Owing to a recent RTA, full 3.5weeks with zero exercise, i find myself with only five weeks remaining till my first half marathon.

I can comfortably run 6-7miles at a slow pace, but probably only 3-4 at what i would like to have considered a race pace. Ive never run over 10miles at any pace

what can i do in terms of training at this stage? is it too late to try to increase my pace, should i concentrate on getting in a couple of longer runs.

how many times a week can/should i aim to run. i cant afford to injure myself at this stage

any advice welcome

Once a week run 4-5 x 1 mile efforts as fast as you want to be in the race, walk for 3 mins between the efforts

No need to run the full distance before the event, rather run for the time you think it will take just a couple of times and spend most of your training time running fast for short periods

I’d build up to 8-10 again in the next 2-3 weeks, it’ll give you a confidence boost and help you find a sustainable pace. Forget your 3 or 4 mile ‘race pace’. You can do the extra distance. How many times you run kinda depends on what you could manage before.

Once you can do 10 miles the last 3 will be fine.

What’s stopping you Steve? Pain or lack of fitness? Former will go, of course, latter, well, not much time left as you say.

iDave’s advice seems sensible, intervals make sense, taper for the event.

pain is fading, fitness is lacking, worst bit is im still not sleeping properly.

iDave, is that suggestion to run only once a week? or that for one run, out of three (or 4/5/6?) do the fast/walk thing?

hard to prescribe something on a forum, but personally I would do 1 run per week doing the 1 mile reps, one long one, and 1 shorter faster interval one.

Big psychological advantage if you do the half marathon distance in training before the race.

cheers guys, i promise to share the prize money.

iDave’s advice +1

I did the Sheffield half for the last few years, and last year hadn’t run anything over 10k, and even that was only once or twice. Most training was around 8km. That was induced because of injury causing havoc 🙁 Did the race fine, paced myself carefully (unlike the previous year where I’d actually done more running), and did it in 1hr 25. Think my bike fitness got me through! I was feeling really good up until 21km, and the last couple of k were just survival. But I survived…

You only need to run 13 miles on the day, when I did my marathon my longest run had been 12 miles.

For Mrs TT the big mental bit of prep wasn’t running that distance, but being able to keep moving for the time it would take to do the run. Going out and running / walking for the same time helped her be able to run the whole thing – slowly.

There isn’t a race pace – finishing is the prize. You want to finish, not win.

*hugs*

I’m training for a 1/2 marathon of sorts in 11 weeks and just did 4 x 5 min hard and it’s vile. I hate running.

iDave – Member
I’m training for a 1/2 marathon

I hate running.

Anyone else thinking “FAIL” ❓

In the race just tuck in behind some nice female, or male if you want, and follow her round – the distraction will make it easier 🙂

Anyone else thinking “FAIL”

no – I hate running as well and have done two 1/2 marathons.

I hate running also, and I train to run.

It’s because I hate being crap at it, and I want to like it.

“paced myself carefully (unlike the previous year where I’d actually done more running), and did it in 1hr 25”

Hats off to you Sir… but sorry are you sure it was 1:25:00 ?

That’s 6:30/mile pace and if thats careful if you tried harder you’d be right up there.

I just need to figure out how to run without hurting my knee, I reckon I could do 10 miles in 1h20 without bother, maybe even continue to 13.

The last one I ran with a mate and he beat me by 26 seconds even though I was beside him at the start and at the finish 🙁

without hurting my knee

Don’t hop?

Sorry, no, checking actual time it was 1:27:50… Came 117th 🙂

It was careful as in not going too hard for the first 10km. Don’t get me wrong, I was bollocksed at the end!!

This year will be 1:25:00 🙂

The last one I ran with a mate and he beat me by 26 seconds even though I was beside him at the start and at the finish

Haha, I ran a half with a very competitive friend a few years back. He was a bit slower and I was using it as a training run so I dropped into his pace and stayed with him all the way round, giving him some encouragement and generally enjoying the morning. About 300 yards from the finish he kicked and sprinted for the line, it was hilarious.

so today, write up training plan
tomorrow procrastinate a bit more
sunday is a good day to start…….

iDave – think your half might be tougher than mine, mine is 50% offroad but pretty much flat.

Molgrips – 8:00 is a reasonable pace over ten miles (IMO) need to work out why you get knee pain tho if you want to continue.

Sorry, no, checking actual time it was 1:27:50… Came 117th

It was careful as in not going too hard for the first 10km. Don’t get me wrong, I was bollocksed at the end!!

This year will be 1:25:00

Conditions were hard at Sheffield in 2011. The wind was nasty. Fingers crossed it’s nicer this year.

Anyone else thinking “FAIL”

Why? Do I have to like it? That’s a weird thing to say…

Molgrips – 8:00 is a reasonable pace over ten miles (IMO) need to work out why you get knee pain tho if you want to continue

I know. I think if I run more flat footed and less forefoot I can go for longer, but slower. Problem is I feel ok and fast running forefoot and my knee goes long before I’m tired.

I suspect that some muscle or other is weak from too much cycling and not enough other stuff over the years, and the tendon on the outside of my knee is having to work overtime to stop my knee folding outwards.

That’s a weird thing to say…

I think he finds it strange that you would want to do something you don’t like.

molgrips – have you tried strengthening your knee by doing balancey type exercises? A wobble board might help, I’m trying to think of the kind of physio I had to do after an ACL reconstruction but that was all about strengthening the muscles that support the knee.

Depends on what you are looking to do, you’ll finish just fine on any amount of training. Unless you are shooting for a specific time, just run when you fancy for what distance you fancy. As surely if you’re not looking for a quick time you’re there to enjoy yourself so might as well enjoy the training as well. If you are looking for a quick time you might want to re adjust your goals now as 3.5weeks off isn’t going to help you much. But other than that the advice above is good for frequency/intensity. Pop down to your local running club as they’ll probably be able to give you plenty of advice. I’m in a similar situation, I’ve got a marathon next weekend and I’ve not been running much at all, save for one or two 5k races, no point hammering out long miles now so I’ll do a race tomorrow, 10 miles on Sunday then just swim in the week. Equally before my first half marathon I’d never run over 10K and the longest I’ve run to date is that half marathon and not gone over 10 miles for 6months, I’ve also got an Ironman dist triathlon straight after my exams this year so I’ll have done no training for 2months before that and I’ll not be DNF’ing either event. Really don’t worry about not finishing, it’s all in the mind.

Iain

Mol, i had a weak vmo (just above the knee) muscle which caused me tons of knee pain when i started to run years ago. All my gym work now works each leg individually to make sure i don’t end up with any imbalances/stronger side (after a nasty cycling crash which left me in a lot of pain for years, i tend to favour my right side without realising it) Things liked one legged dips are great for strengthening up the muscles around the knees….i stand on the bosu ball for the dips.

Also check you don’t have tight IT bands as they will pull on the knee.

Get to a physio if you want fixed properly!

Iain – which IM distance race are you doing?

Anyone in the Forest of Dean half in April?

molgrips – are you anywhere near London?

there is an osteo near St Pauls and he runs at a high level, maybe for GB over 50s.

My mate had a hamstring problem – got nowhere with physios, etc and after a year went to see this guy who fixed him – obviously knows a lot about running, muscles, injuries from running, etc.

richarduk – Enduroman Uk, the bike looks to be long and I’ve heard the run is hard but at least I wasn’t mad enough to enter the double, triple, quin or deca! I originally planned to do the Forestman as I did one of their events 2 years ago and it was fantastic. My marathon is the heartbreaker marathon which is the same course as the run leg of the Forestman. But the Forestman unfortunately clashes with an ‘A’ race and as I’m only doing the mara/iron races for a laugh I went for Enduroman Uk instead. IM Bolton was on a free weekend but I almost passed out when I saw the price!

Iain