I want to break 1:30 for a half marry. Last september I managed a 1:41 on a little bit of training, coming off of a June marathon. So far, from my normal running, I’ve figured out that my comfortable zone 3 pace is right around 7:30, and have been able to hold that up to 8 miles. I haven’t run a stand alone 5k in a long while, but I ran 21 and change for a 5k run split in a sprint tri.
Right now, my training consists of normal runs (no speed work). About once I week, I will do a faster, almost tempo, 5 or 6 miles. From past experience, I seem to be able to get down to 7:30’s for long distances, but not much faster. I recognize that I need to introduce some sort of speed work, but should I be focusing on short, fast intervals, or slightly lower, longer tempos? My target race is next may, so I have time to do this right.
Be able to run sub-20 5k’s and sub-40 10ks and be able to sustain sub-7 right at your LT, then you are there. A couple of months run focus with a min. of 40+ miles a week. At least that’s what worked for me.
I did it with 1,500 miles last year running and training for my BQ and then Boston. Went from around a 1:38-ish in my training runs to a 1:24 on a flat course in cool conditions. (Shocked the hell out of me to do that too).
I agree with what the others have said. I have only been doing this stuff for 2 years, but finally broke 1:30 this spring. I ran a lot, and was doing weekly 1.5-2.0hr runs (with runners, so the pace was generally around 7:45 for most of the run, then the last 3-4 miles was usually down to sub-7). It was easy until the last part, and that is a big part of what made me faster.
I have been dealing with running related injuries for the past couple years so my running has been reduced to twice a week. I have managed to keep my 1/2M times below 1:30 with the following:
Running: One long run, depending on time of year training wise that will be 10 - 15 miles, I run this at 10 seconds slower than my goal pace. Second run is speed workout, for 1/2M training I find that 1/2 mile repeats at 15-20 seconds faster than goal time is good. I build up to 13 repeats with 1/4 jog between.
To supplement the running I do a lot of biking. The other training I have seen add great benefit is spin classes on the bike. These are a great long (45+min) anaerobic workout that does not beat you up like running hard does. I try to do a least one preferably two a week.
To me the key is not the volume of running, focusing on the speed is.
You don’t need a very complicated training system, but it might take a few races to get there.
Step 1) Make sure you have endurance by running 13+ miles in training.
Step 2) Do weekly Yasso 800s on the track at your target pace (3:00/800). If this is too fast, it’s a good indicator that you won’t hit 1:30 any time soon. But that’s okay. Just do a few training cycles/races and your times will decrease.
I used that strategy when I wanted to break 1:30 a couple years ago. The result: 1:29:55.
If you want a longer training effort, I would recommend entering an open 5k every now and then. It’s the best tempo run you could ask for.
I noticed that you ran a marathon. If you want to run faster for the 1/2 Marathon, forget about the marathon. As strange as it may seem, focus on the 5K and the 10K. If you do the RIGHT training for these events with a little bit extra volume, you will get your PB for the 1/2 Marathon. The performance value of the 5K and the 10K is very much under-rated by many rec-runners and triathletes.
I would say you might be doing too much in the middle and not enough easy and hard. Long runs at 10 sec per mile slower than race pace is still pretty darn fast and 800’s 15 sec faster is not fast enough. Obviously it works for you, so it is just my observation.
A rough equal performance for a 1:30 1/2 is 19:30 5k and 40:00 10k. That is assuming you are in the same shape for each distance. I personally like doing 2 mid distance long runs and a true long run each week and mix in speed as it gets closer. something like 0,8,4,8,5,10,4. That is getting up there on mileage for some though.
I’ll disagree on that one … not that it isn’t an effective strategy, but marathon training (properly done, say using Pfitzinger-Douglas for instance) is a great way to get all your bases covered. I do not do Yasso’s, I rarely do track work at all (only in the last phase as I’m closer to my “A” race) and just consistently got out there and did my workouts. Usually that consisted of 5 days of running - 1 long (15 - 20 miles), 2 mediums (8 - 14 with one usually being a tempo or stride workout) and two recovery easy days. I averaged about 40 miles a week typically during the run focus.
That got me down from a 3:58 PR to a BQ of 3:12. And in the meantime I set a 5k PR of 18:26, 5 mile of 31:08 and 1/2 of that 1:24.
Do you think 5K races translate as well as 10K? Just curious as it seems, for me anyway, when I’m actually in what I’d call “Shape”, I can scoot thru a 5K but not be able to translate that into longer runs. However if I can pull off a good 10K I can usually do decent at 1/2, and I’m guessing full as well.
I’ll disagree on that one … not that it isn’t an effective strategy, but marathon training (properly done, say using Pfitzinger-Douglas for instance)
Not real familiar with Pfitzinger, haven’t read any of his books, but have seen a bit of his plans. Seems to me he advocates quite a bit of racing 8-15K stuff even for marathon distance. The plan I saw started with a tempo in the early part of the plan and translated to interval stuff, specified at 5K pace, and 8-15K “Tune up Races”. From what I saw all of his interval’s were done at 5K pace.
He obviously set his plan up in “Phases” and no you’re probably not going to be doing 5K-10K races in the “off season”. But as a plan builds up I think running races of the 5K-15K variety is extremely beneficial for marathon training. Particularly in the last 8-10 weeks.
I’ll disagree on that one … not that it isn’t an effective strategy, but marathon training (properly done, say using Pfitzinger-Douglas for instance) is a great way to get all your bases covered.
Fleck didn’t say avoid marathon training, he just said don’t race the marathon. The 5k and marathon are pretty similar in training anyway. The differences are mostly in points of emphasis. You might trade some miles off the long runs for some extra zip and quantity on the shorter intervals, but the general workouts will always be similar. People talk about “marathon training” as though it has some mythical properties, but it shouldn’t be much different than training for a 10k (which isn’t much different from a 5k). Before modern coaches formalized marathon paced runs and LT sessions and all that stuff, it was commonly held that marathon training is just “10k training with a 20 mile long run.” This mantra might not be true for everyone, but most people wouldn’t harm themselves on such a plan.
The difference is, and I did note this, you are doing the RIGHT training - even for the marathon. The problem is, is that most jump right up to the marathon and then get locked in the LSD rut, and NEVER get out of it.
Agree there … one of the reasons I went with P-D for my BQ was that the plans I had been using before had just a bunch of “get out and run” runs with the most effort level of marathon pace days, with none of those longer than 10 miles. It was all about the long run.
Yes, P-D does have “tune-up” races towards the end of the plans, but they are more for sharpening the edge on the overall training. I usually didn’t do those to begin with and made those days harder tempo workouts instead (slightly above LT instead of right under it).
Bottom line I think we are all saying is … run lots, but run smart doing that.