1/2 marathon training program - necessary or not?

mamato2babes
mamato2babes Posts: 90
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all! Need some advice from you experienced distance runners out there.

Running a 1/2 marathon has long been a goal of mine. There is a great local Mistletoe Race in December, and I consider running it every year. The local Fleet Feet even has a 12 week training program that includes a week day workout (speed work, hills, repeats, etc.) and the long run on the weekends with pace groups and coaches. Sounds perfect, right?

Well, I've never been able to work out my schedule (have young kids involved in all sorts of activities) so that I can make the week day workouts.

So, my question is this. Is an organized training program like the one offered by Fleet Feet necessary, or can I get by with just doing the workouts and long runs on my own time?

I'm very Type A, so I'm all about being prepared, and the Fleet Feet program offers tons of support.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Replies

  • JenMK4678
    JenMK4678 Posts: 11 Member
    Good luck with the 1/2 marathon! My goal is to run one too, but mine is in April. I am going to start training at the end of next month hopefully. I am having surgery next week, so I will be down for hopefully only 2 weeks. I will be starting from scratch though because I have been too lazy to do anything until now.

    I will be curious to hear what everyone has to say about this!
  • fabfindz05
    fabfindz05 Posts: 92 Member
    I'm paying for training classes that are offered by a running store. For me, this is the only way I would get the mileage in.
    I started with a 5K class after I completed c25K. I've been hooked ever since. I am now training for my third half.

    I would not be motivated to do my long runs by myself. I guess it depends on your motivation.
  • loobloo87
    loobloo87 Posts: 7
    I'm running a half marathon on Sunday. I was able to run a 50min 10K before i started training for the half marathon but have followed a 12 week plan. I have followed the plan myself and have not joined a club and I have found it ok but its tough going to motivate yourself. I work long hours in a lab so I made myself run in the mornings four times a week. My plan was an easy run on a Monday, a tempo run on a Tuesday, sprints on a Thursday and a long run on a Saturday, with the times and distances increasing over the 12 weeks. I would say it depends on what time you aim to do the half marathon in as to whether you need to join a club and follow the plan rigorously. If you just hope to run it you could manage this with a less intense plan. Also remember rest days are important! Hope this helps.
  • tri10806
    tri10806 Posts: 192 Member
    A good plan is nice to have to ensure that you're building your base mileage and getting in your workouts. You can always use something like Smart Coach on RunnersWorld.com. The nice thing about a class is doing it with others. You might meet people training for the same race and you can do your longer runs together if that motivates you. I hate running alone (especially 1-2 hours) and usually run with other people. Our local club has group runs most every day of the week. We also have a Facebook page where people post if they're planning to run somewhere and invite others to join them.
  • camrunner
    camrunner Posts: 363
    I prefer to run alone, on my own schedule. I'm totally 'self-taught' as a runner and, while I haven't run an official HM, I know that I could because I run 10-12 miles several times a week.
  • _canuckrunner_
    _canuckrunner_ Posts: 364 Member
    I'm training for a half marathon in October. I like to run by myself so I started using a training program from RunKeeper. I have to say that I ended up dropping it because I got too hung up on pace calculations and intervals and lost the joy of running. So I went back to just running - I do my long run on the weekend, one day of intervals (whenever I feel like it), a tempo run and a post long-run recovery run. I feel MUCH better.
  • redhousecat
    redhousecat Posts: 584 Member
    my husband joined a 1/2 marathon training group as part of our running club. He seems to be getting alot out of it. The requirement for that particular group is that you had to be able to run a non stop 5k at 11 min mile or better. His group is not a walk/run training program though. I can email you their training plan if you'd like.

    ETA: his tempo run is 8:30 min mile right now, and averages that in a 10k. Needless to say, in a training group, he is in the fastest group. But still, he is getting something out of it.
  • JMSKCW
    JMSKCW Posts: 43 Member
    My husband and I are running a half marathon at the beginning of November. We are using a 10 week training shedule (http://www.marathonrookie.com/half-marathon-training.html).
    It definitely helps that we are doing this together- it is keeping us motivated. However, we don't run together and a couple of our training days differ.
    If you feel like you need to run with a group, maybe try to make sure you make it to the long runs (which are typically on Saturdays or Sundays) then create a different training schedule for the rest of week.
    Good luck!
  • madmickie
    madmickie Posts: 221 Member
    Hi all! Need some advice from you experienced distance runners out there.

    Running a 1/2 marathon has long been a goal of mine. There is a great local Mistletoe Race in December, and I consider running it every year. The local Fleet Feet even has a 12 week training program that includes a week day workout (speed work, hills, repeats, etc.) and the long run on the weekends with pace groups and coaches. Sounds perfect, right?

    Well, I've never been able to work out my schedule (have young kids involved in all sorts of activities) so that I can make the week day workouts.

    So, my question is this. Is an organized training program like the one offered by Fleet Feet necessary, or can I get by with just doing the workouts and long runs on my own time?

    I'm very Type A, so I'm all about being prepared, and the Fleet Feet program offers tons of support.

    Thoughts? Suggestions?

    Yes you can do it on your own. Some people like the company and the formal structure but the important thing is to do the sessions and get the rest in between.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I don't think I could have done my half (or the one I'm running on Sunday) without a training program. But, since I don't necessarily like having to be on a specific schedule or pace with a group of people (or pay money I don't have to), I used a training schedule from Hal Higdon online.

    I had been running for about eight months and seeing some endurance improvements but nothing with pace or any substantial endurance. But when I signed up for a 7-K and a 10-K a month apart from each other after running my first 5-K, I decided to get a bit more serious about it. I used one of Hal Higdon's 10-K plans for both of those races (modified to fit into the shortened time frame) and saw a 30 second per mile pace drop from my 5-K to the 10-K (a two month time frame).

    Then, when I signed up for my half in April, I used Hal Higdon again since his plan had worked so well for me the last time. I modified it slightly since I was going to be running in San Francisco, on a hilly course, but stuck to his general outline for it. I ended up running my half in a 9:32 per mile pace, in comparison to the almost 11:00 minute per mile pace that I had done my 5-K in seven months prior. And I ran every inch of the course, including all of the hills.

    So I would definitely recommend following a specific program, but say that it doesn't need to be with a running group or something that you pay for. As a Type A, I'd bet you're motivated enough to do it without the other people along (and possibly better since you'll be able to make everything work for what suits you and your schedule best. heh)

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