Garmin HM training update

[Jericho2332]

Good morning runners! Realised Ive not posted in a while, it's so easy to get out of the habit! 🤦🏻‍♂️

My HM training with Garmin is going well and I'm half way through week 6 of 20.

My thoughts currently on Garmin coaching is that it feels very impersonal when compared to something like NRC. If you prefer to just pop your music on and run without any chatter then the Garmin coaching could be the one for you, you get videos to watch and things to read but I do find myself craving a bit of Coach B from NRC at this stage 😂😂. However, I can't argue with the results, I'm steadily losing weight, I'm not having any knee pain and despite not really trying to purposely run relatively slowly on most runs I've found that I've set PBs 3 times in the last week at half mile and 1km distances, going from 3:48 and 4:44 to 3:40 and 4:33 respectively. Those PBs have stood for years and were set when I was running regularly a few years ago so was a lot younger, a fair bit lighter and fitter 😂. I was always confident I could get fit again and MAYBE be a sub 25min 5k runner, now I'm sure I can do it!

I'm not really doing speed work, not really running long distances, not running more than 3-4 times a week, I find most of the runs easy... but it's just working 🤷🏼‍♂️

Plenty of weeks left be very interested to see where I am come HM day. Il try to keep updated a bit more regular 👍🏻

Happy Running

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

The plan is clearly suiting you very well. Those are all great results! Well done.

Have you a specific HM race at the end?

[Jericho2332 Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Not a specific HM no, just be me 😂

[RiceAndPeas Marathon]

I'd be very interested to see how the HM goes too. I wasn't convinced by Garmin coach and stopped using it, quite possibly a mistake on my part!

[Jericho2332 Half Marathon in reply to RiceAndPeas]

I think there's 3 coaches to choose from, depending what your looking for. After I've completed this HM plan I may see what the others coaches are like too, especially if I keep improving like this 😂

[misswobble Marathon]

sounds like good progress is being made, and you seem positive about how it’s all going, which is always a bonus 😀🏃‍♂️

I have been relying on Coach B to cheer me up on long runs. He’s a big help 📢 😀

I’m not doing speedwork AGAIN 😤. My painful ankle is back 😏

Good luck with your running adventures. Have fun 👍

[Jericho2332 Half Marathon in reply to misswobble]

Sorry to hear about that ankle! Nothing more annoying when your really trying to get fit than you body not playing ball!

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

That all sounds really good Jericho2332. The attraction of NRC for me is the teaching element. Knocking 13 minutes off my HM PB last year was a product of running faster without increasing effort (by increasing my HM stride length to my 5k stride length) and losing a stone and a half or so courtesy of a pre-diabetic diet. My pre diabetic score of 42 from last year (41 is the highest “normal” score) has just been remeasured…..at 42! Despite big diet change and weight loss!! Last year’s 42 was labelled “borderline” this year’s 42 is “satisfactory”. Think I will demand a re-count!

I am not at all advocating dieting(outside of my expertise and way too personal), but clearly I was carrying more than I needed to.,

[Jericho2332 Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Thank you! 13 minutes off your PB is excellent! I am really missing NRC coaching it always feels like your being encouraged and entertained whilst learning. Garmin is more tell you what to do and let you get on with it. Great if you want to listen to music or a book without much interruption. The learning is more in your none running time. I'm using Coach Jeff and he encourages a faster cadence shorter length stride sort of running, reminds me of the sort of running style described in Born To Run by Christopher McDougall (and amazing read/listen, thanks OF!) about the Tarahumara runners. Fast cadence, short stride, light feet. They basically never get injured! I have to say I've had zero pain in any of my usual week points since starting the plan, fingers crossed it continues 🤞🏻.

I was a few stone over weight when I started running again and have shifted half of it, hopefully as I lose the rest and can continue to improve my running. I know this second 50% of the weight I want off is going to be a tougher, slower process, I've given myself a target of summer this year when I'm heading to 90s Fest again 😂. If I manage it I think il be the weight I was in the 90s 😂

I'm also not dieting as such, just eating a little less and moving a lot more, certainly being a bit more mindful of what calories I'm putting in Vs burning.

It's a slower process but I think I'm more likely to keep it off once it's gone.

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Jericho2332]

My pace increase was a progression. 95 cms is my standard stride length. It was dropping to 88 on long runs( I needed to do that to slow down so that I could get the distance!). Getting fitter made it possible to transfer the 95 cm stride length to long runs, and the final piece of the jigsaw was an increase in cadence. All good fun 🙂

[Jericho2332 Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

I have no idea of what my stride length is 😂 could be interesting to know what it was/is

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Jericho2332]

It’s on the stats page, next to laps, that you get on Garmin for each run.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Ohh, that sounds amazing, well done! Can you still listen to the occasional NRC run to accompany your Garmin plan? You can select any appropriate guided run based on time or distance, without having to commit to a full NRC program..

[Jericho2332 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Thanks Linda! yes you certainly could do that, I thought about it this morning. There's a few points during drills etc it may clash 🤔 can see it working fine on the longer runs though.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Jericho2332]

That's probably where it's most useful to have the distraction too 😊