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Half Marathon Plan: Hills and not-hills ๐Ÿ’ฅ

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathon
โ€ข19 Replies

Hello racers!

Most of us are just about at the halfway mark now (or further along) - how are you getting on?

Who has done their "5K Race"? I totally failed to get to mine (which was to have been my first tourist parkrun visit too, damnit!) at the weekend ๐Ÿ˜„Such is life - I'll juggle in an extra parkrun in a couple of weeks. I'm volunteering there this Saturday as a tail walker, so I'll get a running credit but it won't be very near my "race pace" ๐Ÿ˜Š

Speaking of race pace, pianoteacher posted a great question about it, and there were a lot of really helpful replies - check it out:

healthunlocked.com/marathon...

I have been thinking more about HILLS. You could say I'm a little bit obsessed ๐Ÿ˜Š Because the Hastings Half gets off to steep start I've been planning hills into most of my runs. I must say I am rather enjoying it, it certainly is keeping me warm in this chilly weather!

Here are a few more hilly thoughts:

โ˜… Whether or not your half marathon will have hills in it, I'm sure you're aware of the benefits of adding in some hill training. I know that some of you have been adding hill repeats into your workouts - how did you find them?

โ˜… I didn't include any hill repeat sessions in the plan, but if you'd like to give them a try you could slip a few into any of your runs. This article on Runners Connect has a lot of useful information, including suggestions for gradients to choose. They specify two sessions per week, but unless you're only doing one or two of the very short repeats described in this article, I'd think one hill repeat workout per week is more than enough.

runnersconnect.net/sprint-t...

โ˜… But what about if your half marathon is mostly flat? In that case it's a good idea to make some of your long runs as flat as possible. You may not yet realise, but to run long on a very flat route is in many ways more tiring than running on a more undulating profile. This is because when you run uphill you tend to recruit the muscles and tendons at the backs of the legs, whereas running downhill the fronts of the legs are used more heavily. So when you run on the flat there is less variation, so all areas feel the strain all the time - therefore it is a good idea to prepare your legs for this!

โ˜… What if your area is really hilly or really flat? You may have to think about doing multiple laps of favourable areas, running up and down steps, using a treadmill, etc. But for goodness sake don't let the fun slip away!!! At the end of the day I think that the most important thing is that we are enjoying ourselves and getting fitter, and I hope you will take at least most of your runs where they please you.

Enjoy ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š

roseabi xx

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roseabi
Ultramarathon
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19 Replies
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roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathon

Mentioned in this post: pianoteacher xx

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorโ€ข in reply toroseabi

Thanks for this ...very useful... I have got plenty of hilly bits here.. not mountains..but uphills and not much really flat and as you know the flat Park Run I did nearly finished me...although time wise not too bad. Hidden summed it up perfectly, " ...like an aeroplane on a runway not quite able to take off".

So... I have been practising flat running with the links that Millsie-J posted on Bridge..the Monsal HM is mostly very flat...

The strength training etc and tempo runs.. shorter and medium runs are okay... but with the icy conditions we have had here, over the last two weeks...I am struggling to get the longer runs in! I run indoors to keep the mileage and legs going..but am panicking a bit, ( dreamt about it last night).. about not getting the longer runs outdoors and it is snowing heavily here, again as I write this!!!

Eeeek!

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonโ€ข in reply toOldfloss

How about running doubles?

runnersworld.com/training/a...

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorโ€ข in reply toroseabi

Thanks xx

โ€ข in reply toOldfloss

I have the same problem here Floss. Iโ€™m just not getting the longer runs in. I havenโ€™t done even 10k so far this year, and I have a 15k race in April and was wanting to do a HM before the one in September. Xxx

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorโ€ข in reply to

I think I am going to have do do some catch up... on consecutive days initially, maybe split the long runs...I simply cannot run after midday... I don't know why... !

homlyme profile image
homlymeโ€ข in reply toOldfloss

me too oldfloss if I don't get out and do it am forget it ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ

Whatsapp profile image
WhatsappHalf Marathon

The HM which I am doing has one hill (early on) - albeit a big one towards beachy head, it is followed by a very winding downhill section, the rest of the route is pretty flat. I did this fine last year, which is a benefit to confidence of returning to a familiar run.

I don't have any hills around my town, and would have to drive for a bit to incorporate them in. I will do this at some point because I am not far from the south downs and it is a long-term plan to get in some trail running.

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonโ€ข in reply toWhatsapp

Getting experience of the actual route is ideal, of course. Sounds like you'll be fine!

I have been getting pretty tired of the route to my bit of the South Downs - relentlessly uphill through a very dull estate - so I've been thinking about driving too ๐Ÿ˜Š

homlyme profile image
homlyme

didn't get 5k race because of dodgy hip didn't want to chance it was thinking about changing my long run day from Thursday to Wednesday so I have two days for my legs to recover before park run which I use as my speed

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonโ€ข in reply tohomlyme

Sounds like a good idea!

MutleyShuffle profile image
MutleyShuffleHalf Marathon

I did Park Run on Saturday so that could be my 5k race ๐Ÿ˜Š I didn't do it at full speed because I was still getting over my nasty bugs, but I did a nice speedy finish so happy with that. As for hills, hard to avoid them around here unless you stick to the seafront, so easy to incorporate them into training. Have been doing hill repeats once a fortnight too - as long as the repeat is not too long/steep I find them ok, quite invigorating weirdly! I have come a long way from being a hill loather! ๐Ÿ˜ Will let you know how I get on with the club run on Saturday - will get a go at the mega-hill at the start of the HM! Yikes! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonโ€ข in reply toMutleyShuffle

Awesome!!

pianoteacher profile image
pianoteacherMarathonHalf Marathonโ€ข in reply toMutleyShuffle

Let me know how you get on with Harley Shute Helen ๐Ÿ˜ณ We ran down it a couple of Wednesdays ago and I looped back but only up the first bit! I'm think I'm more scared of Queensway to be honest and that's the bit that can't be practised!

I was hoping to get to Terry's run this week but I'm off to the Amex for the FA Cup. Hopefully I'll make it along at some point! x

MutleyShuffle profile image
MutleyShuffleHalf Marathonโ€ข in reply topianoteacher

Yes will let you know how I get on! Hope they are not too speedy for me! Yes shame we can't practice on Queensway - maybe they will find a route with similar gradient - will wait and see ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonโ€ข in reply toMutleyShuffle

This is the bit with no footpath, right? Looks a bit endless ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

pianoteacher profile image
pianoteacherMarathonHalf Marathonโ€ข in reply toroseabi

That's the one! I'm trying to avoid driving that way at the mo so I don't have to think about it ๐Ÿ˜‚

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonโ€ข in reply topianoteacher

๐Ÿ˜‚

MutleyShuffle profile image
MutleyShuffleHalf Marathonโ€ข in reply toroseabi

Yes unfortunately it is LONG! ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

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