April Half Marathon Here I Come!

[TailChaser]

Ok, here we go. After poring over various different plans over the weekend and using experience of my last go at it, this is part of my 21 Week HM plan. Big influence from the LLMHM plan roseabi posted. It starts off with timed runs then goes on to distance (they are in miles converted to km, so I may round up or down depending how I’m feeling). I’m really hoping it works. It’s all colour coded, so:

Pink - interval/fartlek runs

Blue - endurance runs

Green - optional recovery runs

Yellow - tempo runs (usually parkrun)

Purple - strength/cross training

Orange - massage

White - yoga, cross training, sleep, whatever I feel like really as long as it’s not running

I have shiny new shoes to wear in during the recovery runs over the next few weeks too. Now I’m itching to get going! May ‘battle’ commence!!

Good luck and happy running everybody 😀

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

I’m very impressed TC. What an amazing plan. That covers everything and I have every confidence in you smashing your HM. You certainly deserve to! I’ll be watching your progress with interest! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Thanks so much cheeky 😀 I don’t think I’ve missed anything out, I want to do a bit of everything to keep the variety up. I learned an awful lot with the October HM Group; it may not have succeeded for me but it was worth every minute as a learning exercise. I’m on a promise to blog and my charity is expecting regular updates, so I’ll be writing quite a lot as I go (maybe that’s another thing I can do with the white spaces!!). It’s also helping me to feel really positive about 2020 👍

[Windoze Half Marathon]

Boom and it begins!! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Windoze]

👊💥👊😁

[Oldfloss Administrator]

This is very, very impressive!!! You are so organised...

You will also be brilliant at this and have fun doing it...maybe... just maybe, be prepared for inclement weather...

Not being a prophet of doom...but the snow and ice over Dec and Jan, slowed me down... ! I missed runs and had to play catch up... so a Plan B is always useful??

Just saying

Anyway... I am going to be watching your progress as I jog along on my plan also x

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Oldfloss]

You’re quite right Floss, this is very much a best case scenario. I can do most of it at the gym if necessary, it’s the endurance runs that may get tricky (I’ve done a straight 10k on the treadmill, that was more than enough for me...never, ever want to have to do that again!!).

It’s going to be...interesting (?) if/when the really cold weather kicks in.

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to TailChaser]

It will be interesting... I remember being stuck in a hailstorm, a long way out from home...soaking wet and cold, trying to get J to come and pick me up... his phone was off !

I am hoping for better and more friendly weather this year... but I do have my treadmill if necessary x

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Oldfloss]

No!!!! We had quite friendly weather last year tbh, maybe it’s given me a false sense of security. When I first started this lark the winter before I was walking through snow drifts to get to the gym, so I should know better really.

Good luck with yours Floss, but the way you’re running at the moment you’re really going to smash your previous time without any problem x

[Irish-John Marathon]

Go TC!

A masterly plan, a Runners heart, a C25k Graduate

You are off to a great start already!

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Irish-John]

Thanks John, I’m feeling much more positive about it this time 👍

[Irish-John Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Slow, steady, enjoy - you will ace it

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Irish-John]

Oh yes, I intend to 😁👊

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

21 weeks! Luxury 😀. Looks like great fun. Enjoy 😍

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to linda9389]

It is Linda but I think I need it. Once I’ve done it then I won’t ever have to take so long again, I hope!! 😁

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

I think it's great to have the time. Takes the pressure off if life ever gets in the way 🙂

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Exactly 😊 It turned into a mess last time out and I can’t have that happen this time.

[Hidden]

Fantastic plan TC. Good luck. I shall be studying it and maybe even jiggling it around a bit for my own use. I'm on the IC for two weeks so catch up with you then

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! 😀 Looking forward to seeing you back again paula. Hope you can use it, it’s been fun to put together.

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon]

Looks like a great, well thought out plan! Have fun!

I've been thinking a bit about when to start my plan for my June HM but know how hard Jan/Feb are for me to keep consistent with running. My plan is to just keep running whatever I can, then do a 16 week Runkeeper HM plan come the end of Feb. yikes! Excited....nervous....fingers crossed my friend's knee is up to the task by then

[Hidden in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Enjoy running without a plan Saskie. You’ll enjoy it and be ready for one in a couple of months

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Thanks Sask, much appreciated 😊

I can only imagine what it’s like to attempt to run outside in your Jan/Feb. Best of luck with it all and all the best for your friend’s knee x

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon]

Looks like a great plan TC 😃 Mine is basically to add 1k per fortnight from January and keep up the cycling plus 4 x 30 min workouts a week. Feels somewhat inadequate now! New shoes 😳 Have we seen photos?

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

That sounds much simpler. I’d never remember to do that if I didn’t write it down 😂 I’m just paranoid if I don’t cover all bases I won’t manage it, I’m sure you’ll be fine 😀

Piccie of shoes is on a Strava yoga post. Now on my 4th pair so I thought putting them on here was a bit OTT. Blue Ghost 12s, Black Friday bargain that I caught on the one day there was 40% off on ProDirect, otherwise I’d have shouted it from the roof tops! My first pair with not a hint of pink anywhere 😁

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Btw, if you’ve not spotted them, the apricots are back in all sizes (that’s what I’d originally gone on the website to look for!!) 👍

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to TailChaser]

Yes hah. I bet Santa will be bringing apricot shirts for the whole family.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Shhhh!

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to TailChaser]

🤐 do you want me to delete that?

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

No, you’re ok, I was joking 😊 they’re getting plenty of other things 😊

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to TailChaser]

😊

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Well done TailChaser. You’ll do brilliantly. It’s great to have a plan to tick things off.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

I love ticking things off 😁😻

[Lordi Marathon]

Looks good! The flexibility of optional runs is a good idea. I like the idea of working-in Parkruns too, that’s a good way of forming a firm habit of a pacey run each week. Good luck.

I just did something similar for my daughter who’s a c25ker already signed-up for a mid May HM, and I have to say it`s very satisfying/great fun writing a training plan that someone else will have to run! She’s still at the c25k Week 5 ”I can’t imagine running for 21 minutes!” stage...So I don’t think she’s yet focused much on the other big numbers later on which are in kilometres and not minutes I too can still remember sweating about the scary c25k W5R3 long run - it’s a biggie.

Talking of long runs, good luck and have fun ramping-up to the full distance. I wouldn’t sweat about setting a target time or pace for the race itself, just run at a comfy pace and get round to the end with maximum enjoyment on the day. You will always get a personal best the first time. N.B. I never follow my own advice.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Lordi]

That’s exactly what I told myself the other day, amazing how the pressure came off when I told myself it would be a pb!!

Good luck to your daughter, that’s very ambitious but having youth on your side must be a big help. Ah the ‘dreaded’ Wk5 R3, I remember it well.

Thank you for your comments about my plan. I can’t leave parkrun out, that just wouldn’t be right and I found it such a slog last time I tried I had to mix it up as I lost the fun side. Experience should make a big difference this time 👍

[Katnap Marathon]

Tailoring plans already.... You're an expert now! 👍😁👍

🎅🐱 Xmas Katnap 🐱🎅