Half Marathon

[Bryan]

I'm looking for advice on doing a half marathon for the Summer Solstice Challange . I am currently able to row 10,000m
in just over 42' ( including a 5' warm up ) using a effort rate of 900+ calories an hour for the better part of the body of the row and averaging 25 spm. and my average HR is 120 according to the spread sheet info from the log card . Toward the late mid to near the end I can have my heart rate up to mid to upper 130's and if I push it a little harder toward the end I get up to 140/1 . I don't find it really difficult , but I definitly know I'm working hard , and wouldn't want to push it any harder . I've done 90' on the erg before , but that was a decade ago . So , I am wondering if any of you experienced people , seeing the info I've supplied , would have advice on an effort rate to be able to complete the half marathon without having my body crash before I have completed it . Thanks in advance .
Bryan

[gregsmith01748]

Hi Bryan,

The general advice is that if you double the distance, your splits will go up by about 5 seconds. This seems to hold pretty well for me. I guess some lightweights see a smaller number, like 3 seconds.

It's hard to interpret much from your heart rate unless you know how it compares to your maxHR and where you would start to transition from aerobic to anaerobic. Do you know your maxHR? As a first approximation, you can use the whole 220-age formula, but it's far from accurate for most people.

Anyway, for your first HM, you should definitely start at a pace slower than you think you can do and then speed up as you go along. It's a far more pleasant experience than the opposite.

Good luck with your row.

[Bryan]

Hi Bryan,

The general advice is that if you double the distance, your splits will go up by about 5 seconds. This seems to hold pretty well for me. I guess some lightweights see a smaller number, like 3 seconds.

It's hard to interpret much from your heart rate unless you know how it compares to your maxHR and where you would start to transition from aerobic to anaerobic. Do you know your maxHR? As a first approximation, you can use the whole 220-age formula, but it's far from accurate for most people.

Anyway, for your first HM, you should definitely start at a pace slower than you think you can do and then speed up as you go along. It's a far more pleasant experience than the opposite.

Good luck with your row.

I don't know my maxHR at this point . I figure from a previous conversation on this forum that I shouldn't use the 220 formula . I have a good resting heart rate of around 40 consistently which I thought was pretty good for a 53 year old , especially since I have been away from extended cardio workouts for several years . I know from rowing at around 140bpm I didn't have trouble with oxygen carrying since I was not gasping for air so I figure I can assume that I am still in an aerobic state at that HR , but I could definitly feel it , and wouldn't/couldn't go on for hours at that rate . I am only back at this since February and that's with a 5 week break due to over use ( March Madness ) and a 4th toe dislocation . I am very active , but more of a shlogging labour workout type of active . I had already figured that I would start at a rate of 750/cal/hr , which is what I usually do in my regular 5' warm-up and extend the warm up longer and row at something like 800/cal/hr and see how I felt at an 3/4 to an hour at that pace . I know my butt is going to get sore ; that always is where I feel it first as the time gets on .
Anyway , thanks for the advice .
Bryan

[Bryan]

So I was able to do the half marathon . Not really fast , but I did it 1:35:42.2 . The last 400 m I wanted to stop ; my butt and hamstrings were giving it to me . I didn't get my HR up above 120 so cardio was not a problem , just sitting for sooooo long . How ever do you people do a full marathon ?

[Bob S.]

So I was able to do the half marathon . Not really fast , but I did it 1:35:42.2 . The last 400 m I wanted to stop ; my butt and hamstrings were giving it to me . I didn't get my HR up above 120 so cardio was not a problem , just sitting for sooooo long . How ever do you people do a full marathon ?

By doing longer and longer pieces to train the body to tolerate pain and dehydration.

[Nosmo]

So I was able to do the half marathon . Not really fast , but I did it 1:35:42.2 . The last 400 m I wanted to stop ; my butt and hamstrings were giving it to me . I didn't get my HR up above 120 so cardio was not a problem , just sitting for sooooo long . How ever do you people do a full marathon ?

By doing longer and longer pieces to train the body to tolerate pain and dehydration.

One doesn't really learn to tolerate dehydration well. Better to keep hydrated. Training longer and longer does make a huge difference. Have a strong butt is really important to comfort on the seat. It is more important then padding, and doing hard intervals will help a lot with butt pain--even if it is not necessary for doing HM or FM. Just keep at it and it gets easier.

[Carl Watts]

If your doing regular longer training rows like 60 minutes, the HM really doesn't feel that much longer.

If on the other hand 30 minutes feels like a long row to you your going to have problems in just taking the "Seat time" with your butt, let alone the other problems you nomally endure.

[Bryan]

If your doing regular longer training rows like 60 minutes, the HM really doesn't feel that much longer.

If on the other hand 30 minutes feels like a long row to you your going to have problems in just taking the "Seat time" with your butt, let alone the other problems you nomally endure.

I have been working back to doing 60' rows like I was doing at the end of the March Madness Challenge before I had to stop for 5 weeks . I did do a 60' row the day before the HM to see what pace I might be comfortable with for the HM . Befor the HM I was doing approx. a 45' , 10,000+m row most days , and that was not a problem . The only thing I still find , as I did from my rowing days of years ago , is that right after I have to walk and stretch out my hamstrings . I guess the repetative motion shortens up the muscles . I notice it right where my hamstrings and glutes meet . I do stretch due to having had plantar fasciitis twice from my running days , but maybe I should add a specific hamstring stretch into the mix as well .
Since I did the HM , I am now committed to working toward the FM .