On the 16th May I am planning to run the Great Ocean Road Half-Marathon. The GOR Half-Marathon is actually 23km long (rather than the usual 21.1) so it could more accurately be called the Great Ocean Road 54.5% Marathon and I plan to spend the last 1.9km swearing and shaking my fists at the organisers for prolonging my torture.

When I did my first half-marathon (at the Melbourne Marathon) I was woefully unprepared (I didn’t run for 3 weeks before the race) and very, very slow. This time, I’ve seen the course, I know EXACTLY how far a half-marathon is, and as I couldn’t help but notice that the Great Ocean Road was a little hilly I know that this time I need to train. So, since last week marked 18 weeks until the marathon I have started my training. [Edit: this is the part where I admit that I wrote this first bit on the 21st January and never got around to finishing it]

I have decided to go for the FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) Half-Marathon Training schedule which involves three runs a week as I have no intention of running 5 days a week. The first run is interval training (speed work), the second run is a mid-distance/speed tempo run, and the third is a slower long run. This running schedule is then supported by cross-training and strength work on the non-running days. [Edit: thus ends the bit I wrote on the 21st]

I’ve now been training for this race for 7 weeks or so. I’ve averaged more like 2 runs a week, but I’m still going way better than last time, and on Saturday last week a ran 15km only 10s a km slower than my goal pace despite falling over and smacking my knee once and falling over and spraining my ankle later in the run. It’s early days but I think I’m on track for a goal time of 2hrs 30min on race day.

Wish me luck!