training for sub 1;30 Half Marathon

Actually this looks like a very solid schedule. You have given yourself 16 weeks and have a good plan, now its all about the execution.

Slowly work on the pace of your tempo run and mile repeats. Try stretching the recovery on your mile repeats to 400 jog and quickening the pace a hair.

Once you have the paces down to 6:50-7:00 for the tempo runs and 6:30 for the mile repeats you know you are ready for a 1:30 half marathon.

excellent.....once i get to 6:30 mile repeats i will change my name to the630miler

I'll offer an opinion, too. Don't take it as gospel, just an opinion.

First thing, I wouldn't try to do exactly the same thing each week. Try to vary the workload in terms of mileage and intensity.

Second thing, I think you can quite comfortably run slower on your easy days if you like. I'm a 1:14 HM'er and run 7:30-8:00 on easy days, except when I run with my wife or son, when I'll run much, much slower. You won't (IHMO) do yourself any harm by running slower on your easy days, but you can diminish the effectiveness of the workouts by running too fast on easy days.

Third, I'd modulate the length and speed of the interval and tempo work. You don't have to run 6 miles at 7:15ih each week. Maybe run 2-3 miles at 6:50-7:00, or 2 x 2 miles somewhere in between, or the like. Ditto for the mile repeats. Maybe run 5 x 1000 or 4 x 1200 at 6:30-40ish pace, or something like that in the mix.

Third and a half - I'll disagree (a little) with MTH about lengthening the recovery between reps. I'd suggest once you can handle, say, the mile reps comfortably with 60-75s recovery that you try 3-4 x 2000 at the same pace (and recovery) the next time.

Fourth, I'd modulate the length of the long run. Maybe 10, 12, 15, 11, 12, 14, 15, 9, 12, ...

But that's just what I'd do. There are many roads to Rome, and a hundred ways to skin a horse (although I've no idea why you would do that...)

1:30 Half is 6:52/mile pace.

It would help to get some more work at or around that pace. Your tempo pace should be around 6:30 or so with the intervals at about that same pace, maybe faster. Alternate the long runs, making one week a long easy run and the next a shorter run with half of it at race pace (6:50). Sixteen weeks is plenty of time!

I agree that it's a decent schedule. Here's a couple of other suggestions for you too:

Try running your tempo-runs for time, rather than distance, and at a bit quicker pace. You may try something like 1-1.5 w/u, 20 minutes @ ~6:55-7:00, 1-1.5 c/d. Work on trying to extend the time of the fast section, while maintaining the effort level (ie. 25 min., 30 min, etc.).

Mile repeats are great for stregnth, but they shouldn't be your only intervals. You may try alternating them with a fartlek run of 8-10-X-3 min. fast w/ 2 min. recovery. Also, you should do some strides, or minutes 1-2 times/week.

As Pete said...vary the distance of your long run.

Make sure to race 3-4 times leading up to it, with the last one being a 15K if at all possible.

Good Luck!

I'm a big fan of running for an hour or so at regular long run pace, then doing 2 x 1 mile at race pace ... building up to 2 x 2 miles at race pace or slightly faster about 2 weeks out from the race.

Also for half marathon training I like doing 4800m, 3200m, 1600m on the track after doing a 20 - 30 min run ... maybe slightly slower than race pace for the 4.8km, race pace for the 3.2km and faster than race pace for 1.6km. I'm at altitude, so proper pacing is a big issue ... if you go out too hard on the 4.8km ... well it makes for a really terrible workout ... this is a longish workout, so it is much, much better to finish this workout feeling like you could have run it harder, rather than the opposite.

Long runs for time are good too ... easy pace, building up to 2 hours.

Good luck.

All good info - thanks!

Got some followup questions. First looking at the Wednesday tempo runs.....

I'm going to run for time, not miles - start at 30 mins 7:15 (~4 miles) and work on that over the next 16 weeks until I'm doing about 40 mins at 6:30ish (~6 miles). some weeks i'll go faster/shorter, other longer/slower is that reasonable?

How do people handle hills in tempo? just try to keep the average pace on target? the area I like to run tempos basically is starting at the bottom of a hill so it goes up (about 200 ft over 2 miles, butthere is one steep part) and then back down. I did 30 mins tempo today averaging 7:13, but the slowest half mile was at 8:05 and the fastest at 6:20. that 6:20 is pretty quick for me right now.....

thanks

As someone that's been under the 1:30 mark twice, once unfortunately the first half of a marathon that wasn't sub-3, I can certainly say your goal is doable. I have about 30 pounds on your the first time and 50 pounds on you the second time so I think you have it bagged.

The only things I'd say are maybe consider only two as opposed the 3 hard gos a week, and make those two COUNT, and that means the other 4 days are really EASY (but getting in your time).

Think of:

Week 1

- Monday - day off (I'm pretty confident about this day!)

- Tuesday - 5 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace)

- Wednesday - 8-10 miles tempo (2m easy, 5-7m at 7:15-7:30, 1m easy)

- Thursday - 6 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace)

- Friday - 6-8 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace), strides

- Saturday - 6 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace)

- Sunday - 14-18 miles long (first 3/4 at 8:15-30, 1/4 at race pace)

- Total 48-52 mpw

Week 2

- Monday - day off (swap with Sunday as appropriate)

- Tuesday - 5 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace)

- Wednesday - 8-10 miles (2m easy, 4-6xmile repeats at 6:30-6:45, 60-90 sec recovery)

- Thursday - 7 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace)

- Friday - 6-8 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace), strides

- Saturday - 6 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace)

- Sunday - 2m easy, 6-10M at 6:50 pace, 2M easy or race (swap with Saturday as needed)

- Total 48-52 mpw

I'd work in races on alternating weekends so you don't show up race day with a bad case of the ya-yas and blow your wad by the 10K mark. That also gives you a means to adjust your training pace, which should match your current, not goal, fitness.

We're both geezers and that means ramp up is slower than in our days of youthful exhuberance. When you're repeats and tempo runs shoot for consistency first, speed second. They don't give out awards at the one mile mark of a half, 10 mile mark either. Find measured courses to practice your race pace and watch the mile markers. Adapt, and be consistent.

Good luck.

how would the times listed above be expected to progress? Are these the goal times for right before the race or for the beginning of the training?

- Wednesday - 8 miles tempo (1m easy, 6m at 7:15-7:30, 1m easy)

- Thursday - 7 miles easy (8:15-8:30 pace)

- Friday - 8 miles (5xmile repeats at 6:45-6:55, 60-90 sec recovery)

I'd put 2 easy days between these workouts vs just one.

Tues and Fri vs wed and fri.