So if I can get down to 76kg, then I’ll run a sub75 HM.
What an absolute load of tosh 
You can run under 1:30, simples.
Then it’s 1:25, then 1:20, then 1:15 
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Train carrying a 1kg load, on race day you’ll run a minute quicker.
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Sadly my best hope of losing weight is either a radical diet or amputation 
First 5km was before parkrun started.
I went under 20 minutes. Simple. I’d been running for about ten weeks.
First 10km was 39 minutes (Derby 2007, also did the same time at Lincoln 10km a few weeks later) I’d been running for four months. Simple.
First HM was under 1:30. Simple.
Then I had a few under 1:25. Simple.
Then years later I ran 1:20. Simple.
Not managed to get under 1:20 or 1:15 yet.
I see that the Championship start for London has changed to 72mins.
So I’m not that fussed about going under 75 minutes.
As I have no intention of doing London Marathon if I can’t start in the special pens away from the masses.
EDIT: TELL A LIE!!!
First half marathon I lined up in the sub90 pen, got stuck behind Mr Blobby, Scooby Doo, Teletubbies and all other sort of costumed idiots. Passed all of them after 5km and scraped a 1:33. Nottingham 2007
Did another one the following Month (Worksop) and went 1:29.
Sorry 
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Ok @joex this is my 2 cents worth and bear in mind I’m no coach. However thinking it through logically this is what I see.
Swim and transitions: IIRC you, like me are a 35 mins swimmer. To me 30mins is too ambitious so I’m putting you down for 33 mins with the swim training you are currently doing. Then to make the maths simple you have 7 mins for both transitions.
Bike and Run: So you have 4h 20 to complete both of these. The trick is to find the sweet spot. This is where you bike at an intensity which allows you to run the 3rd mile (5k) at the same pace as the 11th mile (18k).
So what does that look like for you? You are a better cyclist than me but not so good on the run. I did 2:41 for the bike at Cotswold last year. I would suggest that you are in the 2:30 to 2:33 range. Which leaves a run time of 1:50 to 1:47. (For the record I currently think that my sweet spot is 2:42 / 1:37) Now I think that the cycle times are quite achievable for you but not so the run. You are going to have to train to do a stand alone HM in around 1:40 - 1:42. So how do you do that? Try one of the following
-
Get a HM training plan, there are lots of them out there
-
If you can commit to three runs a week (and you must) then they are as follows:
- a long run 10 to 15 miles. Vary this distance each week. At a pace of HM pace + 30secs per mile (If you run 10 miles make this HM +20 secs per mile)
- efforts (12x400 with 90sec rec, 6x800 with 90sec rec, 3x1600 with 120 ses rec and lots of variants on this) this can be on the track or find a nice stretch of road. The idea is to take yourself out of your comfort zone. Best with friends and try to stay relaxed even when you don’t feel so!
- steady/ tempo run. This will in duration be 6 to 8 miles with the first and last mile steady. However the bit in the middle should be mid tempo which is approx your 10k race pace
- The book Run less Run faster is excellent and my point 2 is largely based on this book. Note it is not just about the three runs. You will also be cross training which is where cycling and swimming come in
The thing is you should see this as a long term commitment and you may fail in your first couple of attempts but so what? If it was easy for you then it wouldn’t be a challenge and there would be no sense of achievement when you did it?
Anyway good luck 
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Mr Tickle beat me in a Reading Half, massive hail-storm and the smug git was just running along enjoying it.
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For those targetting a specific time your best efforts could be stymied by course changes close to race day. The Cotswold bike route yesterday was bumped up by 3 or 4kms.
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But it’s only 88km anyhow, so was probably about right yesterday 
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93km on my mate’s Strava.
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Yeah I was thinking about a sneaky last minute run at that to gauge my fitness but covid has scuppered that. This year has been a car crash so far, I need to steady the ship, recover and get six weeks consistent training in when I’m ready then see what’s left this year.
@Sparky thanks for your post. I’ll give that a crack. I’m going to see if there’s anyone in the club up for some regular run training at my paces to help with consistency. Family now allows space for a return to the thursday track sessions so that would be three runs in company.
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My top tips for getting better at HM distance. If you aren’t running 3+ times a week EVERY week, it ain’t gonna happen. Consistency is key, I absolutely cannot stress this enough! Leg strength training, I’ve seen some really good improvements from this and also twice monthly HM distance runs. The first few will probably wipe you out a bit, but slow them down and they should quickly get less uncomfortable.
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The local village was having a street party, so they had to divert around it. Shouldn’t be a problem in July, unless you take @gingerbongo 's route.
Interested to read they are planning a new course for next year so the 113 and Classic are different events. Sounds like the bike might borrow from their old 226 event and head out west. Would be good if they borrowed the run from the recent 51.5 and had 2 big laps on the roads rather than 3 around the lake.
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I had a mate doing it and it was 93kms - run was still short though
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Yeah I’d prefer that! Get those fancy Nikes (or should we now be in Asics! ) working to their fullest potential!
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Just over 6 weeks to Dresden where I thought I might have had a shot at sub-5 again, but after looking at the course maps the bike has ~900m ascent. That’s going to cost a bit of time, but if the road surfaces are really good otherwise it might help.
I’m hopefully my swim will be faster than Texas, then it depends on the run. Wouldn’t like to think I’ve got to run much faster than 1:40 so it’s going to be a struggle.
Then it depends on how warm and windy it is!
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If I can convince my stupid brain to take it easy this week I’m hoping this might be more achievable next week. The course now looks very similar to Texas, e.g. harbour swim and non-tidal, pan-flat TT bike course and flat run, but this one seems less twisty. Conditions might well be similar but hopefully I’m a bit more used to warm weather now rather than straight after an English winter.
I think I’m swimming better but not really put in the big weeks so will need to see, I’d like to think I might be slightly quicker. Bike depends on the wind, it was horrific on the way back in Texas and I hadn’t done any real long rides, I’ve done a few this time and I’ll be on my own bike with better helmet and kit, just need to avoid any mechanical misfortune. (I’ve even dug the disc wheel out!!)
No real idea with the run, I haven’t done any speedwork except for a few parkruns, everything has been at a very easy pace but there’s been a few hilly runs, and increased bike strength should mean it feels a bit better, just depends on how I cope with any heat. I think both transitions aren’t particulary long, although there’s a bit of a run from the swim exit to the bikes.
Finding the 4 minutes from Texas will hopefully be possible, I think best case would be something like 4:53’ish
What I think I’m capable of if it goes to plan and distances are accurate!
Swim - 38
Bike - 2:30
Run - 1:37
Leaves 20 minutes for transition and overestimation of my ability
Maastricht is likely to be slower, I’ve seen a few comments that the bike course might be sketchy in places, I think there’s a tour of it on the Thursday that I might try and join in. Otherwise the swim & run might hopefully be as above. Bike is a bit of an unknown.
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So I’ve only ever done one 70.3. Steelman last year. 5:42
As there is no sub 5:30 thread I’ll go in here.
Rough numbers where
35 ish swim
2.55 bike
1.58 run
12 minutes in transitions
So, first thing of note is improving transitions nearly gets me to 5:30 as it is.
Swim was steady. Finished mid Pack.
Bike was steady. Got stopped at 3 sets of roadworks.
The run was trail and only my second Half Marathon. Average HR was Aerobic ( 134bpm ) so I didn’t really push. Just wanted to make sure I got round.
As such I’m looking at 5:15 as a realistic target. 35 swim, 2:45 bike, 1:50 run plus significantly improved transitions.
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That’s fine, that’s my first step to sub 5 too, anyway!
Course is always a big factor, but if the reason you’re setting this target is to make you a better triathlete then I think you’re on the right track; a few minutes of your swim, ten minutes off you bike, ten minutes off your run - achievable and worthwhile.
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I will likely only do a middle distance tri next year if it is the TT smackdown/sausagefest but sub 5 will be a goal for it.
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