Half Marathon
shoshanafinkle
Posts: 10 Member
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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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 sorted0 -
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?0 -
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.. 0 -
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.2 -
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.
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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....)
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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 to0
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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, IMO0 -
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.0
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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.
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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.1
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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.0
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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.1
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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.0
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Hal Higdon has a great program for the half.0
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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.
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TavistockToad wrote: »
You need 3 runs a week really, IMO
^^^^ at least.......0 -
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 general0
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I am going to hop on the treadmill tonight to see where I'm holding. Any recommendations of what I should do to "test" how I'm doing running wise? Like how long I should try for? Should I push myself to run a certain amount of minutes etc? I don't want to be foolish and am open to deciding that I'm not ready if I'm not.0
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5K?0
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I started "training" for my half marathon on July 1, the race was September 25th. I had been running, having done my first 5K in May in 29:04. Got to running 4 days a week and 30-35 miles per week with my long run topping out at 13 miles. I did light lifting on the other days taking Sundays as a rest day. Finished the course, which my coach described as "tough", in 2:17:10. Not bad for a 61 year old first timer?
( Yes, there are free training programs on the web, most of them much more that adequate. I found having a coach, with whom I communicated via e-mails, gave me another level of accountability which may, or may not, be necessary for everyone. She would e-mail me the training schedule for the week and I would respond with what I did and how it went/felt, and she would update the next weeks program accordingly.)
Felt good the whole way, finished strong and had no problems with walking, or functioning, the rest of that day nor any day thereafter.
The funny thing was that I had trouble holding an 11 minute mile pace during training but during the race a 10:30 mile pace was more than doable the whole way.
I find treadmill running to be harder than outdoor running. A 10 minute mile pace on the treadmill with incline set at "1" is a whole lot more difficult than that pace outdoors. Might just be me. but during the colder dark months, my running is on the treadmill. An hour at a time covering "4.7+/-" per the display. Just keeping up my easy pace work.
But most of all, enjoy the run.0 -
hal higdon training plan0
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Hopped on the treadmill last night, did my three miles (and half a mile of walking after to cool down). Did the 3 miles in about 37 minutes, alternated speeds of 5.0 and 6.0 with drtopping back down to 3.5 in betweeen to recover a little. I could have done faster but didn't want to overly push myself, wanted to see where im at and if ill even enjoy doing this a few times a week. i felt really good the whole time and great after! i am going to do another 3 mile treadmill on thursday and hope to make it outside for a run on sunday. then will decide after all of that how im feeling and what i want to do0
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I like Endomondo for custom training plans- it'll ask you for the race date, how many miles you currently run a week, how many days/week you want to run, current speed, etc - and suggest a training schedule. FYI-If currently running 0 miles/week, I don't think it will let you select a half marathon plan.0
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I'm interested to see what you decide and how the race goes! I'm training for a half as well and doing my first one inFebruary and a final one in April. I'm just using the Runkeeper app's training plan for a sub 2:30 half marathon. And no cross training aside from short morning yoga sessions before getting my day started. Good luck to you!0
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morethan1cappy wrote: »I'm interested to see what you decide and how the race goes! I'm training for a half as well and doing my first one inFebruary and a final one in April. I'm just using the Runkeeper app's training plan for a sub 2:30 half marathon. And no cross training aside from short morning yoga sessions before getting my day started. Good luck to you!
I did my first half last year without any cross training, and then was lucky enough to be given an exercise bike.
Cross training has improved my running massively, I would highly recommend you add some in if you can.1 -
Sorry for the late reply, but I am training for HM for the 1st of May as well, I am using Runkeeper, in combination with "Gipis", which creates a running schedule for you. For me this works very well, but I am only using it for 2 weeks now. Proof will be in the pudding come 1st of May 0
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I'd take a look at something like Galloway's half marathon training plan - his is based around run/walk intervals - I do all my races from 5k to ironman with those and has kept me mostly from being injured (unless I do something dumb like an ironman and a marathon in the same month...)0
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