If you want to know how
to train for your first half marathon, you're in the right place.
I'm going to break down everything you need to know
about half marathon training.
Step by step, at the end of the video, I'm going to show you
where to get a free copy of the beginner's half marathon training plan.
I usually suggest for runners tackling the 13.1 mile distance
for the very first time.
Let's get straight into the running tips,
and I'll show you how to run a half marathon.
How do you know when you're ready to start training for a half marathon?
Well, the best thing about half marathon training in comparison is training
for a full marathon is that you can actually begin
training for half marathon, even if you're yet to build
your running mileage up much beyond the five K distance.
As long as you've achieved the following prerequisites a 16 week half
marathon training plan will give you plenty of time
to train for the new longer distance with no problems.
Before you start the training plan, you need to be comfortably able
to run for miles at a slow, relaxed pace.
You should be comfortable running three to four times per week
and have consistently run ten to 15 miles per week for the last four to six weeks.
If you tick all those boxes, you're ready to start
progressively training towards your first half marathon.
If not, it's no problem.
You now know you need to work towards in the coming months
because following a training plan that you're not quite ready for
is a recipe for injury, pain and frustration.
So take the time to progress your running and you'll be ready in no time.
In fact, training for a tank is a stepping stone.
Towards your first half marathon is often a really good solution.
So when you get going with your half marathon training plan, you'll
notice that there are different types of training run scheduled each week.
These runs should all feel specifically different as you do them
and have their own specific purpose in your half marathon training.
In a moment, I'll break down each of those different types of run one by one
or you should be trying to avoid, though, is a situation
where every single run feels kind of the same.
Many runners talk about feeling like they only really have one pace,
and it's that that slows their progress as a runner.
Often, those runners tend to train at a level of effort,
which is too hard for them to be effectively training their endurance,
but not hard enough for them to be improving their speed.
Their training becomes stuck in this gray area,
and while they work hard and each session, their running doesn't really improve
very quickly at all.
So let's look at each of these different types
of running your half marathon training plan.
The first are the easy effort runs.
These are in the program to help you build your weekly running mileage.
The cumulative effect of increasing your weekly mileage
will result in more time spent running in your aerobic training zone.
This plays a huge part in building a running endurance
and giving you the stamina to run the full half marathon distance.
These easy effort runs should be exactly as they sound easy.
You should be able to hold a conversation while you're running
and have full control of your breathing.
If you feel yourself getting out of breath, slow down
as strange as it may sound.
Some days you might actually feel like you finish these easy ones
feeling better than you started.
Next, we've got the hilly tempo workouts,
tempo workouts are a type of running session
which are fantastic for improving your lactate threshold effectively.
With these, you're training your body to be able to run harder for longer.
A simple way to gauge your effort on a temporary run is to aim to run
at a sustainably uncomfortable
level of effort and effort that you could maintain for 60 Minutes
if I were to try and talk to you while you're running at this effort.
You'd only be able to reply, in short, three or four word sentences
before having to regather your breath.
The reason I get runners to focus on effort with these workouts
rather than pace is that these runs should be done on a hilly route,
so your pace will largely be dictated by the terrain.
Having hills into the equation really helps build strength and resilience
in your legs as a runner.
Of course, then there's the weekly long run.
This is arguably the most important run of your training week,
as we'll be progressively increasing the distance week after week month.
Slow the easy pace runs.
You should be running your long runs at a conversational pace.
You will, however, notice that your legs begin
to feel heavy towards the end of the longer runs in the program,
especially if it's the first time you've ever run so far.
If anything, you should feel the fatigue in your legs in the latter stages
of a long run rather than feeling out of breath.
In that way, it's very different to a tempo workout.
Some coaches say that you don't need to run more than a ten mile long run
before your first half marathon, and I do agree from a physiological perspective.
But psychologically, I find that taking runners up to 14 miles, that's right.
Over half marathon
distance in training has a huge effect on boosting their confidence
in their ability to cover the half marathon distance
running the full distance in training.
No matter how slow you go, will leave you knowing that you can do it and allow you
to focus on following your race plan come half marathon day.
Obviously, this is a very different approach to
how have you training for a full marathon where you wouldn't go anywhere
near a full distance in training.
However, when the time comes in your program for the over distance run,
your body will recover quick enough from running 14 miles
to not have a negative impact on the next week's training.
That big confidence boost is worth the extra
miles as your half marathon begins to get closer.
We begin to add some target race pace running into the program.
It's important to get a feel for what race pace should feel like on the day
so that you can get familiar with that level of effort.
For the same reason, you should consider entering a tank race
four or five weeks before your half marathon date.
Use this as a dress rehearsal for your half marathon,
rather than an opportunity to set a new tank personal bests
set off of your planned half marathon pace
and aim to run that pace steadily mile after mile at the end of your tank.
You should feel really good
like you've got lots of running still left in your legs.
Plan ahead and wear what you'd wear for your half marathon
and even use the same race nutrition as you would do on the big day.
If you download the free copy of my beginner's half marathon training plan
I mentioned at the start again, the link is down in the description.
You'll notice that I've also incorporated regular
strength in injury prevention workouts into the training plan.
So many half marathon training plans treat this as an afterthought,
but I wanted to make it a key part of the program
as there's nothing worse than getting injured.
Just as your running is starting to improve, these workouts
will help keep you running strong and injury free.
Check the video on screen right now for a complete breakdown of the half
marathon training plan
as I walk you through how to train for your first half marathon step by step.