Training for a Hill Challenging Half Marathon in November

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peresosaiii
peresosaiii Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't know what I was thinking.
I am in need of weight loss...added benefit.
Any advice on how to prepare and improve kindly accepted.

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  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    Run some hills...

    Seriously, you have plenty of time for a Nov. race. Find a Hal Higdon half marathon training plan, or other appropriate plan for your fitness level. Given the hill component, find some training routes with hills and then follow the plan as best you can. Also, while you are training, lose weight smartly, no more than .5 to 1 pound a week.

    Good luck.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    Indeed, train for hills. The more the merrier, eat hills for breakfast & lunch.

    Also, expect to run slower on a tough course, unless your PR is really soft.
  • peresosaiii
    peresosaiii Posts: 8 Member
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    Ahh! Hal Higdon...yes!! Will look for the HH 1/2 M training plan.

    Thanks for the advice timboom1
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
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    Hills, Intervals, Fartlek, Tempo, Hill Sprints,
  • peresosaiii
    peresosaiii Posts: 8 Member
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    I like this, "The more the merrier, eat hills for breakfast & lunch"..definitely.


    Thanks arc918
  • DonniesGirl69
    DonniesGirl69 Posts: 644 Member
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    I'll start training for my 2nd half at the end of next month and this one will include more hills than my first one did. I'm usning Higdon's "Novice 2" (I think that's what it's called) plan and I've got a few different routes with some pretty killer hills mapped out.

    Also, I'll be working in some speedwork just to up my race pace a little bit.
  • peresosaiii
    peresosaiii Posts: 8 Member
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    I did some hill work this weekend...quad killers. I hope next weekend gets a tiny bit easier.
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    Faster, stronger yes. Easier, only if you go as hard as you did the last time. If you keep most hill work to once a week, take advantage and just take it easy and recover some the next day. All that quad killing will turn into stronger running when they recover. FWIW, be careful on the downhills once your legs are tired, downhill can be sneaky hard on the quads (no sneaking on the uphills) and pushing on a downhill when your form may not be holding well is where alot of injuries can happen. Assuming your race has some ups and downs, you may want to consider alternating hillwork, pushing hard on the ups, recovering on the downs one workout and flipping it the next.
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
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    Not even close to what you're training for but I am in the last phase of training for a 3k....my first race EVER.

    i just prepared by running hills...and I started with adding distance to my run and once I got the distance, I slowly increased my speed.
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
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    Remember that you always want to start any training methodically, slowly and allow your training to build up. For Hills, I wouldn't recommend going out and running 10 monster hills on the first day. Strive to do 2-3 hills and gradually increase from there. I usually recommend to my students to only do Hills once a cycle to reduce the likelyhood of injury.

    Train according to your target run. When we enter a race, we don't often have the luxury of a completely flat and fast course. Incorporate Hills into a regular training program to help you achieve the best possible results.

    If you don't live in a hilly region, a couple of things you can try;

    1. Run on overpasses\cloverleafs. I trained for a half once using a cloverleaf. Each pass of the cloverleaf would provide me two semi-challenging hills. I would run run to the cloverleaf (2 miles away)run up one side, over the bridge, down, around, back up and over the bridge and repeat a few times before running back home. It allowed me my hill training and some distance as I'd log a 5-6 mile workout in the process. Just watch for traffic, also best if there are sidewalks to use them... some drivers are just plain crazzzy!

    2. Train on a treadmill using an increased elevation ( even a 1-2% incline will work wonders)

    3. Hills are typically regarded as strength building. By Incorporating additional strength training into your program it will help you when you encounter your hills. (Think Squats, Lunges,and Core work)

    Hills are speedwork in disguise. When done properly they can provide you with a really awesome speed boost. Every hill gets easier to do.

    Good Luck!
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    Not even close to what you're training for but I am in the last phase of training for a 3k....my first race EVER.

    i just prepared by running hills...and I started with adding distance to my run and once I got the distance, I slowly increased my speed.

    Ahhh...3k, I remember the days, then 3k became 5k then 10k then brain damage set in and things like a Half Marathon or more seemed reasonable. Good luck on you race. The first one is really just a gateway to get you addicted then it is all downhill (or uphill, but never really seems flat) from there.
  • DiannaMoorer
    DiannaMoorer Posts: 783 Member
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    I am doing my 2nd half marathon in Jan. I have already started my training.My half has LOTS of hills also. When I go out for my runs I do hill runs almost every time,hoping I'll get used to them eventually. This is the plan I'm using stretched out to 24 weeks instead of 12. http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/advbeghalf.htm

    Happy running! :happy:
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    I am doing my 2nd half marathon in Jan. I have already started my training.My half has LOTS of hills also. When I go out for my runs I do hill runs almost every time,hoping I'll get used to them eventually. This is the plan I'm using stretched out to 24 weeks instead of 12. http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/advbeghalf.htm

    Happy running! :happy:

    Too late, brain damage has already set in. :smile:

    24 weeks is a long time for a training plan, my two cents is to keep the hills in your routes but gradually build mileage at an easy pace for the next 6 - 8 weeks and then kick into a plan. Having a bigger base to train from will give you much bigger benefit than almost anything else you can do. Having hills in most every run is a good thing, if you run at even effort, or just push a little hard on the ups or downs, during most runs you will be glad. This will get you ready so you don't bonk on the hills.

    During training I would maybe cut the hills back on runs that are to be at Tempo pace or intervals (unless you replace an interval workout with hill repeats, which if it is a hilly course you may want to consider a couple of times in the last 8 weeks before your race (but not in the last 2 week taper)

    Every now and then you can pick the hill you love the most and just go up or down it at a 5K pace and then recover by walking back the other direction, this can be a very hard but effective workout. Repeats, if your up for them can give you that extra oomph to put on some speed during a race when you want it.

    If you do hill repeats, be sure that you go at a pace you can maintain from bottom to top, you stop once you can't keep the same pace from one repeat to the next, you take the time to recover between each repreat and you take a rest or recovery run day the day after. Also if you are doing downhill repeats, do fewer than you would for uphill, and be very careful, backing off if your form cannot hold, it is much too easy to get injured running fast downhill. Uphill is is much less likely to cause injury, although pay attention to your achilles and calves, if they are sore you may want to back off hill repeats and/or hills in general until they recover.
  • peresosaiii
    peresosaiii Posts: 8 Member
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    So true.

    That's what happened to me.

    I'm sure this will be your first of many races with longer distances to come.

    I remember feeling like Rocky when I ran my first quarter mile:smile:


    Someone finally convinced me to sign up for a 5k, and have been hooked ever since.


    Good luck Sharleengc!!!

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