What are some of the best half marathon workouts, or most important concepts in training? I'm moving up from the 5k/10k, which I understand fairly well, but the half marathon seems very different.
I had OK results last year doing things like 4x2 mile, 5-6 mile tempos, and hard 70 minute runs, but when it came time to race, my goal pace felt too hard.
Do you think race pace is the most important thing to work on, or long intervals, or tempo runs, or what?
BumpAnd for some content, Malmo's favorite half marathon workouts:
Malmo 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.
8-10 mile run at half marathon pace - 10 seconds / mile slower.
i got up to 10 miles in 63:30 before running a half in 1:22 back in november.
Azaleas wrote:
Bump
And for some content, Malmo's favorite half marathon workouts:
Malmo 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.
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All good , my favorite 1/2 prep was a hard 10 mile run with hill, push the up-hill hard , roll the downhill , push the flats at HM pace.
Azaleas wrote:
What are some of the best half marathon workouts, or most important concepts in training? I'm moving up from the 5k/10k, which I understand fairly well, but the half marathon seems very different.
I had OK results last year doing things like 4x2 mile, 5-6 mile tempos, and hard 70 minute runs, but when it came time to race, my goal pace felt too hard.
Do you think race pace is the most important thing to work on, or long intervals, or tempo runs, or what?
Training for a half's really not all that different than training for a 10k, except maybe a slight shift onto longer slightly less intense stuff.
What you say you did last year sounds not that bad, honestly, but here's a question:
Did you only do the threshold and tempo type stuff? That's what it sounds like.
All that's important, but if your race pace felt too hard maybe it's because you neglected to work on a little faster things here and there to help yourself be more efficient. Even things like 6-10 by 1 min on/1 min off starting at 10k pace and working down to 3k pace (especially early in training) or 5-6 x :30-40 seconds uphill at 3k "effort" can be pretty valuable. Small amounts that aren't going to kill your volume of longer threshold stuff, but will make you a better runner.
(I'm actually coaching a runner for a half marathon right now; he's moving from the 1500 up...which is a challenge.)
bangalangadanga wrote:
8-10 mile run at half marathon pace - 10 seconds / mile slower.
i got up to 10 miles in 63:30 before running a half in 1:22 back in november.
How many of these did you do leading up to it? Was this the big workout of the week? Did you do these once-a-week, every other week, multiple times a week...and your age (generally, i.e., 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's). Thanks.
Half Training wrote:
Azaleas wrote:What are some of the best half marathon workouts, or most important concepts in training? I'm moving up from the 5k/10k, which I understand fairly well, but the half marathon seems very different.
I had OK results last year doing things like 4x2 mile, 5-6 mile tempos, and hard 70 minute runs, but when it came time to race, my goal pace felt too hard.
Do you think race pace is the most important thing to work on, or long intervals, or tempo runs, or what?
Training for a half's really not all that different than training for a 10k, except maybe a slight shift onto longer slightly less intense stuff.
What you say you did last year sounds not that bad, honestly, but here's a question:
Did you only do the threshold and tempo type stuff? That's what it sounds like.
All that's important, but if your race pace felt too hard maybe it's because you neglected to work on a little faster things here and there to help yourself be more efficient. Even things like 6-10 by 1 min on/1 min off starting at 10k pace and working down to 3k pace (especially early in training) or 5-6 x :30-40 seconds uphill at 3k "effort" can be pretty valuable. Small amounts that aren't going to kill your volume of longer threshold stuff, but will make you a better runner.
That's what I think happened. I did some race pace workouts, but not nearly enough. Just looking back at my logs, I only actually hit goal pace 2-3 times outside of the race, and those workouts weren't very effective.
It's not even JUST about race pace, though obviously the specific work's super important. You should be running FASTER than race pace occasionally too, even if the volume of that type of work is super, super low.
a few of my favorites were:
1) 16-20k, alternate Ks between HM/MP
2) 4x2mi-1mi, with 90s recovery, at HM or slightly faster
3) 6-8 mile tempo at MP in the middle of a long run
2 mi Warm Up ~ 3 mi, 2 mi, 1 mi ~ 2 min rest in-between ~ 2 sets of this. 3 mi @ 1/2 marathon pace, 2 mi @ 10k pace, 1 mile @ 5k pace. 2 mi Cool Down.
3 mi @ 1/2 marathon pace ~ 6 X 1/2 mile @ 5k pace ~ 3 mi @ 10k pace. 2 min rest in between.
10 X 1 K @ 10k pace, 1 min rest.
Sciatica Road wrote:
bangalangadanga wrote:8-10 mile run at half marathon pace - 10 seconds / mile slower.
i got up to 10 miles in 63:30 before running a half in 1:22 back in november.
How many of these did you do leading up to it? Was this the big workout of the week? Did you do these once-a-week, every other week, multiple times a week...and your age (generally, i.e., 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's). Thanks.
I'm 25, and this was a pretty big workout that took quite a bit of mental preparation. I managed the hard 10 milers 3 times over a 3 month period leading up to the race. I would do 6 milers at this pace about once per week or every other week.
Prewouldofbeatvirenin76 wrote:
2 mi Warm Up ~ 3 mi, 2 mi, 1 mi ~ 2 min rest in-between ~ 2 sets of this. 3 mi @ 1/2 marathon pace, 2 mi @ 10k pace, 1 mile @ 5k pace. 2 mi Cool Down.
3 mi @ 1/2 marathon pace ~ 6 X 1/2 mile @ 5k pace ~ 3 mi @ 10k pace. 2 min rest in between.
10 X 1 K @ 10k pace, 1 min rest.
The first two workouts are way too hard. 9-12 mi at half pace or better? The last one is a good one and the only realistic one of the three.