Training for half marathon | few questions
On a 16 week prep and targeting 1:40-1:45 (ideally sub 1:40, though unsure I'll get there).
I often feel like the interval/hard runs aren't actually that difficult. For instance, it says my 300m interval repeats (x3) are at 4:50/km & 5:35/km, which just doesn't feel that quick for me for a fartlek run.
I'm currently doing 3 runs a week, two are slow "long runs" that are sometimes as short as 5k, but up to about 10k with where I'm at in my plan. I'll occasionally add another 5-10k long run. All long runs are in zone 2, at a pace between 5:50-6:15/km - I'm happy with this as I've learned how amazing zone 2 is lol.
Is it okay for me to increase my pace on these hard runs? Does it have any benefit for me? Should I prioritise target HR zones when doing these fast runs? Also, how often can I just smash out a hard 5 or 10k? Thinking once every 3-4 weeks