BASIC HALF-MARATHON 20-WEEK SCHEDULE
By Dave Spence
I will introduce you in a simple new training technique that will increase your endurance and calori-burning, decrease your injuries and maybe even help you to get faster.
I wouldn’t want anyone to think that I’ve gone soft or anything – but as a coach of international marathoners, I advocate that one often take walking breaks during long or even during daily runs. After all, it makes perfect sense to mix running and walking.
Runners beginning a programme start by following a run-walk routine. This system has proven successful a thousand times over.
Ultra-distance runners who participate in those seemingly crazy races of 100 miles and beyond inevitably alternate running and walking.
You must walk early and often, run the first kilometre and walk 60 seconds and repeat for the race or as my training programmes suggest: run 25 minutes and walk for 3-5 minutes and repeat for time suggested or length of the race.
STEP TWO: Daily Training:
Run for 9 minutes and walk for 60 seconds for the time suggested: This is called a “9/1” method and it can also be used on long runs.
Here is the rationale behind the method. Running and walking do have much in common. Running is basically fast walking, with this difference: runners “jump” from foot to foot, walkers don’t. When you run, the knee flexes more than in walking, the quadricepts muscles contract and you “toe-off” in more or less the same way as the long jumper who explodes off the jump board. This is the infamous “impact shock” of running – said to be two or three times your body weight. That can lead to overuse injuries of the feet, knees, tendons and so on.
Walking doesn’t cause as many injuries as running and run/walk training won’t cause as many either. I can’t prove this, but it makes intuitive sense. Since leg muscles, while walking are used in a slightly different manner, hence different muscle groups come into play. The speed at which you walk should be plus/minus 2 minutes per kilometre slower than your time trial pace in weeks prior to run the half-marathon.
Do’s and don’ts
- Don’t begin a running programme without a full medical exam.
- Do tell someone where you’ll be running and when you expect to return. Carry some identification and a phone card or small change for a call.
- Do watch out for cars, and don’t expect drivers to watch out for you. Always run facing the traffic so you can see cars approaching. When crossing an intersection, make sure you establish eye contact with the driver before proceeding.
- Do try some light stretching exercises prior to your walk/run workouts to reduce muscle tightness and increase range of motion.
- Do include a training partner in your programme, if possible. A partner with similar abilitie and goals can add motivation and increase the safety of your running.
- Do dress correctly. If it’s dark, wear white or, better yet, reflective clothing: if it’s cold wear layers of clothing. Sunblock, sunglasses, cape or peak and white clothing makes sense on hot days.
- Don’t run in worn-out shoes (check them for broken down heels or very smooth areas where you toe-off). Don’t run in shoes that are designed for other sports, such as squash or tennis.
- Don’t train through an injury. Little aches and pains can sideline you for weeks or months if you don’t take time off and seek medical advice.
- Don’t wear headphones when running outside, whether you’re training or racing. They tune you out from your surroundings, making you vulnerable to all sorts of hazards – cars, bikes, dogs, criminals. Keep them for your gym workouts.
- Don’t run in remote areas, especially if you are a woman running alone. If you don’t have a partner, run with a dog or carry a self-defence spray. Don’t approach a car to give directions, and don’t assume all runners are harmless.
There are several ways of training for a half-marathon. Here we discuss these methods, and look at a programme.
LONG RUN:
This is the key component of your training. The pace is critical about 1.5 minutes slower than your 5 kilometre time trial pace. Remember 9/1 plan. HILL RUNNING:
Specific hills should be run once a week up to about 6 weeks before the race. I suggest a hill + 300m long, run the hill very hard for the first attempt and take the time, walk back down the hill then add 15 seconds to that time. That is the time you should aim for your hill repeats. The session should be 20-40 minutes long with a job recover down the hill after each repeat.
TIME TRIALS:
I suggest a time trial of 5 kilometres be done each week. A time trial is not a race! You should be able to continue after each time trial at the same pace for a further kilometre at least.
DEVELOPMENT RACES:
I suggest that you run races at your anticipated half marathon pace up to 10 kilometres and that every 3rd or 4th week do a hard pace race. This creates the mental toughness that you require for goal race.
EASY RUNS AND REST DAYS:
Easy runs and a rest day will take up the balance of your programme.
WEEK 1
Try and plan your training so that you intersperse training days with rest days. Run 2 min . walk 4 min, repeat five times ie:
Sunday Run/Walk 30 min
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/walk 30 min
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/walk 30 min
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/walk 30 min
WEEK 2
Sunday Run/Walk 30 min (run 3 min/walk 3 min x 5)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 30 min (run 3 min/walk 3 min x 5)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 30 min (run 3 min/walk 3 min x 5)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 30 min (run 3 min/walk 3 min x 5)
WEEKS 3 and 4
Sunday Run/Walk 30 min (run 5 min/walk 2½ min x 4)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 30 min (run 5 min/walk 2½ min x 4)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 30 min (run 5 min/walk 2½ min x 4)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 30 min (run 5 min/walk 2½ min x 4)
Sunday Run/Walk 40 min (run 7 min/walk 3 min x 4)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 40 min (run 7 min/walk 3 min x 4)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 40 min (run 7 min/walk 3 min x 4)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 40 min (run 7 min/walk 3 min x 4)
WEEK 5
Sunday Run/Walk 40 min (run 8 min/walk 2 min x 4)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 40 min (run 8 min/walk 2 min x 4)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 40 min (run 8 min/walk 2 min x 4)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 40 min (run 8 min/walk 2 min x 4)
WEEK 6
Sunday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
WEEK 7
Sunday Run/Walk 50 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 5)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 30 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
WEEK 8
Sunday Run/Walk 60 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 6)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 30 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
WEEK 9
Sunday Run/Walk 60 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 6)
Monday Rest
Tuesday 5 km continuous run
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 40 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 4)
Friday Rest
Saturday Race 10 km
WEEK 10
Sunday Run/Walk 30 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Monday Rest
Tuesday 5 km continuous run at pace that leaves you slight breathless
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 50 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x5)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 30 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
WEEK 11
Sunday Run/Walk 60 min (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 2)
Monday Rest
Tuesday 5 km time trial
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 60 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x6)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 30 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
WEEK 12
Sunday Run/Walk 90 min (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 3)
Monday Rest
Tuesday 5 km time trial
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 20 min (run 9 min/walk 1 min x2)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 90 min (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 3)
WEEK 13
Sunday Run/Walk 90 min easy (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 3)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 30 min easy (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 30 min easy (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Friday Rest
Saturday Rest
Sunday Race 10 km doing it on the 9/1 plan
WEEK 14
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 30 min easy (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday Run/Walk 30 min easy (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Friday Rest
Saturday Rest
Sunday Run/Walk 30 min easy (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
WEEK 15
Sunday Run/Walk 90 min easy (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 3)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 50 min easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 5)
Wednesday Run/Walk 50 min easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 5)
Thursday Run/Walk 50 min easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 5)
Friday Rest
Saturday 5 km time trial hard pace
WEEK 16
Sunday Run/Walk 2 hrs easy (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 4)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 50 min easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 5)
Wednesday 5 km time trial – very hard pace
Thursday Run/Walk 50 min easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 5)
Friday Rest
Saturday Run/Walk 60 min easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 6)
WEEK 17
Sunday Run/Walk 2 hrs very easy (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 4)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 30 min very easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Wednesday 5 km time trial – very hard pace
Thursday Run/Walk 30 min very easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Friday Run 5 min x 4 /walk 1 min x 3
Saturday Run/Walk 30 min very easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
WEEK 18
Sunday Run/Walk 2 hrs very easy (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 4)
Monday Rest
Tuesday Run/Walk 30 min very easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Wednesday 5 km time trial –hard pace
Thursday Run/Walk 30 min very easy 9/1 (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Friday Rest
Saturday 30 min at anticipated half marathon pace
WEEK 19
Sunday Run/Walk 1 hr very easy (run 25 min/walk 3-5 min x 3)
Monday Rest (make sure entry for half-marathon is submitted)
Tuesday Run/Walk 30 min easy (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Wednesday 5 km time trial –hard pace
Thursday Run/Walk 30 min very easy (run 9 min/walk 1 min x 3)
Friday Rest
Saturday 10 km Race
FINAL TRAINING WEEK
Sunday Emphasis – confidence. Easy pace (half marathon/10 km), run relaxed, enjoy it and revel in the fact that you’ve trained well and are fit and ready for the forthcoming big day.
Monday Emphasis – rest. Have a complete rest day.
Tuesday Emphasis – pace. Though you don’t want to run any very hard efforts, its a good idea to do a workout – 15min at pace with 2km warm up and warm donw.
Wednesday Same as Monday
Thursday Emphasis – loose muscles. Jog for 20 min and have good sretching session.
Friday emphasis – relaxation. Do a few eay kms simply to stretch your legs and loosen your muscles. Otherwise stay off your feet, go some place by yourself and just try to relax.
Saturday Enjoy and have fun!