Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 10

The final week!

Session 1: Cruise Intervals

40 to 60 minutes. Include up to 5 x 1km at Cruise Interval pace which we discussed back in week 1 (session 2), with a 2 minute recovery jog between each rep. Include a warm-up and warm-down. Remember Cruise Interval pace is not hard but nice and steady. This session should be fun and not tough, if you’re finding it tough then hold back the pace a little.

Session 2: Fartlek Run

40 – 60 minutes, include up to 8 x 30 seconds strides with 1 minute jog recovery between reps. Include the pace change in the middle or second half of the run and should be at your 5k pace or faster and try to get the cadence up high.

Session 3: Short easy run

About 30-40 minutes only at a nice relaxed and comfortable pace. Include a warm-up and warm-down before you get into a comfortable, relaxed pace. You should feel refreshed at the end and keep this run under control. This session is about keeping the legs warm ready for race day and should be the day before.

Session 4: Race day

Time to put all the training to the test. Remember to trust yourself and the training you’ve done, it all comes together today. Let me know how you get on.

This week you should have at least 2 days of no exercise at all to let your body finish the repair work ready for race day.

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 9

In to the final 2 weeks, so give it a final push to achieve your goal..

Session 1: Fartlek Run

6 to 8 x 1 minute at your 5-10k pace with a minute recovery between each rep. Don’t forget to include a warm-up and warm-down. Remember in these sessions it’s important to keep the same pace during the hard efforts and adjust the recovery pace if needed. However, if you feel like a challenge on this one then why not try the 1st 4 reps at 10k pace and the next 4 at 5k pace. It’s important to do it that way round so you can see if your legs can take the pace for the 2nd half of the session.

Session 2: Steady State Run

60-80 mins include 6 miles at a steady state pace after a warmup. At this stage we’re looking to stay relaxed at a relaxed pace, it’s a little faster than the easy runs and not as fast as tempo. You should feel like you’ve done a decent workout after this but shouldn’t feel tired.

Session 3: Short easy run

About 30-40 minutes only at a nice relaxed and comfortable pace. Include a warm-up and warm-down before you get into a comfortable, relaxed pace. You should feel refreshed at the end and keep this run under control.

Session 4: Fast finish long run

90 mins to 2 hours. Warm-up, then a few miles at your normal long run pace then finish with up to 4 miles at your goal pace, aiming for a total of 10-12 miles depending on what your target is for the half marathon. If you’ve got anything left to sort out in terms of nutrition or hydration for race day then today is the last chance to get that sorted. This shouldn’t be a tough day and you should finish confidently.

Next week is “race day”. If you’re not feeling confident that you can achieve your goal then it’s fine to repeat some of this plan to build your confidence and your fitness. If you’re struggling then maybe circle back to the 1st recovery week, if you’re nearly there then go back to the 2nd recovery week – make sure you include the recovery week though.

Now is also the time to start thinking about what route you’re going to use next week. Unfortunately, there isn’t an organised race you can try out the plan on at the moment so it’s going to have to be your own race which can make the event a little tougher but if you’ve stuck with the plan you’re ready!

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 8

After last week we’re going to start building up to the final race day with the final 3 weeks of training. Things will get tough before we get to the end so time to start digging deep and persevere.

Session 1: Easy Run

This session allows an additional recovery day – we’re going to start getting ready for the final push to race day after this session so take it nice and easy on this session. Run for around 60 to 70 mins, keep it relaxed and shake out those joints.

Session 2: Tempo Run

3 to 6 miles at Tempo run pace as the middle section of a 60 to 90 minute run. Don’t forget to include a warm-up and warm-down. You should feel better after this session than when you did tempo runs a few weeks ago. The target is to run longer at tempo pace than you have been doing, so keep the pace under control – this is not about just speed but some speed at a controlled pace.

Session 3: Short easy run

About 40-60 minutes only at a nice relaxed and comfortable pace. Include a warm-up and warm-down before you get into a comfortable, relaxed pace. You should feel refreshed at the end and certainly not tired.

Session 4: long run

Run for around 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. A nice easy pace finish to the week building up some endurance and getting ready for race day.

Next week is going to be tough so make sure the easy runs in this week are exactly that. You should be feeling much more comfortable running for longer now and Tempo pace runs should not be exhausting. If you’re struggling then you might want to repeat the weeks between the 2 recovery weeks – it’s better to take extra time and get the effect you want rather than rushing through to the end. Especially at the moment when the race calendar is so empty.

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 7

This week is the second recovery week. Although, don’t get too excited because it’s still got some tough sessions, there’s just a few rest days.

Session 1: Progression run

Run a relatively easy run for 50-60 minutes then another 20 minutes at your target half-marathon pace or a little faster. Also don’t forget to include a warm up and warm down including some stretches to stop those muscles shortening. Take it nice and slow on the easy section and keep in control on the faster section. You should not feel tired after this session.

Session 2: Speed workout

5-6 x 1 mile at speed pace with a 3 minute jog recovery between each rep. This session is about testing your mental strength, the last couple of reps are going to be tough but try to keep the pace the same as for the first few. This session is about preparing for race day, it might get tough out on the course and you may need to dig deep to finish in your goal time so this session will help you prepare for that. You will feel tired after this one so make sure you’re prepared.

Session 3: Short easy run

About 30-40 minutes only at a nice relaxed and comfortable pace.

Session 4: Finish fast, long run

Run for around 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes. Most of this run should be at a nice steady, easy pace then build up to finish the last 2 to 4 miles at goal pace and finish the last mile at a slightly faster pace. You’re aiming for about 12-14 miles for the run. Remember, this is not race day so don’t try to run the whole thing at goal pace, stick to the plan, run fast at the end but don’t race.

This week you should have 2 days with no exercise at all (that’s the recovery bit of this week), so no strength and conditioning or cycling on those rest days and if you need to miss a session this week then drop session 3.

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 6

So you’re over the half way point at it was a tough week last week. Although it’s not as tough this week, it’s not an easy week.

Session 1: Fartlek Run

10-12 x I min at 5k pace with 1 minute jog recovery between each rep. Include a warm-up and warm-down. This is a tough session and it’s the optional one for the week, if you need to drop a session then drop this one. These speed sessions will help when we bring all this together in to the half marathon. In particular these sessions are going to help you maintain your pace over the whole race. Obviously you won’t be running it at 5k pace but this is aimed at pushing your energy systems to exhaustion so that you can sustain a much longer race.

Session 2: Tempo Intervals

3-4 x 2 miles at Tempo pace with a 4 minute jog recovery between reps. Your Tempo pace is not as fast as session 1 but is faster than your easy pace. It’s going to be pushing your heart rate up to around 70-75% of your maximum heart rate, so you’re going to feel it but not be shattered when you finish.

Session 3: Easy Run

A short one for this session, 30-40 mins only, at a nice relaxed pace just to loosen up your legs from the speed sessions this week before the long run.

Session 4: Long run

Up to 2 hours. Nice and steady for this one. There’s also not progression this week, just a nice long slow run to get some miles in the legs.

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 5

This week will see the half way point (at the end)! I hope you’re seeing some benefits, but don’t panic if you’re not, it’s a 10 week plan and for some you might need to get all the way through to see the real benefit of the plan. Last week was a recovery week so you might be surprised at what you can do this week. A recovery week allows your body to do some essential repairs and get ready for more building. This week is a little tough so you’ll be glad of last week, but it’s essential for building some speed into distance runs.

Session 1: Progression Run

80-90 mins and finish the last 20 minutes at your target half marathon pace or faster. Over the next few weeks we’re going to start making fast finishing a habit so that come race day you can get your target time. This session is about encouraging that habit. The first section of this run should be a little slower than your target pace, but not as slow as an easy pace run.

Session 2: Speed Workout

6-8 x 1200 meters at fast pace with a 3 min recovery between reps. Don’t forget to include a warm-up and warm-down. This session is tough because we want to make the effort in the final few reps so that we get the same pace consistently in all reps. You’ll feel like quitting when you get to the last few, so decide at the start how many you want to do and dig deep. If you need to slow the recovery down to a walk then that’s ok. Apart from improving your speed these sessions are also designed to help build your mental strength – you’ll need the ability to dig deep and finish on race day.

Session 3: Easy run

40-60 mins. Nice and easy recovery run, you’ve has a tough week and you’ve got a final tough session coming up.

Session 4: Fast Finish Long Run

1 hr 45 mins to 2 hrs 15 mins. We’re aiming for 12-14 miles for this session but this is not your race. Cruise along at a nice steady pace to start then for the middle section try to hit your target pace and finish fast. So it might be 7 miles easy pace, 4 miles at goal pace then fast for the final 2 miles. Adjust it to suit yourself. You’re aiming for 2-4 miles at target pace in the middle section and 1-2 miles for a fast finish. Remember though, don’t race this run, that’ll come in another 5 weeks, this is about being able to run at target pace when you’ve got a few miles in your legs and also to be able to finish fast. Plan your run and if you’ve got a running watch programme it so you can stick to the plan.

This is a tough week so hang on in there and persevere, it’ll be worth it.

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 4

Last week was a tough week, this week is not as tough. So you’ll be able to concentrate a little more on form. This type of week is a recovery week, with lower mileage and try to take a couple of days off from running or any form of exercise. This is essential to help prevent injuries. If you need to stretch your legs go for a short, gentle walk. But just keep the intensity low on those days off.

Session 1: Easy Run

40-50 mins. A nice easy pace and shorter than we’ve been doing on these easy pace runs. No racing, and if there’s any hills in there then slow the pace right down. You should finish refreshed and not tired at all.

Session 2: Tempo Run

3 to 5 miles at Tempo Pace. Don’t forget a warm up and warm down. The tempo pace should stretch you a little and by the end you should feel like you’ve had a decent workout. A good guide is if you are only able to snatch 2 or 3 word sentences whilst running.

Session 3: Easy Pace

This is a really short run of 30-40 minutes and a nice easy pace. Treat this as a recovery run or a warm-up before your long run.

Session 4: Long Run

90 mins. Building up the endurance strength. Remember these long runs should be nice and easy, relax. Try to run the final 20 minutes a little faster, but not at race pace.

This week still has 4 sessions but only one of them is relatively tough and remember at least 2 days of no exercise whatsoever – this is a recovery week and it’s important to reduce the risk of injury

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 3

This is quite a tough week. Enjoy!

Session 1: Progression Run

80-90 mins. For most of this run take an easy pace and then for the final 20 minutes run at your target half-marathon pace or a little faster if you can. From this week we’ll start to introduce mid-week longer runs that are designed to build your strength (but they won’t be every week).

Session 2: Speed Workout

5-6 x 1 mile at speed pace with a 3 minute jog recovery between reps. Don’t forget to include a warm up and warm down. Stay under control during the speed section on this workout, you’ve got a few to do and this workout is tough enough without exhausting yourself early on. You’ll probably find the 1st one tough but persevere, if you’ve got the pace right then the middle ones should be ok before you start to get fatigued for the final one or two. The speed sections should be fast, but they’re not sprints. Try to have a consistent pace but if you need to adjust in order to achieve all reps then don’t be afraid to – it’s not as important as it is on the Fartlek workouts.

Session 3: Easy Pace

Up to an hour for this workout. This is the optional run this week if you need to drop a session. Treat this as a recovery run or a warm-up before your long run.

Session 4: Long Run

90-105 mins. Building up the endurance strength. Remember these long runs should be nice and easy, relax, talk to a fellow runner (or yourself if you’re on your own)

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 2

Session 1: Easy Run

50-70 minutes. Basic endurance building, remember to keep it at an easy pace. These runs will become one of the foundations of the plan so it’s good if you’ve got a few routes you can use so that you don’t get bored with running the same one all the time. It’s also useful if you’ve got a route that you can extend a little if you’re finding that you want a little more (or cut short if you need to).

Session 2: Tempo Intervals

2-3 x 2 miles at Tempo Pace with 4 minute jog recovery in between reps. Include a warm-up and warm-down. Tempo Intervals are about find ing a fast but comfortable rhythm. Your heart rate will be higher than the easy pace runs but you should be able to speak two or three word sentences. It’s important to find a good rhythm as this is going to help come race day.

Session 3: Easy Run

40-60 minutes, a little shorter than session 1 but at a similar pace. This is effectively a recovery run after session 2 to loosen up the legs and get ready for the long run coming up in session 4.

Session 4: Long run

1hr 30 mins to 1hr 45 mins. Easy, steady pace. This session is just about time on your feet running. You should not feel exhausted at the end of this but it’s ok if your legs are tired and your feet ache.

If you need to miss a session this week then drop session 1 or 3 (or both if you need to). Also try to get in some strength and conditioning time. This might be a session or two with Isolation Fitness or simply a 15 minute stretch. Remember to use dynamic warm-ups before a run and static stretches after. Static stretches before a run will usually overextend joints and muscles and can increase the chance of injury, whereas if used afterwards they help prevent muscles shortening – which will lead to all sorts of problems and potential injuries later.

Adrian’s Half Marathon Training Plan – Week 1

This plan is based on running 4 training sessions a week. If you want more then fit in one or more 5-8k sessions on the other days. As you progress through the weeks you might want to up the mileage on these runs to 10k. If you want fewer sessions per week then I’ll indicate which ones you could miss out on and still stick to the overall plan.

Session 1: Fartlek run

10-12 x 1 minute at 5k to 10k pace with 1 minute recovery jog between. Don’t forget to include a warm-up and warm-down both of which should be 10-20 mins and should be at a slow pace. The important thing with Fartlek runs is that the pace of the early reps should be the same as the late reps. If you find yourself struggling then vary the pace on your recovery, down to a walk if necessary. Have a look back at the 5k plan to see the discussion on setting pace and using HR zones to help deciding what pace suits what zone. (5k training plan week 4).

Session 2: Cruise Intervals

6-8 x 1km at cruise interval pace followed by 2 minute jog recovery. Don’t forget a 10-20 minute warm-up and warm-down. These are not speed repeats but are stamina training intervals. Your cruise pace should be controlled and comfortable, it’s probably a little faster than your half-marathon pace but not as fast as 10k, maybe a 10 mile pace would be a good guide to start but you can use your breathing to help decide if that pace is ok for this session; you should feel comfortable and similar to a longer tempo run. Set yourself a narrow pace target to help you stay under control during this session.

Session 3: Easy Run

40 -60 minutes at an easy pace. An easy pace is faster than your warmup or jog recovery pace that you’ve been doing during the week but your breathing should be fully under control and you should be able to have full sentence conversations (with a running partner or yourself, whichever suits!) Remember if you’re running with another runner to practice social distancing at the moment. For these easy runs a partner can be useful as it’s harder to run with someone else on the other sessions. These 60 min runs form the foundation of the half-marathon plan and will help build the stamina you are going to need.

Session 4: Long run

Up to 90 minutes at an easy pace. These longer runs will help you build your endurance which in turn will help with the speed sessions so they are important. However, remember this is an easy pace run not a race! Easy pace is important because it won’t need as much time for your body to repair so that you can carry on with the training plan. Remember, not every run is a race and we’re training for a race in 10 weeks time.

If you need to cut a session from this week then drop session 1, if you need to miss another then drop session 3.