Half marathon training tips wanted

crazydogladyjess

Hi all,

I want to do a half marathon late summer/early fall. I am doing a 10k run in May. I often run 5k for fun/fitness and will be doing a few runs a week now that the weather is warmer.

This will be my first time doing a half marathon and I am super excited and scared

Any links or recommendations for training plans? I have looked at a few and still have lots of time to plan one, but I like to have a structured plan ahead of time.

Any tips or suggestions?

pzarnosky

I like to keep it simple with running. If you can already do a 10K then stepping up to a half marathon probably shouldn't be too big of a challenge. A lot of the advice depends on how many miles you're running a week on average right now. Honestly, the most important part is to just get out there and get the miles in consistently. Some weeks I only run 2 days (a long and a medium) and other weeks I run 6 days a week. The point of it all is to build slowly and steadily to give time for adaptations and prevent injuries. So if you're running on average 10 miles a week right now, add a mile a week for a month and then add 2 miles a week. Go by how your body feels with it all. Pay attention to the pain. You should quickly learn what is just the normal aches and pains of training and what is a warning sign to a serious injury.
Don't quit, it's an awesome feeling every single time you cross a finish line!

zdyb23456

I was a pretty regular runner when I decided to train for a half i.e. 5-6 days a week running 3.5-5 miles.

I found a half marathon training plan on the BAA website and I'm following the intermediate plan. I'm not worrying about speed, I just want to complete the weekly mileage without hurting myself.

vespiquenn

It's beneficial to really get on a structured plan such as Hal Higdon or Jeff Galloway (if you prefer the interval method like C25k). There are lots out there, but those are two big names that offer free plans. That way, you can safely increase mileage without the possibility of an injury or burnout.

mandabeth34

Hal Higdon's plans are great for all levels, that's how I trained for my first half, highly recommended.

nowine4me

I loosely followed a plan while training last Spring/summer for a half I successfully completed last November, I'm sure there are many plans, but I recall this one starting with a 5k 3 months prior and a 10k two months prior.

My tips have nothing to do with training and everything to do with stretching and getting awesome shoes (2 pairs) that are broken in before the race. I developed plantar facitis a few weeks before my half from wearing older shoes -- which I then got soaking wet the day before and had to wear them anyway the day of the race. Because they were my only running shoes. Rookie mistake.

brittyn3

vespiquenn wrote: »

It's beneficial to really get on a structured plan such as Hal Higdon or Jeff Galloway (if you prefer the interval method like C25k). There are lots out there, but those are two big names that offer free plans. That way, you can safely increase mileage without the possibility of an injury or burnout.

+1 to Hal Higdon. The plans are free and extremely thorough. He also has a lot of useful information. You can pick whatever level you like.

deannalfisher

I've used both Higdon and Galloway - I tend to lean more towards Galloway and do run/walk intervals for all my runs (and typically end up faster as a result). Did a 7 mile run over the weekend with a 2:10/2:50 run/walk interval (I had been at 2:3 and slowly transitioning to 3:2) - and averaged 12:36 min miles, a 35sec improvement over my last 7 mile run a couple of months ago when I tried to just push through

rybo

I prefer Higdon's plans.

ocrXfitter

mandabeth34 wrote: »

Hal Higdon's plans are great for all levels, that's how I trained for my first half, highly recommended.

Yup, Hal Higdon all the way. I've used his plans for half and full marathons.

Pandora_and_her_box

As stupid as it sounds, I didn't know there were training plans when I did my first HM, so you're much better prepared than I was! I'm still not a massive fan of them now and tend to use them as a guide rather than a strict schedule.

As for tips, I second a good pair of trainers. Go to a running shop that provides gait analysis and can give you advice - I'd say this is pretty crucial for distances over 10k. I'd also say, think about cross training on non running days. Do you have any weaknesses that you're aware of? I have woeful glute strength, so make a conscious effort to do exercises to build them on the days I'm not running.

A bit early, but think about hydration and energy. I use an energy drink for HMs rather than gels, but different things work for different people and there are lots of brands about, some you'll get on with, others you won't. It's good to give them a go well in advance of your race.

One tip for race day itself: don't start off too fast! Excitement and adrenalin can make it all too easy to shoot off in the first few miles and repent in the later stages of the run!

Good luck!

janejellyroll

Another vote for Hal Higdon's plans. I used his plan for my first half marathon last year -- I felt so well-prepared.

leadslinger17

A couple of tips:

- Stick to the plan. There are a reason the long runs are a certain length. There is a reason you run a certain amount during the week and rest on certain days. My first marathon I was an intermediate runner, and thought I know what I'm doing, I can skip this day and add some miles on here, etc and it led to injury. Years later I have learned the reasons behind that, but just trust one of these plans.
- As Pandora said, don't go to fast to begin. I often find on a big race the pace at the beginning is maddeningly slow. People are packed in... slow runners mixed with faster... people are bobbing and weaving, wasting energy. Just go with the flow, treat it as a warmup. The pack will naturally thin after a mile or two and you will find your place, and you will be thankful you saved the energy.
- Work out logistics as you train. Use long runs to figure out how to deal with chafing, shoes, hydration, breakfast, etc. Then don't change anything race day. I've found this stuff matters much less for shorter races. I always stick with my old shoes, and then treat myself to a new pair after the race unless they are really bad and I have 3 or more weeks to break in the new ones.

NorthCascades

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/training-plan

There are 7 free half marathon training plans.

spiriteagle99

Where do you live? One thing to think about is training in the summer can be very hot, and pretty uncomfortable on the days you are running long. Having a race later in the fall means you'll be doing your two hour training runs after it has started to cool down. This is a huge factor for marathons, but also applies to HMs.

If you plan to fuel during your race, start trying out various gels, gus, shot blocks, etc. when your runs reach 90 minutes or so. Not that they are necessary then, but you will want to find out which ones taste reasonably good and which your stomach can handle.

Run your long runs slowly. It does no good to race your training; save it for your speed workouts and for race day.

crazydogladyjess

Such awesome responses, thank you so much!! Great tips and thank you for those resources, I can't wait to compare the various training plans recommended above.

elliemackin

mandabeth34 wrote: »

Hal Higdon's plans are great for all levels, that's how I trained for my first half, highly recommended.

I have used Hal's plans before too, and am currently using one to try for a HM PB. I agree that they're great, and the workout explorations are useful and he advocates fitting your training around your big life stuff.

jasonsunlee

Don't forget to keep walking / stretching after the marathon to mitigate the cramps and soreness you'll likely have. Maybe arrange for a pick-up after the race! When you get home, get some ice compresses on, your roller, and a few days rest!

Good luck on your training!

Philtex

MarathonRookie.com has a simple 10 week plan that I have used several times:


10-Week Half Marathon Training Schedule
WeekMon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total
1 3 Rest 3 3 Rest 4 Rest 13
2 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 5 Rest 15
3 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 6 Rest 16
4 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 8 Rest 19
5 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 10 Rest 21
6 4 Rest 5 4 Rest 11 Rest 24
7 4 Rest 6 4 Rest 12 Rest 26
8 4 Rest 5 4 Rest 9 Rest 22
9 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 8 Rest 18
10 3 Rest 3 Walk 2 Rest 13.1 Rest 21.1

heiliskrimsli

Another in favor of Hal Higdon's training plans. They're easy to follow, available online, and he offers different choices to match up to your fitness level and how aggressively you want to train. I've been very happy with his training plans.

MobyCarp

If your plan is walk/run intervals, you can stretch from a 10K to a half marathon just by gradually adding distance.

If your plan is to run the half marathon all the way, you might need to learn to run slower. Most new runners gravitate toward lactic threshold as a natural fast pace to run. That can get you through a 5K in good shape, and depending on how fast your threshold pace is might get you through a 10K in decent shape. But by definition, you can't hold lactic threshold pace for more than about an hour. For most of us, a half marathon is too long to run at threshold pace.

So . . . run the long runs at an easy pace, which may be slower than you are doing your recreational runs now. Come race day, you can run faster than an easy pace; but you'll still want to run slower than you would run a 10K. If you can muster the discipline to stay slow enough for the first 4 or 5 miles, the last 4 or 5 miles will be a lot easier than if you went out at 10K race pace to start the half. The half marathon distance is where controlling your pace starts to become much more important than in shorter races.

I won't give you any specific recommendation about a plan, because a lot of that is personal preference; but my working assumption is that whatever plan you end up with will have one long run per week plus 2 to 4 days with shorter runs. It may or may not have explicit speed work on one or two of the shorter days. Whatever days the plan gives you as rest days, DO NOT RUN. There is a reason for the rest days.