Your BEST Half Marathon Program!

When beginning a marathon training cycle, devote enough time to build yourself up to tackle the distance, let alone push the pace!

First Half Marathon Tips

Consider your current fitness level when deciding why you want to train for a half marathon, when the timing is more optimal for you to do so, and how you’re planning to get to your starting line feeling strong, confident, and injury-free! Take your fitness level and carve out the time you need to train! I recommend devoting at least six months to any training plan, especially if you want to be the best you can be at whatever distance you’re trying to cover, even if that’s for fun!

Ironically, doing it this way helps prevent injuries down the road too. While it’s crucial to mix fun races in ALWAYS, it’s essential to have clear goals set too. That way, you can work around those goals, fit the fun runs in, and not worry about anything else, like getting injured or not meeting your goals! Simply put. Make sure whatever training you choose to do involves variety in your runs (intervals, tempos, fartleks, strides, runs at goal half marathon pace); your training should apply a mixture of run types, as well as easy long runs that progressively, with time, build towards the 13.1 miles you need to run to half marathon distance.

Consistently building your body with smart training, and implementing a consistent diet to supplement your running training and technique training will allow you to store more glycogen and provide the energy you’ll need during your half marathon! Like anything in life, good things take time. The same goes for training for any distance in the world of running. I explain a little more in depth my half marathon training staples in the YouTube Video from my channel below!

So What?

More time spent on your feet enables you to develop mitochondria ( & have them multiply in size), improving your body’s ability to use oxygen as fuel turned into energy, helping you hold a longer pace for longer distances.

Include a base building phase. This could be different for anyone, from 4 weeks to 16 weeks; it depends on where you at in your fitness journal.

Include one long run less than 25% of your total weekly mileage, especially at your peak week of training, four weeks out from the half marathon. For newbies, this is your most crucial run (the long run), especially having not done a half marathon before. It would help if you got the time on your feet to get used to what your body will experience during the race and give yourself ample time to build up to this instead of doing too much too soon.

During your build-up for the race, include various runs, an interval workout, technique 3x/a week, and a long run. Increase your training volume or the intensity of that training progressively and systemically over time every 4-week training block. Give yourself one down week at the end of each training block to taper/recover from the three weeks of training prior and to allow for super-compensation, which allows your body to adapt to the stress of the training you’ve done so you can become stronger to tackle the next training block feeling accomplished, strong, confident, and pain-free as you inch closer towards your half marathon race!

4-Month EXCLUSIVE Starter Half Marathon Training Plan

If you’re tackling your first half marathon soon, this plan will ensure you get around the course.

The plan uses feelings of pace to explain how fast to run in each session. These range from the “conversational” pace, a comfortable, relaxed pace where you can hold a conversation easily, to the “good hurt” pace, which is a FAST pace that you can only sustain for two minutes or so.

In between, you have gradual increases in intensity. So the “one-liner” pace is faster than the “conversational” pace but still a pace you can hold for long periods comfortably. The “pushing that fitness” pace three will be around your half marathon or marathon effort, in that it can be held for long periods, but you are working quite hard. “I can’t talk right now” pace is still faster – around the effort level you’d put in when running a 5K race, so pretty tough going even in short bursts of speedy intervals.

Your five paces should be used to help drive your training. Depending on how tired or stressed you are while you run, you can use these paces, referring to the effort I refer to them in this blog post to guide your runs! And ultimately, lead you to a successful half marathon!

GOAL FOR THE RACE: Having fun and finishing strong!

THIS PLAN IS FOR YOU IF: This plan is for you if you’re not a regular runner but have taken the plunge and signed up for a half marathon in 4 months (16 weeks). This plan will get you in shape by the time you need to toe your starting line!

This plan includes a variety of training runs or walks a week, but many will be short or a mix of running, walking, and rest. Enhoy my coaching pointers throughout the 16-week program as you go!

Week 1: Aerobic Base Building Cycle

Week 2: Aerobic Capacity Build-up

Week 3: Aerobic Capacity Build-up

Week 4: Recovery Week Post Base Build-up

Week 5: Aerobic Power Build-up

Week 6: Threshold Training Build-up (Week #1)

Week 7: Threshold Training Build-up (Week #2)

Week 8: Threshold Training Build-up (Week #3)

Week 9: Threshold Training Build-up (Week #4)

Week 10: Threshold Training Build-up (Week #5)

Week 11: Threshold Training Build-up (Week #6)

Week 12: Switching to Miles 30-32 miles

FINAL BUILD

Week 13: Switching to Miles 32-34 miles

Week 14: Maintenance – Switching to Miles 27-32 miles

Week 15: Maintenance – Switching to Miles 25-30 miles

Week 16: RACE WEEK!

REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN! It’s not THAT serious 🙂