ATTQOTD: Same goal as I've been chasing for the past three years - a sub-1:30 half. It's been a very tough nut to crack, and I'm not getting any younger, but I think I'll get there eventually.
This is so timely! I need a new running goal, just having run a half this weekend and PR'ed (thanks DopeyBadger). I'll piggy back on this question: What's a better goal to set: a sub-1 hour 10k (I'm about 5 minutes or less away now), a 17-minute faster marathon (I ran a 5:16 last year and really want a sub-5 hour), or a 20 minute faster half ( I just ran a 2:19 and would need a sub-2 to make it a big goal. Obviously that is a multi-year project)? Trying to get to round numbers.
I don't think those goals are at all mutually exclusive. Most any runner will see benefits across all distances with good training. I set my 5K PR 10 days after setting my marathon PR a few years back. I was specifically focused on marathon training at the time, but my fitness carried over to the shorter distance of the 5K. You can certainly work on all those goals simultaneously.
ATTQOTD: Run a sub 5 hour marathon in November. I am signed up to run the Richmond marathon which is my first non Disney marathon. I have stopped for a lot of character photos the past two times I ran the marathon and I’d like to see how I can do when I don’t have the allure of stopping for a picture with Buzz Lightyear, etc.
Enjoy Richmond! That was my first marathon and I've run it 6 times so far, and will run it again this year. It's a great marathon, and the weather is usually pretty good.
I thought about a BQ attempt for when I turn 50 in two years. Two things occurred to me. First, I watched the Boston weather fiasco and realized that I am far too delicate to run in weather below 50 degrees (much less what those folks faced.) Second, the time allowances increase for a reason and I may be kidding myself when applying today's abilities against future time goals.
With Boston, you never know what you're going to get. Last year was absolutely perfect (IMHO - a lot of people going for time thought it was a little hot). This year, ... well, you know. Still, it's definitely worth running.
That is something I am sorta afraid of as well. I have seen several guys I run with semi-normally have had their race times drop off considerably over the last year. On the flip side, I have seen one that is about 5 years older than me get faster and was one of the bad-a@@s that ran last Monday.
I was having a major case of Boston envy the days leading up to Monday, but got over it real fast when I saw the conditions they ran it! LOL
The fastest runner in my club just turned 50 last year and can still run sub-3:00. I'm close to that age but don't expect I'll see any sort of significant decline if I keep up the training.
Even with terrible weather Boston is an epic race. Despite the weather (which hopefully we won't see again any time soon), it's a great event and I'm still glad I was there this year. As the announcer in the athlete's village said, "You're going to have a really great story after this!" I encourage anyone interested in running Boston to give it a shot. You won't regret it.