training question

[FarrahWaters]

So, I'm thinking of doing a half marathon, even though it's only 4 weeks away. Looking at a training schedule, they have you do a pace run where you are supposed to run the designated amount at the pace you want to run the race. Having never run a half marathon before, I have no idea at what speed I should shoot for.

To give you some sort of idea, I just ran a 5 mile race on New Year's, finished at 38:28 doing a 7:42 pace.

Also, is it a bad idea to do the bulk of my training on a treadmill? I hate the damn thing, but it might be my only option.

[ewth8tr]

Originally Posted by FarrahWaters

So, I'm thinking of doing a half marathon, even though it's only 4 weeks away. Looking at a training schedule, they have you do a pace run where you are supposed to run the designated amount at the pace you want to run the race. Having never run a half marathon before, I have no idea at what speed I should shoot for.

To give you some sort of idea, I just ran a 5 mile race on New Year's, finished at 38:28 doing a 7:42 pace.

Also, is it a bad idea to do the bulk of my training on a treadmill? I hate the damn thing, but it might be my only option.

I just read an article in Runners World that said that it wasn't good to do most of your training on a treadmill because the surface is much softer and easier on your legs than the road will be and it could cause you problems.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by ewth8tr

I just read an article in Runners World that said that it wasn't good to do most of your training on a treadmill because the surface is much softer and easier on your legs than the road will be and it could cause you problems.

run barefoot on the treadmill. easy.

[Runner Coug]

Originally Posted by FarrahWaters

So, I'm thinking of doing a half marathon, even though it's only 4 weeks away. Looking at a training schedule, they have you do a pace run where you are supposed to run the designated amount at the pace you want to run the race. Having never run a half marathon before, I have no idea at what speed I should shoot for.

To give you some sort of idea, I just ran a 5 mile race on New Year's, finished at 38:28 doing a 7:42 pace.

Also, is it a bad idea to do the bulk of my training on a treadmill? I hate the damn thing, but it might be my only option.

The MacMillan calculator predicts your 1/2 finish at 1:47:18, an 8:12/mile pace. Dude knows his stuff, too. His calculator has been within 30-90 seconds on most of my races.

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmil...calculator.htm

As for the treadmill, if you HAVE to do most of your training on it, you'll be fine. I know of runners who have trained for full marathons on treadmills and posted BQ's. Of course, they possibly could have run faster if they had trained outdoors. At the very least, I would try to do any long runs outside, and put your treadmill on at least a 1% incline to better simulate outside.

[bluegoose]

My sister in law ran 6 miles almost every day on the treadmill throughout all of 2006. She went outdoors for a longer run on the road once or twice a week. She did a couple of marathons that year and did very well. She typically did about 7:30-8:00 min/mile pace on the treadmill and finished the marathon, I believe, in about 3:30-3:45, which is 7:45-8:00 pace. Of course, their entire side of the family has this freakish physiology and biomechanics which allows them to train without any hint of overuse injuries.

The mechanics involved in treadmill running are slightly different than road running, in that you are basically trying to avoid falling off the back of the thing instead of trying to propel yourself forward. You lose some of the propulsive muscle workout, but I doubt if it is enough to notice over the course of a half marathon. Your pace will likely be a little slower over 13 miles, but I would imagine you should still be able to go well under 2 hours.

I personally have a hard time running on a treadmill more than a couple of miles, as for some reason I am more prone to anterior shin splints than while running on the road.

[SteelBlue]

Here's a little blurb from Runner's World about treadmill vs road and injuries:

http://runningdoctor.runnersworld.co...0Running%20Doc

It's about halfway down the page.

[bluegoose]

Originally Posted by Runner Coug

The MacMillan calculator predicts your 1/2 finish at 1:47:18, an 8:12/mile pace. Dude knows his stuff, too. His calculator has been within 30-90 seconds on most of my races.

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmil...calculator.htm

That is a pretty cool pace calculator, btw. Are you saying it was within 30-90 seconds of your marathon times? If so, that is remarkable.

For me it was not nearly as accurate as for you, but it was ballbark close. I based it off my current 5K time (23:19), and it was off by a couple of minutes for my half marathon time.

My projected mile time based on my 5K was a bit off as well, but maybe that just says that I've been dogging it on my mile time.

[Archaea]

Wow, do either of you two pts have a suggestion.

I have been lightly training for a half in twelve days, but today during intervals reaggravated my heal bone. I wish to continue the fitness and ordered a new insert, but I wonder why I'm prone to to getting them.

Last week I ran a four, a six and a sixteen, and this week was just doing mile repeats at 6:35, fast enough to feel one's rhythm but not too fast, heartrate about 130. When suddenly, horrible pain shot through my heal and I couldn't do the warm down and it hurts more now.

Thursday is a gentleman's ten to eleven but I feel as though I might not cure the pain enough to run a workout pace at the race. Ideas?

[Runner Coug]

Originally Posted by bluegoose

That is a pretty cool pace calculator, btw. Are you saying it was within 30-90 seconds of your marathon times? If so, that is remarkable.

Yeah, in most of my races, it's within at least about a minute and a half. Of course, it could be a self fulfilling prophecy, since I look up my projected times before I run. But usually, at the end of my races, I feel spent, like I couldn't have gone any faster.

[Runner Coug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I have been lightly training for a half in twelve days, but today during intervals reaggravated my heal bone. I wish to continue the fitness and ordered a new insert, but I wonder why I'm prone to to getting them.

Last week I ran a four, a six and a sixteen, and this week was just doing mile repeats at 6:35, fast enough to feel one's rhythm but not too fast, heartrate about 130. When suddenly, horrible pain shot through my heal and I couldn't do the warm down and it hurts more now.

Thursday is a gentleman's ten to eleven but I feel as though I might not cure the pain enough to run a workout pace at the race. Ideas?

I'm guessing it's probably the shitty shoes you're wearing.