HM Draft Plan - opinions, suggestions, criticisms please

[backintime]

All opinions welcome

So, my HM is the first week of September, I've given myself another couple of weeks to road test my knee before starting my home made plan, based loosely on Ju-Ju's plan.

Based on the 10 percent increase on the weekly distance rule, I came up with the following, I am mostly under weekly 10% on the long run increases.

My previous longest distance (before injury - not running related) was 18k, so I'm not worried about the distances, just trying to make sure that I get there without pushing too hard.

So two 5ks a week plus a long run (Columns D or G, they're the same) and total weekly distance in in column E. I will occasionally replace one of the 5ks with intervals or fartleks or mix it up with a trail run in the woods once the mud clears up (bit slippy at the moment).

I will be doing exercises on non-run days - stretching and strengthening my back and knees mostly, but other general stuff too.

I've built in 2 repeat weeks (5K and 10k) and I haven't counted the week before the event where I have only planned 2 light 3k jogs before Run Day.

I have a full time job, 3 children and 2 dogs and I believe this is the plan that could work for me.

Any thoughts, suggestions, modifications, criticisms (honestly welcome)?

Thanks

BIT

[Tasha99 Marathon]

There’s one major flaw here. Every 4th week you should drop back to allow for recovery.

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Tasha99]

OK, by drop back, do you mean reduction in distance?

[Tasha99 Marathon in reply to backintime]

So long run for example,

Week 1 - 5

Week 2 - 6

Week 3 - 7

Week 4 - 5

Week 5 - 7

Week 6 - 8

Week 7 - 9

Week 8 - 6

Etc

If this is in km, you could change the numbers to increase more (7, 8.5, 10 etc)

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Tasha99]

Great, thanks, yes, it's km, I will make adjustments

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Tasha99]

I added 2 drop back weeks in, I didn't start counting until the 3rd week as before that everything was 5K anyway

Is that better - I added 2 drop back weeks in?

[Couchpotato2 Marathon in reply to backintime]

So in addition to the drop back (off loading week) on week 4, you need to taper before the race, as in rest up. How to do them can vary a lot and I am not experienced to give you advice. What I am doing for my HM on Sunday 2 weeks time is I did a 5km today, 10km tomorrow and will do another 5km and then next week I'll just do 2 runs, leaving 2 rest days before race (or 1 if I do a short 15' run just to keep legs moving but without tiring).

[Couchpotato2 Marathon in reply to Couchpotato2]

oh yes and instead of distances you can base yourself on training times (if you want). If you can do the long run on the same day as the race and practice race gear and food too

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Couchpotato2]

ThanksMy long run every week will be the same day of the week as the HM.

Nutrition-wise, I think I will stick to what has worked for me so far - dried apricots and maybe a child's compote in a bag thingy, plus plain water from the feeding stations, I hate carrying "stuff" when I run.*

Of course, if we're having a horribly hot summer, I will have to revise fluids probably

[Couchpotato2 Marathon in reply to backintime]

Sounds good to me. I changed my breakfasts 10 days before to over night oats so as to get used to them. I usually just have fruit and no fat yoghurt. I know what you mean about time vs distance. I sometimes do both which then leads to me lenghtening time then distance etc.

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Couchpotato2]

hahaha - I can so imagine me doing that

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Couchpotato2]

I like distances so I can stop at a round km or a half km - stopping at 13.76 because that's the distance my planned time is up would drive my light OCD off the charts

[Tasha99 Marathon]

Or maybe

Hm plan

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Tasha99]

Thanks!

[Tasha99 Marathon in reply to backintime]

No point going to 20. May as well go to 21 🤣Don’t forget either that is 21.1km not 21 😶🤣

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Tasha99]

Yes, thanks, I know it's 21.1 but I think I'll be beyond caring about the 100m at that point

I was wondering about going to 21 the week before? Should I do that ? I will certainly be more confident if I have already done the distance before.

[Tasha99 Marathon in reply to backintime]

It’s up to you. If you do it before the actual race, I’d make sure you have at least 2 weeks drop back after. Most people only go to 10 miles before I think.

[Couchpotato2 Marathon in reply to backintime]

yeah I would say if you have time go to the distance but at least 2 weeks, 3 probably preferable but anything between 16-18km before race will be enough and then it will be easier to do the fall backs as Tasha mentioned

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Couchpotato2]

OK, I'll aim for that and try and stay flexible enough to get to 21km well before if everything is holding up well

[Decker Ultramarathon]

It looks like you are hitting 21 twice in this plan? In the last two weeks? I wonder if you could use that second last week to ease off on the long run a bit? - 19k the week prior is a solid pre race distance so you should be fine. It’s your call though. Follow you running heart! 🙂

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to Decker]

Thanks, I just really like knowing I'm not in no-man's land before an event.

My thinking was that if I were training for a marathon, 2 weeks back to back for a HM distance wouldn't be strange...

My pace is pretty standard no matter how much I run before - I'm kind of like a slow clockwork toy

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to backintime]

Yep I know what you mean. I did my first HM training plans a couple of times to full distance for the same reason. If you feel confident with the two full distance runs then what the hey, go for it!

[sTrongFuse Half Marathon 10 Miles]

Taking the minor tweaks mentioned by everyone else, it looks good. I used something broadly similar when I started working up from 10k towards HM (took me 4 and a bit months from my first 10k to running HM).If you are running 10 miles, you physically don't need a full HM "practice run" before the event; although I completely understand the need of knowing you can do it. If you do go for it, try to do it a couple of weeks out then taper back and just keep your legs ticking along until event day.

The one I was aiming for last September got cancelled, so assuming it goes ahead this September, I'll have had at least 10 practice runs over the distance...

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to sTrongFuse]

10 runs over the distance is great - a real confidence booster going into an even

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon]

Good luck with it. I can't really pass comment as I've never worked to a plan, just always increase my longest run a little at a time until I reached the desired distance, or like yesterday, by a big bit 🙈🤣

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

A really big bit

[backintime 10 Miles in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

I suspect I will deviate, but it's nice to have a plan to work towards.I just mapped out the HM route from the website and it looks like a really long way lol!