Half Marathon Training Program

Now that my legs and lungs are back into the groove of running, I’ve decided to target a half marathon in Gandia, Spain in mid November.  It will be my first race over 10k.  To prepare myself, I’m using the training tool at Runner’s World that is based on the Run Less, Run Faster methodology.  Here’s my custom program based on a 9 week plan, with a 10k race time of 48 minutes.

The program is based on the premise that each run must have a targeted objective, followed by a rest day (where you should also do cross training) to allow your body to recover and repair.  The rest days are just as important as the run days, because they reduce the chance of injury and allow the body to heal.  A key premise of the program is also to avoid building up the weekly mileage, just for mileage sake, as the road pounding can lead to injuries.  But the cross training component should not be ignored, because it allows you to maintain cardio activity, avoid burn-out and reduce the high-impact stress.

There are 4 basic runs to the plan: Easy, Tempo, Speed and Long.  Easy runs are just that – short, slow runs.  Tempo runs are moderate length aimed at a consistent, targeted pace.  Speed runs improve your leg speed by running repeats of fast intervals with jogging recovery cycles.  And, Long runs are just that – long, slower runs designed to build endurance.

In addition to the  training program above, I’m going to supplement my Easy runs with some 10-Second Hill Sprints.  I live up a mountain, el Montgo, that I must climb up at the end of each run.  So it should be a natural thing to boost my leg strength and speed.