Half marathon training

missleah26
missleah26 Posts: 146 Member
edited November 11 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all! Has anyone trained for a half marathon before? There's one in VT on May 6 (11 weeks away!) and I can't decide if I want to do it as a 1/2 relay or just dive in and do the full 1/2.

What training plan(s) did you use? I've seen a couple 3-day plans that I think will work, but there are a few differences:

1) the first seems to be all "easy" runs with 2 short ones during the week and a long one on the weekend (http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Top-Marathon-Facts-and-Fears.htm?cmp=17-1-2115")

2) the second has speedwork/intervals one day then a tempo run the second and a long run the third (it's a FIRST program if anyone's heard of those). http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--9369-F,00.html"

And I've seen about a million others.

I run at about a 10-minute pace, and I've completed a 3-mile race already this year. I have 4 and 5 mile races coming up the next two weeks, and I completed a 10k last fall. I use MapMyRun on my iPhone as my GPS and I don't have a HRM or anything like that, just a good old digital watch.

What's your experience been?

Replies

  • trlrnrgrl
    trlrnrgrl Posts: 80
    Hi there! I've done several halfs, and am working up to some longer distances this year. I love the half distance!

    I think you have time to do the full 1/2 on your own if you want to, but it's cutting it a tad close (to give yourself enough training time) if you wait too much longer to decide. Generally, a lot of people will do a long run every weekend and then several shorter runs during the week (the number varies a lot). The general advice is to increase your long run distance by 10% each time. So, 5 miles, then 5.5 miles, then 6, 6.5, 7, 7.75, 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, etc. (rough estimates). But....it's also good to try and build in a recovery week where you back off to a lower mileage for that long run. I'm sure lots of people don't do that (I didn't follow that advice for my first half, in fact), but it is helpful to get a little break.

    As far as the second plan - the one with a day of speed work every week - I'd be careful of that one. Speed work is great stuff, but I wonder about doing it every week? That seems a little intense to me, but maybe it's just me. Also, keep in mind that speed work and intervals aren't necessary - they are usually used for specific reasons: to try for a faster race time, to increase your feet turnover, to work on a good sprint at the end of the race. Speed work can increase your risk of injury if not done correctly, so you just have to be a little careful.

    You don't need a GPS or a HRM to train and have a great race! Sure, those are fun and helpful things to have, especially if you're working on a specific goal, but to just do the race itself, all you need is your good ole watch!

    Have a great race! My first half was such a great accomplishment for me, that I'll never forget that first race!
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    I've used the FIRST plans for both half marathons and full marathons, and I like them. Since switching to them I've had less injury problems as a result of less overuse and stress. And it fits into my schedule a little better only needing three running days per week. Just be sure to do the cross training twice a week, either biking or swimming to build up the cardio.

    I think it's a great thing to do. I always feel such a sense of accomplishment at the end.
  • CoachsWife4
    CoachsWife4 Posts: 79 Member
    I'm following the Galloway training, which has the two short long runs and the long weekend run. I think it's set up in a way that as you get closer to time, you could eliminate some of the "Training" races and just get to 13.1. Let me know what you decide and GOOD LUCK. I have my 12.5 mile run coming up this Saturday and my actual half is April 21st!!
  • kunibob
    kunibob Posts: 608 Member
    How long have you been running for? That might make a difference. I've used the FIRST plans, and I really like them, but they are quite strenuous because of those two faster runs during the week, and the paces are quite quick for them -- make sure you have a good base or else it could lead to injury.

    Maybe a hybrid of both?
  • kandy221
    kandy221 Posts: 79
    bump-live in VT & want to do my first half this year, but not as far along as you.
  • SERinDC
    SERinDC Posts: 93 Member
    I'm training for my first half marathon in three weeks! I started the training about 12 weeks out and loosely followed the Runner's World guide, but was a little lazy about doing interval training. I figure the first time I'm just trying to finish and in the future I'll do more speed work to improve my time. If you've been running regularly to this point, I'd say go for it and do the race in 9 weeks! I've also been doing strength training and cross training as well. I also don't have a HRM or anything fancy, I just map out my runs before I leave home and use a plain old watch to time myself. So far the training's been fun-- you should sign up! I'm looking forward to race day!
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    Most programs will probably get the job done for a novice. Until you hit the more elite levels, you only need to follow the basics of the plan pretty loosely. One is to have a long run each week that is gradually increased from week to week to work your way up towards the race distance. Then you want to fill in 3-5 days (depending on your goals) in between of shorter runs to provide volume and your total weekly mileage should also increment gradually. If you want to maximize your race pace, you should make some of these runs speed and hill training.

    For optimal race results, the more training volume the better you will perform. However high training volume wears you out so you will tend to run these at a much slower pace then you could if you were fresh. If you are running low volume, then you want to run at a higher intensity to get more bang for the buck (ie. the FIRST approach). This works too, but isn't as optimal as higher volume.
  • missleah26
    missleah26 Posts: 146 Member
    Thanks for the advice, everyone! I did a lot of running last summer into the fall, and I've kept active, going to the gym 3x/week since January. I have a race series that's 3-4-5 miles over 3 weekends (finished the 3-miler in 28:56, so I'm not fast by any stretch, but I wanted to get sub-30), so I'll already be building my mileage.

    Since it's my first half, I'll probably just focus on building mileage and not worrying so much about speed. My goal is to finish, not hit any sort of record or anything. I'm already registered for another 1/2 in October, so maybe I'll use the FIRST plan for that one to decrease my time.

    I hope to keep it up at the gym 3x/week, but I might drop to 2 and add in 2 days of running. I've got 2 strength routines that were developed for me by trainers-- one that's a little easier, one that's more intense. They're full-body workouts.

    My training will probably look something like this:

    Monday: strength training with advanced plan
    Tuesday: run 3 mi to start (interval training on occasion to boost end-of-race energy)
    Wednesday: strength training with advanced plan (or rest, since I'm adding Thursdays in)
    Thursday: run 3 mi to start, increasing as the weeks go on
    Friday: strength training with easier plan
    Saturday/Sunday: one day for a long run, one day for rest

    Since it's VT, I'll try to add some hills on my long runs or switch up my normal route for the shorter ones to work some in. Time to make a calendar!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories