Training for 1/2 Marathon While Lifting - Need Advice

kmsairam

I started heavy lifting in September and love it. I'm currently following The New Rules of Lifting for Women and I've been faithfully following the program lifting three times a week. However, the time has come for me to start training for a half marathon in March. I have not been doing much cardio these past few months (aside from some HIIT) and the occasional run. I need to buckle down and I'm willing to change my lifting to two times a week to accommodate the running. Is there any way I can do this without exercising every single day? I'm old and still getting back in shape and I need my rest days -- ideally two. Just wondering if I can combine lifting and a short run (3-4 miles) in the same day -- or is that a bad idea?

So if anyone has any advice on how to break out my training schedule, I'd much appreciate it. So for example:

Monday - lift + run
Tuesday - rest (for work reasons, this is a preferred rest day, but I can do a short run if necessary)
Wednesday - run
Thursday - run (intervals)
Friday - lift
Saturday - long run
Sunday - rest

I really have no clue how to do this and am a little intimidated by suddenly adding all this cardio. Thanks in advance!

Cyclink

It depends on your goals.

If you just want to be fit, what you are doing can work. If you want to reach a certain time/speed in the race, then you need to be focusing more running and less lifting.

Half marathons are pretty demanding and the time/effort you put into anything that is not running or recovering from running will cut into your performance on marathon day.

kmsairam

Good point. I'm just trying to finish. Nothing spectacular. I used to run in my 30s and I've run a marathon before (again, just crossing the finish line was the goal). So I'm aiming for a 10 minute mile, but that doesn't really matter. If it takes me longer, that's OK.

I just wondered if running and lifting on the same day was counterproductive in any way. I want to maintain my strength as far as lifting goes. But I also need to focus on endurance for the race.

michellekicks

I suspect you can maintain your strength and improve your running... but I wouldn't try and progressively gain strength while focusing on running. Really the two are opposing uses of your energy.

Are you planning to continue eating at a deficit? You may wish to put weight loss on hold for a bit, or slow it right down to a deficit of no more than about 250 calories/day. So if you set your goal to lose 1/2 lb per week and eat back all your exercise calories from both running and lifting, you should be able to manage both.

If it were me, I'd do something like this:

Day 1 - Lifting, Short run (3 mi recovery pace) following
Day 2 - Rest
Day 3 - Mid length run (5-7 mi tempo run, progressively working from 5-7 mi)
Day 4 - Lifting, Short run (4 mi recovery pace) following
Day 5 - Rest
Day 6 - Long Slow Run
Day 7 - Short recovery run

But I'm not an expert...

EDIT: I think what your planning is okay but I would probably not lift before your long run. You're better off with your rest day before I think.

ka97

If it helps, this was my training schedule for my past few HMs:

Mon - back/chest and soccer
Tue - abs and spin
Wed - run and legs
Thur - soccer
Fri - speedwork and plyos
Sat - run and arms/shoulders
Sun - long run

I ran about a 9:30 pace in my last two races. My focus was mostly on finishing as I wasn't willing to give up any of my other workouts to fit in more running. So I would say it absolutely can be done, depending on what your goals are.