I am doing my first half marathon and am looking for some key sessions to run in the months leading up.
I am currently at 90 miles a week with a session and a long tempo. Am thinking i'll go between 90 and 100 in August and early september.
I know this may have been asked before but i'd love all input.
Would love to break 66 mins!
About 6 weeks out you should try running 3 x 2miles of a mile jog recovery. Should be 15-20 secs faster per mile than your 10 mile tempo pace.
You need a few fast long sunday runs as well.
Like 80 pace for 20 miles.
That with a tempo and a speedier session is a good idea
Can't do better than these (especially the longer sessions marked with an asterix *)
6 x 800m at 104% of 5k pace with everything from equal time recovery (down to) 1:15-1:30 recovery.
5-6 x 1k at 5k pace with 200m jog recovery in 90 secs
3 x 3k at 95-96% of 5k pace with 800m jog recovery *
2 x 5k at 93-94% of 5k pace with 800m jog recovery *
8k at 92% of 5k pace *
16-20k at 88-90% of 5k pace *
Taken from the Cabral & Hadd thread, an ongoing discussion that believes there's more than one way to skin a cat (with — in these politically correct times — apologies to cat lovers everywhere)
Zoom,
Here is my input on key half marathon sessions.
Tempo/threshold key sessions:
1) 4 x 2 mile w 400 jog recovery
2) 5 mile run at half marathon race pace
3) 10 miles tempo run at marathon pace
Speedwork key sessions:
1) 8 x 1000 w 400 jog recovery
2) 5 x 1 mile w 800 jog recovery
3) 20 x 400 w 200 jog recovery
Long Runs:
1) 20 miles at easy pace
2) 16-18 miles at steady state pace (30-45 seconds per mile slower than half marathon pace)
3) 16-18 miles progression (start easy build to last mile at race pace)
- MTH
Thanks guys,
Especially MTH and Cabo.
Those are a great help.
Basically i have been running pretty high mileage for about ten weeks (80-90mpw) with tempos and grass reps but I feel the grass reps aren't quite getting there as they arent very structured.
I really want the next 6 - 8 week period to be quality workouts accompanied by the big mileage. Although running 100mpw I want to focus on the workouts.
I like 3miles hard, 3miles med (30 secs slower per mile), 3miles hard for a long tempo kind of run.
Wow, Thanks for this message Thread! I'm a 1:08 Half Guy, and Would love to Run 66 minutes for a Half Marathon! So Thanks for the posts!
Coca Cola,
What was your training like to run 68? Were there any key indicaters for your form leading up to the race? Did you race 10km's at all?
Also, how do you plan going from 68 to 66 (apart from the help of this thread obviously)?
Zoom,
I ran my 68 off of really not that much long training. Did alot of miles from 80-100 which varied! I'm your type of Long Distance runner, who has speed, but not 4:00 mile speed. My key workouts were 7.5-8 mile tempos, 5 x 1mi, 5x 1.5miles, 4-5 x 2miles. Nothing to special.
Now i look back and i wish i had did more of a longer run instead of just 13-15miles! more like 16-18.
Right now i am training for my first marathon in october, and i plan on racing a half in september as a tune up! I plan to do some half marathon interval aka(3-5x 2mi 6 x 1mi, 8-10x 800...etcc) I also plan on doing every other week 16-20 x 400m, the other being 10x400m Hill repeats.
While keeping my mileage around 100-115. My goal is 2:25.
So i hope my info will assist you in your path to a Sub 66.
Good Luck and Remeber, Consistancy is where the true training game is, not who can trash threw workouts!
Goodluck.