Malmo's Favorite Half Marathon Workout

7xmile w/200 to 400 rest at 1/2 MP should be manageable about two weeks before your goal race. the above workouts are more like 7xmile with 3/4 M rest (full). And it would be possible to do those at 5k pace. But to do these regularly without breaking down, the 5 min rest and pace from MP to 1/2MP seems like a good workout.

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

. the above workouts are more like 7xmile with 3/4 M rest (full). And it would be possible to do those at 5k pace. .

No it's not.

The advice about two daily runs Malmo gives is probably the only thing I did correctly in my running career. I stumbled onto it and only did it my last year in high school. It helped me physically and more-so mentally. I never let anyone beat me that last HS year that didn't do the same. The single best thing anyone in HS (or anyone for that matter) should do to make themselves better.

Now you understand why I say that distance running requires the least amount of time investment of any sport? Whenever I hear, "I don't have enough time" or "training takes away from other commitments", I'm not buying it. Whenever I hear about people taking 3 hours to do something that should only take an 80 minutes there's a disconnect. This is especially evident when I hear excuses why they won't run mornings. It's a simple process: wake up, put gear on, evacuate, run, cool-down during breakfast, shower.[/quote]

Agreed. I spend far less time running 60-70 mpw than I ever did playing middle school lacrosse!

malmo:

when you trained for a half marathon, did you incorporate repetitions of 200, 300s, 400s, 500s etc..etc..

What about 800s and 1000s?

The answer is yes.

(1) 67 miles April 24

S 4/18 AM 5 easy PM 8 easy

M 4/19 AM 4.5 easy PM 3 easy

T 4/20 rest

W 4/21 AM 4.5 easy PM 8.5 easy

T 4/22 AM 5 easy PM 8.5 easy

F 4/23 PM 4 miles fartlek

S 4/24 AM 5 easy PM 11 easy

(2) 87 miles May 1

S 4/25 PM 12 easy

M 4/26 AM 5 moderate PM 9 easy

T 4/27 AM 6.5 easy PM 9 slow

W 4/28 AM 4.5 easy PM 9 easy

T 4/29 AM 6 slow PM 9 easy

F 4/30 AM 4.5 easy PM 11.5 easy

S 5/1 AM 4 slow

(3) 63 miles May 8

S 5/2 rest

M 5/3 AM 5 slow PM 10 slow

T 5/4 rest

W 5/5 AM 4.5 easy PM 3 easy, 12x200(32), w 200 jog, 5.5 easy

T 5/6 AM 4.5 easy PM 12 easy

F 5/7 AM 5 easy PM 3.5 easy, 5 x Heartbreak Hill (1:47-1:53), 3.5 easy

S 5/8 rest

(4) 110 miles May 15

S 5/9 PM 13.5 easy

M 5/10 PM 4 easy PM 3 easy, 12x300 (48), 3 easy

T 5/11 AM 9 easy PM 10.5 moderate

W 5/12 PM 12 easy

T 5/13 AM 8 moderate PM 11.5 easy

F 5/14 PM 3.5 easy, 8 x Heartbreak Hill (1:45,1:46,1:48,1:45,1:46,1:45,1:45,1:39)

S 5/15 AM 10 moderate PM 10 easy

(5) 125 miles May 22

S 5/16 AM 14 moderate PM 4 slow

M 5/17 AM 8.5 easy PM 11.5 easy

T 5/18 PM 3 easy, 10 x 400(65) w 200 jog, 5 easy

W 5/19 AM 10 easy PM 10 moderate

T 5/20 AM 8.5 slow PM 12 easy-moderate

F 5/21 AM 4 moderate-hard PM 11 moderate

S 5/22 AM 10 moderate PM 9.5 easy

(6) 130 miles May 29

S 5/23 PM 18 easy

M 5/24 PM 14.5 easy

T 5/25 AM 9.5 moderate PM 3 easy, 20x200 (30-30.5), 4 easy

W 5/26 AM 11 easy PM 10 easy

T 5/27 AM 9 easy PM 12.5 easy

F 5/28 AM 10 easy PM 11 moderate

S 5/29 AM 12 moderate

(7) 138 miles June 5

S 5/30 AM 18 easy PM 6.5 moderate

M 5/31 AM 10.5 moderate PM 11.5 easy

T 6/1 AM 8.5 slow PM 13.5 moderate

W 6/2 PM 10.5 very slow

T 6/3 AM 11 moderate PM 10 moderate

F 6/4 AM 10 easy PM 13 moderate

S 6/5 AM 15 moderate

(8) 93 miles June 12

S 6/6 PM 21 moderate

M 6/7 AM 4 moderate PM 13.5 moderate

T 6/8 AM 4.5 easy PM 4 easy, 1 mile (4:20), 4 easy

W 6/9 AM 10 moderate PM 12 moderate

T 6/10 PM 4 easy, 8x400(63) w 200 jog, 4 easy

F 6/11 PM 8.5 easy

S 6/12 rest

(9) 111 miles June 19

S 6/13 PM 12.5 moderate

M 6/14 AM 4 hard (22:30) PM 13.5 fartlek (5:00 easy, 5:00 hard)

T 6/15 AM 4 hard (22:35) PM 4x800(2:11, 2:10, 2:10, 2:10), 2x400(61,61), 4 easy

W 6/16 PM 13 moderate

T 6/17 AM 4 hard (22:47) PM 4 easy, 24x200 (slowest 29.45), 4 easy

F 6/18 AM 5 easy PM 10 moderate

S 6/19 AM 5 easy PM 13.5 easy

(10) 115 miles June 26

S 6/20 AM 23 moderate, last 8 miles hard

M 6/21 AM 8.5 moderate PM 10 moderate

T 6/22 AM 4 hard (21:52) PM 4 easy, 1200(3:20), 800 jog, 6x400(65) w 400 jog, 4 easy

W 6/23 AM 10 moderate-hard PM 7.5 easy

T 6/24 AM 7 easy PM 13.5 moderate

F 6/25 AM 4.5 easy PM 9 easy

S 6/26 AM 6 easy

(11) 116 miles July 3

S 6/27 PM 17.5 moderate

M 6/28 AM 4.5 moderate PM 12 moderate

T 6/29 AM 7 slow PM 4 very slow (very humid can't breathe)

W 6/30 AM 6 easy PM 10 moderate

T 7/01 AM 5 easy PM 3 warmup, 3x 1 mile w/ 400 jog( 4:34,4:33,4:30) 4x400 (61,61,61,59) 4 warmdown

F 7/02 AM 8.5 moderate PM 3.5 warmup, 10 x heartbreak hill (1:39, last one 1:33), 3.5 warmdown

S 7/03 PM 16 moderate

(12) 69 miles July 10

S 7/4 AM 14 slow feel very ill

M 7/5 Flu

T 7/6 Flu PM 8.5 slow

W 7/7 Flu PM 11.5 slow

T 7/8 Flu PM 10 slow

F 7/9 Flu PM 9.5 easy

S 7/10 AM 4 moderate PM 3 warmup, 8x400 (62.1) w/200 jog, 3 warmdown

(13) 124 miles July 17

S 7/11 PM 20 moderate

M 7/12 AM 9 moderate PM 13.5 fartlek (10 min easy, 10 min hard)

T 7/13 AM 4 moderate-hard PM 3 warmup, 6x800 (2:10,2:10,2:10,2:10,2:10,2:06) w 400 jog, 4 warmdown

W 7/14 AM 10 easy PM 17 moderate (last 5 hard)

T 7/15 AM 4 easy PM 10.5 easy

F 7/16 PM 13.5 easy

S 7/17 AM 4 slow PM 6.5 slow

(14) 128 miles July 24

S 7/18 AM Brownsville 5 miler, 2 warmup, 5 mile race in 24:12 (1st), 5 warmdown

M 7/19 AM 15 easy PM 8.5 easy

T 7/20 PM 17 easy

W 7/21 AM 10 moderate AM 11 fartlek (5:00 hard, 5:00 easy)

T 7/22 AM 8 easy PM 4 warmup, 12x200 (28-28.5) w 200 jog, 3 warmdown

F 7/23 AM 4 easy PM 14 moderate

S 7/24 AM 18.5 moderate

(15) 133 miles July 31

S 7/25 AM 8 slow PM 5 slow

M 7/26 PM Nike Holliston 5.2 mile, 2.5 warmup, 5.2 mile race in 25:26 (4th), 6.5 warmdown

T 7/27 AM 8.5 moderate PM 4 warmup, 2x200 (28.5), 2x300 (45.2,45.2), 1x400 (59.1), 2x300(45.2,44.3), 2x200 (28.5), 2 warmdown (Bickford)

W 7/28 AM 9.5 moderate PM 14.5 moderate

T 7/29 AM 9.5 moderate PM 4 warmup, 10x400(61.3) w/200 jog, 4 warmdown (Mick O’Shea)

F 7/30 AM 9 moderate PM 11 moderate

S 7/31 AM 11 moderate PM 12.5 moderate

(16) 111 miles Aug 7

S 8/1 PM 3 warmup, 2 miles in 8:53.1 (in NB 990s), 1.5 warmdown

M 8/2 AM 10 moderate PM 11 hard (1:01:30)

T 8/3 AM 4 easy PM 3 warmup, 300 (44.1), 2x800 (2:00.4, 1:59.8), 400 (57.1), 300 (42.0), 4 warmdown (Bickford)

W 8/4 AM 11 easy PM 11 easy

T 8/5 AM 8.5 easy PM 10 moderate

F 8/6 PM 14.5 moderate

S 8/7 AM 6 slow PM 5 easy

(17) 93 miles Aug 14

S 8/8 AM 2 easy PM Riverside 5 mile, 3 warmup, 5 mile race in 23:11 (4th), 5 mile warmdown

M 8/9 PM Sore throat/fever 13 moderate

T 8/10 AM Sore throat/fever 4 moderate PM 6 easy

W 8/11 AM 4 easy PM 14 easy

T 8/12 AM 8.5 easy PM 8.5 easy

F 8/13 AM 4 easy PM 6 easy

S 8/14 AM 4 easy PM 6 easy

(18) 142 miles Aug 21

S 8/15 AM Falmouth Road Race 3 warmup, 7.1 mile race in 33:10 (8th), 4 warmdown

M 8/16 AM 10 moderate PM 10 moderate

T 8/17 AM 10 moderate PM 13 easy

W 8/18 AM 4 moderate PM 4 warmup, 1200 (3:17), 4x800 (2:09,2:09,2:09.2:07), 1200 (3:12), 4 warmdown (Meyer, Rodgers, Flemming, Ratcliffe, Collins. O’Shea)

T 8/19 AM 10 moderate PM 12.5 moderate

F 8/20 AM 8.5 moderate PM 3.5 warmup, 8 x Chestnut Hill (2:00,2:00,2:00,2:01,2:04,2:02,2:02,2:00)

S 8/21 AM 13 moderate PM 10 moderate

(19) 141 miles Aug 28

S 8/22 PM 21 miles moderate

M 8/23 AM 10.5 moderate-fast PM 4 warmup, 3x400-400-800 (62, 62, 2:07.1, 60.4, 61.1, 2:07.0, 60.1, 60.1 ,2:08.4) w/200-200-400 jog, 4 warmdown

T 8/24 PM 20 moderate

W 8/25 AM 11 moderate PM 11.5 moderate-fast

T 8/26 AM 12 hard PM 11 moderate

F 8/27 AM 6 moderate PM 8.5 easy legs are shot!

S 8/28 PM 17 easy

(20) 103 miles Sept 4

S 8/29 PM 4 warmup, 10 x Chestnut Hill (69-71), 5 warmdown

M 8/30 AM 4 easy PM 11 slow

T 8/31 AM 4 easy PM 4 warmup, 8x800 (2:10) w/400jog, 4 easy

W 9/1 PM 13 moderate

T 9/2 AM 4 easy PM 4 warmup, 1 mile (4:16.1), 8x200 (27.7) w/ 200 jog, 4 warmdown

F 9/3 AM 4 easy PM 12 easy

S 9/4 AM 4 easy PM 9 easy

(21) 128 miles Sept 11

S 9/5 AM 7 slow PM 4 slow

M 9/6 AM New Haven 20k, 3 warmup, 20k race in 59:42 (3rd), 4 warmdown

T 9/7 PM 15 easy

W 9/8 AM 10 easy PM 11 easy

T 9/9 AM 7 easy PM 4 warmup, 4 x1200(3:19, 3:16, 3:15, 3:09) very easy! w/ 400 jog, 4 warmdown (Meyer, Rodgers, Fleming, Ratcliffe, O’Shea)

F 9/10 PM 22 easy

S 9/11 AM 9 easy PM 11 moderate

(22) 102 miles Sept 18

S 9/12 PM 3.5 warmup, 8 x heartbreak hill (1:36,1:35,1:35,1:35,1:35,1:35,1:37,1:36), 3.5 easy

M 9/13 AM 4 hard (21:14) PM 10 moderate (59:30)

T 9/14 AM 4 easy PM 12.5 moderate

W 9/15 AM 7 easy PM 4 warmup, 2 x 1mile (4:16.4, 4:15.8) w 2:30 jog, 4 warmdown

T 9/16 AM 8.5 moderate PM 12 easy

F 9/17 AM 4.5 easy PM 10.5 easy

S 9/18 PM 6 slow, very humid, can't breathe!

(23) 108 miles Sept 25

S 9/19 AM Philly Distance Run, 2.5 warmup, 13.1 race in 1:01:43(AR 2nd) Winner Mike Musioki 1:01:35(WR), 2.5 warmdown

M 9/20 PM 17.5 easy

T 9/21 AM 9.5 easy PM 13 easy

W 9/22 PM 8.5 easy

T 9/23 AM 5.5 easy PM 7.5 easy

F 9/24 AM 7 slow PM 4 slow

S 9/25 AM Virginia Ten Mile 2 warmup, 10 mile race in 48:35 (6th), 5 warmdown

Thank you malmo. Such a simple training regiment...... short reps, long reps, fartleks, tempos and good mileage.

Malmo I see you like fartleks as workouts?

would you do these fartleks when you are building up (base) or just later as you are tuning up for the race?

malmo wrote:

Foreigner wrote:

Can you explain why you adivse equal recovery time for the intervals?

Simplicity -- because I set my watch to "beep" every 5 minutes.

hahaha love it. sometimes we over think our training WAY too much....

That sounds like some awesome training Malmo. You definitely recovered quickly between races (such as your 20k race and then a pretty hard workout a few days later)...

Could us non-elites follow this sort of training schedule?

Malmo, this might seem like a really dumb question, but I think it every time I see your training log. Some days you list "easy", and I know what easy is of course, and other days you list "slow", and of course I know what slow is, but was the slow also easy most days, or was it slow and feeling crappy because it was a recovery run? Or just some inconsistency? Not a huge deal, just curious. And thanks a bunch for this thread. Glad no one has ruined it yet.

It's funny. I've been in this game awhile, (I'm 32, been running 18 years) and I hear you give straight forward examples of your training: for example, verbatim from your training log. Then I hear "how much recovery?," "what percentage?," blah, blah, blah. Doesn't it drive you nuts? I grew up under old school coaches. I wasn't even allowed to have a watch during workouts in college. I didn't know what T,E,I, or R pace was.

I do now, of course. I wonder if I was better off not knowing. I just went out every day and tried to kick to shit out of my teammates (with surprising results).

Maybe I'm just rambling, but I have an approach similar to that, and it seems to be the approach that some of the elites, i.e. Ryan Hall, are going to. Why crunch the numbers on every goddam workout? Don't you take the soul out of it when you do that? Isn't that why we started running in the first place?

Malmo,

Can you please give as a range in terms of what moderate pace is and hard pace for you staple runs? I’m specifically speaking about your 7-12 miles runs. It seems to me that you put great emphasis on the shorter intervals, yet you still managed a great, great half marathon time.

Thanks in advance

fastguy wrote:

Malmo,

Can you please give as a range in terms of what moderate pace is and hard pace for you staple runs? I’m specifically speaking about your 7-12 miles runs. It seems to me that you put great emphasis on the shorter intervals, yet you still managed a great, great half marathon time.

Thanks in advance

Scroll down until you see a bunch of numbers.

fastguy wrote:

Malmo,

Can you please give as a range in terms of what moderate pace is and hard pace for you staple runs? I’m specifically speaking about your 7-12 miles runs. It seems to me that you put great emphasis on the shorter intervals, yet you still managed a great, great half marathon time.

Fast guy. I did not put "great emphasis" or shorter intervals. I put "some" emphasis on them. The only way to run faster is to ... well...run faster at times. My biggest emphasis was on many, many tempo runs - all of them run extemporaneously. Many of those run with are labeled "moderate" or "moderate-hard" probably had some sort of tempo run in them.

Also, most of my courses tended to be about a half mile long, so when you try to match up times with the distance the net pace becomes something different. There is a 4 mile morning loop that I did quite often, and did it "hard" many times. That is actually 4.3 miles, not 4, so a 22:00 minute hard 4 miler is actually a bit different that what you read in black and white.

Now I could have gone out with a Jones Counter and certified all of my loops, but that would have been a anal retentive distraction from the focus that is required to maximally exploit my own abilities.

Chris Watinsky found a post of mine in which I ran the measured 8.5 mile loop on most mornings for the better part of a year. I made note of perceived effort effort, and many times jotted down the time. It wasn't until 20 years later that I thought of crunching the numbers to see what the paces were. Here is the result:

45:45 5:23 hard

45:50 5:24 moderate-hard

47:30 5:35 moderate

49:00 5:46 moderate

48:00 5:39 moderate

54:00 6:21 slow

53:00 6:14 slow

52:30 6:11 slow

48:00 5:39 moderate

46:30 5:28 fast

46:00 5:25 fast

48:30 5:42 moderate

46:05 5:25 fast

49:00 5:46 moderate

49:00 5:46 easy

48:30 5:42 easy

49:30 5:49 easy

47:00 5:32 moderate

46:50 5:31 moderate

46:00 5:25 fast

47:00 5:32 moderate

44:07 5:11 very hard

52:30 6:11 slow

47:30 5:35 easy

48:30 5:42 easy

44:30 5:14 fast

48:30 5:42 easy

48:30 5:42 easy

46:00 5:25 moderate

43:28 5:07 very hard

50:00 5:53 easy

51:00 6:00 easy

48:20 5:41 easy

48:30 5:42 easy

46:30 5:28 moderate

47:30 5:35 easy

48:00 5:39 moderate

48:00 5:39 moderate

48:00 5:39 easy

48:00 5:39 easy

47:30 5:35 easy

48:00 5:39 moderate

48:30 5:42 easy

51:00 6:00 easy

49:00 5:46 easy

50:00 5:53 easy

47:10 5:33 moderate

48:00 5:39 moderate

50:00 5:53 easy

Malmo what were your 5km and 10km PR's?, track and road

it makes perfect sense to me now.

thank you for your help

Malmo's season by season mileage & pr's:

http://www.bunnhill.com/BobHodge/TrainingLogs/MalmoLog/Summaries.xls

(go to the Summary tab)

To answer your question, it looks like 5k and 10k pr's are technically 13:53.2 and 28:53, but those are weak given his AR's at 3k steeple and half marathon. Heck, he split 28:56 for 10k during that record-breaking half.

The IAAF scoring tables put his 8:21.72 steeple worth about 13:18 for 5000 meters, and his 1:01:42 half worth 28:06 10,000 meters.

13:53 and 28:53