The Beginner's Half-Marathon Training Plan

I've been researching training plans for the half marathon and here is what I think I've decided.  I guess I'm looking at a 12 week training program.  That would start my training on August 8th for the Monster Dash 1/2 Marathon on October 30th.  Since I'm training for the Ragnar Relay Great River until August 20th, I'll have to incorporate a 2 week overlap but it's all running so it should be fine. 

Lots of great articles on training out there. I grabbed the Beginner's Half Marathon Program from coolrunning.com.  I modified to make Sunday and Thursday "REST" days instead of Monday and Friday.  Rest Day is really a cross-training day, not necessarily a non-workout day which I find cool actually because I really miss my bike! (a fun future post subject.)

So for the overlap I'll use the last two weeks of my Ragnar Training Schedule and incorporate a weekly Fartlek (4M). (A new term for me and yet another future post subject!) 

I really like that there are two rest days, unlike the Ragnar plan.  On top of the running, I have my strength conditioning workouts 3-4 times per week and Yoga on Tuesday and Thursday.  I also look forward to learning how to do the Intervals (for speed) and Tempo Runs (for speed and pace).   I really hope I can learn to increase my speed and pace.

 

I'm excited about trying to follow another plan!  I can't even express the joys I find with running from emotional release to weight loss.  There is lots for me to learn in this training plan and I look forward to it! Each plan and each race keeps me going and this blog is my accountability.  All part of my life changing journey of running it off!  First half marathon, here I come! 

Rangar Training Schedule

Here it is!  The training schedule I came up with. 

The week of 6/28, 7/5 and most of 7/12 are pre-plan results.  Starting 7/16 I did my first "2x run" (2 runs in a day).  Then on Saturday I managed barely an 8M (instead of 10M) which I dubbed "The Run (Walk) of Mishaps".  I learned a ton of lessons, which is the idea of a training plan I think. In the end I ran a 16 miles in a Ragnar time frame (24 hrs).  Yay me! :)

The key points of the plan as I see it, which I pulled from the Ragnar Relay Intermediate Training Plan are (in my own lingo) "easy run" Monday's, "hill work" Tuesday's, "pace work" Wednesday's , "recovery run" Friday's, "2x run" or "distance run" Thursday's, "3x runs" or "long run" Saturday's and much needed "rest day" Sunday's.  I noticed the 2x and 3x runs alternate so one week is a "2x run" Thursday and the next week is a "3x run" Saturday. This should be interesting.

I can't wait to see how well I can stick to this plan and the results!  I've never had a real training plan before other than just running.  I think that I finally have a habit of running.  I'm sure I won't be excited about every run but at least I think I can stick to it.