My Magical Journey to Running the Half Marathon TR Link! p.107

[dismagiclover]

I assume you've done 5Ks? Do you do intervals for those or do you just run the whole thing? And what ratio do you do for your intervals? I remember you said you walk a part of every mile, but curious how much you run to walk. Also, I'm unsure what speed to aim for with my walks. Right now I try to keep my walks at 3.8 - 4.0 while I run between 4.5 and 5.0. Even at 4.0 it takes me 3 minutes to really recover from my runs. I'm not looking for you to tell me a specific speed to walk at (that's going to be different for everyone and different for me as I get faster), but more how much the difference should be between my walk and my run. Does that make sense?

Thanks for the help Jenny!

I really haven't run 5Ks much recently. I don't like running fast and that is usually a fast race. I did one this summer, but my whole family "ran" it. I stayed with the 5 year old so we took lots of walking breaks. When I first started running and 5Ks were the only races I did I ran the whole thing.
When I train or race now I usually walk for a minute or two every mile. (ie run 1 mile then walk a minute then run to 2 miles then walk a minute etc.) Remember though, I've been running for almost 10 years now. (Not fast running, but I've been pretty consistent that whole time except for the 4 months or so I'd take off when I had babies.) You probably want to do shorter run intervals than a whole mile. I almost always run outside, but I try to keep my running pace around 11 minute miles (which is 5.5). Then I walk around 16 minute miles (which is probably about 3.9) The best advice is to just pay attention to your body and your breathing. Really running is all an experiement not only to figure out what works best for you, but also to figure out a plan that you will do consistently and get some enjoyment out of. Good luck!

 

[butiflfeet]

I just found your thread! DH and I just started running and we're tossing around the idea of signing up for the Food and Wine half marathon for 2011. Today is a run day for us and I have been dreading it all day and then I read your thread and I'm all set to get out of work and run today! Thanks for the motivation! I've been kind of following the couch to 5k plan but DH doesn't always keep up with me Eventually though, I'm sure we'll get there!

 

[carissanboys]

I have been lurking on your PTR but saw today's post so thought I would pop in. I am by no means an expert runner but I have done a handfull of distance races (10Ks, 10milers, a half). SO take my advice with a grain of salt

I agree with the PP, if you know you will need to walk, the best thing to do is train with scheduled walk breaks. And like PP said, don't wait till you need them because generally, by then it's too late!! Have you ever heard of Jeff Galloway? He advocates walking in distance events and has a lot of info and training programs available, google him!!

Another thing, I sincerely think you goal for these races you have planned is to finish smiling. Don't worry about your time, no matter waht they will all be PRs (personal records) since you never ran those distances before. So don't put any crazy expectations on yourself, just go and have fun!!

Another point, practice fueling. One your runs now you won't need extra fuel but once you get to longer distances, you will. My personal favorite is sport beans, easy to eat on teh run and they taste good! But generally, any run over an hour and you will need to replenish.

Best of the best to you. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me

and glad you decided to post!

Yes, I know of Jeff Galloway. His philosophy is similar to John Bingham. I had planned to follow the training program from Marathoning for Mortals, but I just looked and it has me doing 4 minute runs and 1 minute walks throughout. That doesn't seem like much running time. But, maybe I could maintain a 5 mph speed if I'm only running for 4 minutes at a time and taking regular walk breaks. I was thinking about maybe doing 5:1 ratios so I guess I'll just have to see what my body thinks as I start doing longer runs.

And yes - I know about practicing fueling. Hasn't been an issue yet, but it will be soon. I've read about all of the different types and the sport beans do sound the most appetizing to me.

And thank you for the reminder about what my goal should be - to finish with a smile and not worry about my time. That has been a struggle for me since I started running. I'm always comparing myself to others and I feel like I'm one of the slowest runners out there. But, like Jenny said too, I need to find a way to run so that I actually enjoy it. If I'm pushing myself too hard and it's always a struggle, I'm not enjoying it.

Hi Carissa


haven't stopped by in awhile on your TR...but been reading your little bplips of "life's stuff" on FB

just wanted to send you some encouragement to keep it moving foward...the Marathon will be hear before you know it...I's mid August.

(think Dory on this one)​

J~

Thanks for the encouragement, Julie! It is always much appreciated.

Well, I will be there with you. I have lost 50 pounds with the help of Weight Watchers, but I am trying to shed the last 25 to get to my lifetime goal weight. My hubby and I started running last June. I run/walk. We have a goal of 12 races this year, with the hald marathoon at WDW in Jan 2011.

We have run 8 so far (6 5k's and 2 10k's), we have registered for another 5k in Sept, and we are doing the WDW half marathon relay together on Oct 2nd.

It's really hot in FL right now, and with everything going on, my workouts have become few and far between. I know I have to kick it in gear this fall with 13.1 coming in January. My goal is to finish in time...don't care about my time...just want to finish. I hope some more motivation stories will give me the kick I need .

Good luck! My motto is I may be slow and steady, but I will finish the race!

Congrats on the weight loss! That's awesome! There are so many of us doing the half in January - very exciting. Good luck with your training and I hope you'll continue to stop by and share your progress.

I really haven't run 5Ks much recently. I don't like running fast and that is usually a fast race. I did one this summer, but my whole family "ran" it. I stayed with the 5 year old so we took lots of walking breaks. When I first started running and 5Ks were the only races I did I ran the whole thing.
When I train or race now I usually walk for a minute or two every mile. (ie run 1 mile then walk a minute then run to 2 miles then walk a minute etc.) Remember though, I've been running for almost 10 years now. (Not fast running, but I've been pretty consistent that whole time except for the 4 months or so I'd take off when I had babies.) You probably want to do shorter run intervals than a whole mile. I almost always run outside, but I try to keep my running pace around 11 minute miles (which is 5.5). Then I walk around 16 minute miles (which is probably about 3.9) The best advice is to just pay attention to your body and your breathing. Really running is all an experiement not only to figure out what works best for you, but also to figure out a plan that you will do consistently and get some enjoyment out of. Good luck!

Thanks Jenny. That helps. I've decided to continue working at getting to a point where 5 mph doesn't feel so hard (and I'm almost there!) and then stop trying to increase my speed for now. Then I'll just work at increasing my miles as we get closer to January.

I just found your thread! DH and I just started running and we're tossing around the idea of signing up for the Food and Wine half marathon for 2011. Today is a run day for us and I have been dreading it all day and then I read your thread and I'm all set to get out of work and run today! Thanks for the motivation! I've been kind of following the couch to 5k plan but DH doesn't always keep up with me Eventually though, I'm sure we'll get there!

Thank you so much for posting that! It always makes me feel so wonderful when someone says my thread helped motivate them in some way. It's all about motivating one another. Hope your run went well.

 

[DrMomof3]

I've been having some of the same issues you're describing. I switched to training by miles instead of time and for some reason that helped me. I've been able to run 3 miles pretty well (I usually do the 1st two at 4.3 and then taper down to 4.0 by the end - so much slower than you). I've definitely had some weeks where I just can't get my work-outs in. I think I'm going to do the run a mile, walk 1-2 min plan for now....

Amanda

 

[carissanboys]

I've been having some of the same issues you're describing. I switched to training by miles instead of time and for some reason that helped me. I've been able to run 3 miles pretty well (I usually do the 1st two at 4.3 and then taper down to 4.0 by the end - so much slower than you). I've definitely had some weeks where I just can't get my work-outs in. I think I'm going to do the run a mile, walk 1-2 min plan for now....

Amanda

I've been tempted to do one run at a slower speed and attempt to do 30 minutes straight again just to prove to myself that I can. But, then I think to myself, "why?" If my goal is to be a runner/walker, why do I feel the need to "prove" that I can run for 30 minutes straight? I don't know. This is all such a mental struggle - in a good way! It's learning to challenge yourself but also realizing it's a journey. I learn so much about myself every step of the way to reaching my goal.

 

[DrMomof3]

I've been tempted to do one run at a slower speed and attempt to do 30 minutes straight again just to prove to myself that I can. But, then I think to myself, "why?" If my goal is to be a runner/walker, why do I feel the need to "prove" that I can run for 30 minutes straight? I don't know. This is all such a mental struggle - in a good way! It's learning to challenge yourself but also realizing it's a journey. I learn so much about myself every step of the way to reaching my goal.

I totally know what you mean. Ideally I'd like to run the entire half-marathon. That's my lofty goal. My realistic goal is to finish the half-marathon however I can. If that means walking 1-2 minutes each mile, so be it. But I had to define the goals for myself.

Amanda

 

[carissanboys]

I totally know what you mean. Ideally I'd like to run the entire half-marathon. That's my lofty goal. My realistic goal is to finish the half-marathon however I can. If that means walking 1-2 minutes each mile, so be it. But I had to define the goals for myself.

Amanda

Ideally, I'd like to be a complete runner (no walking). But, I need to be realistic. I don't really enjoy running non-stop for long periods. And I do agree with Bingham and Galloway that run/walk intervals are better for your body and help prevent injury.

 

[carissanboys]

Thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts, suggestions, and words of encouragement with me. Between reading all of your replies and talking it over with Chuck, I have come up with a clearer picture of how I want to go about doing this.

Starting Monday, I will begin using Jeff Galloway's 10k training plan. I have it printed out in front of me. Once I finish my 10k at the end of October, I will then start officially training for the half-marathon using John Bingham's training plan (from Marathoning for Mortals). That gives me ten weeks to train, which is four weeks shorter than his plan calls for. However, training for the 10k pretty much gets me near (or ahead) of where I need to be to start.

I just ordered Jeff Galloway's Half-Marathon: You Can Do It and will see if I want to use his training program instead. I'm sure it will be pretty similar to Bingham's.

I have also decided that starting Monday I will aim to do all of my runs at 5 mph. Since I'll be running for shorter periods and adding in lots of walk intervals, I think I can do this. I will not plan on increasing my speed more than 5 mph until after the half-marathon. If 5 mph starts to feel "slow" then I will reconsider increasing my speed. But, it's not something I'm going to purposely work towards at this point. I will probably do my long runs at a slightly slower pace.

The only thing I'm still somewhat unsure of is how I want to do the 5k. Part of me really wants to run the entire thing, but I'm also thinking I should just stick with the run/walk plan. I do have a competitive side, but I need to let that go. This 5k is about getting experience running in a race and practicing for my longer races. I might as well practice with the technique I'll be using for the 10k and the half-marathon.

Now I just need to find a 3 mile route to do my long run outside tomorrow!

 

[All7OfUs]

I've been tempted to do one run at a slower speed and attempt to do 30 minutes straight again just to prove to myself that I can. But, then I think to myself, "why?" If my goal is to be a runner/walker, why do I feel the need to "prove" that I can run for 30 minutes straight? I don't know. This is all such a mental struggle - in a good way! It's learning to challenge yourself but also realizing it's a journey. I learn so much about myself every step of the way to reaching my goal.

HI Carissa! I'm so glad you're back to posting! I"ve missed you~

I decided a long time ago to do a walk /run combo, so sort of decided at the saem time to not even finish the C25K until after my first 5K on Saturday (one week from now). I will pick it up again after I get settled into American life, and I don't think it should be too hard, since I know I can do the 25 minute runs.

My goal this Saturday is to run 12 minutes, walk 3-4, then repeat twice more. YES, it takes me THAT long to finish a 5K. I am so freaking slow, but it's the best I can do. NO one can do more than that, right??

45 mintues is so lame, but I can say that I"ll finish ith with a smile on my face.

Keep up the good work!!

 

[carissanboys]

HI Carissa! I'm so glad you're back to posting! I"ve missed you~

I decided a long time ago to do a walk /run combo, so sort of decided at the saem time to not even finish the C25K until after my first 5K on Saturday (one week from now). I will pick it up again after I get settled into American life, and I don't think it should be too hard, since I know I can do the 25 minute runs.

My goal this Saturday is to run 12 minutes, walk 3-4, then repeat twice more. YES, it takes me THAT long to finish a 5K. I am so freaking slow, but it's the best I can do. NO one can do more than that, right??

45 mintues is so lame, but I can say that I"ll finish ith with a smile on my face.

Keep up the good work!!

Thanks Liesa - it's good to feel motivated again and feel like posting!

The last time I ran a 5k distance on my treadmill, I did it in 43 minutes. That's my fastest time so far. Trust me - you're not that slow!

How exciting that your first race is a week after you get home! Good luck and I can't wait to hear all about it.

 

[mousescrapper]

good luck w/ your plan

 

[dismagiclover]

Your plan sounds great! For me just having that plan up on my fridge is a great motivater! Everyday after I complete my run I put a check next to the day. Love it! Plus the plan will give you confidence that you'll be prepared on race day! I'm glad you found something you feel good about.

 

[DrMomof3]

That sounds like a really good plan! I'm interested to hear how you like the 1/2 marathon training book.

Amanda

 

[carissanboys]

good luck w/ your plan

Thanks

Your plan sounds great! For me just having that plan up on my fridge is a great motivater! Everyday after I complete my run I put a check next to the day. Love it! Plus the plan will give you confidence that you'll be prepared on race day! I'm glad you found something you feel good about.

You're right. It definitely is giving me confidence and focus.

That sounds like a really good plan! I'm interested to hear how you like the 1/2 marathon training book.

Amanda

I'll let you know. Have you read any marathon books? I've read a few. I find books about running very motivating.

 

[carissanboys]

Just got back from my first official run outside. I planned to do three miles today and found a path at a nearby park around a lake that is supposedly 1.45 miles. I figured two times around would give me 2.9 miles - close enough.

I thought it would be a great morning for a run. It was coolish this morning when I got up (69 degrees) and the forecast was for mostly clouds. I don't know where they were because it was sunny the entire time I ran. I was surprised the heat didn't bother me too much seeing as I'm used to running inside with the air conditioning.

There were lots of people and it was motivating to pass some by, even if they were just walkers.

I didn't have a way to guage my speed, but when I got home I plugged my time and distance into Daily Mile and it showed a 13:30 pace. I'm pretty happy with that since I walked a lot of the second lap. My first time around the lake I did 1.45 miles in 19:20. My total time for 2.9 miles was 39:10. The first lap I maintained a 5:1 ratio with my running/walking and I was probably going faster than I thought. By the time I started on the second lap, my legs were really getting tired. I went to a 4:2 ratio and ended up having to do 2:2 for the last few intervals. Running outside is still a learning process for me so I'm very happy with how today went.

The good news is I ordered a Garmin Forerunner 205 last night!

Now I'll be able to guage my speed and distance better. I'm really excited to get it.

I also ordered something else yesterday. Back at the start of this PTR I mentioned wanting this shirt from Disney:

At the time, they only had a size small available. I continued to check, but it didn't seem like they were going to get anymore additional sizes and I'd just about given up. Then I checked yesterday and they had mediums and larges!

Tomorrow I begin my training program for the 10k and will start with cross-training on the stationary bike. I have a feeling my legs are gonna be a bit sore!

 

[DrMomof3]

Great job with your run!!!!
SO jealous of the Garmin. Nice!
The training shirt is awesome. I bought small but it's a wee bit tight so I sort-of wish I had waited for the medium.

Amanda

 

[All7OfUs]

Thanks Liesa - it's good to feel motivated again and feel like posting!

The last time I ran a 5k distance on my treadmill, I did it in 43 minutes. That's my fastest time so far. Trust me - you're not that slow!

How exciting that your first race is a week after you get home! Good luck and I can't wait to hear all about it.

actually, it's the DAY after I get home!! I hope I'm not too exhausted to do it!

 

[dismagiclover]

for running outside! I enjoy outside runs so much more than treadmill runs. It does work different muscles though so you probably will be sore tomorrow. for the Garmin too. I have a really old one, but I still love it. It really helps with the pacing thing. I love the training shirt too

 

[carissanboys]

Great job with your run!!!!
SO jealous of the Garmin. Nice!
The training shirt is awesome. I bought small but it's a wee bit tight so I sort-of wish I had waited for the medium.

Amanda

I ordered the large and hope it fits all right. I've heard that they run small.

actually, it's the DAY after I get home!! I hope I'm not too exhausted to do it!

I guess I misread that. Hope you're not jetlagged!

for running outside! I enjoy outside runs so much more than treadmill runs. It does work different muscles though so you probably will be sore tomorrow. for the Garmin too. I have a really old one, but I still love it. It really helps with the pacing thing. I love the training shirt too

I discovered the different muscles thing the other time I ran outside. I never get sore running on the treadmill, but after that run (during which I didn't really push myself that hard), I was very sore. Hopefully my body will get used to it.

 

[glennbo123]

I'll have to look into that Garmin thingee.

Way to keep pluggin' away at your running! I haven't been good about running lately because of the heat and humidity.