Good evening Sandy,
how was your weekend? Sorry for not answering earlier, I had a wonderful trip to Chicago, visiting my daughter. (When I am not a running Galadriell, I am - among many other things - a mother of a gorgeous bride. This was my first meeting with the in-laws...)
Let see your question.
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Originally Posted by goldfish
I have a question for you if you don't mind. I have found a half marathon at the end of October that I want to train for. I'm a really slow runner, but I always train using Mittleman's heart rate zones. At my present speed it would take me 3 hours to finish a half. I figure in 5 months of slow burn eating/training I'll lose 20-30 pounds and surely that will help me speed up. But my question is, do you think I can speed up enough in 5 months to finish before they close up the course?
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Let me assure you: I have never ever seen any half marathon closing the course under 3:00. It would close out many beginners, elderly, walkers, etc - almost HALF of the marathon pariticipants. Of course I only have experiences with US half marathons, but I do not see any reason why Japanese races would be much more restrictive.
5 months - VERY LONG time. My first half marathon was 8 months after I started my running program (and Ihad much slower start than you had), still I could finish it in 2:13. If you finish it in 2:45, or 3:00 - still excellent time. (Remember Penguin's marathon strategy - easy to adopt for half marathon too: finishing in the same day as you started.
) NO any serious runners book recommend ANY time goal for the first half marathon/marathon. ENJOY IT - that is the only goal.
In an earlier post you mentioned your plan mixing Galloway with Mittleman (excellent choice). Do you have Galloway's first book, the "Book of Running" ? It is the BEST half marathon guide of all time for runners on ALL level. Pick for example the half marathon training program : "to finish" or the "2:45 goal". With 3-4 x 30 min or 5 k walk/run on weekdays and one long run on weekends you can succeed easily. (If you do not have the book I can copy you the charts.)
Two important things: be VERY EASY with speed, and with increasing the distance of the long runs. There is NO race/time worths to get injured during the training.
Cheers: Eva