Half Marathon

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shoshanafinkle
shoshanafinkle Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am hoping to train for a half marathon thats at the end of April. I have done one in the past but 9 years ago so I need to get myself into running again. I have been working out fairly often the past few months, 4-5 times a week kickboxing / zumba / elliptical / and some strength training as part of workout classes at the gym. I know I need to train mostly by running but would like to also keep the kickboxing, zumba, and strength training as I enjoy them alot. But I also don't want to over do it and set myself back. Does anyone have a good training schedule for a half marathon that integrates these other types of excercise into the week? Or should I put those on hiatus for the next 2.5 months and focus on running, and return to them after? Thanks!
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  • lisawilkes20
    lisawilkes20 Posts: 138 Member
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    You may be better putting this post onto a running site? Saying that I have just posted about eunning watches, haha.
    I'm new to running, doing my 1st 10k in 18days so I'm no use to you. Sorry, but Good luck with it, hope you get the training sorted
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    lisawilkes20 wrote: »
    You may be better putting this post onto a running site?

    On the basis that none of the runners will be able to help?
  • shoshanafinkle
    shoshanafinkle Posts: 10 Member
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    figured there may be at least one other person here who has been in the same situation :) if i dont get any advice i obviously will look elsewhere..
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    shoshanafinkle wrote: »
    Does anyone have a good training schedule for a half marathon that integrates these other types of excercise into the week?

    Hal Higdon plans allow for cross training, but you run a significant risk of overuse injury in the time available.

    Personally I'd back off the additional training.
  • agbmom556
    agbmom556 Posts: 694 Member
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    Last year, my training during a week was 2 short mile days, 1 long mile day (sunday) and 2 strength training classes a week. This worked for me until my long day was about 9 miles then I cut my strength training class to 1 per week.
    I enjoyed having my strength training mixed in with running.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    edited January 2017
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    shoshanafinkle wrote: »
    Does anyone have a good training schedule for a half marathon that integrates these other types of excercise into the week?

    Hal Higdon plans allow for cross training, but you run a significant risk of overuse injury in the time available.

    Personally I'd back off the additional training.

    +1 on the Hal Higdon plans and I agree completely on cutting back on the other activities, at least in the latter stages of the training plan when your running volumes start going up.

    Are you following a structured strength program? I was doing SL 5 x 5 and between the squatting 3 x weekly and running 4 x weekly I found I wasn't getting enough recovery time and had dead legs. As my running distances increased I did more of a lighter weights / higher reps routine with squatting & lunges 2 x weekly and that seemed to work (but I've also been running pretty consistently for about 10 years now....)


  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Are you doing your very own 1/2 training yourself or are you following a specific 1/2 training plan?

    I am training for a 1/2 right now and lifting 5 days a week. I am an intermediate+ runner and while I can train (run) 4 days a week for this 1/2, I cross 2 days and lift 5 days. It does require me working out 2 times a day some days.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    It's not a huge amount of time if your current mileage is 0, but if you go steady you should be ok. I have a half marathon training plan based on running 3x a week, with 2 days cross training.

    Google is your friend.

    Just make sure you prioritise running and drop the intensity of your other workouts as you up your mileage.
  • shoshanafinkle
    shoshanafinkle Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks for the advise everyone. When I did my first half marathon 9 years ago, I trained but not as much as I should have toward the end due to finals and a trip to Vegas with my friends. I knew I would finish the race no matter what but I was barely dragging my feet at the end and I was sick for days after. Definitely something I want to avoid this time! I am not following a particular structured strengthening program- i go to classes in the gym on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays where the teacher throws in various strengthening activities with weights and with just body weights etc. I don't have specific strength goals - more like to have that a part of my workout regiment to feel fit and get stronger, my main goal at this time is to lose weight and have energy . My workout schedule also varies based on my husbands work schedule and when I can get out to work out (we have three young kids). The race is about 16 weeks away. Do u think for now I can continue doing some of my workout classes, while making sure to add one short run during the week and a longer outdoor run on Sundays , and then slowly as it gets closer taper off the other stuff? Am I ok not following a specific running schedule and just listening to my body, or am I better doing a really rigid schedule? I tend to get overly excited and work my body really hard and I don't want to injure myself, but also don't want to hold myself back from what i enjoy if I don't have to
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    shoshanafinkle wrote: »
    Thanks for the advise everyone. When I did my first half marathon 9 years ago, I trained but not as much as I should have toward the end due to finals and a trip to Vegas with my friends. I knew I would finish the race no matter what but I was barely dragging my feet at the end and I was sick for days after. Definitely something I want to avoid this time! I am not following a particular structured strengthening program- i go to classes in the gym on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays where the teacher throws in various strengthening activities with weights and with just body weights etc. I don't have specific strength goals - more like to have that a part of my workout regiment to feel fit and get stronger, my main goal at this time is to lose weight and have energy . My workout schedule also varies based on my husbands work schedule and when I can get out to work out (we have three young kids). The race is about 16 weeks away. Do u think for now I can continue doing some of my workout classes, while making sure to add one short run during the week and a longer outdoor run on Sundays , and then slowly as it gets closer taper off the other stuff? Am I ok not following a specific running schedule and just listening to my body, or am I better doing a really rigid schedule? I tend to get overly excited and work my body really hard and I don't want to injure myself, but also don't want to hold myself back from what i enjoy if I don't have to

    You need 3 runs a week really, IMO
  • marec29
    marec29 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi there, I've done a few halfs. My advice is to back off some of the extra training. Strength training is very beneficial to running so keep up with that. Training for a half marathon, as you know, is about building endurance to withstand 13.1 miles without feeling like your dying the next day. Slow gradual mileage increase is what is best. Plan on doing 1 long run during the weekend, increasing the distance by 1 mile a week. You should be running 3x during the week. I did 1 day of speed training, 1 day of 3 miles at race pace, 1 day of progression (start the run slow, end fast), this would be a 5-6 mile day. Hope this helps.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited January 2017
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    shoshanafinkle wrote: »
    Am I ok not following a specific running schedule and just listening to my body, or am I better doing a really rigid schedule? I tend to get overly excited and work my body really hard and I don't want to injure myself, but also don't want to hold myself back from what i enjoy if I don't have to

    You've left yourself with insufficient time to train without giving yourself an injury risk. If you compound that by trying to make your own plan up as you go along you've got a significant risk of not starting the race, never mind not finishing it.

    Use a structured plan.

    Once you've got a few HMs under your belt you might be in a position to come up with your own plans.

    fwiw running about 40 miles per week I fit in some resistance training, cycling and swimming as cross training. Your risk, given that you're adding a significant amount of running to your routine is overtraining, compounding the overuse injury risk.
  • cyndit1
    cyndit1 Posts: 170 Member
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    I've done over 30 halfs and don't really agree with most everyone. I do agree that you need an easy run, a speed work or tempo run, and a long run every week but the cross training is good for you, especially strength training. I personally prefer spin as my cross training and take 3 spin classes a week, strength train 3 times a week and run 4 days averaging about 25 miles. Granted I've been doing it for a while but possibly cut back the intensity of your training not the activity. As for time....do you have any running base at all? Hal has a great plan but you want to be running a few months consistently building base before you bite off a distance event. I mean you could do it...but it may not be a healthy positive experience.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    When I ran my first half marathon, I trained indoors during the week and did one long outside run on the weekend. I would add 0.5-1.0 miles to the run each week up until the race. It worked for me.
  • ohemgeewhiz
    ohemgeewhiz Posts: 2 Member
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    I would continue the cross training as long as you allow yourself rest days. I became injured last year training for a marathon with NO cross training...I'm doing zumba & strength-training now and find that it helps my running form and I think I'm less injury prone now.
  • PBWaffleCakes
    PBWaffleCakes Posts: 900 Member
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    I ran 2 half marathons, trained for 1 and just did the other. I am training for a third one now and all of the training includes cross training (all those exercise you mentioned) I would do cross training AT LEAST once a week if not twice.
  • AnAbsoluteDiva
    AnAbsoluteDiva Posts: 166 Member
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    Hal Higdon has a great program for the half.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,688 Member
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    You can do some cross training, but if you want to be a runner, you need to run more. You can finish the race on minimal training, but if you want to finish it well (i.e. not a forced march to the finish) then the more miles you are used to doing the better the race will be. I did my first HM with a 25 mpw base. My second at 40 was a lot easier and faster.

    Are you running at all now? If not, I would wait until fall to do a HM. Increasing your mileage too fast is a good way to get injured. (I ended up with a pelvic sfx a week a week before my first HM, thanks to too much too soon.)

    Many beginner plans include cross training on one or two days. When you are a more experienced runner, you could do some cross training on the easier shorter running days as well. If you are not used to doing a lot of strenuous exercise though you need to be careful because overdoing it can sideline you for weeks or months.


  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »

    You need 3 runs a week really, IMO

    ^^^^ at least.......
  • shoshanafinkle
    shoshanafinkle Posts: 10 Member
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    I haven't been running regularly but I do hop on the treadmill occasionally and do 3-4 miles- combo of walking, jogging, and running which I'm ok with- not looking to perform amazingly time wise or anything; just to do it comfortably without being sick after. Last time I trained I also did it in a couple months and I am confident that if I didn't slack on training on the three weeks leading up to the race that I would have handled it much better. I finished in 2 hours and 15 minutes so it's not like I was walking the whole time. Probably mostly jogging. Although I haven't been running consistently now every week, I do feel like the other workouts I've been doing have been preparing me to be able to handle this in terms of endurance etc. I can do a 2 hour cardio workout and feel great the whole time. Also am very active in general during the day (usually get at least 20k steps on the Fitbit). I know this doesn't compare to actually running consistently but I'm just explaining why I don't think it's so crazy to train in 16 weeks. Runnjg is really something I want to get into and I won't do it without a short term goal. I've also done several 5ks within the past couple years with zero training and no issues during or after, I think bc I'm so active in general

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