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Half Marathon during IM training

donymodonymo
in General Training Discussions

1. When training for an IM, how close to race day is too close to run a half marathon? 

2. Since a half marathon will be run on a weekend, does the fact that it conflicts with your Saturday long ride make it a no go?  Or should I only consider one that is on a Sunday and just skip the ABP ride on Sunday?

Comments

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Hmm ... no answers for you yet?

    The half marathon would probably be replacing the long run that week, with a two mile warm up and a mile or so cool down, that's 16 miles of running, in 2:00-2:30 depending on your speed. There are only a few weeks during IM prep phase when the long run is in that range. I'd say the week or two after the first race rehearsal would be a good time to throw it in. As to specifically how to re-arrange your week to fit that in, that depends on what else is constraining your training time. Probably best to pick a specific race/date, and that hit up Coach P in the Micro Forum to chat about what to do that week.

    IMO, the half marathon about 4-6 weeks prior to an IM gives an excellent VDOT and HR profile to use for race day pacing. IOW, a VERY well-trained and rested athlete could use the VDOT based on that HIM to determine his pace during the IM - it would be long run pace  AT BEST, as modified by heat, terrain.

    Don;t forget that a key element will probably be taking the day off AFTER the race, and taking it easy two days after. That's all the recovery you should need. 

  • MattAaronsonMattAaronson
    To me the question is if you're "running it" or "racing it".

    If you're "racing" then you will be sore for at least a few days and I suspect even in the unlikely event you got to your target volume the next week you would probably not hit the targets of your quality workouts. Combined with even with a minimal 2-3 day taper and you are punching a ~7-day hole into your IM training even if you got back to full-strength for the key bike workouts the following weekend.

    If on the other hand you're "running it" then it becomes a long-run as Al suggests. The key there is to set a pace target that is not going to require recovery. For example, running it at MP should be a hard workout but not put you into a hole.
  • donymodonymo
    I was going for "running it"....making it like a workout.
    I couldn't care less about a half marathon PR
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    I hesitate to offer a rebuttal to Matt, but I know he loves a good discussion. A half marathon is shorter than an Oly tri, time wise, almost as short as a sprint. As long as the day before is an easy day - like swim only - and the day after is a total rest day, I don't think going at race pace will impact traIning to any significant degree. Assuming, as I said, that one has been faithfully doing two months of IM prep work at that point. From four weeks out into the race, our schedule calls for gradually decreasing run training.

    I guess one other point on how to modify the pre race training week...assume the race is your "interval" run workout for that week. So don't decrease volume leading into it, but do avoid doing, say, 3 x 1 mile @ TP or any HM tempo running, or whatever the plan is calling for that week. Run as per the suggested times @ EZ/LRP only, with 6-10 strides at the end of the workouts, to keep the neuromuscular units
    primed for the hard effort.
  • MattAaronsonMattAaronson
    I don't disagree Al...but it's all about the goal you set for the race. If you really, truly RACE the half, then you really do need to taper a bit. And if you do RACE it all-out, you will have soreness that will impact your LT/z4 run workouts the next week. But Don is suggesting to "run", so that puts me right where you are. Just run it. Honestly if you have been training properly and do it essentially at MP-ish pace it should be a proverbial 'walk in the park'...a good workout but just another workout.
  • ezellrhezellrh
    To pile on: make sure you can live with your prioritiation of the race. Athletes (men specifically) have a very hard time showing up to a race atmosphere and 'just running'. So if your plan is to just run, make sure you check the ego at the door and are cool with lots of dudes and dudettes cruising past you. On the other hand, if your goal is to 'race', it will likely put a dent into the next week.

    Regardless of which you are going after, good luck!
  • MattAaronsonMattAaronson
    Good point Roy. In the last 2 years I have "run" and not raced 3 half marathons. All were to be run at MP as part of a prescribed and quite specific 18-mile workout. In two of them I signed up for the event and ripped the timing chip off of the bib. Because when the race is on, it is "on".
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