Half Marathon Training Guide: Novice Day-by-Day
Copyright © 2002 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved.
Hal Higdon has contributed to Runner's World for longer than any other writer, an article by Hal having appeared in that publication's second issue in 1966. Author of 34 books, including the best-selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, Hal also has written books on many subjects and for different age groups.
The following is a day-by-day training guide for the Novice half marathon runner.
12 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: The countdown begins. There are 12 weeks between now and your planned half marathon. In this Novice program, Monday is always a day of rest, but I recommend that you consider using this day to do some stretching and strength training. If you want to make Monday a day of complete rest (not entirely a bad idea), you can stretch and strengthen after Tuesday's run. The main purpose of this rest day is to help your body recuperate from weekend workouts, which will increase in difficulty as our 12-week countdown continues.
Tuesday: Three miles at a comfortable pace. If you are a complete novice, these might even be your first running steps! Whether a total beginner or an experienced hand, run at a pace easy enough so that you can hold a conversation with a friend. You simply want to cover the distance, not cover it fast. And if you chose not to do your stretching and strengthening yesterday, do it today. It always works best to do these exercises after your run, rather than before. That's because your muscles will be looser after they're warmed up. Also, too heavy lifting before can actually tighten your muscles and make running more difficult. As the program continues, the length of these Tuesday runs will increase from 3 to 5 miles.
Wednesday: Today is an option day. Run or cross-train. You will have this option every Wednesday for the 12 weeks of this training program. If you choose to run, go for 2 miles. If you decide to cross-train, I would recommend cycling or swimming or walking, maybe even coupled with some light jogging if you're up to it. A half hour or so should do.
Thursday: Run 3 miles at the same comfortable pace you ran on Tuesday. Speed doesn't matter; distance does. You will burn approximately 300 calories covering 3 miles. Over a period of 12 weeks--if you kept the distance the same--you would burn 3,600 calories on Thursdays. Theoretically, this would allow you to lose one pound of weight from your Thursday workouts alone. After your run, do some stretching and strength training, similar to what I suggested for Monday or Tuesday. As the countdown to your half marathon race continues, I'll ask you to increase your Thursday commitment gradually from 3 to 5 miles.
Friday: A day of rest to get ready for the weekend. Friday will almost always be a rest day on the Novice schedule, along with Monday. You'll appreciate these days of rest even more as the mileage builds toward the end of the program.
Saturday: Thirty minutes of cross-training. In this training program, most Saturdays will feature some form of cross-training with a build-up from 30 to 40 to 50 to 60 minutes as the program continues. What kind of cross-training should you do? In the instructions to Wednesday's workout, I suggested swimming, cycling, walking or even some light jogging. Cross-country skiing or snowshoeing also works well if there's snow on the ground. Regardless, the cross-training you choose should be some form of aerobic exercise done at an easy level. If you want to do your long runs on Saturdays rather than Sundays, simply flip-flop the two workouts.
Sunday: This is the key day of our Novice program for the half marathon. On Sundays, we run long. Four miles this first weekend may not seem long, particularly if you have a previous background as a runner, but over the next 11 weeks we will take you to 10 miles for your maximum long run. That comes in Week 2 and is far enough. I'm confident that you will be able to run the extra three miles on the climactic race weekend, just as runners following my marathon training program jump from a maximum 20-miler to 26 in the race. I'll explain how as we go along, but in the meatime, have faith.
Tip of the Week: I don't recognize the adjective "slow" when it comes to running. All runners I know are "fast," no matter at what speed they run. If you worry about being perceived as a slowpoke when you first venture onto the running tracks, simply compare yourself to those potatoes, who never get off their couches.
11 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: Monday is the day you skip running after your hard work over the weekend. It may not seem that you need much rest in this second week of your 12-week program, but as the mileage continues to mount, you will appreciate this easy day. Even though you don't do any running today, Monday is a good day for some stretching and strength training.
Tuesday: A relatively easy day. Go 3 miles at a comfortable pace. One way to determine that "comfortable" pace is to wear a heart monitor that tells you that you are keeping your pulse rate between 65 to 75 percent of maximum. Or listen to your body. If you begin feeling uncomfortable, slow down.
Wednesday: Option day. You can either run 2 miles or do some cross-training. For example, pump some iron--but keep it light, and keep it fast. If working with free weights or a machine, focus on the upper body, using relatively light weights and high repetitions. At a certain level, strength training can be an aerobic sport. My cross-training exercise of late has been swimming, either in a heated pool during the winter or in Lake Michigan when water warms in the summer. I don't count laps or how fast I do the laps. I avoid making this a killer workout.
Thursday: Repeat Tuesday's workout: Three miles at your usual pace. Another 300 calories burned. Small doses of effort will result in maximum benefits. Speed doesn't matter; distance does. You will burn approximately 300 calories by covering 3 miles. Over a period of 12 weeks--if you kept the distance the same--you would burn 3,600 calories on Thursdays. Theoretically, this would allow you to lose one pound of weight from your Thursday workouts alone. After your run, do some stretching and strength training,
Friday: Today is a rest day. That doesn't mean you hang out at a sports bar until 2:00 in the morning. You may get away with this sort of behavior early in the program, but as the miles start to build, you'll probably make the choice of going home early--even without someone like me telling you to do that.
Saturday: Cross-training. Go for a half hour. What sport do you enjoy doing when not running? If it's golf, there's probably little aerobic advantage--particularly if you play using a cart. If it's pickup basketball, there's the danger that you can get injured. Be cautious in selecting a second sport for your cross-training, otherwise you may watch the half marathon from the sidelines.
Sunday: Like most long distance programs, this one presents you with a mileage buildup. Over a series of weeks and months, you gradually add to your longest runs as well as your weekly mileage. But the buildup doesn't begin until next week. Run the same distance (4 miles) today that you ran last Sunday. Next week, expect to be asked to take 5. Even in repeating the mileage from last week, you will build strength, which will permit you to run farther next time with less effort than you might expect.
Tip of the Week: Check the wind before choosing the direction you run. It's best to start running into a stiff wind so that you have it at your back at the end of the workout, when you will be more fatigued. This is particularly important during the winter, since you may be finishing soaked with sweat.
10 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: The one constant in this training schedule is that you will be always asked to rest on Mondays. Over last weekend, you did a long run of 4 miles on one day, cross training the other day. You deserve this day of rest, don't you? Just stretch and strength. Check the screens on those disciplines for some good stretching and strengthening exercises.
Tuesday: Run 3.5 miles today, a half mile more than last week. This is part of a gradual increase in weekly distance to get you ready for your half marathon. By the time you reach Week Four, the Tuesday workout will be 5 miles. That seems like a lot now, but in a half dozen more weeks, it'll be a breeze. Big gains in fitness can be made with small increases. Your fitness should be improving in this third week of your training.
Wednesday: You have a choice between running 2 miles today or cross-training. A half hour walk instead of a run might make a good option. Wednesdays in the half marathon program for Novices are designed as easy days sandwiched between two days during which you will run somewhat longer as the program goes on. So don't overdo it!
Thursday: Repeat Tuesday's workout: 3.5 miles, comfortable pace. Last week when you ran "only" 3 miles, you burned 300 calories. This week you burn 350 calories in the same workout. A 50-calorie burn doesn't sound like much considering that 3,600 calories equal a pound, but small items add up to large amounts.
Friday: Rest day. Have you been participating in other activities on your "rest" days? Some people enjoy lifting weights and don't want to give up that activity. Others participate in aerobic dance classes and also don't want to stop even while training for a half marathon. I'm not going to tell you not to do those activities, but in general it's best that Friday be a day of total rest to prepare you for a bigger burst of activity on the weekend.
Saturday: Cross-training day. A slight movement upward in the time prescription to 40 minutes (vs. 30 minutes each of the preceding weeks) signals that you are showing progress. Walk, bike or swim, all good aerobic activities. But be cautious about sports such as tennis or basketball that use different muscles than those used in running. We don't want you to get injured. If you would like to switch some of your strength training to this day, be my guest. This program is flexible--and should be flexible so as to fit comfortably into your schedule of business and family activities.
Sunday: The mileage buildup continues. Run 5 miles. If you have been running the same course for your midweek workouts, you might want to consider running somewhere new on the weekends. On Sundays, you should have more time to travel to a more scenic running area. By making your long runs as enjoyable as possible, you will find it much, much easier to go the distance.
Tip of the Week: Learn to eat properly, not merely before marathons, but all the time. A lot of runners use personal trainers and massage therapists and podiatrists and overlook the fact that a Registered Dietitian sometimes can be the most important sports professional in improving both their health and their performances.
9 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: I have 14 miles of running scheduled for you this week (assuming you run on Wednesday). That's just a touch more than you will run in the half marathon itself. To do in one day what it now takes you a week to do seems like a considerable challenge. But by the time you finish this program, you will be ready to accomplish just that! Monday is your day of rest to prepare you to succeed at this level of training. Continue to stretch on this and other days. Even a few stretches occupying a few minutes each day may be enough to prevent an injury that can limit your success.
Tuesday: Today's run of 3.5 miles is the same distance as last Tuesday. Increases in mileage will be done gradually. At the end of today's workout, ask yourself how you feel? Could you have gone farther if I had asked you to? If the answer is "no," perhaps you were running too fast.
Wednesday: Two miles of running or cross-training. I don't prescribe the exact length of your cross-training on these midweek days. See how much time you can set aside. Usually a half hour is an ample midweek workout, particularly if you need to change clothes and shower plus have lunch in the middle of a busy work day.
Thursday: The same as Tuesday: 3.5 miles. Another 350 calories burned. Can you push the pace just a little bit harder in the last half mile or so of the workout? Try it to test your body response. I don't want to push you to run too fast, but at times it's fun to test your body.
Friday: A day of rest to get ready for the weekend. Any trace of an injury? Today's day of rest will allow you to overcome it. How about sore muscles? You probably experienced some muscle soreness or stiffness during the first several weeks, but your body should be beginning to adapt to its new routine.
Saturday: Cross-training day. Forty minutes of whatever aerobic exercise most appeals to you. Don't overdo it and make the mistake of turning this into a hard workout. If you swim, it should be easy swimming, not kick-turning at each end of the pool. If you bike, it should be a taking-in-the-scenery ride, not head down and staring at the pavement.
Sunday: Run long. You're now up to 5 miles for the second consecutive week, a considerable chunk of mileage if you never have run this far before starting this program. Think in terms of kilometers: 5 miles is approximately 8 kilometers, or 80 percent of the distance covered in a 10-K race. As the countdown to your half marathon proceeds, you will continue to put some significant numbers on the board.
Tip of the Week: In seeking motivation to stick with your training, don't overlook your friendly, family refrigerator. Along with all those magnets holding pictures of your kids, find space to post your training schedule, whether downloaded from this Web site or simply numbers posted to a calendar. Mark your miles run each day. It will serve as a reminder of what you have done and what you plan to do.
8 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: We're going to give you another mileage bump this week, so take a day off from running. Stretching and Strength training, of course, is always a Monday option. Your total mileage for this week will be 16 miles, your long run at the end of the week will be 6. Just a small jump in the numbers, but small jumps will get you in shape to do the half marathon.
Tuesday: Four miles. The beat goes on. A half mile more than your Tuesday workout from last week. Keep the pace easy. The worse mistake you can make at this point is to overtrain: to go too far or too fast. Patience will be rewarded. Trust me!
Wednesday: Option day. The schedule says run 2 miles or cross-train, but there's a lot of room between those two choices. How about a swim? Swimming (easy) is a good way to relax your muscles. Or how about a short run followed by a swim? Assuming you have access to a health club, you might want to begin the workout by jogging on a treadmill for 5 to 10 minutes, then finish with a swim and a soak in the whirlpool.
Thursday: Four miles at an easy pace, the same as Tuesday's workout. The actual number of miles you will run on all your Thursday workouts during the 12-week program is 47. That's also approximately 4,700 calories burned. Given the fact that you theoretically lose one pound for every 3,600 calories burned, you should lose more than a pound just on your Thursday runs alone. That assumes, however, that you don't increase the amount of food you eat. (If you don't need to, or want to, lose weight, you will need to eat more food to stay in caloric balance.)
Friday: Take the day off. Friday is usually a good day to rest, particularly if you have social activities to attend. This is "date night" for my wife and I: usually a movie and a meal out. Begin to consider what meals you eat the night before your Saturday long runs. A meal rich in carbohydrates will do the best job in packing your muscles full of glycogen, the easiest form of stored energy to burn.
Saturday: Cross-training: 40 minutes to bike, swim, walk. It's your choice. You can even do some light jogging and walking combined with stretching. Just make sure that you make this an "easy" day so that you aren't too fatigued for tomorrow's long run. And remember: you can always run long on Saturday and cross-train the day after.
Sunday: Your long run for today is 6 miles. That's close to being half the distance you will run in the half marathon itself. Have you ever done a running race before? Next week, I'm going to suggest that as a weekend option.
Tip of the Week: Don't expect every workout to be perfect, particularly if you are running long. You might feel great one week doing a 10-miler, then struggle the next going a shorter distance. It may not be your training. Other factors can contribute to make a run less than perfect: too little sleep, too much stress at work, a virus you caught or are about to catch. Simply continue, knowing that your next workout probably will feel much better.
7 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: Rest day on Monday, but don't forget your stretching and strength training. Today is a significant week. When you get to Sunday you will have finished 6 weeks, or half of your 12-week training program for the half marathon. I am also going to ask you to run a 5-K race at the end of the week as a test of your improved fitness.
Tuesday: Four mile run, the same as last week. This is actually going to be a "low mileage" week, since running a 5-K race on Sunday will be less than I normally might have asked you to run on that day. You will run "only" 13 miles this week, compared to 16 the week before. That's how a progressive training program works, progressively and gradually increasing the distance of each run, but sometimes taking a step backwards to gather strength for the next push upward. We're on track. Trust in me--and in yourself.
Wednesday: Run 2 miles or cross-train. Since I'm asking you to run a 5-K race this weekend, you might want to even consider taking an extra day of rest. Make it easy on yourself. St. Paul once said, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all indeed run, but only one receives the prize? So run as to obtain it." I don't know, Pauly, if you had watched any of today's mass-participant races, you certainly would agree that more than one receives a prize. Nevertheless, his advice to "run as to obtain it" was right on!
Thursday: Four miles at a comfortable pace. Don't feel any obligation to push the pace today. If you want to run fast, you can do so in the 5-K race on the weekend. As for your strength training today, don't overdo it in the gym.
Friday: Rest or an easy run. A slight change in the normal routine because of the planned race on the weekend. Tomorrow is scheduled as a day of full rest. You'll be better prepared for Sunday's race if you are well-rested, and that means cutting back several days before the event.
Saturday: Full rest today to prepare yourself for tomorrow's 5-K race. If you decide to race today, rather than tomorrow as the schedule indicates, simply flip-flop the workouts. Don't be afraid to make minor changes in the program at any time, as long as you don't compromise its overall direction.
Sunday: Run a 5-K race. If you can't find a 5-K this weekend, a race at another distance will do. Or if there is a good 5-K on another weekend, juggle the schedule to accommodate your plans. Use the race as a test, not only of your fitness level, but also to get a feel for the racing scene, particularly if you are not used to running road races. Most important is the chance this gives you to practice taking fluids while you run. In a 5-K, you can sometimes get away without drinking, but you won't want to do this during the half marathon, especially if the weather is warm.
Tip of the Week: Runners who move in behind others, particularly when running into a headwind on the road or on the track, gain an advantage that is mental as well as physical. It's part of racing at the elite level. Back-of-the-packers also may draft as a survival technique, particularly in the late stages of a half marathon. It's not so much a matter of getting the wind broken as it is having someone set a steady pace so you don't have to think when your brain is mush.
6 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: Rest. You may experience some sore muscles after the weekend 5-K race, particularly if you got into the spirit of the "race" and ran at a pace faster than normal, or pushed in the closing mile. That's normal. Any time you ask your muscles to do something they haven't done before, they're going to make you pay for it. You can use this day of rest to recover. You might want to skip your strength training while in recovery mode, and also be cautious about overstretching tight muscles.
Tuesday: Your muscles may still be sore if you really ran the race hard. That's still normal. You are experiencing what is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS sometimes peaks 48 hours after the exercise. You're scheduled to run 4.5 miles today, which might have seemed formidable six weeks ago, but you're now a seasoned race veteran. You can do it!
Wednesday: Three miles today, or do some cross-training. Please note that the Wednesday mileage for the second half of our half marathon training program has just taken a bump upward from 2 to 3. If you are still in your recovery mode after the 5-K, you may want to run slow and phase in a walking break or two. Another option would be to schedule a massage with a certified massage therapist for today. (You probably should have made the appointment last week before the race.) Consider massage as an adjunct to your training routine. Obtaining a good massage is not cheap ($40-80 for an hour), but it can be important in helping you recover from progressively harder workouts.
Thursday: You should be back to your old routine by now: 4.5 miles today. Stay in the comfort zone. Don't try to overdo it. Another 450 calories burned. And don't overlook your strength training, particularly if you skipped that aspect of your training while recovering from the 5-K race. If you still have any questions concerning this routine, please visit the Stretch and Strengthen section of this Web site. Sometimes it's a good idea to remind yourself of what you know you're supposed to do.
Friday: Today is a rest day. Did you hear what I said? Today is a rest day! Do I need to repeat myself? Today is a rest day! This weekend, I'm going to ask you to run further (7 miles) than you may ever have run before (or at least further than we have run so far in this program). You'll be better prepared for Sunday's long run if you are well-rested. If you go out tonight, get home early. (That's the mother in me talking to you.)
Saturday: Fifty minutes of cross-training. This is an increase of 10 minutes from your last cross-training workout two weeks ago, and tomorrow offers another jump in running mileage, so make this an easy workout. A 50-minute walk would be appropriate, and if you feel like interspersing some jogging steps, that's all right too. Incidentally, if Saturday is a better day for doing your long runs, don't hesitate to flip-flop workouts. Do the long run on Saturdays and the cross-training on Sundays.
Sunday: Run long. Today's workout will take you 7 miles. This will be a significant point in the half marathon itself, because you will be past the halfway point. When you see the 7-mile marker, you can tell yourself you've got fewer miles to run than you've already done. Psychology can play a big role in covering the distance. Run comfortably today. If you need to walk in the middle of the workout, don't feel guilty. You may need to do some walking in the half marathon, so it's important that you become used to moving from a running to a walking mode and back to a running mode. It's best to walk on your schedule, not because fatigue forces you to walk.
Tip of the Week: Nobody said running was supposed to be easy. Running is a challenge that we gratefully accept the minute we decide to become runners. Sore legs and fatigue often come with the territory. Gradually, over a period of time, running longer and longer distances will become easier for you. Except then you'll want to run faster, and it will be back to square one! The fact that running is a challenge is part of its appeal.
5 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: No running today. As the mileage continues to build, you will appreciate these rest days on Mondays. I have 20 miles worth of running scheduled for you this week. You're now doing almost as much on weekdays as you will run in the half marathon race itself (12 vs. 13.1). Your confidence should be building. Meanwhile, don't overlook your stretching and strengthening.
Tuesday: Run 4.5 miles at an easy pace. Remember: if you can't converse with a friend without getting out of breath, you're going too fast. Of course, if you don't have a friend to run with, you won't be able to take this test. You can always talk to yourself if you don't mind getting strange stares from other joggers.
Wednesday: An easy 3-miler, or cross-train. Don't be afraid to combine running and walking in a single workout, either this day or on days when you run longer. But more a problem than choice of cross-training is, when do you fit it in? For many people who lead Real Lives and work during the week, the toughest thing about this type of training is finding time to do it. But if you want to train easy, it should be no sweat. In fact, you don't have to sweat during this workout. Given an hour for lunch, there's no reason why you simply can't head out the door of your office and walk for 30 minutes, then come back and grab a light lunch. Nobody said training has to be difficult. Be easy on yourself!
Thursday: Repeat Tuesday's workout: 4.5 miles at a comfortable pace. Another 450-calorie burn. Consider the fact that in running 20 miles this week, you will burn approximately 2,000 calories. Theoretically, you will lose half a pound. You don't have to train excessively or obsessively to lose weight. Consistent training coupled with intelligent eating will do the job for you. Please notice the emphasis on the word "intelligent" in reference to eating.
Friday: Rest day to prepare for the weekend. On Sunday, you run 8 miles. You will need 800 calories worth of energy in your system to allow you to run this far comfortably. Give careful consideration to what you eat the nights before your longest workouts. You also should be giving some thought to the all-important question of what you plan to eat the night before the half marathon. My recommendation would be a plate full of pasta. A lot of runners visit Italian restaurants the night before their races and long workouts. Carbohydrate is the most efficient and effective fuel for endurance athletes.
Saturday: Fifty minutes of cross-training, but keep it easy: walking, biking, swimming or some other activity. Swimming is a particularly useful activity, because you can use it to loosen your muscles the day before or the day after a long run. If you run long Saturdays, you can cross-train on Sundays.
Sunday: Your weekly long run nudges up to 8 miles. That's nearly two-thirds the distance of the half marathon. When you see the 8-mile sign on race day, you will have only 5 more miles to run. Did I say "only?" Hey, at this level of training, a 5-miler is a no-brainer. You're getting tough. On these long runs, practice race strategy. Most important is drinking. If you can't find a friendly fountain to run past, you might consider investing in a water belt.
Tip of the Week: Regardless of whether you are a morning person or an evening person, run at the time of day that is most convenient for you and for those around you. The availability of daylight also may be a factor, particularly in winter. And how hot it is may dictate a pre-dawn start in summer. Eventually, you will determine the workout time that is most convenient.
4 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: Monday continues to be your recovery day. Your level of conditioning may have improved to the point where you want to start doing some running on these rest days. That's something to consider after you finish the Half Marathon, but don't change now.
Tuesday: Take five. Run 5 miles. Think about it. That's close to half the distance you're going to be running in the Half Marathon. It's the longest midweek workout you'll be asked to do during the 12-week program. During the next three weeks, I will ask you to run a half dozen workouts at this distance.
Wednesday: Run 3 miles or cross-train for about a half hour. Listen to your body: What signals is it sending you? This is a week in which you do two 5-milers, plus I have a 10-K race scheduled for the weekend. Don't be so wired into this training schedule that you're afraid to take a day of rest if you need it. Doing nothing might be quite appropriate, given that schedule.
Thursday: Another 5-miler. The miles add up. We're now into a 500-calorie burn for today's workout. Weight loss may not be your goal in training for a half marathon, but steady exercise will melt the pounds away. Don't forget to finish the workout with some strength training.
Friday: Rest or an easy run. If you're planning a 10-K race on Sunday, an easy workout where you cover 2 or 3 miles might be appropriate. If the 10-K race is scheduled for a Saturday, make this a day of rest. Meanwhile, let me offer a brief lecture on alcohol. .As a runner, alcohol can inhibit your performance because it dehydrates you, not an ideal situation either before a race or before a long workout on a hot day. Too much alcohol can also interfere with glycogen storage in your muscles. A moderate amount of alcohol with your meals is not a problem, but stay out of the bars Friday nights if you want to become a better runner.
Saturday: A day of rest to get ready for the 10-K race scheduled for tomorrow. If you race today (Saturday), plan to do some cross-training on Sunday, similar to what you've been doing so far in this training program.
Sunday: Race day. Three weeks ago, I asked you to run a 5-K. Today's 10-K is a step upward in distance. If you can't find a 10-K on this specific day, choose whatever other convenient race between 5-K and 10-K you can find on the race calendar. (You probably don't want to go much longer.) If there's no local race this weekend, it's okay to flip-flop dates and race on an earlier weekend. Racing today is not essential; it's just an interesting option. After you've run your race, you can use my prediction charts to give you an idea of how fast you might be able to run in the half marathon.
Tip of the Week: It is not uncommon to get sick and miss workouts during peak training. Research even suggests that high-intensity training can temporarily damage your immune system and make you more likely to get a cold or the flu. If you do miss a few workouts, don't worry--and don't feel you need to "make them up." If you train consistently over a long period of weeks, months and even years, occasional lapses are not a problem. More a problem is trying to come back too soon after a cold (and especially after the flu).
3 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: Assuming you ran in a 10-K race over the weekend, you may need this day of rest. Racing usually brings out the best in runners. They run faster in a group and with a number pinned on their backs than they otherwise might do if left on their own. You may experience some sore muscles. This is normal. Scheduling a massage might be one way to relieve sore legs. And don't forget to stretch.
Tuesday: Five miles at your usual, comfortable pace. Hopefully workouts at this distance have begun to feel easy to you. If not, back off on the pace. Remember: you should be able to converse while running without getting out of breath. Don't be afraid to walk during these long workouts.
Wednesday: Three miles of running, or cross-train. A bike ride of 30 minutes or so might be fun if you can find time during the middle of the week. But make it a ride where your head is up in the air and looking around to take in the scenery, rather than down between the handlebars staring at the pavement so you can crack the sound barrier. Wednesday needs to serve as an easy day between the two 5-milers scheduled on each side of it on Tuesday and Thursday this week.
Thursday: Five miles again. Five hundred more calories of effort. If you train the minimum recommended distance during the 12 weeks of this program, you will cover 175 miles. That's 17,500 calories burned. That should permit you to lose approximately 5 pounds through exercise alone. That's not including extra calories burned on cross-training days. If weight loss was your goal in training for a half marathon, hopefully you will have begun to see some results.
Friday: Rest day. Get ready for the weekend. Don't stay out too late tonight. Have a good meal. Don't have that extra glass of wine or beer. Moderation is an important word in all elements that will prepare you for the half marathon. Sleep tight.
Saturday: The cross-training prescription goes up to 60 minutes this week, since we are nearing the final stages of your conditioning program for the half marathon. If you didn't get out on a bike for that cycling workout I suggested Wednesday, you may want to do so today. I also consider walking to be a perfectly acceptable form of cross-training. And I don't mean racewalking either. Walk gently rather than fast. The purpose is to provide a gentle weekend companion workout to your long runs, not tear down your muscles.
Sunday: Nine miles, your longest run so far. Do you have a comfortable pair of "racing shoes" that you can wear in the Half Marathon? If you have been training in the same pair of shoes since Week 12, they may have begun to show some wear. (Check the bottoms to see.) Don't wait until the day before the race to buy a new pair of shoes. Buy them now so that you can, first, check them out during some short runs and finally wear them in at least one long run. If the shoes don't fit and are liable to cause blisters, you want to know that before race day.
Tip of the Week: It is common to have sore muscles after a hard workout: either fast or long running or some combination of both. The harder the workout, the more you'll ache. Any time you push the body to its limits, it will push back at you. Usually the soreness will disappear after several days of rest or easy running. If you have just completed a half marathon, it may take longer.
2 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: With the mileage buildup reaching its peak this week--two weeks before your half marathon race--you need all the rest you can get. No running today. You may also want to cut back on some of your strength training to avoid becoming overtrained. Yes, you can become overtrained. Working too hard will leave you fatigued and listless. There is a fine line between doing too much and doing too little. Hopefully this half marathon training schedule has helped you walk that fine line.
Tuesday: Five miles at your usual, easy Tuesday pace. Stay in your comfort zone. Consider the fact that this is further than your longest run the first week of the program 10 weeks ago. You've come a long way with your training in that period of time.
Wednesday: Run 3 miles or cross-train. This is your confidence-building week. Unless feeling undue fatigue, you might want to choose that first option. An easy 3-miler would be good for your mind and for your body. Your total running mileage this week will be 23 miles, nearly double the mileage (12) you ran during the first week of this program.
Thursday: Five miles. If you followed my suggestion to run yesterday, that's 13 miles in three days. Is that a coincidence, or has your coach some devious purpose behind his mileage choice? (Actually, it is a coincidence, but he doesn't want you to know that.) Assuming you have been diligent in your training, 13.1 miles in one day at the end of next week will be no more difficult than the same distance spread out over these three days. Strength training? You'll notice I dropped that from your schedule today. With a 10-miler on the weekend, you'll need just a bit more of a rest.
Friday: After a hard week of running, you earned a day of rest today. Do nothing--and I mean nothing. You will do your longest run over the weekend.
Saturday: An hour of cross-training. With this weekend, you have reached your peak of conditioning. Do whichever aerobic workout (other than running) you find most enjoyable. If you have been doing your long runs on Sunday, you might consider flip-flopping workouts to run on Saturday and cross-train on Sunday, just to give yourself an extra day between your longest run and the half marathon.
Sunday: This is your peak long run: 10 miles. That's short of the distance (13.1 miles) you will run in your half marathon race a week from now. Similar to my marathon training programs, where the final long run is 20 miles, you'll be able to bridge the extra distance easily. A week's rest and the inspiration of the race will allow you to do that. You have now completed 11 weeks of a pretty tough training program, and from now on you taper to get ready for the Big Race!
Tip of the Week: Cross-training in most schedules for runners is not meant to build muscles. (You may build the wrong muscles.) Its purpose is more to offer a relaxing workout between hard runs to both build and maintain your aerobic capacity. Easy swimming, cycling or even walking is sufficient for most cross-training days. Do these exercises too hard and you may be too fatigued to train properly on the days you do run.
1 Weeks to Half Marathon
Monday: This is party week. This is what we've been waiting for, isn't it? Relax. This is going to be an easy week--at least until Sunday. Your main focus this week should be on gathering energy so that you go to the starting line rested and ready to run. If you have been following a regimen that includes stretching and strength training, continue today, but quit early.
Tuesday: Although this is the week you taper, you still need to do some running. How about a 4-miler today? That's 1 mile less than your peak weekday mileage the previous three weeks. Running a bit short and maybe a bit slower will give you something to occupy your mind, and your body. If you didn't do some running this week, you'd probably get nervous worrying about the weekend.
Wednesday: Three miles or cross-training, the same workout you've been doing since Week 6. By now your routine is probably set, so follow it. But relax and keep the effort at a very low level.
Thursday: Still into the taper. A week ago you did a 5-miler, the last of six workouts at that distance within three weeks. Today, run 2 miles, just enough to calm your nerves as you wait for your half marathon race over the weekend.
Friday: Rest. You've encountered that word before while following this training program, and you will encounter it one more time tomorrow. Don't do any running today. Take two days of complete rest leading up to the half marathon.
Saturday: Rest some more. Before full-distance marathons, I usually rest two out of the last three days, actually doing some running the day before the race, particularly if I've had to travel to get there. I'll jog a mile or two and do three or four strides. You can do it that way if you want, but for most runners, resting the final two days usually works best.
Sunday: Today is the day you reach the goal you have trained for during the last 12 weeks. Enjoy yourself. Afterwards, savor the experience for a while. Relax. Then pick your next running goal. Maybe it's time to move up to the marathon. Or maybe you'll decide to move back down to the 5-K and 10-K, consolidating your training gains before moving onward. Meanwhile, congratulations on a job well done.
Tip of the Week: Deciding what to eat the morning of a race is an individual matter. Habit dictates choices. Some runners feel uncomfortable without something on their stomachs. Others prefer fasting. Whether or not you eat depends on how far you plan to run. In races shorter than the half-marathon, food is less a factor. You should have ample energy reserves from your meal the night before. For 13 miles and above, you probably do need more. Plan to rise at least three hours before the race for a light breakfast that could include coffee or fruit juice and toast or a bagel.
Become An ALS Activist
Secure Donation Center