1:40 - 1:45 half marathon

10% is stupid. Just run consistently and gradually increase it over time and run by time not mileage.

If training for a half marathon, turn the long run into a harder effort/workout. The best predictor to tell what you will run for the half, besides running one, is to do a 10k.

I use the McMillan Running Calculator which you can find online here:

https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/

So Step 1 enter 1:45 for half marathon.

Step 2 enter 5k 22:05

Then punch the calculate paces button.

The left columns are projections based on your 22:05 5k for all the other distances. It thinks you could run a half in 1:42:15.

The right columns let you know what is required to run your goal times.

Be sure to click the Coach's Notes link to read the caveats, they're relevant.

To me it just seems like you need to work that long run up each week in November and then you should be good to go race day.....

Your times are similar to mine but I'm old. I recommend you work up to 11-12 miles for your last 2-3 long runs. Run the first 7-8 miles comfortably (honest but not hard) and then press the pace to about 8:00 pace for the last 4-5 miles but stay in control. If this feels good then I think you can maintain 8:00 in the half.

Also, once the 10k is done you should run a mid-week strength run of 7-8 miles each week with several surges or on a hilly course or both. You won't need any speedwork after the 10k so sacrifice it for a few more miles. Focus on the mid-week run and finishing your long runs strongly.

Thanks guys for all the feed back. Yes, I know I am slow, but I am working on getting faster. It will take patience as I have found out (I have no experience running at any point of my life up until about year ago, no middle school or high school track and field and such).

I am doing 10 -11 miles this weekend, and then 11-12 miles the next. I am gonna try to run a full 13.1 miles before I get there. I mix it up with a couple double (3 and 3 miles), some track work, and some longer easy runs with occasional tempo runs. So far it works out much better than going all out every time I go running (as I did the first 6 months I started training).

With low mileage and no long runs of more than 9 miles I doubt you will reach the 1:42-1:45 time which calculators and tables give as equivalent to a 22.x 5 k.

You will survive the half marathon but it might be in the 1:50+ region more realistically.

I could run around 1:37-1:38 for the half when my 5K times were about the same as yours. However, I'm really slow at shorter distances, and very experienced at the half-marathon. I think the suggestion to target 1:42-1:43 is reasonable, assuming you get up to about the half-marathon distance for your long runs in training.

In the meantime you wrote you are going to increase your mileage and your long run up to the full 13.1 miles. However, it might be too short to the event and a risk to leave you just tired.

Maybe a test can give you some insight: try to run 12 miles in this way 3 weeks before race day: 5 miles easy (8:40 pace) 5 miles goal pace (7:50-8:00) and 2 mi cool down. You should have the feeling that you could sustain the sub8:00 pace for the whole run or longer, then go for it. If you really struggle with the pace, adjust to 8:10 or 8:20.

Great! I will pencil that 12 mile work out in 3 weeks before and see how I do. I also have the 10k on the 23rd which should give me a good idea of what racing at long distances will be. So far my workouts are as follows:

Mon: XT

Tue: 6 - 7 miles easy

Wed: 3 - 4 miles easy then a XT workout

Thurs: Tempo or Track work (this week is 6 1k's at goal pace on the track and 3 300m strides)

Fri: off (rest day)

Sat: Long run

Sun: 4 -6 miles easy

the mileage increases each week.

Of course my plan is to add mileage even after the HM, but this has been a good start I think.

my stats are nearly identical to yours, same age, male.

ran a 23:00 5k in July, and trained no more than 35 mpw, leading up to half marathon in October. my long run was 10 miles, 1 week prior to the race. my average pace of my runs was right around 9 mins per mile. I would call ALL of my runs easy, minus about 3 hard sessions of 4-5x Mile repeats, with 3 mins rest, where I ran no faster than 7:15 per mile for those repeats.

the end result was a 1:40 half, fully negative split the entire race starting open with an 8:20 mile and bringing it home in 6:45. you'll probably be similar. go out patient and the adrenaline will make it feel easy. only about the last 2 miles felt "hard". i felt like I gave it an honest 90-95% effort over all.

That's a great strategy Ohia.

I ran my first full in 3:24:33 and opened up with a 1:40:45 half but positive-splitted the back end (1:43:48). The key is to go +0:15 for the first two miles and then drop. BQ standard for M35-39 is 3:05 (but more like 3:01).

First mile was 8:24

Second mile 16:36

Third mile 24:32

and then it would get progressively faster.

I will probably drop from the marathon to the half and 5k going forward for a few years, and get down to sub-19 for the 5k and sub-1:30 for the half.

Goal is to BQ with more experience but it will take years.