KathyStenson says:

Did you rest or take any time off after your half? Many people have suggested that a week off to really rest up may be very helpful. I didn't heed that advice, of course, and I will tell you the first few runs after my half were abyssmal so I'm guessing I would have been wise to cool it a bit.

Maybe try that after your next half??

Good luck!

rcblu2 says:

Sounds like a good tempo where you pushed the HR up. Nice.

rcblu2 says:

Congrats on the finish. Hills kill me.

KathyStenson says:

It IS really tough when a sponsoring hotel makes no allowances for runners, they drew you in then left you hanging!!!

You finished, which is awesome!!! Maybe not quite the experience you had hoped for (I know how that feels!!) but what an accomplishment!!

You should be VERY proud of yourself, and better luck with the next one.

bsnow456 says:

I've had similar experiences with hills. On my latest half there was this hill that I would have sworn was at least 200 feet, but afterwards I checked the course elevation map and it was closer to 100. Races have a way of intimidating.
But anyway, congrats on the finish!

Post edited by: bsnow456, at: 2012/03/19 18:30

KathyStenson says:

Let us know how it goes!!

lazyking says:

Good luck. I'm running the same race tomorrow. It's hilly but you'll have fun and it's for a great cause.

rcblu2 says:

I have run in 2150's for a while and really liked the shoe. Even though I have pretty much retired them I actually broke a pair for my run this morning. More recently my gait analysis said that I didn't need the structure. Made me nervous to switch to a neutral shoe, but they have been working. Good luck with the ankle/knee issues. I hope the reliable shoe does the trick.

KathyStenson says:

Glad you're feeling a lot better...and on track to complete your half in a couple of weeks!!

I'd take those shoes back to the place where you bought them, they may actually do a return for you since they misinformed you about what you were purchasing. It's worth a try, anyway. I'm in retail and I say it's worth a shot, the worst thing they can say is no...but if it's a store that values keeping their customers a refund would be a small price to pay, especially if you're a regular customer.

Best of luck in your taper, keep us posted!!

jahampton says:

I hope your knee works out for you.

I don't live in Cincinnati. I live about 3 hours north and a bit west in Fort Wayne, IN. The Heart Mini happens to be the 1st half in the area and about a month before my anniversary. So my wife and I are using that weekend as our anniversary get-away as well as my 1st half.

lazyking says:

What a small world! I also live in Cincinnati and I'm planning on running the Heart Half marathon. I ran it last year too. I'm not sure if I'll run it this year since my right knee has been bothering me all week long. I'll make a decision by the end of the month. If I'm not running it, I'll make a donation instead. This is an issue close to my heart.

jahampton says:

I do like the idea of maintaining my distance. I am planning on a marathon, but that is not until Nov.

There is only 3 reasons I am even thinking about the 2nd half. The first being price. You don't see that many 5k's for that price, let alone a half. It is the inagural distance for that event. And third, it keeps my motivation up until mid May when the marathon training will be starting.

Thanks for the input. Now I just have to get through the first event!

rcblu2 says:

I love eyeing that next race when I haven't even made it to the one I am training for. I assume your goals for your first half will be to finish. You probably have some sense of your time. My thinking is that you will get a little faster for the second IF you continue maintaining the base. Slack off on training then the second half will be harder than the first. I personally would move into a maintenance-mode after the first half. One easy week to recover from the race, then just get consistent with weeks that look like Tues=3 miles, Wed=5, Thurs or Fri=3, Sun=8. Eventually I would move the long run up to 9 then 10 miles and have a couple weeks of taper. If you stay consistent during that in-between time you will find yourself strong for that second half.

adigerati says:

I had this same question myself at one time and the answer is.. well it depends.

First off, running a second half is good.

The real question is about your training. As far as I'm concerned you have three options and they are all dependent on how well you do in the first half and what you want to accomplish with the second half.

Option 1 is to restart the current program your on at week 4. I would use this option if you struggled during the half and were in bad shape afterwards. This is assuming that you trust the training plan that you were using.

Option 2 is to start a higher level of training at week 4. If you sailed through the first half and now you want to work on meeting a goal time below the first half's time. Look for the next higher up training program than what you were using. Again I'm assuming that your current training program is a beginner program so it shouldn't have any speed work. A higher level half training program should include speed work. Intervals, fartleks, 8x800's, runs like this. Speed work can be just as challenging (more so even) as building distance.

Option 3 and probably the recommendation that I would rank the highest. Look at Marathon training programs. Most of them generally have a half-marathon race as part of the training. Continue the training from that point. You may have to adjust the training a little bit to make it end on the same date as your second half (you can always repeat weeks). If you have to drop weeks then drop the longer mileage weeks first. The reason I prefer this idea is because you will already be in the endurance (distance) building mode from training for you first half. This option extends your training rather than start over, allowing you to capitalize on your current momentum.