Half Marathon Training...

[EddieShredder]

I know a few of you guys are into your running properly, so looking for a bit of advice.

I'm going to do a half marathon in April. I'm fairly fit... but not a natural runner by any means. If I run on the road, it's usually about 5km max.. and with all the other training I do, I don't run nearly enough.

Any particular way to train for a longer distance, or is just a case of getting out and increasing the milage each week etc? How many times a week should I be running? Any other advice?

[housesecond]

3 runs a week will get you round a HM.
One tempo run (faster than race pace). You could use a http://www.parkrun.org.uk/ for this.
One interval run (hill repeats or treadmill session)
One long run. Start about a mile longer than your current long run and increase steadily each week.
Depending on your target pace you may need to experiment with nutrition. I usually neck a gel at about 8 mile and one at 11 miles.

[EddieShredder]

Cool, thanks for the advice

What sort of time/distances would you recommend for the tempo and interval runs?

[housesecond]

Cool, thanks for the advice

What sort of time/distances would you recommend for the tempo and interval runs?

Depends on where you are right now. If your target for the half is under 2hrs (9 min miles) then I'd be looking at running a 5k at under 8 min miles for a tempo run. Is there a parkrun near you? Or a running track? http://www.runtrackdir.com/tracklist.asp Nearer your event I'd up the distance slightly or just add a longer warmup and decent cooldown.
For the intervals, I use (or used when I was doing a lot more) a steep hill near me that was about 400m long. Run up as hard as I can hold for the distance, relax on the way down. Add 1 extra hill rep per week. Or if you have access to a treadmill then you could run hard for 2 mins, run easy for 3. Do that for about half an hour and step up the duration over time.

Like I said, it's all about where you are now, what you want out of your race, and doing it without doing yourself any damage.

[black panther]

Good luck mate, I ran a half marathon in 2010 and was asking for similar tips:

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... t=marathon



Got some really good advice. The way I did it was I would run Monday/Tuesday 10km, Wednesday interval, Friday 10km and Sunday a long run maybe 20km (though you can build upto this). One mistake I made was I did a long run the week before the actual half. I was aiming for a time of about 1hr 40mins but ended up doing it in 1hr 52mins. About 3 weeks before the hard work will be done I think and a series of shorter runs will be good enough.

A poster who has run a number of marathons was kind enough to email me a training schedule. Drop me a PM if you want and I can forward you that email.

[EddieShredder]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing BP - i'll have a dig through that thread and maybe PM you my email addy for that other advice in a bit - trying not to get information overload at the moment

[EddieShredder]

Cool, thanks for the advice

What sort of time/distances would you recommend for the tempo and interval runs?

Depends on where you are right now. If your target for the half is under 2hrs (9 min miles) then I'd be looking at running a 5k at under 8 min miles for a tempo run. Is there a parkrun near you? Or a running track? http://www.runtrackdir.com/tracklist.asp Nearer your event I'd up the distance slightly or just add a longer warmup and decent cooldown.
For the intervals, I use (or used when I was doing a lot more) a steep hill near me that was about 400m long. Run up as hard as I can hold for the distance, relax on the way down. Add 1 extra hill rep per week. Or if you have access to a treadmill then you could run hard for 2 mins, run easy for 3. Do that for about half an hour and step up the duration over time.

Like I said, it's all about where you are now, what you want out of your race, and doing it without doing yourself any damage.

I definately want to be under 2hrs...

I did my first run in god-knows-how-long tonight and did 5.72km in bang on 25mins. Road run, only a couple of hills. My lungs were fine at the end of it, and felt like they had plenty more in them (probably all the other training I do) - but my legs were feeling pretty shot.

My crossfit instructor also said about doing 400m intervals once a week - and a road run once a week - he reckons that, combined with the other training I do will see me through. There's plenty of steep hills near where I live, so I'll take you up on that advice.

I'm pleased with todays time considering it's the first time I've run in a long time - and also pleased I had plenty more in the lungs - just need to get my legs used to running again, and start adding some distance I hope D

[housesecond]

Cool, thanks for the advice

What sort of time/distances would you recommend for the tempo and interval runs?

Depends on where you are right now. If your target for the half is under 2hrs (9 min miles) then I'd be looking at running a 5k at under 8 min miles for a tempo run. Is there a parkrun near you? Or a running track? http://www.runtrackdir.com/tracklist.asp Nearer your event I'd up the distance slightly or just add a longer warmup and decent cooldown.
For the intervals, I use (or used when I was doing a lot more) a steep hill near me that was about 400m long. Run up as hard as I can hold for the distance, relax on the way down. Add 1 extra hill rep per week. Or if you have access to a treadmill then you could run hard for 2 mins, run easy for 3. Do that for about half an hour and step up the duration over time.

Like I said, it's all about where you are now, what you want out of your race, and doing it without doing yourself any damage.

I definately want to be under 2hrs...

I did my first run in god-knows-how-long tonight and did 5.72km in bang on 25mins. Road run, only a couple of hills. My lungs were fine at the end of it, and felt like they had plenty more in them (probably all the other training I do) - but my legs were feeling pretty shot.

My crossfit instructor also said about doing 400m intervals once a week - and a road run once a week - he reckons that, combined with the other training I do will see me through. There's plenty of steep hills near where I live, so I'll take you up on that advice.

I'm pleased with todays time considering it's the first time I've run in a long time - and also pleased I had plenty more in the lungs - just need to get my legs used to running again, and start adding some distance I hope D

As long as you get some distance in your legs before then, given those times sub 2 hours isn't a problem.

[Scrap]

Eddie, where do you live.

[EddieShredder]

South Devon, mate

[EddieShredder]

Just checked the ParkRun website, there's one every saturday morning about 20mins drive from me - will get on that D

[Scrap]

Eddie to Far D shame.

[cantona7]

Try Hal Higdon's website for a training program to suit your level - you can't go wrong with one of Higdon's schedules - Hal Higdon Training

[black panther]

How's the training going Eddie?

[EddieShredder]

All good thanks... just building up and getting some miles in the legs at the moment. The good thing is that as i'm increasing the distance, my cardio is fine... so i'm more confident about it now. It's not causing too much of an issue with my other training either, which is the most important thing

[jBacca]

Good thread. Cheers

[dberry]

I didn't spend twenty three years learning to fight (Boxing, Karate, Muay Thai, Judo) to fucken run away.

[EddieShredder]

I didn't spend twenty three years learning to fight (Boxing, Karate, Muay Thai, Judo) to fucken run away.

[EddieShredder]

Runners... bit more advice please?

I spend nearly all my time running in a continuous stitch - this leads to two issues. a) I'm always in pain - not enough to stop or slow down, but enough that it sucks. b) I tend to breath heavily and quickly through my mouth.

Anything that can be done about the perma-stitch?

How should I be breathing? I'm pretty sure mouth hanging open, drool flying everywhere, and quick breaths in between isn't the best way?

D

[Dioufy]

Hydrate and run the first mile slow helps with my SLD.

And I mean properly hydrate.

[Dioufy]

Get your breathing right from the get go. Quick breaths are no good. Try to get an early ruthenium. Also try holding your breath before you start - again, it works for me.

[Emmseegee]

Im doing my first half marathon in may (Edinburgh).
At the moment id say I'm fit enough to comfortably complete it anyway but ideally id like to get a decent time.
Ive been running 3 miles on a tue and thurs morning (the time restricts my distance due to work).
Im then doing 6 miles on a fri and 8 on a sunday.

Over the next couple of months i want to up that to tue 3, thurs 3 & sun 15.

This is just what I'm intending to do, its by no means supposed to be an expert opinion. lol.

I might replace one of the runs with interval hill runs in the morning just for a change.
Do the interval runs make a big difference to fitness etc? never really tried it before.

[Emmseegee]

also meant to say, i also invested in a Garmin gps/heart rate monitor/watch.
Over the last couple of months I've seen my average pace improving steadily, I've seen my average heart rate reducing steadily aswell as my maximum heart rate during runs reducing.

Its a good morale booster at times when you feel there hasn't been any progress.
A lot of people just judge fitness improvements by weight loss and a basic run time whereas these heart rate monitors etc show lots of details that you otherwise wouldn't know were improving.

[housesecond]

also meant to say, i also invested in a Garmin gps/heart rate monitor/watch.
Over the last couple of months I've seen my average pace improving steadily, I've seen my average heart rate reducing steadily aswell as my maximum heart rate during runs reducing.

Its a good morale booster at times when you feel there hasn't been any progress.
A lot of people just judge fitness improvements by weight loss and a basic run time whereas these heart rate monitors etc show lots of details that you otherwise wouldn't know were improving.

If you're doing same routes then use the virtual partner on Garmin. That'll make you run harder.

[Emmseegee]

I will look into that, available on all models?
Mines is one of the lower end GPS forerunners. Cant remember the model number.