Sunday, September 13, 2020

Weekly Sweats: Easy Miles and Where I am with the Half

The irony of my title is that none of the 32 miles that I ran this week were easy.  The weather wasn't in my favor so I "just ran" instead of trying to do workouts.  I also realized that my next half marathon is a week sooner than I thought it was (I had the date correct but I miscounted the number of Saturdays in September) so I increased my long run distance to try and catch up.

I'm linking up with the Weekly Run Down, please head over to Kim and Deborah to check it out.

Before we talk about this week's miles, here's my latest favorite lemonade-from-lemons COVID 19 development.  The norm in our family during the school year is that I'm the first person to get up, anywhere between half to a full hour earlier before everyone else so that I can get my workout done by the time my stepsons have to leave for their bus.  Well, now that school is back in session, bus o'clock is now the start of my workout instead of the end of it, so I'm now waking up at the same time as the rest of my family.  It feels really indulgent to get up at the same time as everyone else, but hey, I will take it.

Monday: the week started with a thunderstorm and extreme downpour that made going outside a no-no.  I kicked back with a cup of coffee and tried to talk myself into the treadmill.  After a while the storm lifted and the forecast said it would be clear for the next hour, so I made my move and was out the door for 4.25 miles.  The forecast was lying in its teeth and once I gotten out the door I made the poor life decision to keep going for my planned distance.  By the end there were places where the water was up to my ankles.  So look it really wasn't safe to be out and a smart runner would have either treadmilled it or skipped it, but in a perverse way I really enjoyed this run.  And I was also glad that I wore my "easy day" shoes because it took the rest of the week for them to dry out.

Tuesday: was warm and sticky, so I took it on the easy side with a 6.25 mile jaunt around the town.  I shamelessly took breaks as needed.

Wednesday: rest day;-)

Thursday: 6.25 miles in a bizarre pea souper.  Monday's rain storm washed out the trail in the park near my house, so the purpose of this run was going to the trail where I do speedwork to see how it held up.  Since this park is uphill from my house everything was intact.

Friday: a pre-work long run of 11 miles!  By rights it should have been 10 since the plan was to increase my distance by a mile each week up to 12 miles but oops I miscounted somewhere so I was a week short in my plan.  Right off the bat my head was just not in the right place, so I told myself that I didn't have to do the full distance if I didn't want to.  3 miles went by, then 5, then 7, this was really happening.  But then I started struggling.  Humidity wise things were pretty thicc but I think it was more mental than physical.  When I got to the point where I really wanted to quit, I switched to 4:1 run/walk and that got me back in business and didn't slow me down very much.  I got back to my neighborhood at 10 miles and told myself that really, it was OK to stop and my head said "uh uh, no way we're quitting 1 mile before the end" and ta da, I made my planned 11 miles.  And I am as pleased as punch with my pace.  In spite of the struggles, this was very much an "I GET to do this" effort.

Saturday:  I just wanted some easy miles to close out the week, so I got them.  4.25 miles.

Sunday: firmly planted on the couch.

My thoughts on Half Marathon Long Runs

As a novice half marathoner, one topic that I think a lot about is How Long Does a Half Marathon Long Run need to be.  Here's what experience has taught me:

  • For half marathon #1, I alternated 10 and 12 milers for a few months before race day. I can't say how well that approach worked since it I did my training in mostly 30 degree weather and race day turned out to be 85 degrees, so I would have gotten the same result if I hadn't trained at all.  The downside is that I'm a slower runner, so 12 miles is one heck of a long time to be on my feet.  I was pretty tired by race day.
  • For half marathon #2, which was this time last year, I just couldn't get it together with my training to run long distances.  In retrospect, that's going to be true for any early fall race, since summer running isn't my thing.  I ran that race on one 10 miler and a bunch of 8 milers and the race went unexpectedly well.  My takeaway is that an 8 mile long run is acceptable for a half, though probably not ideal.
  • For half marathons #3 and #4 I capped my long runs at 10 miles and I felt that this was adequate.  The only thing I feel that I did "wrong" for half marathon #4 is that I skipped two long runs leading up to race day to run a 5k and a 10k instead and I feel that tanked my endurance a little bit (but hey it was March 2020 and The Rambling Runner Virtual Race series was a welcome distraction).

All of which is to say that I'm not sure if I'm going to go for 12 miles next week or do something shorter since it's the last long run before the race and I really don't think it matters either way.  This week's 11 miler was definitely a confidence booster, so there is that.  Also, the swag bag for the race came this week, and I have it stashed away.  I'm not going to open it until I run the race, and I feel very much like a kid with a present under the Christmas tree. 

What's your opinion/experience with the ideal long run distance to train for a half?




29 comments:

  1. It sure was a rainy week and yesterday was my day to throw in the towel. I did nothing. Zilch. Zero. Felt decadent but I loved it.

    I usually do 'ladders' of 7-9-11 or 8-10-12 for half training. I don't usually do a lot of 12s either. Last week's long run was supposed to be 10 but I had to detour and got 2 extra miles. Was that the deal breaker for me today?

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    1. Oh no, I hope not. I didn't do anything to "deserve" the two crappy runs that I had last week, they just happened. Sometimes crap happens on race day and it's so hard when it does.

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  2. I have similar thoughts about long runs. It's always been interesting to me that 'standard' trining plans call for your longest long run to be 12 miles for a half marathon, but only 20 for a marathon. When I d my long runs I always think it's better to have time on your feet vs a set distance. That's how I mentally prepare.

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    1. Ah yes Kim, I knew there was another reason why I've stuck with 10 miles but I couldn't remember it! In my mind it's the equivalent of a 20 miler for a marathon. Thank you!

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  3. I think a 10-11 mile long run is enough for a half. I wouldn't bother with the 12. Always better to be undertrained than over.

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    1. Solid point Marcia! Hey not saying that I don't want to go for a 2 hr and 20 minute run next weekend but now that I think of it 8 miles sounds much better;-)

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  4. I have often gone with the less is more for a half. Since I am an injury prone runner to begin with. I usually aim for at least 2 10 mile runs. I like to walk at least a mile afterwards as well. You got this no matter what you decide!

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    1. I think that walking right after a run is gold. I usually end my runs about a quarter mile from my house for that reason. And I like to take my dog out for a bonus walk after my long runs as well.

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  5. My long run for a half has varied alot over the years. I think for my first half my longest run was 10 miles. Now I usually keep up with long runs that vary from 10-12 miles so I usually feel like I am half-marathon ready. I think to be able to cover the distance 10 miles in plenty!

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    1. I can definitely see myself doing more 10 milers this fall now that the weather is in my favor. You've done some incredible distances this summer in spite of the heat and humidity so I predict a very, very good 10k for you this fall;-)

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  6. My first-ever long race was a 20K (12.4 miles), and that plan had me going up to 10 miles. I'd read somewhere (and I believe it to be true, in my experience at least) that 10 miles is usually sufficient for a half marathon, and that'it's wise to leave those "extra miles" for the race itself. Obviously, running is very personal, and we all know what works best for ourselves, so I don't think there's a standard "perfect" answer to that question LOL

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    1. Exactly, that's why I'd like to experiment with a 12 miler just for lolz. I'm still new to the half game. Although maybe this time it's enough of a novelty to have gotten to 11;-)

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  7. Congrats on a solid 11-miler! I like 10-mile long runs for a half marathon - I always feel like I can cover that last 5K in good form if I have a couple of 10 milers under my belt.

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    1. I like the theory. I just haven't run very many halfs so my only complaint is that I get pretty tired toward the end.

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  8. That fog is crazy!
    I was thinking same re: a half. I'm at 9 now and will go to 10, but the idea of running 11,12 as training just isn't something I can wrap my head around. I'm not really training as my half is - at the soonest - February, but thinking about where I want to keep the long run. I think for once my base might be enough to properly train, but we'll see.
    I did a 10m before the 2019 halfs, didn't train at all for Bermuda this year due to injury

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    1. 9 is legit! I agree, the more I think about it, it really is hard to run longer than 10 miles for training runs.

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  9. Glad you stayed safe on your run in the ankle-deep water. Sometimes those questionable runs end up being our most fun, or at least the ones we enjoy talking about for years to come. My friend Bob and I still talk about the time we ran in a wind storm and had to put our heads down in order to cut the wind after our turnaround. We were working so hard, but our pace was much slower than usual because the wind was slowing us down so much. Yes, a tree or pole could have blown over on us, but twenty years later we still talk about that particular run!

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    1. I also have oddly fond memories of getting caught in a hail storm about half a mile from home when I was a very new runner. I don't think I've ever run faster than that.

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  10. Interesting to read what has worked in terms of long runs. I am not surprised that a lot of 8 milers was okay, though something closer to 10 might be good just for confidence/the mental aspect. You are a tough gal running in rain like that!

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    1. Tough gal...but not a smart gal to have stayed out in the storm. Oh well, it was fun.

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  11. My half marathon distance has changed a bit as I became more experienced. I think the first few started with 10 mile max, and when I'm training for a (hopefully) speedy half, I'll go up to 15 miles. I like to make the 13.1 miles seem easy on race day! I would say you are all set! Great job on the running this week. Looking spooky on that foggy day.

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    1. When I first started looking at half training, I liked the idea of going over distance, it's just that since I'm on the slower side the long runs really take it out of me. I think that I'll know it's time to start thinking about a full when my training runs get longer than 13.1.

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  12. Ugh. I hate when my shoes get wet! I'm glad you had others in your rotation.

    For me, I need to run up to 12 or 13 for a half. I need to know I can do the distance, and it helps ease my anxiety to go that far. Prior to my break and surgery, I could have gotten away with 9 or 10 miles, but now, I need to go 99% of the way.

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    1. That's so interesting. In theory I'd like to do longer runs but going over 10 really takes it out of me.

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  13. Sorry but I have no advice on the long run- I do whatever I am told to do. :-) I normally don't train for half marathon since I used to train for marathons and the half marathons would just fit it nicely in the training.

    Bummer about the shoes. If it happens again, stuff the shoes with newspaper to absorb the water. Keep replacing the newspaper a few times and your shoes will dry out much faster.

    You are ready for your race! You've been doing so well these past couple of months.

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    1. Well yes you've run just a few more halfs than I have...in over 40 more states than I have;-) I think when I'm ready to run more than 13.1 I'll know I'm ready for a full.

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  14. I see why you say your easy runs were not easy! But well done for powering through and getting it done! I usually have one long run about 2 weeks before a Half that's 19km. I enjoy it simply because it gives me confidence that I just have 2km more to do for race day! So very similar reason to Jenn's comment above.

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    1. My turn to look up the conversion...19k is around 12 miles. That makes sense! I still haven't decided how far I will run for my last long run tomorrow.

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  15. Nice week and I love your recap of how you trained for your past half marathons. I agree with you that there is probably no need to do that 12 miler unless you want the mental boost and confidence. I tend to think that overall consistency in training is more important than getting the long runs to be super long.

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