First run of 3rd week of half marathon training off to a good start!

[Redcello41]

Just ran 3.2K (2 miles) this morning at a nice gentle pace following my first long run on Friday. Legs felt good but now they are aching a lot more compared to when I finished my 8K run on Friday, go figure that one out! Today's run went really quickly too! I ran for 33 minutes and it felt very short, but I suppose that's because I ran 8.04K on Friday and I was out for an hour and 20 minutes then! I remember when I was doing Couch25K and doing half an hour runs felt super long! Now because I'm training for my first half marathon, I'm obviously increasing my distances, so now what used to feel long will probably feel quite short in the grand scheme of things!

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Great start! Running long not only makes 5k seem like a short run, but eventually it's likely to increase the pace you can run 5k at too - win, win! Just remember to keep a speed run in your training every week or two.

[Redcello41 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Thanks! This is probably a rather stupid question but when you say speed run, what do you mean? I've heard the term before but I am never sure what you are meant to do?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Redcello41]

It's usually a shorter run. It might be intervals (repeats of fast runs with rest periods between) or a tempo run (not quite so fast as intervals, but a continuous run at a speed faster than your goal half marathon pace). This type of run is working different muscles and prepares you for that final sprint! There will probably be more discussion of speed runs, and pace in general, in the half marathon group. Does that help for now?

[Redcello41 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Ah great! I've done a few 3K and 5K runs where I have run the first 1K at a slow jog/pace and then every other 0.5K/500 meters I run at a faster pace (I don't sprint but it is a comfortable faster pace that I can sustain for a while), so I'm alternating between the first slow pace and the faster pace, if that makes sense? I have no idea about my pacing at the moment, I'm just going with my effort levels and what feels harder and just seeing how and what that feels like. But it's working well for me at the moment, at a constant slow pace I can run 3K in about 30 minutes, but with this alternating between slow pace-fast pace thing, I knocked 7 minutes off and ran 3K in 23 minutes a few weeks ago!

Is that the sort of thing that you mean?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Redcello41]

It certainly is! At this stage, experimentaing and going by feel is perfect. Just try to incorporate, different lengths and paces ... and maybe occasional hills too 😍

[Windoze Half Marathon]

Hey Redcello great stuff in going for that HM! Yes agree on the fact the more you extend the distance of your long runs those shorter 5ks just whizz by.

Which race are you signed up for?

[Redcello41 Half Marathon in reply to Windoze]

Hi Windoze! I'm am doing the Bath Half and it's my very first time! How about you? 😃

[Windoze Half Marathon in reply to Redcello41]

I've heard good things about Bath!! I'm doing LLHM in march...🤗

[Redcello41 Half Marathon in reply to Windoze]

Yes Bath is great, good luck for your race! 😃