I'm 59 years old and started running last September; I was quite fit and not overweight at the time. I graduated c25k in November and ran my first 10k at the end of January. On Saturday I ran my furthest distance yet - 14.26k, pace 7.13/k.
Any ideas/advice please on how long it might take to get to a half marathon and a good plan to follow.
Many thanks.
I’m using a Hal Higdon marathon plan at the moment because it’s fits in with the runs I was already doing. There are lots online to choose from.
If you can get comfortable with your long run being around 10 miles doing a half at the end of an easy taper week is not too hard.
Thank you.
My plan last September was to run 5k before my 60th birthday in June. I seemed to have overshot that goal. I'm not competitive or driven, so it was a bit of a surprise to discover that I enjoy running distances.
I'll keep plodding on while lockdown continues and then see how I feel.
Hi. Welcome to this forum!
Most HM plans are 12-16 weeks and assume you have a 10k starting base.
Under normal circumstances, most organised HMs are either in spring or autumn so if you are looking to run an organised event you should be able to be ready for autumn this year (Sep/Oct/Nov).
We ran a Spring half marathon group on here this year, with weekly posts covering all sorts of topics. The link below will take you to the final post, and at the bottom of that post you will find links to all the others - one of the early ones is all about plans!
Have a look, and let us know if you have any questions.
Your running legs are not built yet so go steady Slow is the way to go Don’t be in a hurry
Careful, steady progression while doing some cross training too 🙂💪👍
Have fun 😃
Thanks. I certainly won't be rushing it, my main goal is not to get injured as I do so much other exercise - or I did before these crazy times!
I don't know about a race, I'm a bit of an antisocial runner. I just wondered whether a HM was possible. I think I'll just plod along as I have been and see where my legs take me.
Stay safe x
HM is very doable. It's carrying a mythical weight because of 'marathon' in its title but the distance is something that you can do without too much hassle. Check out two great programs by Hal Higdon and Jeff Galloway, mix them up if you wish and you'll get there.
Like you I don't run with anyone, I've done several runs with a friend but that's not me. My times, my tempo, my location, my rules.
Go easy on cross training during the program, especially the weights but stretch lots, stretching's good. The idea is to conserve most of your energy for running. Once you've covered the distance you'll ask yourself what the fuss was all about. Go for it! 👍
Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely check those out, already a fan of Jeff Galloway.
I've never even done a parkrun. Sadly, I have no problem with the cross training at the moment, since my exercise of choice is swimming, badminton and gym 😔, but I will bear it in mind when everything reopens.
Parkrun is uncharted territory for me as well. I can see the appeal for many but not my idea of fun. Too much of everything that l try to avoid anyway.
Another beauty of HM is that the training is not overly consuming, it can easily by arranged around your daily life, unlike marathon or ultra training where your life pretty much revolves around very structured schedules. Perfect for someone like me. 😜
Also, the sense of achievement that you'll get when finished is worth a try!
Lone runner here too but I do Parkrun infrequently I really like it th😃
Jeff is the man! Jeffing is brilliant. It got me round my first marathon with Puff to spare, and no afters
I did more loose “Jeffing” timings on my second marathon, hacking 52 mins off my first. It really sensible
A few years ago l was very much against it coz l wanted to run it 'all the way', the way stubborn fools like me do it sometimes. Nowadays it's different. Ultra training puts me through 250km per month, five days per week. That's three consecutive and two long runs every week. There is no way my body would take it without run/walk. Two runs l run all the way, thee runs l have to mix. It's brutally charming, think that's the best way to describe it.
My friend's son was training for the London marathon last weekend. I realised I would never do that, but a half seems achievable.
If I was only allowed one form of exercise, it wouldn't be running, it would be swimming. I miss it so much. I just started running because I wanted to get my heart rate up a bit and I was curious to see if I could do it - too many people telling me not to 😉.
Having said that, I wouldn't want to give it up now. I have promised myself to do the first parkrun after lockdown, just for the experience.
Good for you!
Too many people telling you not to? Not the lazy types, l hope. I started at 52 and heard it wasn't good for my heart, knees and whatever. Some of those guys still smoke and look...erm.... not too good.
I must confess, l did participate in one parkrun accidentally. Upon arrival to my local park one faithful Saturday morning l could see loads of people gearing up for the run. Damn... l didn't want to go home, l didn't want to wait and l couldn't ask them to simply leave so l compromised. They ran anti-clockwise and l ran clockwise, against the tide. Can you imagine that? By the end of it l could remember their faces (the lap was only 1.4km) and they certainly remembered a guy in a green basketball jersey galloping towards them. That would be my only experience in organised running events. 😉
Too old, bad for my knees etc. People who think running is freakish rather than what humans are designed to do. 🤷♀️
Well, as hunters/gatherers we weren't designed to sit on sofas either. Kids run without thinking, we stopped running also without thinking.
And how would they know? The guys who warned me against running are cigarette smoking beer drinkers some of whom cannot see their shoes when standing up. Good guys but they are petrified of changes - hence warning me against. It's even scarier seeing one of them actually doing something that seems to be working.
Good idea 💡🙂. No hurry. Enjoy the journey, see the sights, sun on your face, wind in your hair 😁. Running is brilliant, and you can progress as far as you want.
Take a snack, drink and take some pics Listen to some fave tunes It’s all good 🙂👍
Tim's Run /HM-AlMorr 
Never have I ever... a little bit of fun for the forum
Manchester Marathon 
Please tell me I can take this? 🙏
BEYOND FURIOUS!!!!!!!
