opening you up to MORE injury. I would maybe do 2-4 miles today, taper, and then run the race and just play it by ear. Don't be disappointed no matter how you do - completing it should be your only goal. Then just pick another race, and your training will be able to go better, and then you can smash that out of the ballpark.

asdelmonte

I would skip the last long run tonight and start tapering. Last year I signed up for a half and due to lack of time (hockey season for the kids) and motivation to run in the early mornings, I only ran 2 8.5 mile long runs. I changed my expectations for a PR and ran with my friend who is a good deal slower than I am. It was my slowest half, by far, but was very enjoyable. It was in Boston a few weeks after the bombing and we high fived every first responder and little kid we saw. We just enjoyed the atmosphere and the scenery.

Moral of the story, you will be fine running the distance if you run smart. Better to be undertrained than injured.

LoosingMyLast15

You should be tapering at this point, no?

One long run tonight isn't going to help you before Saturday. All it will do is make your legs more tired than they should be.

I would taper, and go in with the expectation of just finishing, and probably walking a bit of it. Or, suck up the cost of the entry and find a later half. You might be able to sell your bib depending on if entries sold out.

yes normally at this point i would be tapering but my thoughts keep telling me to get in one last good run. canceling is NOT an option. i would walk it before i cancelled. it's not in me to cancel just because my training has been crappy.

One last run just isn't going to do you any good. You'll be putting yourself into an already exhausted position on race day, and that's just opening you up to MORE injury. I would maybe do 2-4 miles today, taper, and then run the race and just play it by ear. Don't be disappointed no matter how you do - completing it should be your only goal. Then just pick another race, and your training will be able to go better, and then you can smash that out of the ballpark.

so your the what 4th person to tell me that my idea of running 1 last long run 2 days before is not smart running. heavy sigh i must force myself to think logically about this. stupid emotions. good news i have my next half already picked out and paid for and it's not until november so i'm gonna CRUSH my time at that race.

i hate/loathe injuries!!!!!!

LoosingMyLast15

I would skip the last long run tonight and start tapering. Last year I signed up for a half and due to lack of time (hockey season for the kids) and motivation to run in the early mornings, I only ran 2 8.5 mile long runs. I changed my expectations for a PR and ran with my friend who is a good deal slower than I am. It was my slowest half, by far, but was very enjoyable. It was in Boston a few weeks after the bombing and we high fived every first responder and little kid we saw. We just enjoyed the atmosphere and the scenery.

Moral of the story, you will be fine running the distance if you run smart. Better to be undertrained than injured.

point taken. and i do NOT want to injure myself. these two have just stunk and i don't want a repeat.

LoosingMyLast15

thank you everyone!

this is why i love this site. when you need the support everyone is right there. when you need a kick in the pants everyone is right there. when you need the voices in your head squashed everyone is right there.

so thank you again for being there.

goal for today: short run tonight 4/5 miles MAX i promise.
goal for race day: run smart, enjoy the race, have fun.

MissHolidayGolightly

With the adrenaline of the race and all the people around, you should be able to pull it off. Just don't push yourself to the point of re-injury, worsening your injuries, or injuring something else.

thavoice

You should be tapering at this point, no?

One long run tonight isn't going to help you before Saturday. All it will do is make your legs more tired than they should be.

I would taper, and go in with the expectation of just finishing, and probably walking a bit of it. Or, suck up the cost of the entry and find a later half. You might be able to sell your bib depending on if entries sold out.

yes normally at this point i would be tapering but my thoughts keep telling me to get in one last good run. canceling is NOT an option. i would walk it before i cancelled. it's not in me to cancel just because my training has been crappy.

One last run just isn't going to do you any good. You'll be putting yourself into an already exhausted position on race day, and that's just opening you up to MORE injury. I would maybe do 2-4 miles today, taper, and then run the race and just play it by ear. Don't be disappointed no matter how you do - completing it should be your only goal. Then just pick another race, and your training will be able to go better, and then you can smash that out of the ballpark.

so your the what 4th person to tell me that my idea of running 1 last long run 2 days before is not smart running. heavy sigh i must force myself to think logically about this. stupid emotions. good news i have my next half already picked out and paid for and it's not until november so i'm gonna CRUSH my time at that race.

i hate/loathe injuries!!!!!!

and I wll be the 5th!
At the very least, getting in a long run right now wont help, but it could hinder you.

brianpperkins

thank you everyone!

this is why i love this site. when you need the support everyone is right there. when you need a kick in the pants everyone is right there. when you need the voices in your head squashed everyone is right there.

so thank you again for being there.

goal for today: short run tonight 4/5 miles MAX i promise.
goal for race day: run smart, enjoy the race, have fun.

Even that is probably too much within 48 hours of race time.

BrianSharpe

You should be tapering at this point, no?

One long run tonight isn't going to help you before Saturday. All it will do is make your legs more tired than they should be.

I would taper, and go in with the expectation of just finishing, and probably walking a bit of it. Or, suck up the cost of the entry and find a later half. You might be able to sell your bib depending on if entries sold out.

yes normally at this point i would be tapering but my thoughts keep telling me to get in one last good run. canceling is NOT an option. i would walk it before i cancelled. it's not in me to cancel just because my training has been crappy.

Personally i like the advice to treat it as along slow run, you'll probably enjoy yourself. I would also 2nd the motion to not get another long run in before the race, short & slow maybe but you don't want to go in fatigued.

Another alternative you may consider if you feel underprepared is to do a Holloway type race (run 10 walk 1) or some variation thereof.

LoosingMyLast15

half marathon update: race was saturday, finished in 2:55:27. did the right thing and took it slow, enjoyed everything and finished with a huge smile on my face! ended up only being 2 minutes slower than last year's race.

JTick

half marathon update: race was saturday, finished in 2:55:27. did the right thing and took it slow, enjoyed everything and finished with a huge smile on my face! ended up only being 2 minutes slower than last year's race.

Fabulous! Now you'll be healthy and ready to get the next one in the butt. :happy: