Half Marathon Workouts

Why a track workout? A HM is not run on a track.

Tough session: 20k - first 10 at an easy pace, next 10 at HM pace.

Run 60 - 70 min at long run pace followed by 1 x 2 miles @ goal pace - then a short cool down.

A couple of weeks later 60 - 70 min followed by 2 x 2 miles @ goal pace with 400m recovery.

Later, 45 - 50 min followed by 3 x 2 miles at goal pace with 400 to 800 recoveries and a short cool down.

**** the big idea here in case you haven't figured it out already is to run goal half marathon pace when you are already tired.

****

Another good one.

30 min at a good pace, not tempo, but not a jog - followed by

1 x 3 miles

1 x 2 miles

1 x 1 mile

At first maybe you start with the 3 miles slower than goal pace, then 2 miles at goal pace, and 1 mile faster than goal. You can adjust this one to your needs. A good strength builder is to do it in reverse - starting with the mile and finishing with the 3 mile.

Running long repeats at pace, once I am already tired is the key to a solid half marathon for me. I've run ~1:13:00 years ago, but having run these types of workouts as an "old guy" feel that I would have run a bit faster had I focused more on running longer repeats at goal pace after being tired, rather than running moderately short repeats at a faster pace.

A couple of keys for me:

1) Extending the long run to 18 miles. Much better than only 15.

2) Repeat miles at 10K pace--i.e., faster than HM goal pace. I run 3-4 at 6:35-40 when I'm looking to nail 7:00s in a HM. My best HMs always involved at least a couple of miles at that pace anyway, and the effort level of the final 5K is certainly going to be at LEAST 10K intensity (if not speed). It's fine, in other words, to do HM pace training, but foolish not to add in some faster stuff. Miles @ 10K pace with 2-3 minute jogs work well for me.

wow, these are some great workouts. i wish i could start them now.

zen master- I'm going to try some of these workouts with the repeats after the long run, because in the half i ran, I felt totally dead for the last 5k of it.

I have always like doing "wave" runs. Run easily for 2 miles and then alternate the rest of the miles at HM pace, EZ pace, HM pace, etc., etc. A solid 13 miler will give you 6 miles at HM pace if you alternate in this manner.

bump

I'm coming off indoors and starting to ease into HM training. Today I ran 5k + 3k + 2k a little faster than HM pace (probably fairly close to goal HM pace, but ~ 2s/lap faster than PB HM pace). The rests were 800j and 400j. I really enjoyed this session. If you don't have a strong aerobic foundation, it might be too much. 5k at that pace as a first effort might be a good idea.

Have fun, eh?

I've been modeling a lot of my weeks after Gildea's December-January training program before his 1:03 in Houston. He has all of his workouts posted on his blog-

http://personalbestnutrition.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=PGildea

The tempo runs are the core of the program with most of it near his 1/2 pace.

Nice dude. I am currently training for the horsetooth half marathon in fort collins colorado. I want to run as close to 6:00 as possible, sub 6:00 average would be sweet. I'm currently doing about 60 miles a week with one work out(mile repeats, farlecks, giant hill climbs, out and back faster, etc...) and one long run (Ranging from 10 miles to 18 miles) at 90%-100% race pace (for that specified distance of course, I cant run 18 miles with a 10 mile race pace). I started my regular BPM runs at about 6:50-7:10 clip, but I'm doing them at about 6:30-6:50 now which is a good sign. Good luck! (any suggestions on my work outs would be helpful)

I ran my best half-marathon, 1:09:40, running mostly mile repeats and short track work. 3-5 x mile on the track in sub 5:00, fastest was about 4:50. Would also do 200s in :31-33 and 400s in :66-69. About once every other week I would do 6-8 miles alternating 5:30 with 5:50. Long run was about 18-20. I ran the race going out in 5:05 and died hard the last 3 miles running 5:25s.

In my recent attempts at half-marathons I've tried to train "smarter" by training more at half-marathon pace and less intense track work. Needless to say there's really nothing "smart" about it. The older I get the less I know.

Alan

notice 5x1200 at 10k pace to start, and then the last three weeks you can switch to 5kpace.

Runningart2004 wrote:

I ran my best half-marathon, 1:09:40, running mostly mile repeats and short track work. 3-5 x mile on the track in sub 5:00, fastest was about 4:50. Would also do 200s in :31-33 and 400s in :66-69. About once every other week I would do 6-8 miles alternating 5:30 with 5:50. Long run was about 18-20. I ran the race going out in 5:05 and died hard the last 3 miles running 5:25s.

In my recent attempts at half-marathons I've tried to train "smarter" by training more at half-marathon pace and less intense track work. Needless to say there's really nothing "smart" about it. The older I get the less I know.

Alan

what were your 3-5x mile recovery periods?

1) 5 min easy, 5 min hard for 70 minutes

2) 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes hard for 80 minutes

3) Many tempo runs anywhere for 3 - 12 miles, mostly in the 3-8 mile ranges. Somewhere between Marathon and HM pace. If you are doing a 3 mile "run to the barn" it's OK, even encouraged, to drop down below HM pace for the final mile.

4) Find a huge hill that takes you 2:00 to run, with a smaller 100m hill on the back side. Run the hill. jog down the backside, turn around and sprint the short side. Jog down to the bottom and repeat - 8-10 times.

5) During an easy 10 mile run, break into 3 hard surges of about 4-6 minutes each.

1776 wrote:

1) 5 min easy, 5 min hard for 70 minutes

2) 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes hard for 80 minutes

3) Many tempo runs anywhere for 3 - 12 miles, mostly in the 3-8 mile ranges. Somewhere between Marathon and HM pace. If you are doing a 3 mile "run to the barn" it's OK, even encouraged, to drop down below HM pace for the final mile.

4) Find a huge hill that takes you 2:00 to run, with a smaller 100m hill on the back side. Run the hill. jog down the backside, turn around and sprint the short side. Jog down to the bottom and repeat - 8-10 times.

5) During an easy 10 mile run, break into 3 hard surges of about 4-6 minutes each.

what pace or effort for the 5 minute and 10 minute fartlek segments

ohia wrote:

1776 wrote:

1) 5 min easy, 5 min hard for 70 minutes

2) 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes hard for 80 minutes

3) Many tempo runs anywhere for 3 - 12 miles, mostly in the 3-8 mile ranges. Somewhere between Marathon and HM pace. If you are doing a 3 mile "run to the barn" it's OK, even encouraged, to drop down below HM pace for the final mile.

4) Find a huge hill that takes you 2:00 to run, with a smaller 100m hill on the back side. Run the hill. jog down the backside, turn around and sprint the short side. Jog down to the bottom and repeat - 8-10 times.

5) During an easy 10 mile run, break into 3 hard surges of about 4-6 minutes each.

what pace or effort for the 5 minute and 10 minute fartlek segments

I think in the Malmo thread he said “you know what hard feels like “ or something like that