Hansons Half-Marathon Training Program

One of my goals this year is a new personal best at the half-marathon distance. I ran a 1:32:35 at the 2014 St Louis half-marathon (7:04 pace/mile). Now I'd like to lower that PR at the Illinois half-marathon on April 30. In my dreams, I break 1:30 (~6:52/mile). In reality, I'd be happy with any improvement in that current PR. 1:32:34? That'll do! In terms of practical goals and target times, I'm shooting for a 1:31:46 (7:00 pace/mile). Seven minute per mile pace seems doable.  A challenge, but reachable. It's a nice "round" number too. And a finish time of 1:31:46 just seems right. Hard to remember, but that's fine. I'll easily remember 7:00 pace.

The St Louis race course was rather hilly compared to Champaign. But the weather in St Louis was almost perfect--no wind and temperatures in the low 40Fs. Champaign will be a flatter course, but probably warmer. Is that a push? One element evens out the other?  Maybe. Another plus for the Illinois course is proximity--I'm a 15 minute drive from the starting line. No hotels, no strange dinners or breakfasts, no worries about traffic or parking. And I know the actual race course. Plus, plenty of friends running and volunteering. Overall, a huge advantage. This new PR seems possible! Even at the age of 50.

It seems possible, but how do I achieve this "possible goal" and make it a reality? I'm using an actual training program. Novel idea (for me). No more day to day, week to week, haphazard planning. For this PR attempt, I'm going with the Hansons Half-Marathon Method based on their book by the same name. They also have a marathon training plan I may adopt for my BQ attempt in July...but first the half-marathon in April.

Why the Hansons Method?  I was drawn to it because it had a thorough exploration of the half-marathon distance and race strategy. And nutritional advice. Not just a 2-page training plan. It's a full book dedicated to the half-marathon. That's rare. I also like that it incorporates two types of weekly speed work (that change over time) plus a long run. And it emphasizes "cumulative fatigue" by requiring 6 runs/week. Consistency will build strength, speed, and fitness. I need that for a personal best. Their basic 18-week plan can be found here (without the full details that are provided in the book).

What are the key elements of the Hansons training plan?

• Tuesday speed session. Every Tuesday is an interval workout that begins with a focus on speed (5k race pace) and transitions to strength (10k race pace). An example of an early speed session would be 12 x 400m intervals at 5k pace. About half-way through the program, the speedy 5k intervals move to "strength" intervals that are longer efforts at 10k pace. For example, 3 x 2-mile repeats. 
• Thursday tempo run. Each Thursday is a progressively longer tempo run at half-marathon race pace. This develops your lactate threshold and also gets you comfortable with race-day pace. Win, win. 
• Sunday long run. It may "only" be a half-marathon, but those long runs are still important. No 20 milers needed, these Sunday runs top out at 12 miles. Toward the end of the program, you alternate weekly 10 and 12 mile efforts. Long enough to build endurance and stamina, but not so long you can't recover and be ready for the Tuesday speed sessions.
• 3 other "easy" runs. To build overall weekly mileage, which peaks at 48 miles in the beginner program, you need lots of regular easy runs. These range from 4-7 miles all done at an easy conversational effort. You become more fit through active recovery. 
• One rest day. Each Wednesday is a day off. No cross-training, no weight-lifting, no running. Just rest. With 6 days of running, you need a full day of rest to allow healing and adaptations. 

If I survive this very structured and intense plan, I'll be ready for a great race at the Illinois Half-Marathon on April 30th. Wish me well.

Sick and Tired of Being Sick

It's been about 3 weeks and I'm still struggling with a cold. Not the worst thing ever, but slight chest congestion, coughing, and runny nose. No fever or aches and pains. I'm really tired of this "being sick" thing. I suppose it's better than having a running injury, but it still sucks. At first I ran through the first week+ of illness. Nothing changed. So I took a full week off from running. No change. Now I'm back to short and easy runs. No change...yet. My Hanson training program for the Illinois Half-Marathon (April 30) begins next week. Doubt I'll be ready to tackle intervals and tempo runs, but maybe the following week I'll be able to step it up a notch. I still have hope. And it's "only" a half-marathon. I'll be ready. My real goal is the July 31 Jack & Jill Downhill Marathon for a BQ attempt. I must be ready for that race!

"Riddle Run" Lives On

A man must love a thing very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame and money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well.
Read more at http://quotes.yourdictionary.com/author/gilbert-keith-chesterton/151296#QRLCFgg2QOlbOrg2.99

2015 RIDDLE Run Champion

The motto of the Riddle Run...

"A man must love a thing very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame and money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well." - Gilbert Keith Chesterton

One way or another, this local run continues to exist. The Riddle Run 28-mile fat ass lives on for yet another year! On the last Saturday in January, we'll experience the 17th Riddle Run. Two local runners, myself and Tom Rice, have run them all. We plan on keeping the streak alive...and the spirit of the original fast ass runs. No fees, no awards, no aid, no whining. Just run and enjoy.

Jeff Riddle, founder of this run back in 2000, has a nice history of the event through 2013. I organized from 2014 to today. Here are the champions for each year:

Year	Event RD	Male	Time	Female	Time
2000	Jeff	Jeff Riddle	8:39
2001	Jeff	Spencer Nelson	4:40
2002	Jeff	Dave Scott	3:52
2003	Jeff	Dave Scott	4:06	Becky Dey	5:45
2004	Jeff	Dave Scott	4:28
2005	Jeff	Jack Pierce	3:49	Marla Luckey	5:34
2006	Jeff	Jeff Kelly	3:48	Marla Luckey	4:31
2007	Jeff	Brett Graham	3:54	Marla Luckey	4:28
2008	Jeff	Matt Condron	3:39	Ellen Erhardt	4:18
2009	Jeff	Rob Raguet-Schofield	4:56	Becky Kasten	5:32
2010	Jeff	Matthew Small	3:58	Kristy Powell	4:18
2011	Jason	Brian Kuhn & Elliot Brinkman	4:57	Andrea Stack	5:37
2012	Jeff	Brandon Smith & Elliot Brinkman	4:00	Ellen Byron	5:25
2013	Jeff	Jason Elliot	3:45	Andrea Stack	5:00
2014	Chris	Matt Halfar	6:32
2015	Chris	Steve Butler	4:41	Andrea Stack	6:14

I'll be at Lake of the Woods trails on January 30th, but I don't have any hope of doing well. No fame or money either. I'll just run. That's enough.

2016 Race Plans

I have three main goal races for 2016. In addition to those three target races, I'll toss in a couple of other races as tests/benchmarks...or just plain fun. Maybe a 5K to test my speed. A 10K to work on stamina. A few trail races to build strength. Anyway, here are my three goal races for 2016:

Illinois Half-Marathon (April 30, Champaign, IL)
I've run the marathon here twice and really enjoyed the first half (nicer scenery). Why not just do the first half? I set a personal record at the half-marathon distance in St Louis (1:32:35, Oct 2014). That wasn't too long ago. I think I can set a new personal best this year. I dream of breaking 1:30. The course in Champaign is flatter than St Louis, but the weather will likely be warmer. Maybe those factors cancel each other out? The big difference is that I'll train harder for this attempt. Plus, the starting line is only a 10-mile drive from my home. No long travel, no hotel, no stress. And there will be tons of friends running and volunteering at the race. Not sure I could set a marathon PR here, but a half-marathon best is definitely doable. I'll be using the Hansons Half-Marathon Method for this race. More details on that training plan in a future blog post.

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon (July 30, North Bend, WA)
This will be my Boston qualifier attempt. Why this race?  Did you see the name of the race?  It's all downhill! A gentle downhill grade on packed dirt trails. I may kill my quads, but I'll qualify for Boston. Plus, my brother will do this as his first marathon. We won't exactly "run together," but it'll be fun to train for the same event and coordinate our efforts. I need a 3:30 to qualify for Boston (8:00 mile/pace), but you need to be a couple minutes faster to actually get into the Boston Marathon. I'm shooting for a 3:25. I'll use a formal training plan for this race too, but not sure if it'll be the Hansons Marathon Method or FIRST program. I'm leaning toward FIRST. While the course is downhill, the race is in the middle of summer. Weather could be a huge factor. Seattle area is cooler than central Illinois, so maybe all my heat training in June and July will pay off at the race.

Tunnel Hill 50 Miler (November 12, Vienna, IL)
I set my 50-mile personal best here in 2014 (9:04). Missed the race in 2015 (sick with a cold). Now it's time to return and set a new PR! I'd like to break 9:00 (shouldn't be too hard) and possibly hit 8:30 (much harder). The course is a rails-to-trails surface on a wide packed dirt path and no rocks and roots. Mostly flat with a few gentle ups and downs. Definitely a fast race. Well, as fast as you can be for 50 (or 100) miles. I turn 50 in 2016 so this is my capstone event. Run 50 miles at the age of 50 faster than I ever have before. Good goal, right? Works for me.

Three target races and three new personal bests. Sounds good.

My 2016 Running Goals

2015 was not my best year.
I'm looking forward to 2016.

Here are my running goals for the year:

1. Qualify for the Boston Marathon.
I'll turn 50 this year and need a 3:30 marathon to qualify for Boston. Probably a couple of minutes faster to actually get into the race. So, I'm planning on a 3:28 (or better) marathon. I already have a couple of races picked out, but I think I've settled on one real attempt. If that goes well, then I'm in for Boston. If not, I think I'm giving up on this dream and focusing on ultramarathons. I have a few dream ultras I'd like to run.

2. Set at least 2 new personal records. 
When you're 50, new personal bests don't come that often. Still, I have high hopes for this year. I'll set 2 new PRs. Not sure what distances, but two of the following will fall: 5K, 10K, half-marathon, marathon, 50K, 50 mile, 100K, or 100 mile. If I grab a Boston qualifier, that will be one of the new PRs. Need another one.

3. Follow a structured training plan for at least one goal race.
I rarely follow a training plan. When I do, it's for about 4 weeks. I need more consisitency and structure if I'm going to race well. It's time to commit to a race and implement a 12-16 week training plan. Maybe for a half-marathon. Maybe the Boston attempt. Maybe both.

That's it. Three interconnected goals for this year. If all goes well, I'll follow a training plan, qualify for Boston, and set two PRs. I'll get back to you with the results on December 31. Wish me well.

Quick Running Stats for 2015

I've already posted my "Did I meet my goals for 2015" and "Insights from 2015" blog entries. Now it's a more statistical look back at the past year.

I usually track all of my runs with a GPS watch (transitioned from the Garmin 310XT to the 610). Even indoor treadmill runs are done with a foot pod connected to the watch. It's rare that I miss e-logging a run (maybe 2-3 runs all year). Important to remember that almost all of my runs are on trails and GPS is notorious for under-estimating trail miles. With a couple of missed e-log runs, plus the under-reporting of GPS trail miles, my total miles are likely much higher (and average speed is likely faster too). Not getting defensive (not too much anyway), but trying to keep things honest. I report these from my Garmin Connect data as a way to be consistent from year to year. Here are my Garmin statistics for 2015:

Count:	236 Activities
Distance:	1,453.39 mi
Max Distance:	30.10 mi
Avg Distance:	6.16 mi
Time:	239:10:42 h:m:s
Avg Speed:	6.0 mph
Avg HR:	135 bpm
Calories:	146,521 C
Elevation Gain:	63,291 ft

One of my worst years of running. Low overall mileage and fairly short "longest run." No injuries, but a couple of illnesses (pneumonia and nasty cold/flu) that laid me up for 2 weeks each--that's a lot of zeros in the log. Each illness was followed by at least a week of 2-3 mile "get back on my feet" type runs. I think 2016 will be better in every category. More runs (shooting for 275). More miles (maybe 1600). Longer maximum distance (50 miles). Better average length run (7 miles?). More time on feet (~250 hours). Faster average speed (6.5 mph). About same heart rate (mid 130s). More calories burned (150,000). Greater elevation gain (70,000'). That's my plan for 2016...more of everything!