Training for Half Marathon (Read 1097 times)

Tell us what you did in the past as far as miles per week and types of runs leading to your past half marathons. How is your current conditioning compared to this and what have you been doing training wise? How many miles per week and days per week are you willing to train? Have you run a 5K recently? What is your best 5k run and how is your conditioning now compared to then. This will help us determine suggestions/paces to beat your previous time for future races. Generally, your focus should be on two bigger work outs per week. A long run and mid week long/semi long run with quality (HM pace reps, critical velocity reps, long/slower tempos). To keep it simple throw in a bit of quality within long run which may mean a fast finish (on tired legs) or some steady state running or long tempo pace minutes. Or if you are higher miles you can push the pace two times per week (don't mean fast max vo2 intervals) and run your long run slowly. I would generally recommend this for more advanced runners. Every other day of running should be comfortable training runs to recover for next bigger work out. There should be a progression but let us know the above. WE need to know your state of condition currently. Also, if you are finally healthy, I wouldn't be in a rush to train hard in 3 months to get a PR. Take your time or focus more on Fall race for PR. NOTE: 11-13 mile long runs would be sufficient for a half. Just depends on your miles per week and goals. You certainly can work up to a 2 hour run and a 1.5 hour run per week if you have time and follow slow progression. http://www.therunzone.com/articles.html

Looked at your log. Build your miles up a bit. You are running your long runs at nice pace. Curious to know your half marathon PR. Do a 5k race also. Give good idea on your paces. Based on your long run pace, you should be able to do a 5K at 8:00 - 8:15 pace. Is this correct? Currently you can start adding some marathon pace work at end of long runs or in middle of a mid week longer run. I think your best bet is 2 bigger work outs per work, but work up to. Generally, don't add miles and intensity at same time, especially coming back from injury. Tell us more about your past.

I was using Hal Higdon't Int II marathon plan at the time of my HMs and was running ~46 mpw. I did not cut-back for the HMs. My best HM was Fargo last year 1:55 (avg. 8:43 pace) (but I could have ran faster). I am running the Fargo HM again. I do not have the miles that I did last February. As you can see in my log, I'm being pretty careful adding miles. I tend to run slower in the winter, and spring comes and I just want to run fast. Look at week of March 27th 2007. The weather got nice and I ran too fast, hurt my feet, and part of the injury I just got done putting behind me. I'm making sure to get some faster running (strides) in before spring this year so my legs are conditioned. I tried to keep my miles lower this winter, XT a ton, to make sure I went into spring healthy. This sort of back fired on me, because when I started running more I got tendonities, turns out the orthotics were causing a new injury. So frustrating, just want to run that HM for vindication. I just ran a 4 mile race and averaged an 8:08 pace. (I tend to run it at a 7:10 pace in the summer). I have never ran more than 60 miles per week. I tend to run 5 days pwk and bike 1 day. I was thinking of a peak of 45 mpw with a LR of 14 or so. I had some tendonities this winter, but found the cause, got treatment, and am OK now but always worried it's going to come back. Still getting graston (deep massage) treatments, and will continue this just to be safe. Of course I want to stay healthy, but I thought I'd layout a plan and adjust if needed. Jim, I agree I'm not ready to start running 18 mile long run, which is why I'm signed up for the HM. The fall marathon is not for sure, and if is, I was thinking of just running it easy. But I'd like PR at Fargo full 2009. The ? is can I run the HM faster than last year with different training, more rest going into the race etc, and what should the dif. training be. What you said for miles and types of run was inline with what I was thinking.

There isn't really much I could add to what Tchuck said. The core workouts for me were the aforementioned 1600's at HM pace, 1000's at 10k pace, and long runs. The 1000's were used mostly as sharpeners, 4-5 days before a key race, and and I took a full lap recovery jog. For the 1600's I usually took a half-lap recovery, and tried to run them as evenly as possible rather than progession style. Max was 6 reps. I got an especially positve response to that workout and have started doing them again after a break of a couple months. For the time being recovery jog is one lap, but will eventually be shorter. I was hesitant to bring them up because of the injuries and current lower mileage. That said, it would be a good goal to shoot for once you have confidence that you are handling the mileage. Just as important as doing the workouts, especially when you are doing 2 big ones each week, is to go very easy on the other days. One other thing I almost forgot about is the topic of running surfaces. A little over 3 years ago I started back into serious training and was getting hurt a lot the first year. What really helped turn things around for me was doing a high % of my runs on the grass. It's not that easy to find a suitable area, but if you can it is well worth looking into. Injuries that are aggravated by the pounding respond especially well.

Jim, It's really hard to find grass around here; I've looked. I will work on getting a second quality run in during the week. I know I'm a little lacking on that now. One thing I could do to get mileage up with adding injury risk is aquajog instead of an easy run. For Grandmas last year I aquajogged two easy runs, and ran my LRs a bit faster. Don't know if any of you use Jack Daniels Running forumla, but he talks about adding miles, then not adding for three weeks. I can't find any reference of taking cut back weeks while building miles. Thoughts? I am re-thinking running the Des Moines Iowa Marathon this fall. I was going to run it nice and easy, just for fun, a fun girls trip. My real goal is Fargo Marathon 2009. With this in mind would it better to stick to shorter 10 mile and HMs this fall?

No sure fire solutions but I do have “thoughts”. Here’s what I’d do if I were in your shoes: If your heart is really with longer races, gear your training for them but skip the fall marathon. Make the half marathon your long race for now, but use 5k-10k races as preps. I actually prefer the longer races too, but race the shorter ones much more often for a couple reasons. For one they don’t require much in the way of tapering or recovery, enabling me to keep the miles up. For another, they are very beneficial, both physically and psychologically. If you are training like a marathoner but running only shorter races for a few months, the pace of a longer race feels soooo much friendlier once you finally enter one. I don’t subscribe to the theory that you need to run lots of longer races to get better at them. I think it’s better to pick your spots and make them count. Rather than do a “fun” marathon in the fall, get yourself ready to run a big one in ’09! Make long runs and threshold type workouts the core of your program. Dedicate only a small percentage of your energy to V02 max workouts—definitely less than what most of the Daniels schedules recommend. I’ve read Daniels Running formula and think there is lots of good information there. However, my feeling is that he somewhat biased towards the young, elite runner. I would start like we mentioned a couple posts back, with the goal of working up to two longish, quality workouts each week. All of your quality would be included in those 2 workouts, rather than done in a separate, shorter workout. All other days would be easy or slow running. Personally, I favor doing something every day rather than taking a lot of rest days. The aquajogging a couple days a week sounds like a great idea. The elliptical might be another good option for you between big workouts. The longer you can keep your heart rate up without all the pounding the better. I’ve never used the elliptical but it got very good reviews from a couple 2:40’s marathoners I know of. Of course, if your body is handling, running is the best exercise there is for running. As for your question about building miles I wouldn’t over complicate it. I’d say to set a goal of what you’d like to average each week and try to build gradually up to it. Once you get there hold it long enough to where you are confident that you are handling it before moving any higher. I don’t see anything wrong with scheduling cutback weeks although I don’t do it unless I feel the need. Keep us posted on how you’re doing.

I like the staggered midweeks too...I usually run short on T & Th, mid on W& Sat and long on Sun. It really works for me right now.

I don't think I'm getting enough recovery because seems my legs are always feeling heavy. I only did Yoga on Sunday and on Monday my legs were still exhausted. The biking class has helped me with hills, but this HM is as flat as they come. I was thinking of doing a TRI after the HM so was trying to keep one biking day in. Thought if I XT'd I'd help stay injury free, but I don't think so. It's really easy to never get rested with this XTing. This week will be a 4, 6, 4, 8 & 13. No biking. Next week I have a 10 mile race and wanted to take an extra rest day. We'll see what pace that brings. Stinks to work your tail off all winter and not feel you're in good shape and 5 pounds fat.