Answers/

General Running

Amy K.
Amy K. Sendmail

Half Marathon Training Plan Advice

asked 11 months ago | Report

I am training for a half in September. It is ~11weeks from now. I ran a half last February and loved it. I was well trained and felt confident going into that race. Unfortunately, I think I trained a bit too hard and ended up with tendonitis. I have been slowly working my way back. My long run is up to 6 miles and I am able to pretty easily run 3-5miles several times a week.

I have looked at a ton of plans on-line and am having trouble finding one that is "just right". I would like to find that sweet spot that has me running enough miles that I feel strong and prepared, but not so many that I injure myself again. I would definitely like to hit 13miles at least once or twice before the race.

So, I am trying to develop my own plan. Here are some parts I am trying to include.
1 day/wk:
Long run

3 days total/wk:
1-2 Cross training
1-2 Rest

3 days total/wk:
1-2 short runs (3-5miles)
1-2 medium runs (6-8 miles)

I am not focusing on any speed work right in this training as my goal is to stay healthy and finish. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Answer

4 answers

scroll to bottom
  • Joe H.
    Joe H. Sendmail

    increasing your long runs gradually think the general rule of thumb is no more than 10% every week and include rest weeks in there too. proper rest is just as important as busting your butt. if you don't recvoer you can't rebuild yourself stornger and end up getting injured. be careful and have fun

    answered 11 months ago |Report

    • 0
      thumbs up
    • 0
      thumbs down
  • Jog M Up
    Jog M Up Sendmail

    hi amy!
    altitude training, i used to love it, but had to move back to calif :-(
    so, as a former fast guy i liked your general plan, but instead of 1-2 days of rest, (i assume you mean zero exercise), i'd change that to short easy miles. 2-3 miles, just going thru the motions, but running. being short & slow, there really shouldn't be a problem with overuse injuries, as long as you stay short & slow. (rest/recovery miles). i like the idea of x-training, as long as the type of exercise is cardio.
    i like to use the phrase, "specificity of training".
    meaning, if you want to run well, then run.
    for me my first type of x-training is cycling, then swimming, & i wouldn't say i lift weights, but i do sissy pushups & what i call "running curls" with VERY light weights but loads of reps. & i try to do the pushups & curls every day if i can.
    the long run is essential so i'm glad you listed that first. the short & medium runs should always be run based on how you feel. if you feel great run fast? if you feel good, run how you feel, if you feel fatigued or sluggish, it's OK to run easy, slow & short. listen to your body. i've also found that a "spin on a bike at a moderate pace & distance really can do wonders to help rejuvenate the legs without adding any stress.
    so, in a nutshell. get in as many 10-13 milers as your body allows over the next 11 weeks. (meaning only one a week).
    try adding what i call "fluff" miles instead of x-training & rest days. the added few miles with no stress will help boost the confidence.
    however, remember to listen to how your body feels & train accordingly.
    ALSO REMEMBER, take EVERYTHING here with a grain of salt. we all mean well, but we are all different & will react differently to the same workouts!
    your basic plan is solid, (& you believe in it, which is VERY important), so don't stray too far away from it. experimentation is good, as long as it is done in a moderate way. so, here is what i would do:
    1) 10-15 miler p/week. slow & easy is OK, you just need to get thru the miles & time on the road or trail.
    4) 2-8 milers p/week with pace & distance based on how you feel.
    2) cycle/swim, or other cardio exercise that you "enjoy" as x-training p/week.
    remember take everything with a grain of salt, & feel free to req friend & ask questions!
    dennis
    mar 2;17 1/2mar 1;05 10mile 49;42 10k 29;48

    answered 11 months ago |edited 11 months ago |Report

    • 0
      thumbs up
    • 0
      thumbs down
  • Erik K.
    Erik K. Sendmail

    I'm also training for a half in September. I personally can't follow a structured plan, and think I'm better off changing things up anyway. I can tell you what I'm doing, though I can't say how well it will work yet.

    I do one long run per week, increasing most weeks. I already did 11.7 last week and plan to do at least one 14+ day in late August or early September ( race is Aug 30). I occasionally drop down the length of the long run when I'm feeling sore.

    I do one hard day each week, usually a fast 3-4 miles, intervals, or fartlek.

    I take one or two days off of running. One day is completely off of exercise.

    Other days I do what I feel like doing that day. Most miles are slow, but I tend to finish hard and I tend to run hills a little harder than flats on these days. I mix trails and roads in. I also do a little barefoot running for the form benefits. But most important, I listen to what my bady needs on any given day and even mid-run. I've started intending to run 3 slow miles and after two, picked up the pace and run three more. I've also started thinking I'd run five hard and come home after a slow three so I'd still feel good the next day.

    answered 11 months ago |Report

    • 0
      thumbs up
    • 0
      thumbs down
  • Carol H.
    Carol H. Sendmail

    Hi Amy,

    You and I are, unfortunately, in the same boat coming off of injury- although I apparently have another currently. I'm reading lots about cross training, how for some people running 5-6 days a week is just too much. I just read something saying that you only need 3 runs a week- the long run, the tempo, and the speed work. the rest of the runs (the easy filler miles) can just as easily be cross training. the goal on those days is to get in active recovery. That can be anything like biking or swimming, and the slightly different way of using the muscles is supposed to decrease the chance of injury.

    Good luck! hope it goes well.

    answered 11 months ago |Report

    • 0
      thumbs up
    • 0
      thumbs down

Similar Questions in Running - General Running