Sunday, May 8, 2011

How did I train for my first half marathon?


I've been asked several times just how I train for 1/2 marathons. The very first one I trained for I followed a program put together by a friend in the Hendersonville Running Club.  The plan is based on the runner being a beginner.  You can modify and change as you need.



One of the things I did after my first marathon and once my intervals decreased was to modify my mid-week runs. If my long run on Saturday is scheduled to be 8 miles I split up the miles during the week so that they equal a total of eight miles. That way I'm running 16 miles that week.  As you get stronger and able to maintain a minimum weekly mileage make sure that half of that is your long run on Saturdays or whenever you decide to do your long run.



The following schedule is for your long run mileage only. Whatever interval you plan on running for your long run is what you should run during the week. The weekly runs should be the time to push your intervals making the amount of time you walk shorter and shorter. Use your long run as your "practice race" leave it all out on the road.



This is a 17 week plan. If you already have a base mileage down just find where you are at and adjust from there. As well as working on increasing your mileage you need to cross train.  I have also included the helpful information that was passed on to me. I did not come up with this plan it is just what worked for me.



Weekly schedule recommendations are as follows:



Run/Walk Weekly plan

1 long run)

2 base runs per week of 30-40 mins (3-4 miles) (treadmill: +1 mile)

2 easy (Cross Training) days per week of 20-30 mins



Recommended Cross-Training (on non-run/walk days)

15-20 minutes of Core Exercises (2-3 times a week)

Spin, Pilates, Walking, Stretching, Zumba…



•Minimum weekly goal is 3 days of Run/Walk.

•Ideal weekly goal is 5-6 days of activity. (1-2 days of rest)

•Begin the program at easy Run/Walk Intervals, then advance gradually to 5/1 Run/Walk Intervals.

•Run/Walk Intervals are not rigid. Shorten 1 minute walk breaks if HR has recovered and trainee is no longer breathless.

•If you are forced to skip/miss a long run, then try to get your long run in as soon as you can.                                                                      



Long Run Schedule:



Week

Number
Long Run/Walk Distance
(miles)
Races to consider
As you build mileage consider running 5 or 10ks to get use to race day
17
3 (1/2 Intervals)
16
4 (1/2 Interval)
15
6 (1/1 Interval)
14
5 (2/1 Interval)
13
7 (2/1 Interval)
12
6 (3/1 Interval)
11
8 (3/1 Interval)
10
6 (4/1 Interval)
9
9 (4/1 Interval)
8
6 (5/1 Interval)
7
10 (5/1 Interval)
6
6 (5/1 Interval)
5
11 (5/1 Interval)
4
6 (5/1 Interval)
3
12 (5/1 Interval)
Taper
2
8 (5/1 Interval)
1
13.1 Race Day




Tapering is your friend. It will keep you fresh for the race but also let your body get the rest it needs prior to your race. If you are consistently skipping your walk breaks then you should try to eliminate them all together. Listen to your body and walk when you need to.





FCR

One More Step, One More Mile, One More Finish. ©







  

 

  

    




 

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing with all of the other newbies. I didn't train for my first half. I signed up on Thurs and ran it on Mon. Never do that one again.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I see you've stopped posting...are you still running? Have you ever tried mixing in some cross-training so you don't get bored with running?

    ReplyDelete