by: Hal Higdon
From Runner’s World Online
Once runners have finished their first 5-K and 10-K races, they often
ask themselves, what's the next challenge? The same for experienced runners,
looking to some variation in their training and racing.
For many, that next challenge is often the marathon, the lure of being able to
finish 26 miles 385 yards. But that can be a big (and intimidating) jump and
pose a commitment that not everybody wants to make.
Halfway between the 10-K and the marathon is the (friendlier and more accessible)
half-marathon: 13.1 miles. The "half" offers a good staging area for novice
runners--and advanced runners like the distance too, because they can race
the half more often with less stress during the race and less time recovering
after the race.
To succeed in the half-marathon, you need not only speed, but also the endurance to
hold that speed over a longer period of time. The following workouts will help you
improve your times for the half.
- Long Repeats: For success at shorter distances,
interval training featuring 200 and 400 repetitions works
quite well. To race longer, you need to train longer.
Running repetitions between 800 and 1600 meters will
improve your endurance. Run the repetitions near your
5-K and 10-K race pace respectively. Jog or walk
400-800 meters between each repeat. You may want to
do your long repetitions on the road, rather than on the track.
- Pace Training: Learning to pace yourself properly is even more important in
the half-marathon than it is in the 5-K or 10-K. If you've gone out too fast in
one of those races, you sometimes can gut it out over the last mile without
losing too much time. In the half, you'll have a longer time to pay for your
sins. Do some of your training at race pace. Saturday is a good day for this,
before your Sunday long runs.
- Tempo Runs: This is a continuous run with a build-up in the middle to
near half-marathon race pace. The difference between the Tempo Runs done
while training for 5-K or 10-K races is that you don't run quite as fast
in the middle, but you hold your speed longer. A Tempo Run of 45-60 minutes
would begin with 10-20 minutes easy running; build to 20-30 minutes near
half-marathon pace, then 5-10 minutes cooling down. The pace build-up should
be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout.
For additional explanations of how to do these workouts, check the 5-K and 10-K training schedules.
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1
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3
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4 x 800
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rest or easy run
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45 min Tempo
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rest
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4 m race pace
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1:45 run (3/1)
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2
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3
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3 x 1600
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rest or easy run
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50 min Tempo
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rest
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5 m race pace
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1:45 run
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3
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3
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5 x 800
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rest or easy run
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30 min Tempo
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rest or easy run
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rest
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15-K Race
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4
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3
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4 x 1600
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rest or easy run
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55 min Tempo
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rest
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5 m race pace
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2:00 run (3/1)
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5
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3
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6 x 800
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rest or easy run
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60 min Tempo
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rest
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3 m race pace
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2:00 run
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6
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2
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6 x 400
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rest or easy run
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30 min Tempo
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rest or easy run
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rest
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13.1 m Race
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A different approach to training for the half-marathon would be
to follow the first nine weeks of the full marathon program, either as
an end in itself or as a staging area for a fast marathon. Rest, or cut
back your training, for a week after your half-marathon, then continue
on to the marathon.
Reviewed by: Amy Fletcher, M.S., ACSM-certified, CSCS.
Fitness Specialist, Health Iowa/Student Health Service
Reviewed by: Sarah Hansen, MA, CHES (Certified
Health Education Specialist), Health Iowa Coordinator
February 14, 2005