1 year training program for a half marathon

A few things beforehand: Running is healthy, brings you lots of fun and increases your overall fitness. Besides, running gives you a good figure. However, before you start running, please talk about it with your doctor and have a complete medical check-up. It is also important to get expert advice on running shoes, ideally from your local running store. Do not put yourself under any pressure or become stressed out. The really long distance training runs will come at the very end of your preparations; by then, you will be well prepared and can master these distances.

One of the most common mistakes is to take off too fast. Doing so can result in becoming exhausted and losing your desire to continue. Therefore, it is best to begin carefully and slowly. When during a training jog you run out of steam, simply take a break and walk a while. When you are in the preparation phase and cannot run for a week, do not worry—you still have enough time. Even if you lose a little fitness, you do not need to worry about making a fool of yourself in a major marathon like Berlin or New York.

If you have problems along the way, you can always slow down and walk a while. Many more marathoners than you may think do just that. These are the sessions that will improve performance. The gradual progression of endurance runs will allow you to run farther, more easily and the cross-training allows you to incorporate other activities you enjoy to compliment your program.

The Intermediate Half Marathon Program is best suited for those who have been running at least times per week for minutes for at least one year and have completed a half marathon in the past year.

If you are running less, it may be better strategy to start with the Beginner Half Marathon Program and build up to the Intermediate Half Marathon Program.

The Advanced Half Marathon Training Plan follows the same progression as the Beginner and Intermediate Programs, except you begin with an 8 mile long run and includes longer endurance runs. This program is geared towards seasoned half marathoners who are looking to improve their finish times and boost performance.

The Advanced Half Marathon Program includes long runs up to 15 miles, race pace workouts, speed work [intervals, tempo, pickups] drills, one cross-training workout and strength and rest days.

The Advanced Half Marathon Program is best suited for those who have been running at least times per week for minutes for at least one year and have run a half marathon. If you are running less, consider starting with the Intermediate Half Marathon Program and building up. Looking for personal coaching with Coach Jenny? Learn more about her Personal Coaching Program here. Home Join the Winter Warrior Challenge!

Free Half Marathon Training Plans. Half Marathon Walk. Half Marathon Walk-Run. Half Marathon Run-Walk. Half Marathon Beginning Run.

If you can handle the 3-tomile runs prescribed in Week 1, this program will get you ready to run Before starting to train for a half marathon, you need to possess a basic fitness level.

But assuming no major problems, most healthy people can train themselves to complete a This guide will tell you how. The following schedule assumes you have the ability to run 3 miles, three to four times a week. If that seems difficult, consider a shorter distance for your first race. The terms used in the training schedule are somewhat obvious, but let me explain what I mean anyway. Run at a comfortable pace, a conversational pace. For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate.

Distance : The training schedule dictates workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles. Pick a course through the neighborhood, or in some scenic area. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. GPS watches make measuring courses easy. Rest : Rest is as important a part of your training as the runs. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better if you rest before, and rest after.

Long Runs : The key to half marathon training is the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Then, after a brief taper, you jump to The schedule below suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them Saturdays, or any other convenient day.

Aerobic exercises work best. It could be swimming, cycling, walking see below , cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or even some combination that could include strength training. Cross-training days should be considered easy days that allow you to recover from the running you do the rest of the week.

Walking : Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way. Strength Training : If you never have lifted weights before, now might not be the best time to start.

If your long one is not this long, gradually increase the weekend run to this distance before starting this program. What is my current level of performance? What pace should I run on the long ones? Run Walk Run ratio should correspond to the pace used. At the beginning of the program, after you have run 2 MMs, you can choose a goal that is as fast as 30 seconds per mile faster than predicted by the process indicated in 3—r any goal that is slower than this.

To prepare for your goal, meter speedwork is included on non-long-run weekends. To compute your pace for the meter 2 laps around a track , take half the time of your goal pace per mile, as you decided according to 10 above, and subtract 15 seconds. Warm up for each meter repeat workout by walking for 5 minutes, then jogging very slowly for minutes. Reverse this process as your warm down, leaving out the acceleration gliders. The time for each should be from the start until you finish the second lap.