What kind of training are the low 1:20 HM men on here doing?

I ran a 1:12 minute half on the follwing training. A typical week included:

Sunday: Long run around 1:30 ; core strenth

Monday : Track session : 12-16 x 400m with 30 sec recovery

Tuesday : 5km or 8km tempo run

Wednesday : Hill training - maybe 20 x 200 m hill repeats or 10 x 400m hill repeats or alternatively a 10-12km run

Thursday : Farltlek or second track session 40min to 1 hour

Friday : Rest

Saturday : X country race or tempo run

So in total around 40 miles a week with a lot of quality.

There are no 1:20 Half Marathoners on here. Everyone on here runs 1:05 or better, just ask them.

I run low 1:21 on 60 miles or so a week. Here's what I do: Saturday and Sunday 12 miles each. On Saturday it's a progressive run 7:30 first 4 miles, 7:00 second 4 miles and 6:45 for the last 4. Sundays are just a straight 7:30 pace. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do the tempo runs you were mentioning, five miles in the mid 32's. Closer to the race, maybe the last six weeks, I'll substitute one of the tempos with mile repeats. Tuesday and Thursday are recovery days of maybe 5 or 6 miles. I swear by those tempo runs, they leave you tired but are easy to recover from and they really build strength. Good luck to you.

I ran < 1:22 last month.

I did a few tempo runs 40 - 45 mins.

Longer ladders such as 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile with a 400m quick recovery. Long run which included finishing with 2 x 2 miles at slightly faster than race pace. Consistent, quality long runs that started at ~90 min, and built up to 2 hrs, then gradually cut back, but began finishing the runs with fast segments on the track.

I'm a little quicker than 1:20 (recent 1:15), but you can extrapolate times to suit. This is what I did since January 2004 to get to this recent HM result (not that the HM was a goal last January, but this is how the training evolved as life happened):

All miles are "easy" except the work sessions or races, as described. "Easy" generally means 125 bpm or lower, generally at 7:00 to 8:00 (mostly around 7:30, plus or minus, but often slower than 8:00 or even 9:00). Aerobic work sessions are guided by HR, as shown. Intervals are run at prescribed pace, usually starting a little slower and trying to finish a little faster.

Initial aerobic base work, coming off knee injury:

Week 1: 30 miles, all easy, 9 mile long run

Week 2: 39 miles, all easy, 12.5 mile long run

Week 3: 62 incl 80 min @ 135 bpm and 61 min @ 136, 15 mile LR

Week 4: 63 incl 70 @ 138 and 55 @ 141, 16.5 mile LR

Week 5: 60 incl 65 min @ 140 and 64 @ 138, 15 mile LR

Week 6: 74 incl 3 x 20 @ 144 and 60 @ 139, 12 mile LR

Week 7: 63 incl 3 x 20 @ 145 and 60 @ 139, 14 mile LR

Week 8: 82 incl 3 x 20 @ 139, 8 s “all out” hill sprints, and 60 @ 140, 16.6 mile LR

Week 8: 77 incl 3 x 20 @ 144 and 60 continuous @ 140, 14 mile LR

Week 9: 85 incl 2 x 30 @ 144, 16.5 mile LR

Week 10: 77 incl 3 x 12 @ 148, 15.5 mile LR

Week 11: 77 incl 60 min @ 144 during 19 mile LR

Switch to focus on some spring summer races:

Week 12: 57 incl 5 x “mile” @ 5:50ish and 60 min continuous @ 144, 13.5 mile LR

Week 13: 81 incl 4 x mile @ 6:00ish (faded badly) and 3 x 20 @ 144, 15 mile LR

Week 14: 53 incl 5 x mile @ 5:44ish and hilly, windy 5k race @ 17:09, 12.5 mile LR

Week 15: 54 incl hilly 10k race @ 35:17, 10 mile LR

Week 16: 66 incl 5 x 1600 @ 5:38ish, 4 x 1000 @ 3:18ish (faded, workouts too close), and 2 x 30 @ 144, 14.6 mile LR

Week 17: 81 incl 5 x 2000 @ 7:14ish, 5 x 1200 @ 3:58ish, and 75 min continuous @ 144 during 15.5 mile LR

Week 18: 72 incl 2 x (4 x 400) @ 72ish, 14 mile LR

Week 19: 66 incl 5 x 2000 @ 7:07ish, 16 mile LR

Week 20: 62 incl 1500 race (debut) @ 4:26 and 2 x 5000 @ 5:55, 13 mile LR

Week 21: 66 incl 4 x 1200 @ 3:55 and 4 x 2000 @ 6:52ish, 13 mile LR

Week 22: 50 incl 3 x 22 min @ 148 (fading pace) and 5k race @ 16:48 (felt like crap), 16.5 mile LR

Week 23: 53 incl 6400 m @ 144 (fading pace), 12 mile LR

Week 24: 60 incl 3 x 15 min @ 145 (fading pace) and 1500m race @ 4:25.7, 12 mile LR

Week 25: 71 incl road mile @ 4:30.8 and 2 x 20 min @ 145 (fading pace), 14 mile LR

Week 26: 64 incl 1500 race @ 4:18.7 and 3 x 20 @ 144 (pace steady again!!!), 14.5 mile LR

Week 27: 52 incl 5000 race @ 16:13 and 10k @ 35:30 (dead legs!! Too soon after 5k), 12 mile LR

Switch to focus on planned fall marathon:

Week 28: 66 incl 2 x 20 @ 144 (faded in heat) and 2 x 30 @ 6:33/138, 15.5 mile LR

Week 29: 80 incl 3 x 20 @ 6:23/144 and 40 @ 6:45/136, 14 mile LR

Week 30: 93 incl 3 x 20 @ 6:33/144 (v. hot) and 3 x 4800 @ 5:55/150, 18.5 mile LR

Week 31: 85 incl 75 @ 6:50/137 (v. hot/humid) and 2 x 8000 @ 6:09/150 (warm, humid, windy), 15 mile LR

Week 32: 67 incl 2 x 8000 @ 6:18/144 and 10k race @ 34:21, 14 mile LR

Week 33: 90 incl 3 x 3 miles @ 5:52/147 and 10 miles @ 6:18/139, 14 mile LR

Week 34: 55 incl 6 miles @ 6:02/149 (faded from 5:48 to 6:11) plus 5 mile race @ 26:42, 14 mile LR

Week 35: 65 miles, all easy, 13 mile LR

Week 36: 76 miles incl 4 x 5k @ 6:15 (147-152), 14.5 mile LR

Week 37: 79 miles incl 10k @ 6:00/150, 8 x 1200 @ 4:13-4:15, and 10 miles @ 6:14/143, 16.5 mile LR

Week 38: 63 miles incl session with 10k and 5k @ 6:03/151, 15.5 mile LR

Week 39: 45 miles incl 3 x 1200 @ 6:00 pace (light workout) and disastrous HM @ 1:18:58 (lungs full of snot), 14.5 mile LR

Week 40: 36 miles all easy, 11.5 mile LR

Week 41: 75 miles incl 2 x 5k 200/200 fartlek @ 37.3/55.6 and 36.5/55.6, and 8k plus 4.8k @ 6:03ish/150-152 (strong wind), 18 mile LR

Week 42: 73 miles incl 9.6k and 4.8k @ 6:03ish/150-152 (mild fade), 4 + 4 + 2 mile @ 6:17/144-146, 16.5 mile LR

Bailed on fall marathon plans due to nagging health/allergy/blood (??) troubles.

Switch to focus on fall races and winter indoor track:

Week 43: 54 miles incl 2 x 5.2k @ 5:58/150 and 8.2 k XC race (28 low – windy/lotsa turns), 12 mile LR

Week 44: 54 miles incl 8 x 1200 @ 4:15 w/200m jog rest, 2 x (6 x 500) @ 99s w/ 100m jog between reps, 700m jog between sets, 13 mile LR

Week 45: 52 miles incl 3 x 1200 on snow, 3000m race (9:31), 12 mile LR

Week 46: 67 miles incl 5k @ 145-150 (faded) and 4 x 500 @ 97s plus 6 x 1200 @ 4:11 with short rests, 13 mile LR

Week 47: 52 miles incl 10k XC @ 35:41 (very windy, a little slippery, whoulda worn spikes), 12 mile LR

Week 48: 71 miles incl 2 x 4.65 miles @ 6:05/148 and 5 x 1600 @ 5:31 w/70s (200m) jog rest, 15 mile LR

Week 49: 48 miles incl 8k + 5k @ 5:59/147 and 3000m race (9:17.7), 12.5 mile LR (missed 2 days achilles)

Week 50: 85 miles incl 2 x (5 x 400) @ 75 avg (planned 70-72 s - very slow/wet/soft track conditions), 1 x 3200 and 2 x 1600 @ 85-86s/400 pace w/ 200m jog rest, 12.5 mile LR

Week 51: 77 miles incl 6 x 1000 @ 3:20 avg (very windy, slippery roads) w/200m jog rest, 5 x 2000 @ 6:47avg w/200m jog rest, 14.5 mile LR

Week 52: 60 miles incl 3 x 1200 @ 4:08 w/200m jog rest and 3000m race (9:18.4) plus 14 mile LR

Week 53: 81 miles incl 8 x 400 @ 68s-low plus 5k @ 6:06ish, also 2 x 2 mile and 2 x 1 mile @ 5:40ish plus 3 mile @ 6:53/147 (doh!), 15 mile LR

Week 54: 47 miles incl 4 x 400 @ 74s w/200m jog plus 2 x 2000 @ 7:00, 11 mile LR

Change focus to HM:

Week 55: 83 miles incl 6 x 1600 @ 5:32 avg w/2 min jog rest and 2 x 3 mile @ 5:39 avg w/800 m jog rest, 17.5 mile LR

Week 56: 61 miles incl 4.3 miles plus 3 miles @ 6:00/150 and indoor 1500 race (4:22.5), 13 mile LR

Week 57: 83 miles incl 2 x 5 miles @ 6:15/143, 2 x 3 miles @ 5:48 plus 5k @ 6:28/140, 15 mile LR

Week 58: 57 miles incl 4 x 2400 @ 8:20 (5:32-3 pace) avg, 3000m race (9:22.8), 12 mile LR

Week 59: 65 miles incl 2 x 5 miles @ 150ish (faded badly) and 2 x 5k @ 150ish (v. strong winds), 15 mile LR

Week 60: 55 miles incl 3 x 2 miles @ 150ish, and 2 x 3 miles @ 5:37 avg w/1:38 jog rest, 13 mile LR

Week 61: 50 miles incl 3 x 4 min @ HM effort and HM race (1:15:03), 15.5 mile LR

Week 62: 59 miles all easy, 12 mile LR

I went from mid-high 1:20s to sub 1:20 in a few months by doing consistent mileage. By this I mean increasing from 35 mpw to 65 mpw, which I was at for about 2 straight months. That may not be a ton of mileage but it's almost doubling what I had been doing. Almost all of those miles were very slow, which takes some getting used to (mainly so you're not embarrased), but you'll be fresh after your runs and not so tired and the runs were very enjoyable. One day a week I'd do repeat 1000s or repeat miles, mostly a little over 6 minute pace. Try to increase your mileage for a little while and you should be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.

I've only run one 1/2 marathon, about 10 years ago. It was a trail run with about 2000 thousand feet of elevation gain, I ran it in 1:21. Going up the main climb, I felt pathetically slow, with cramping calves. The race course was basically on my main training trails and I had done tempo runs in the past (but not in the year or so prior to the race) much faster up the same climb. I got passed by a lot of people on the climb. The second half the race was much better. I quickly picked off about 5 guys within a minute or so after we started heading down and went after the leader. Almost caught him at the finish, but not quite, 20 seconds back.

I remember that I was just running, not training at the time. Mileage was probably at least 70-80 mpw, since I always do at least that much, but no tempo runs, no intervals... basically all slow easy runs.

I have a 4:58 mile PR and i ran a 16:40 5k a few weeks after the half marathon, so this is coming from someone who sucks. The race was in the spring. I ran up to 70 miles per week during the fall, but got injured all winter. I had been running for maybe 6 weeks before the half, and ran 1:21 on a fairly hilly course. Long runs up to 14 miles I think, no special training for it whatsoever. That was my slowest half ever (except the second half of my full marathon was 1:22 or 1:22 or so).

Last time I ran a half marathon, about three years ago I ran 1:19 and change and had been doing about 15 miles a week or so. Obviously could have been a lot faster with some real training.

I don't recommend you follow my training plan for a 1:20ish HM, but you did ask, so here is what i did:

[for 2 years]

Intense detraining. On occasional 15mpw, mixed with weeks of 0.

[for 3 months]

Run more. 30-40mpw.

[injure hamstring while jogging!]

[for 1 month]

recover from injured hamstring

[for 1 month]

jog around, slow, short 30-40mpw.

[now healthy]

[but estimate 5k pace is something like 5:45/mile!!!]

[sacre bleu!!! that will not do!!!!]

[for 1.5 months]

blocks of:

1500 pace workout

easy day [6-7m]

LT workout

easy day

5k pace workout

easy day

15k-20k fast (somewhere between HM and MP)

rest day

[the big day arrives]

run HM: 1:21 or thereabouts.

I ran 1:19 on the following weekly workouts:

5-6 mile tempo run at 6 minute pace

interval session of 200's, 400's or 800's

Hour steady

race (mostly 5k's)

Ran 3 or 4 days a week and did the stairmaster the other days in place of easy runs.

Mileage leading up to the race was 32,43,29,37,36,45,26,35,27,39,30

I think most would be doing running of some sort.

Hi I'm Kip, James Moses Bowow, I ran to school every day but, I only will train 10km a week for the 10km race, and I will win because I don't know where my xbox is for me to get fat, lazy and crap at my 10k. I need help.

Reg runs 1:15---1:20 and only does long slow runs and tempos.

No track.No reps.No Speed.

Measures training in time not miles.Does 4 to 6.5 hrs per week.

I ran my first half at age 17, 6 months after I started running- ran 1:24. Avg mileage for the last 3 months around 60-65mpw. Did lots of repetition workouts, tempos only up to 6k (2 times 10k tempo), long runs of 14-15miles.

Year later, with much faster PRs over shorter distances, I ran only 1:22:30- due to lack of LT runs longer than 17-20min. I thought I sucked and gave up on longer races than 10 miles. 3 years after that I ran 2 halfs in a span of 4 months and recorded 1:15:05 and 1:09:40. I ran lots of LT runs- regularly twice a week (12k and 6-8k), intervals and mileage of 80mpw.

Since then I had improved by 2 more minutes, but I had to work my ass off (100+mpw, 4 hard days a week- on 6days a week schedule). LT tempo runs are the most important workouts. I do 1 Vo2 max workout and one for aerobic strength (10k race pace) in addition to that.

So make your pick. Note that I am not very talented, don't have much leg speed or beastly high VO2 max. I was just not satisfied with my mediocre times over 1/2, so i worked my ass off).

gav800 wrote:

I think most would be doing running of some sort.

If that is in response to the stairmaster I do, I have found it is better than running because it does everything a recovery or easy run is supposed to accomplish without the extra pounding of running.

When I ran only, I always had nagging injuries along with a major injury once or twice a year that would keep me out 4-6 weeks. By mixing in the stairmaster, I stay injury free.

What types of sessions and miles do you log in to run half marathons in the low 1:20?

1:19:40, so don't know if that counts. My core interval workout is 4x1200m on the track. I do a variety of other stuff with a training group -- tempos, long intervals, short intervals, etc. Roughly two quality sessions a week, and a 2hr run each week. I was doing 70mpw in doubles, but brought it down to about 50-60 in singles more recently.

The one regret I have is too much emphasis on mileage. Get the miles in, but also be ruthlessly consistent about getting in a couple of quality sessions each week. For example, a tempo run plus 4x1200 or 6x800.

If you are pressed for time and could only train for 4 days a week this worked for me to run decent (not near PR times)

Tuesday AM 30-40 min easy, PM warm up - 4 miles total of controlled but hard intervals from 1/2 mile to mile in distance - cool down

Thursday - AM 30-40 min easy, PM warm up - progressive run where I picked it up along the way and held near half marathon pace the last 2 miles or so. The progressive part was 30 to 60 minutes - cool down.

Saturday - easy 90 minutes where I'd pick it up near the end if I felt good. Kept it easy if I didn't.

Sunday - long and easy in hills 1:45 to 2:30

Pete, Thanks for the elaborate recounting of your successful training! A couple of questions out of curiosity:

1) How old are you, and how much running have you done in the past?

2) How did you decide to run at the HR values you list, and do these represent certain HR percentages and if so what are they?

Thanks !