Help me improve my half marathons

[patches31709]

Ok so I did my 3rd half marathon on Sunday. I had been pretty sick up until a day or two before the race, so I'm sure that definitely played a factor, but I think I just need to get better at running 13 miles. 

I was doing great until somewhere after the 15k mark. My first 3 5k splits were all in the 29:30s. And then, I just died. I felt like I was giving it everything I had, but I was just crawling along. My next 5K split was 31 and change, and the last leg was at around a 10min/mile pace. 

In my post-race-over-analysis of myself, I realized that I have only run 10 miles or longer 9 times - twice in training for each half, and then each half itself. I can run 10 miles fine - anything over that is hard for me. To get better, do you think I should focus on running the distance more, or more on overall speed work? 

Like I said, I was just sick and I'm sure that played a factor, but I'm sure it wasn't the only reason. Help me get better please! 

[Brit]

How do you feel about 12 mile training runs? I know that others run half marathons with 10 miles as their longest long run, but for me to run well at that distance I seem to need a 12 or, even better, a 14 mile long run.

[Wines Not Whines]

I would focus on running more long distances. How long are your longest training runs? Are you just doing 10 miles, or are you also running 12 mile runs? If you're only doing 10, I would add a 12-miler in there. If you're already doing 12, I'd consider adding a 13-mile training run.

I got a pretty big PR in my half on Saturday, and I attribute most of it to adding some extra long training runs.

[gt7301b]

I agree with the pps suggestions to add a 12 mile run into your training mix.

I also think that tempo runs are helpful for half marathons. I am one of those people who needs to practice running at goal pace. I try and run 2-3 miles of one of my runs at goal pace. Sometimes I actually do a tempo run or other times I just try and run negative splits on my long runs.

[patches31709]

Thanks ladies, I was thinking that more distance is the answer. My longest training run has always been 11. I did it at pretty much the same pace I did the half at - low 9:40s, but I felt like I was fading during the training runs too. I start off with a better pace than that, then just kind of drift off because I can't hold on anymore.

I've done 8, 9, and 10 milers at a 9:10 pace before, so it's really frustrating me that I can't get over the 10 mile hump I seem to be stuck on. It also probably doesn't help that after the half I did last March, I didn't really do any long runs at all until I started training again for this half. I'm thinking I'll do better at maintaining a decent base, then try and get a few runs in that exceed 13 miles.

Thanks again!

[shelbyann]

I agree - higher mileage overall and in particular, a couple of runs in the 13-15 range.

I am also a fan of what my coach used to call the "grinding tempo" - a longer run (say 7-10 miles) with a good chunk (4-5 miles) at a little faster than goal half pace (think 15k or 10 mile race pace). So much fun (not!) but they work!

[breezy8407]

Mar 19, 2013 9:47:44 GMT -5 shelbyann said:

I agree - higher mileage overall and in particular, a couple of runs in the 13-15 range.

I am also a fan of what my coach used to call the "grinding tempo" - a longer run (say 7-10 miles) with a good chunk (4-5 miles) at a little faster than goal half pace (think 15k or 10 mile race pace). So much fun (not!) but they work!

Ditto. I feel much more comforable when I do a few 10's and then 12 a week or two before the race. 

I closely followed Hal Higdon's advanced 1/2 plan for my 2nd 1/2, and it included a few runs that shelbyann describes...I would do a 6 mile run, but 4 of it were faster than my goal pace. It was tough, but I feel like those helped a lot. 

[patches31709]

Mar 19, 2013 9:47:44 GMT -5 shelbyann said:

I agree - higher mileage overall and in particular, a couple of runs in the 13-15 range.

I am also a fan of what my coach used to call the "grinding tempo" - a longer run (say 7-10 miles) with a good chunk (4-5 miles) at a little faster than goal half pace (think 15k or 10 mile race pace). So much fun (not!) but they work!

That type of run definitely seems helpful. Question though - for the remaining couple of miles not at above race pace, would I try and do those at race pace, or at more of a long run training pace? 

[ebeth]

more mpw and more tempo runs.

[shelbyann]

Mar 19, 2013 11:05:17 GMT -5 patches31709 said:

Mar 19, 2013 9:47:44 GMT -5 shelbyann said:

I agree - higher mileage overall and in particular, a couple of runs in the 13-15 range.

I am also a fan of what my coach used to call the "grinding tempo" - a longer run (say 7-10 miles) with a good chunk (4-5 miles) at a little faster than goal half pace (think 15k or 10 mile race pace). So much fun (not!) but they work!

That type of run definitely seems helpful. Question though - for the remaining couple of miles not at above race pace, would I try and do those at race pace, or at more of a long run training pace? 

When I do them they usually look something like:

1-3 miles easy 
4-5 miles tempo
1-3 miles easy

The easy miles should be pretty easy, for me there's 2+ minutes per mile difference between tempo and easy in a workout like this.

[patches31709]

Thanks shelbyann!