1/2 Marathon Training for Sub 1:06

Philly Distance Classic - September -

http://www.ingphiladelphiadistancerun.com/Assets/runphilly/images/pdr_08_coursemap_color.gif

Philly Half (first part of marathon) - November -

http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/images/content/half-map.gif

From what I've heard, PDC is always really quick. I think the Philly Half should be pretty average.

I'm doing PDC and Philly Full

NP,"Nate Pennington"

Can you give us what one of your weeks exactly looks like? while you train for a sub 66.

Thanks,

Bump. I'd like to hear about your training as well. I'm most likely running the Philly 1/2 as well and it will be my first one.

Bump.

Dew the dew blast man

My training varies, when I ran 1:07 and 2:19 for the marathon it was after many months of training. It takes me forever to get into racing shape (usually 3 full months). My coach had me running up the incline here in colorado springs and than running hard down Barr trail (4 miles down the mountain) to work on leg turnover and for the last month have been doing that in preparing for the TCM. My usual weeks are comprised of two track sessions and a long run on saturday. I was doing my long runs at a pretty brisk pace, when race fit I was doing them (20-22 milers at altitude) well under 6:00 mile pace (my fastest 20 miler was 1:57:57 at 6400ft) while wearing a heart rate monitor and when not fit running in the 6:20-6:45 per mile range. Track sessions were anywhere from 3x2miles to broken miles, to repeat K's. I dont have the leg speed of a Phil Sakala but I have more patience than most. You cant give up just because of a bad race and you really have to have a desire to want to run a fast time like a sub 66. I think its important to run a race or too as a workout, even if others question 'what happened', call it a rust buster, whatever..it takes months and months of hard work to get to peak conditioning, use those 'races' as workouts or just as a tempo, its still good to jump in one when your not 100% to get pulled along.

I do all my training solo, I would love to be in a group like the Hansons, Zap etc. and train with MUCH better runners but I do the best with what I have, I have a good coach, colorado springs is at 6035ft and getting fit to run fast is enough motivation. The Philly Distance Classic is a great race to get pulled along, last year there were about a group of 30 Kenyans and foreigners that went out in 5:18 at the mile, than we went 5:02 for the next. Matt Pellitier warned me not to go with the surge but I did (we went 4:43 for the next mile), Matt ended up running 2:17:17 at the Trials and beat me last year at the Philly Classic 1:06:11 to my 1:07:06. I crashed and burned after hitting 10 miles (50:54) but had to try, train hard, take some risks if prepared. A 1:06 has been done many, many times. Good luck.

Nate

Thanks Nate!

That was a really honest and refreshing answer to a question, and I appreciate it.

my pleasure, good luck Doug

Philly 1/2 is getting closer. Let's get this thread going again. Who is still planning on going? Anyone interested in getting some pace groups together? Any more insight on the course? Thanks.

How's the training going? I am on the border of breaking 1:06, and have just been doing constant mileage at 85-95mpw at altitude. I've just been listening to my body and running some epic long runs up the mountains. Those runs usually take anywhere from 3 hours to almost 4 hours. The distance for those runs isnt far, but the terrain is tough. Climbing from 6000' up to ~10000'.

How did some of you guys do at the PDC 1/2 marathon last month? Good luck.

3-4 hour long runs? Damn. That sounds a bit long to me.

Training is going well here. Hoping to break 1:09 at Philly. Anyone else in that boat?

Aiming for 66 minutes @ Philly. Would be nice if there was a pack shooting for the same more or less.

About 1 week out. How is everyone's training going? Let's try and get some time groups together. What do you guys say?

I will be there looking to run 1:08. Anyone else in that area?a

I was looking for workouts that indicate a 1:07:xx half marathon.

I run around 70 miles a week with almost only 1 a day sessions.

My long is 24/25 km in 90 min, every two weeks.

Run 1 medium longrun of 20/21K every two weeks.

My tempo's en tempo run i run at the following paces.

6k / 4 miles 3:10/km

10k 32:30 3:15

15/16 k 50:00 - 53:30 3:20/km.

Current PB's are

8:34 - 14:45 - 30:38 ( track ) - 31:07 - 48:06 - 1:08:15

Also ran the following workouts.

3-2-1 k rest 4 min 9:11 - 5:58 - 2:51

3*3 km rest 3 min 9:37 - 9:29 - 9:19

5*2 k ( rest 400m jog ) 6:14 > 6:01

5*1200 ( 2 min rest ) 3:35 average

5*1 k rest 3 min 2:54/56/54/55/53

3*1000-600-400-300

400m jog after 1k - 200 after 600-400, between sets 600m

2*10*400 68 ( 60/120 sec rest )

3:01-1:46-69-48 - 2:59-1:44-67-48 - 2:55-1:42-66-47

6*1000 ( 2 min rest ) 3:03-3:02-3:04-3:02-3:00-2:54

2000-5*300-1000-5*200 5:57(4) - 46/47 ( rest 60 ) - 2:39 (4) - 29/30 ( 75 )

12k tempo run 39"39 3:18/km

20k tempo 34"07 + 33"46 = 1;07:53

Hope too run 1:07:30 or just below.

Know it's a very old thread, but the contained the best info i could find on letsrun about 1:06/1:08 half marathon training.

I know this is 12 years ago, but I know many runners will enjoy some advice.

So I made a huge mungus Pr in the half marathon and an un-earthly improvement from 2:05- 1:03:56 (in 12 months) by training solely for the pain I was going to experience in the half-marathon . My least favorite, but most effective, workout was an all out 1 mile then a 800 at 75% speed then an all out 800 then a 70% 400 then an all out in the 400 then 80% effort in the 200 and then a full out 200 and then run a mile at 50% effort. This a 4 mile lactate threshold workout that I did every week on friday so that I had a 2 day rest off the weekends. Another workout that I did was running a 75% mile then a 80% 1400 , 85% 1200, 90%,1000, 95% 800, and then an all out 600m. 1 minute rest in between. with 3 weeks of training like this I went from a 2:05 half marathon to a sub 1:30 half marathoner. Exactly 1:27:21. It's almost a 130% improvement. Now this a sub 1:06 question so here is what I recommend is a 5 week plan.

Week 1-

Monday- Run a 30 minute run at as close to 6:00 pace

Tuesday- 2x5km at 16:30 pace

Wednesday-

200-31

400-1:03

600-1:37

800-2:12

1000-2:47

1200-3:25

1400-4:03

1600-4:45

Thursday-Rest, Ice knees, stretch for a total of 5 minutes, and sleep for 30minutes -1 hour more than usual.( This for the pain your going to experience tomorrow, but the good pain.)

Friday- No rest in between

1600- 4:20

800-2:40

800-2:19

400-1:25

400-1:10

200-37

200-31

1600-5:30

Take an Ice bath and roll for an 10 minutes

Saturday- Rest and sleep more. Ice knees and hips

Sunday- Same as saturday

Repeat same schedule as week1 for week 2 and 3.

Week 4-

Monday- Take off. No particular stretch , but do some for 15 minutes

Tuesday- Do a distance trial and try to run for a straight hour. You'll see your endurance, and speed will shoot by 100%. If you can get at least 12 miles you could run a 1:04 right now. 11 to 11.5 is perfect 1:06 pace and 10 to 11 is a little off but it will be good enough for this workout.

Tuesday- 6x 3km rep 9:37 each

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday-

200-31

400-1:03

600-1:37

800-2:12

1000-2:47

1200-3:25

1400-4:03

1600-4:45

Friday- Time trial of 10k. My calculation is it will be about 29:40, if faster than your set, if you have got this time exactly then, your good, but if above 30:15 , then you need to work a little harder, but with the previous work you did I am positive you smashed this time.

Saturday and Sunday- Rest and ice knees.

Week5-

Just run short distances at 5:00 minute mile.

Like 800 at 2:30, but don't go too hard as this will affect your Half marathon performance.

Race day- Good luck and keep calm.