Hitchers doing 1/2 marathons this year

Hi there, thought I would do a post to see how we are all doing with our training and to ask a few questions.

I'm doing the Royal Parks London 1/2 Marathon on 11th October (just under 8 weeks ahhhh!!) training is going quite well.  I ran 10 and a half miles yesterday in 1 hour 45mins - not too bad considering it was bloody baking!  However, i am finding that I come down with quite bad headaches about an hour or so after coming home.  This is only happening on the longer Sunday run so I am assuming its a mixture of tiredness and dehydration?  Anyone else getting this?  Are you taking on board a lot of fluid before running and/or sports drinks too?  I guess its just a case of trial and error with this.  I did feel better yesterday than after last week's 9 mile run so maybe I am getting a handle on it.  The tiredness is pretty annoying, especially with an active toddler to come home to!! I just want to go to bed!  Wondering if it might be better to go in the evening...Apart from the big run I am doing another three smaller runs a week and trying to make them a bit speedier. 

I'm also wondering how different it will be running in colder temps as most of my training has been in the last few months.  What do you wear in the winter running?  I am quite a hot person so thinking I will prob end up wearing the same gear i.e cycling type shorts and a vest?

If any of you are doing your runs for Charity how are you doing with sponsorship?  I'm running for Tommies so need to raise £350.  Its going slowly at the moment but I am hoping that people will be generous nearer the time!!

Anyway, it would be great to hear how everyone else is going xxx

Mine is in 3.5 weeks. Eep. Training is not great as I was imjured for so long. Hoping to do a 9 miler this weekend and then just wing it on the day. I'm running twice a week at the moment.

Also doing it for charity, perthes association £150 raised to far, half way there!

Clothes wise I did Royal Parks last year in a vest and capris. I drink way more than average when running and take gels too. Good luck & enjoy.

I'm not doing a 1/2 this year but I have done two in the past (before I hurt my knee).

First thing to check is your food intake. It's amazing how many calories a long run will burn, and if you don't take on board enough to replace them then you will feel super tired.Perhaps google sports nutrition or buy a book on it.

You're right to look at water: make sure you're nicely hydrated.

Third, is there anything different about where you do the long runs? I used to find some runs really hard until it occurred to me that they took me past some undergrowth / bushes that was triggering off a strange hayfever type reaction in me.

Finally, if all else fails, try cutting back a bit or running more slowly on your long runs. It may just be that you are pushing yourself a bit too hard.

HTH

Run to the Beat in 5 weeks and I have just torn my rotator cuff No idea if I'll get to do it or not.  I bring my Camelback with me on long runs and sip at sports drink little and often. Gels make me puke so I just bring jelly babies which go down fine. 

For winter training I have a little windproof jacket and some leggings and that's fine - I also wear a Buff neckwarmer and a hat. 

Good luck!

We're doing the Peterborough half on the same day (except we've just got an email to say there was some SNAFU with them taking payment for our entries). Am v jealous of you doing Royal Parks, it's a lovely event - I got my PB there last year.

Sounds like your training is going fine. 10 miles is a very long run to do at this stage - is that the longest you're going to do? What programme are you following?

Re the headaches and tiredness, my totally unqualitied layman's view is that you need more salt. You can make an isotonic-type drink with orange juice, sugar, salt and water - not tried it myself but apparently it tastes fine. Or obviously bought sports drinks contain salt, or just eat a packet of crisps! Should help with the fatigue too, a bit.

We did our marathon training last year in Jan/Feb/March and I was amazed how cold I found it. I'd wear tights, warmer trousers over those, a long-sleeved top, a gilet over that, a jacket over that (which I'd take off if I got too hot) and a headband/scarf thing and a baseball cap, and gloves. And I am not someone who feels the cold badly at all! I didn't wrap up to quite this extent for shorter, faster runs but for the long slow ones I found I needed it. Your hands get terribly cold, and I found my hips got really sore if I wasn't wrapped up warm in the arse area

Thanks for all your replies.  You see I think the trouble is that mostly the long runs I am doing as soon as I wake up practically so am not really eating anything much before.  I was also worried about indigestion.  I have tried gels but although I thought the Lucozade ones were ok I still really didnt like the texture of them and so couldnt finish a whole one.  I think I might try the jelly babies idea.  At the moment I have been taking a 500ml bottle out with me.  Yesterday I had a lucozade drink in it.  Water seems to go straight through me.  I wonder if a camelback thing could work?

Sorry about the injuries Iris, Little Peanut and Seraphina.  Hope you are all recovering ok and good luck Iris for three weeks time.  Well done on the sponsor money.

Thanks for your reply Sophie do you think I am in danger of burn out by doing such a long run then?  I have been vaguely following a plan on Runners World, building up from 5 miles up to 10 - weekly adding a mile.  I thought this was the best plan to actually get an idea whether I could go that far!!!  I plan to get up to 13 miles and then prob stick doing the 10 miles or does that not make any sense at all?!!  I am entered into the Brighton Marathon too so I think I have one eye on that.

Stupid question but when you wear all that clothing what do you do with it if you do get too hot?

mebble:

Thanks for your reply Sophie do you think I am in danger of burn out by doing such a long run then?  I have been vaguely following a plan on Runners World, building up from 5 miles up to 10 - weekly adding a mile.  I thought this was the best plan to actually get an idea whether I could go that far!!!  I plan to get up to 13 miles and then prob stick doing the 10 miles or does that not make any sense at all?!!  I am entered into the Brighton Marathon too so I think I have one eye on that.

Stupid question but when you wear all that clothing what do you do with it if you do get too hot?

The HM schedule I'm following (also a RW one), the longest run is 10 miles. You don't want to do too much because you're increasing your risk of injury so much. If you can do 10 miles, you'll finish a half no problem. But I'd expect to do my longest run 2 weeks before the HM and then taper, so it just seems you're a bit ahead of where you need to be.

I'll quite happily run up to 10k without having eaten first, but not more.

That's what I wear on really, really cold days, and I don't get too hot. The top jacket can come off if nec and go round my waist, and the gilet has pockets so I can take my gloves off if I need to.

If you're running first thing in the morning, make sure you have a good, complex-carb heavy meal the night before (like jacket potato with bean stew, pasta etc).  You want your glycogen stores to be totally topped up before you do a long run. I'd be reasonably happy to do a long run with a good meal the night before, a banana in the morning and then bring some sports drink/jelly babies etc with me.

I do my long runs first thing on Saturday mornings usually, but I try and get up extra early to have some weetabix and then a little while for it all to go down.

The problem with jelly babies, etc, as you're running is that they release their energy quickly... great during the run but not for maintaining energy levels after you've finished. Also, you'd have to eat quite a lot to fuel you for the run. The suggestion of a good meal before would be good. Also make sure you eat something with complex carbs and protein as soon as possible after finishing.

I found that I could stomach one of those milk shake type sports drinks (you can buy tubs of powder from sports shops / health shops) that you mix up with water - I could have one pretty soon before heading out and didn't get a cramp or any other problems. I had to be quite careful as I have low blood sugar so needed to ensure I had enough protein, etc, to balance out the carbs and also to ensure I was taking on board enough energy to fuel the run. In fact, I remember using Slimfast shakes as a substitute once when I'd run out of powder, and these worked well to get a mix of carbs and protein on board quickly.

  I'm doing the Royal Parks as well and am up to 8.5 miles in training - I'm doing one long run a week and 1-2 shorter ones (tempo and/or hills).  I'm most impressed with the 1 hour 45 for 10.5 miles, I think it will take me a little longer

I drink like a fish and take my Camelbak with me and take frequent sips (do you think I would look silly wearing it during the actual race?).  I also carry jelly babies and haribo sour cherry sweets with me for the actual run, and then make sure I get plenty of water and some food down me when I'm back home.

The plan I'm following has me doing a 12 mile run 2 weeks before the race and then tapering down to a 6 miler the week before.  My right hamstring is super tight as the moment (and making the tendon behind my knee "ping") so I am trying to keep the mileage up whilst managing the legs.

Thanks for the really helpful replies everyone sorry for the delay Hitched was so slow seems much better now though.

I am definitely going to try and eat more the night before and maybe have some porridge and a banana in the morning and try the jellybeans during the run.  It does seem like that is my main problem.

Sophie, I am having doubts about my long run now!!  I wonder if I should go back to doing 7/8 miles until later next month?  I think I was really worried about leaving it til the last minute and then finding out I couldnt go that long, IYSWIM?  I'm still concerned about how tired I will feel running 2hrs+ but guess its a completely different kettle of fish when you have a cheering crowd etc?  Someone also said that tapering was a bad idea as you have to keep that level of running up.

Gosh its much more than just sticking a pair of shoes on and going for it isnt it?!!

Lalu, you see lots of people running HMs with camelbaks, fuel felts, all sorts - some of them look like they're about to ascend Everest, so don't worry!

Mebble, seriously, you don't need to taper as much for a half but you DO need to.

One HM loml and I did, I hadn't run for about three weeks beforehand and did one 10k the week before. loml did 20k on the Monday before "just to check he could". I got a PB; he crashed and burned. You don't lose CV fitness that quickly and running with fresh legs makes such a difference.

I'm relying on fresh legs Sophie. I miscalculated and the HM is in 2.5 weeks, not 3.5 weeks. 9 miles planned for Saturday and then one or 2 short runs and basically just wing it.

Cor its taken me pratically a day to be able to post!!  I really appreciate the advice Sophie and will definitely go down to 7/8 miles and then gradually up and taper at the end.  You hear so many different theories its hard to know whats for the best but I think the fresh leg approach really makes sense.  I am aching quite a bit from Sunday still so being a bit more careful this week.

hello Lalu sounds like you are going really well.  Are you travelling up on the day?  I have decided to find a hotel for the night before and leave the toddler at home so I can have a realatively good sleep!  Do you have a charity place?