Your Ultimate Half-Marathon Training Plan Presenting a can't-fail nine-week program for beginners, experts, and everyone in between.

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1 printer friendly Your Ultimate Half-Marathon Training Plan Presenting a can't-fail nine-week program f beginners, experts, and everyone in between. By Doug Rennie Presenting a can't-fail nine-week program f beginners, experts, and everyone in between f some time now, the half has been the hottest distance out there, with dozens of new events springing up all across the land. Here's why: F newer rs who've maybe finished a couple of 5-10-Ks, the half offers a wthy-yet-doable challenge without the training and racing grind of the marathon. F me experienced athletes, training f a half bolsters stamina f shter, faster s, plus it boosts endurance f a full 2.2-mile challenge down the road. In fact, the half is the ideal dress rehearsal f its twice-as-long kin. And unlike a marathon, which can leave your tank drained f a month me, you can bounce back from a hard half in as little as a week. o find a flat, friendly half a few months out. To get you there primed and ready, turn the page to learn about the three can't-fail schedules we have on offer. Four Training Universals means no running. Give your muscles and synapses some serious R&R so all systems are primed f the next wkout. Better two quality days and two of total rest than four days of mediocrity resulting from lingering fatigue. days give you a mental break as well, so you come back refreshed. Easy runs mean totally comftable and controlled. If you're running with someone else, you should be able to converse easily. You'll likely feel as if you could go faster. Don't. Here's some incentive to take it easy: You'll still burn 100 calies every mile you run, no matter how slow you go. Long runs are any steady run at longer than distance designed to enhance endurance, which enables you to run longer and longer and feel strong doing it. A great long-run tip: Find a weekly training partner f this one. You'll have time to talk about anything that comes up. peedwk means bursts of running shter than distance, some at your goal pace, some faster. This increases cardiac strength, biomechanical efficiency, better running economy, and the psychological toughness that racing demands. till, you want to keep it fun. printer friendly

2 Your Ultimate Half-Marathon Training Plan Presenting a can't-fail nine-week program f beginners, experts, and everyone in between. By Doug Rennie reseting a can't-fail nine-week progra f beginners, experts, and everyone in between f some time now, the half has been the hottest distance out there, with dozens of new events springing up all across the lad Here's why: F newer rs who've maybe finished a couple of 5-10-Ks, the half offers a wthyyet-doable challenge without the training and racing grind of the marathon. F me experienced athletes, training f a half bolsters stamina f shter, faster s, plus it boosts endurance f a full 2.2-mile challenge down the road. In fact, the half is the ideal dress rehearsal f its twice-as-longkin. And unlike a marathon, which can leave your tank drained f a month me, you can bounce back from a hard half in as little as a week. o find a flat, friendly half a few months out. To get you there primed and ready, turn the page to learn abot the three can't-fail schedules we have on offer. Four Training Universals means no running. Give your muscles and synapses some serious R&R so all systems are primed f the next wkout. Better two quality days and two of total rest than four days of mediocrity resulting from lingering fatigue. days give you a mental break as well, so you come back refreshed. Easy runs mean totally comftable and controlled. If you're running with someone else, you should be able to converse easily. You'll likely feel as if you could go faster. Don't. Here's some incentive to take it easy: You'll still burn 100 calies every mile you run, no matter how slow you go. Long runs are any steady run at longer than distance designed to enhance endurance, which enables you to run longer and longer and feel strong doing it. A great long-run tip: Find a weekly training partner f this one. You'll have time to talk about anything that comes up. peedwk means bursts of running shter than distance, some at your goal pace, some faster. This increases cardiac strength, biomechanical efficiency, better running economy, and the psychological toughness that racing demands. till, you want to keep it fun. WeekM T W T F Total 1 1x x (00),, (800) 2x800 CI rest

3 x200 I 2 1x1200 (00), 2x800 CI x200 I 3 2x[1200 CI (00), 800 CI (00), 00 I ] 2x1-mile, CI (800), x200 I 5 2x1-mile CI (800), x200 I 2x[800 I (00), 00 I 200 I 1200 ] 7 2x (00), x00 I x200 I 8 2x (00), x00 I x200 I Taper x00 CI 2x200 I 3-, rest 2 3-, 3, 3, 3, 2 2x2 (800) 3 (800), 1 mile CI (800), 1 mile CI (incl. x1:00 I) (800), 1x800 CI (00), 2 (800), 1x800 CI (00), 2 2x00 CI 1x 200 I 5-K K 3 easy 8 9 (include :00 TUT) , incl. :00 TUT , incl. 8:00 TUT Halfmarathon Pace Intervals (): Relatively lengthy repetitions at your goal half-marathon per-mile pace to build endurance and develop pace judgment. Note: All numbers in parentheses above denote distance of recovery jog. Cruise Intervals (CI): Run at 10-K pace to promote stamina and the ability to run strong when tired. F 10:00-per-mile half-marathon pace (2:11:0), run 7:07 (1200), :5 (800); f 9:00 pace (1:57:59), run :2 (1200), :1 (800); f 8:00 pace (1::52), run 5:2 (1200), 3:8 (800).

4 peed Intervals (I): Run at 5-K pace to promote relaxed speed and a sense of comft at your considerably slower half-marathon pace. F 10:00 half-marathon pace, run :30 (800), 2:15 (00), 1:07 ; f 9:00 half-marathon pace, run :0 (800), 2:02 (00), 1:01 ; f 8:00 half-marathon pace, run 3:37 (800), 1:8 (00), 0:5. trides (): Over 100 meters, gradually accelerate to 90 percent of all-out, hold it f 5 seconds, then decelerate. Walk to full recovery after each. Total Uphill Time (TUT): Wk the uphill sections during your run, at something near a strong 10-K efft in the total time called f. Race Day Rules: To warm up, jog just 800 meters, then do a few fast strides. That's it. Keep your glycogen tanks topped off and your legs fresh. Divide your half like this: 10-mile run, 5-K. Run the first mile just slower than goal pace, then wk into a rhythm and run just below your lactate threshold level so you don't implode an hour out. And draft off other runners to conserve energy. Do all these things, and you'll be fine. marathon goal speed to simulate the demands of the itself. WeekM T W T F Total 1 x1-mile 3, 13 0 (00),, 2x800 CI, LR 5 x200 I 2 x1-mile (00),, x200 I 3 FFI 2x[00 I, 2000 ] 3x1.5- mile CI (00) 5 FFI 2x[00 I, 200 ] x1, 200 CI x200 I 7 FFI 2x[00 I, 3200 ] fast strides,,, 3 3, 2x800 CI, 5-K alternating 2:00 3:00 CI w/1:00 jogs alternating 2:00 3:00 CI w/1:00 jogs 2x[00 I, 800 I 00 I] 5 3 easy, 3 easy, 10-K 1 LRFF 10 LR 15 LR 1 LRF 12 LR 17 LR x1,

5 I (00), x200 I (55), 2x1200 I (00) 9 x00 CI fast 3 2x00 CI 2x200 I 3 easy LR 50 Halfmarathon Pace Intervals (): F what and why, see the Intermediate schedule. Cruise Intervals (CI): F what and why and f 8:00-per-mile half-marathon goal pace, see the Intermediate schedule; f 7:00 half-marathon goal pace (1:31:), run :0 f 1-mile, 5:00 (1200), 3:20 (800); f :00 goal pace (1:18:39), run 5:3 f 1-mile, :10 (1200), 2:7 (800). peed Intervals (I): F what and why, see the Intermediate schedule. If your half-marathon goal pace is 8:00 per mile (1::52), run 3:37 (800), 1:8 (00), 0:5 ; f 7:00 half-marathon pace, run 3:09 (800), 1:35 (00), 0:8 ; f :00 half pace, run 2:2 (800), 1:22 (00), 0:1. trides (): ee Intermediate schedule. Fatigue Fighter Intervals (FFI): FF Intervals combine peed and Pace Intervals nearly back-to-back-toback (very sht recoveries) to wk on maintaining pace and staying relaxed as you gradually tire. Yes, they're challenging. Jog five to seven minutes easy between sets. Long Run (LR): This means a moderate pace (roughly 0 to 75 seconds slower than your half-marathon goal pace); Long Run tamina (LR) means to run 3 to at half-marathon goal pace in the middle third of the run; Long Run Fartlek (LRF) means to alternate one minute at 10-K pace with one-minute jogs in the middle third of the run; Long Run Fast Finish (LRFF) means to run the final 15 minutes at 10-K pace.