14-Week Half-Marathon Training Programme
If you regularly log 40 to 50 kays per week, average at least 10 kays on your long run, and have a time goal in mind, use the following plan to prep for an upcoming half marathon.
If you regularly log 40 to 50 kays per week, average at least 10 kays on your long run, and have a time goal in mind, use the following plan to prep for an upcoming half marathon.
The build-up is longer – 14 weeks versus the typical 10 – which establishes a stronger base.
The emphasis on hills builds leg and lung strength to power up inclines and to run fast on the flats. To identify your ideal training paces, plug your most recent race time into a pacing calculator.
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KEY
REST: Ideally, do no exercise. Non-impact cross-training like stretching, yoga, or swimming is fine.
EASY: Run at a conversational pace or cross-train. When on a bike or a rowing or elliptical machine, maintain a sustained aerobic effort.
HILLS: Run on the hilliest terrain you can find, with a variety of grades. Try to maintain the same effort level on both the uphills and the downhills.
LSD: Long, slow distance run that builds endurance. Run at a conversational pace. LSDs are rehearsals for race day – use them to determine your gear choices and fuelling strategies before and during the run.
HILL REPEATS: Find a hill that takes at least two minutes to climb. Mark off a short repeat, halfway from the bottom, and a long repeat to the top. Warm up, then run to the short mark three or four times, jogging down to recover. Then run to the top three or four times, jogging down to the short mark, then sprint to the bottom. Repeat three or four times.
TEMPO: These runs teach your body how to hold a faster pace over time. Do them at a comfortably hard pace, where you can talk in phrases.
5-K/10-K RACE: This ‘tune-up’ race is optional. If you choose to do it, use it as a race rehearsal for your half-marathon – practise what you’ll wear, eat, and drink, as well as your pacing strategy.
Ready to race? Visit our race calendar for a list of events.
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