Need coaching advice for sub 2 hour 1/2 marathon (50M)

Get yourself to 9-10 hours of running a week, run as slow as you want/need. Continue that for 12 weeks and add 6-10 strides twice weekly. From there you will probably be able to break 2 hours.

If, after 12 weeks, you don't think you could break 2hours. Spend 6 weeks doing your tempo runs once a week and if you want more assurance, add repeat 1000s with equal rest one other day during the week.

1. Be consistent (at least 6 days a week)

Then

2. Add volume (9-10 hours running, slow and easy)

Then

3. Add intensity (uptempo days, tempos and intervals).

Agree with the above post. You will break 2 hrs with just points 1 and 2.

Sign up with the great Swedish magic wizard coach js . He will take you to your goaltime.

I've always included harder long runs in 1/2 marathon buildups. 8 miles is long enough. 2 hours is slightly over 9 minute/mile pace so if you are able to run 9:30 for 8 miles that might help you. I'm 61 and can run about 1:40 but my lifetime PR is 1:10. If you can cover 5 miles at 8 minute pace you should be very close already

What is your running background? How many years have you been training? What are some of your other race times?

Generally I would agree with what the other posters are saying, but honestly, you're 50. For must of us as we age, that changes things a LOT. 9 hours a week of running is great if you've done something like that in the past. If not, it might take you a really long time to get there safely. And it might not even be possible.

Your 8k time suggests the sub 2 is possible. It will likely require more time and mileage, though. But I think you could maybe do it in 8 weeks. Especially if you have good conditions on race day.

I would focus on the long run and a mid-week tempo type workout. For long runs, alternate going longer and easier. So like you've been doing, but see if you can hit 2.5 hours on those days. You might need to work up to that. For the opposite weeks do something with more pace to it. I like progression runs. Start easy around 11 minute pace, work your way down to the 10's after a few miles, then into the 9's and see how long you can cruise there. 10-12 miles of that should feel doable. After a couple of these, see if you can hit high 8 minute pace in the final mile or so.

Mid-week get some classic tempo work in. Or just a hair faster. It sounds like you do a lot of straight tempos. Up to 40 minutes. That is on the long side. Split the tempo up in other ways. You can do 5 x 1 mile at tempo pace but jog an easy 2 minutes in between. 10-12 x 3 minutes at tempo or slightly faster and jog easy for 1 minute. Stuff like that. People get caught up in the details of these workouts, but I think the important thing is putting in the time at those paces, and doing slightly different workouts just to keep you a little more fresh.

All other days run really easy. Maybe get out in the evenings (if you run in the mornings) for a brisk walk. It is amazing how extra walking can improve recovery. Very easy on the body. Some easy biking might help, too.

If you can find a 10k race about a month before the half that could be really nice, too. It's good to get that experience of going hard. It's a great workout. And it will give you another data point to see how you're progressing.

Run only 5 days a week for a little bit. Seriously. You need more breaks.

You just need to get a little faster. For that you need to be more rested.

thanks for writing this. I pretty much started 9-10 hours of running this year, but at a slow pace, thinking that MAF training was the way to go. I did improve very slowly and ultimately gave it up in April to run faster. I am grateful that it gave me a foundation of running 6 days a week without injury, as well as a routine.

I wondered if he would chime in. I'm not sure he can train a relative new runner without breaking them.

I will set this as a goal. I know that I can do it, but not sure of the effort needed, since I typically run much slower. Would you replace a tempo day with this effort or a long run?

I grew up in a running family and ran in my youth and in high school. While I maintained an athletic build, I was in terrible shape since I have been sitting at work for the past 30 years. I trained for a year in 2018-2019, ran a 2:00.15 (with a bathroom break). I haven't run since until January of this year. (BTW, it is amazing to get back to doing what I love.)

I am super grateful for your suggestions. I will focus on running for 2.5 hours, as I have only been doing 2, and honestly the progression run sounds doable and fun.

I am doing pretty straight tempos, I look forward to splitting it up. Any suggestions on a tempo pace? 8:20 was my 5 mile race pace.

And thanks for suggesting a 10K about a month before. I will look into that for sure. Would you suggest doing it at race effort?

Again, thanks a million.

Frank Shorter here wrote:

Run only 5 days a week for a little bit. Seriously. You need more breaks.

You just need to get a little faster. For that you need to be more rested.

I questioned this also. I am surprised how a little faster changes my HR so much. I am hoping a taper will get me the break I need.

Shoot. I should have used the quote post in all of those posts. Sorry

Cool stuff. And if you've been running 2 hours regularly, bumping up to 2:15 and 2:30 should be doable. I do think that is the upper end of what most of us can reasonably handle, though. So definitely take your recovery into consideration. I honestly don't think getting to 2:30 hour runs will be an automatic game changer. It's nice for overall strength and confidence, but not at the expense of recovery and potential injury.

And the progression runs are fun. It's nice cuz if you're feelin good, you can really roll. But if it's a truly bad day, just turn it into a regular long or medium run.

How fast are you doing your tempos now? That could offer a good bench mark. But from plugging your 5 miler into a calculator I feel like 8:35-45 might be a nice sweet spot. Feel it out, though.

And yeah, any race I would do in prep for the half I would definitely treat as a serious race. If your training is consistent, you might be poised for a new PR. Or new personal age range PR.

Your training looks pretty reasonable. What's your height and weight?

51 year old male here, my masters 1/2 marathon PR is 1:22.

My suggestion would be take another rest day,(run 5 days a week) and run longer on the days you do run. Cross train if you want, but make sure to take one day completely off.

Right now I'm getting in 52-55 miles a week on 5 days. typical week for me is a tempo run, a medium long run around 12-13 with some at marathon pace. The rest of my miles are very easy. Long run on Sunday.

Once the heat breaks it will get easier. I'm on the east coast, it's been a tough summer for marathon training.

This really has been amazing. Thanks.

I have been doing my tempo runs 2x2 miles at 8:50 and straight 4 miles at 9:05 pace alternating for the past 5-6 weeks. I will increase this pace to 8:35-8:45 as you suggest. This pace feels more hard, than comfortably hard. (Probably, because I am a wimp when it comes to these workouts. Kind of wish I had my old X country team to do these with.) I look forward to this making my half marathon pace feel more like a jog.

Ultimately, I hope to find 8-9 min/ miles my long run pace, and can race in the 6-8 range up to 1/2 marathons. Maybe 4 years from now :) Is 1 minute per mile per year a reasonable expectation?

colder and wiser wrote:

Your training looks pretty reasonable. What's your height and weight?

5'7" 145

August West wrote:

51 year old male here, my masters 1/2 marathon PR is 1:22.

My suggestion would be take another rest day,(run 5 days a week) and run longer on the days you do run. Cross train if you want, but make sure to take one day completely off.

Right now I'm getting in 52-55 miles a week on 5 days. typical week for me is a tempo run, a medium long run around 12-13 with some at marathon pace. The rest of my miles are very easy. Long run on Sunday.

Once the heat breaks it will get easier. I'm on the east coast, it's been a tough summer for marathon training.

I think this would help. I am so slow that my 6-7 miles are taking 75 minutes +. I run in the morning and I am still negotiating an earlier bedtime with the family. This is definitely a goal of mine to be in the 50 mile per week range. It will happen with time.

Feel the paces out. But generally, yes, I do think you would benefit from doing your tempo type work slightly faster. Right now you're doing it at exactly half marathon goal pace. Which is great. But that is also 2 hour race pace for you.

Most people's tempo paces are closer to 1 hour pace. I don't know if I'd jump down to that right away for a 4 mile straight tempo. But some of the workouts I mentioned like 3 mins on/1 min off are quite good for dialing in somewhat quicker tempo efforts. That could be great for practicing paces like 8:40+/-. Then when you do a straight 3-4 mile tempo, maybe you shoot for 8:50-55 or something like that.

But yes, these paces should ultimately make your half pace feel easier.

As for what is possible in the future? I have no idea. Patience and consistency will let you find out. You'll probably find it takes lots of steady, easy miles to really get you to faster easy running paces. And of course you'll have to balance that out with recovery. But you can't force these paces. Put in the time, feel things out, and just keep training.