Training plan for half marathon

This week I have been working on my training plan for the half marathon in Hannover. I keep following the same principles I used for the marathon training: 1) maximise the benefit with minimum effort, 2) run three quality runs a week and not more, and 3) focus on core and flexibility.

The first point should be obvious but as I have to be realistic with the time I have available for the training, I better make sure what I do will have the most benefit. I still want to run the half marathon fast, I mean my fast with goal time around 1:47. With this plan (including runs, cross-, core- and flexibility training) I train 4 to 5 hours a week, but each training has its very focused purpose.

Three run a week it is and not more. I have now followed the plan from Furman institute few times and I truly believe in it. Especially knowing that I am prone to injuries, I therefore avoid running two days in row (with a few exceptions as you can see in the plan) and prefer to give more focus on the supporting training. I also feel I am better recovered from my previous run and therefore can make best out of the run ahead, which surely has the effect on the quality of the training and allows to keep the relatively high pace (I do my long runs @5:20min/km, tempos @4:55min/km and intervals between 4:15 and 4:33 min/km (depending on the distance)). I know the pace is too hard for me in the beginning and I need to get used to it, however after couple of weeks I should be ok to follow it.

I met an orthopaedic doctor this week due to the continuing back pain and his first comment was that there is no return after one turns forty. Even it was meant as a joke, it was not so encouraging. I realised the importance of core strength and flexibility training while training for the marathon and it is an essential part of my training which I keep doing. I do regularly 1-2 core training (yoga or pilates types of training depending on my mood), proper stretching after each run combined with blackroll massage and at least once a week longer stretch training (up to one hour). Additionally I cross-train once a week (either rowing ergometer or hopefully soon cycling) if my other schedules allow it.

I planned twice a 10k race during the ten week plan. I realise it might be a bit too much, so the first one in end of February is with a question mark. It is a trail race in Bad Salzuflen with high ascent/decent and I aim to do it more as a tempo run rather than a race. But I think it would be fun so that's why I planned it in and depending on how the training goes and my body feels, I decide later on if I attend or not. The second race is a street race in Paderborn just two weeks before the half in Hannover. I wonder if it is too close to the half race but on the other hand it can be a good pace check for the half marathon.

The Furman half marathon plan is actually for 10 weeks but as we are going for a week skiing in between, I decided to start a week earlier and just add one week in between for skiing. Not the ideal but I do not plan to run during the week on the mountains so I have to make best out of it.

So this is it for the next 11 weeks, the moment the training plan is ready it gets easy. Then is just a matter of following it!

About motivation

It's been a hard week in many ways. I have been busy with lots stuff both mentally and physically and due to that I was exhausted and did not want to think of training. I realised my motivation went up and down, I wanted to train but at the same time also wanted to just crash on the couch. It was dark and cold outside and I felt like using it as an excuse not to go for a run while at the same time really wanted to crab some fresh air and sweat a bit. And on the top of the mixed feelings, my back was hurting again. Finally I did some easy short runs, played tennis with a colleague and started looking for my motivation to train. It is another 12 weeks to go for Hannover marathon, where I plan to run the half.

We went today for sleighing and I decided to run back home from there. After two hours of snow fun and climbing the hill with the sleigh one would not first think of running. However I sticked to my plan and run the 10k down from the forest to home. It was literally downhill running with 400m descent but it was also the forest route in 10cm of fresh snow. Surely it was not the smartest thing to do with my back pain but it felt like powder snow in skiing, you just enjoy every movement you feel and hear the snow. It was lovely relaxing run in all quietness in the forest, just what I needed to refresh my mind and remind me about the joy of running.

With the great feeling after the whole day outside I decided to start working on my training plan for Hannover. I hope to run faster than year ago, under 1:50 would be great and closer the 1:45 the better. The coming week I will focus on finishing my training plan and just enjoying my training, next week it will get a bit more serious. Looking forward to it!

When the kid goes to the movies, what do you do on Sunday afternoon? Strecthing my back and doing my training plan...

New year new challenges

It has been a while I have been writing about my training. Partly because I planned the blog to be a temporary diary of my marathon project, partly cause there was not much to write about. I reduced training quite a lot after the marathon and focused on other things in my life. I did not stop running, only reduced the hours spend on the road. Until half November when I first got a flu, then I hardly recovered from that and I hurt my back.

Finally somewhere between Christmas chocolate and New Years champagne I felt healthy again and started my training. Next goal is set to Hannover, where I plan to run the half marathon. I am also proud to be the ambassador for the marathon, you will hear more about this event in the coming blogs. 

After long long time I yesterday went for a run in the Solling forest. I was just cruising around, doing some hills, some stairs, diving through my favourite routes.. It was really fun and I remembered why I love to run in our area, it is just so beautiful out there in all times of the year. I will certainly spend more time in the coming months.

I am still collecting topic ideas for my blog. If you have wishes you would like to read me writing about, let me know. 

Training plans and the reality of life

The last couple of weeks have been quite hectic first with last days of work before holidays and then roadtripping through Scandinavia for holidays. After all the enthusiasm and excitement how well the training is going, it has been really hard to stick to my training plan and feel great about it. I have done most of my runs, some of them between work, packing and after work party or others before full day of fooling around in Legoland -but most important to me is that I have done them.

Then the quilt became as I missed the one training I had optimistically planned for the weekend when my lovely little nephew's babtises was. Even though it was clear to me where the priority was that weekend I was surprised to see how I felt almost a panic to miss one training as I did not know how to balance it back. First I thought just to continue from it as soon as possible and catch up track in the coming weeks however eventually I decided to completely skip it, have an additional 40 min run this week the day after the tempo run and most importantly, to be in ease with it.

It does not seem like a big deal at the moment, but for me it was the lesson to remind myself how important it is not to be too focused on the plan and to be able to look beyond it. I am sure this will not ruin my marathon project and I will have plenty of time and kilometres ahead to be ready for the run. 

Reality check

I must say after my great runs last weeks, I was hoping if not expecting the success to continue. Well I can tell you there are no two weeks alike and after the sunshine comes the rain, or whatever. There was no rain though, but serious reality check to remind me that this project is not going to be easy.

Sunday morning I headed for the long run, looking forward to see how it goes this time. Instead of going flat along Weser, I decided to head up to the hills instead. Whether it was the additional altitude but after 23 km and 2h10min, I could conclude my body is made to run 18-19 km and anything beyond that hurts. Not just a little bit but seriously to make me consider to stop. And considering that it is just about the half way of the marathon, it feels a bit scary. I know the point of long runs is to get your body used to the purpose, still if the Sunday's experience is going to repeat the next 18 weeks, I will have a challenge to motivate myself to head out of the door.

At the positive side, my morning run routine is going well and I begin to enjoy the early morning runs with fresh air hearing only birds singing (and neighbours rooster) and slowly waking up my muscles. I'm certainly not fast that time of the day, but it feels good. I need to get the tempo a bit higher, but I'm sure it comes. I included also some hill training this week and despite that it is hard, I like it. 

So all in all, it wasn't that bad training week. I only need to find a way to lenghten my runs beyond 20k and it will be just fun.

Time to get serious

After Couple of weeks easy going training after the half marathon in Hannover it is slowly time to get back in the serious training mood. I had first long run today. Well, creating my training plan for marathon, I realise long run is a relative term. I did today 15 km run, which was long for my half marathon, for marathon my long runs starts from 16 km... Time to do the mental adjustment.

Another adjustment I need to do is with my eating during the run. I am not used to eat or drink while training, which was also not necessary for the half and the shorter trainings. So today my objective was to have the first step with food during running and see how my body reacts. I found an energy gel from cup board, so that seemed like a good idea to start. I decided to have it around 8k with some water - and the last 7k I ran with a roller coaster in my stomach. So need to do some research how to handle that part.

I have also predrafted my training plan. I will follow my philosophy of less quantity more quality. Normally it is adviced to train around 800 km for marathon, my plan is about 650 km spread over 16 weeks. Additionally I plan to cross train 1-2 times a week, to keep it more fun and hopefully help to prevent injuries. This plan is actually direct copy of Furman Institute's marathon plan published in Runner's World magazine.

I will therefore start my official training in early June, meanwhile I aim to build the weekly kilometers to 30+ and lenghten the long runs up to 22k.