Question about Specifically Training for Half-Marathon

Physiologically, training for the half is kind of simple: it's run right at threshold pace. Daniels tells you to train for a 10k and "be willing to hang in there for an hour", but I think the 10k needs speed that you don't need for a half.

I see no reason for your long run to be over two hours, however far that takes you (18-20 miles?).

I don't work on paces, but here are some sessions I've used or will be using in the coming weeks:

45-minute tempo

6 x mile with 1-minute jog

3 x 2 miles with 2-minute jog

3-mile warmup, 45 minutes at half marathon pace, 3-mile cooldown

louis riel wrote:

45-minute tempo

6 x mile with 1-minute jog

3 x 2 miles with 2-minute jog

3-mile warmup, 45 minutes at half marathon pace, 3-mile cooldown

Perhaps the reason why so few can run a half marathon is because their tempo runs are too fast? 25 minutes at half marathon pace is WAY to hard.

No hills? Good luck with your plan.

Amazed that you should suggest someone is training too fast but you are apparently serious. I know you are serious about the hills. Perhaps people underestimate just how hard they should run the half? It is really only a little bit slower than a 10k.

And he said 45 and you said 25- which is it?

Why does he need hils? What if his course is completely flat. How do you know he isn't runnning his 45 minutes at Half pace up and down hils. 25 minutes at half pace isn't that big of a deal. Just because you were American record holder in the half marathon doesn't mean you know something.

I'm no expert like Malmo, but I believe one should train on hills, even if they are racing on a flat course. Hill training will give you stronger legs and lungs, and improve one's form. Just look at the training of the Kenyans and Ethiopians.

25 minute at half marathon pace sounds like a good workout, but 45 minutes is probably a bit excessive if you're doing other workouts that week.

I've found that running at a moderate pace for ~60 minutes followed by 2 x 3200 or 1 x 3mile/5k @ goal half marathon pace to be a good half workout.

13x1mile at half-marathon pace, with 1-2min recovery. Specificity.

Other than that, hills, "tempo runs" (by tempo run I mean 30-60 minutes in which you get faster and faster...figure out the speed on your own, personally I'd start at marathon pace and end up running half pace for the last 15 minutes then hammer it further the last mile), and some long intervals thrown in for good measure (1-2 mile), also some shorter FASTER stuff here and there 10x200, 6-10x400 FAST. You need at least some speed with any race.

Alan

No, malmo is right. I just gave a few sample workouts. One of my bread and butter sessions is a very, very hilly tempo that's run on a 10-minute loop. Right now I'm doing 40 minutes on that loop.

MarathonMind wrote:

And he said 45 and you said 25- which is it?

He said 45, I said 25 - what don't you understand?

If even 25 is too long for HM pace then what is an appropriate session?

bump

I actually corresponded w/ Dr. Daniels about this distance once, and he suggested following the Marathon program instead. He recommended the 10K program, only for elite guys (1:0?).

MarathonMind wrote:

If even 25 is too long for HM pace then what is an appropriate session?

1/2 marathon pace is way too fast for a tempo run. Try marathon pace.

If you need a recovery day after a tempo run you done it too hard. Tempo runs should leave you invigorated afterwards, not fatigued.

Thanks for the input. I'm glad that people reminded me of hill workouts. I live in a relatively flat part of the world but I do have some favorite 'tempo-like' runs on hills that I have found help build strength during training periods.

Malmo, it's interesting that you say tempo runs at half pace should never be over 25 minutes in length. Will running marathon pace for tempo runs over 25 minutes prepare you to race at a faster pace?

I think he said that tempo runs at half pace is too fast, even for 25 minutes or less. At least that's what he's said in the past.

A 25-min tempo run is (as malmo says) too intense for a training run. Much better would be to build up to a single run of 8-10 miles at M-pace. If you're unsure what that pace might be (because you've never done one) then running 5k pace + 60 secs per mile will allow you to err on the cautious side while still getting a good workout.

In a well trained runner, M-pace can be as good as 5k + 40 secs per mile, but without having actually achieved that in a marathon, it would not be a good idea to use that pace for your tempo runs. If you can run 5k + 60 secs for 10-miles (like it's no big deal), you're in fine aerobic shape.

How often should you do this? Once every 7-14 days is plenty (depending on focus of training).

Loudon wrote:

A 25-min tempo run is (as malmo says) too intense for a training run.

Excuse me? when did I say that?

malmo wrote:

25 minutes at half marathon pace is WAY to hard.

Here wrote:

malmo wrote:

25 minutes at half marathon pace is WAY to hard.

Read it again. He never said a 25 minute tempo run is to intense for a training run. I think Louden may have misspoken.