New runners who already find the 10-kilometer races easy usually move up to a half marathon. But not everybody who wants to run a 13.1-mile race can do that right away. You need to train for it. If you have a trainer, he can provide you with a half marathon training plan that works for you. But, if you are training yourself, this guide that we will provide you will help you a lot.
Get Started
The first thing that you should know is preparing your body for this type of race takes time. The perfect training duration is 12 weeks but you can also stretch it to 16 weeks if you have the liberty of time. The longer you train the better since you can give your body enough rest between training session. But, the 12-week plan works fine as well.
Let’s begin!
Training Structure
Mondays: Always reserve Mondays for rest. You should know that resting is critical and will ensure that you don’t get any serious injuries before the race.
Tuesdays and Thursdays: On these days, run at a moderate pace or a pace which is slightly faster than what you use for the long run. You maintain this pace until you achieve your designated mileage. Do not forget to stretch after cooling down.
Wednesdays: This day is for cross-training. You can do biking, swimming, walking, or elliptical trainer for 30-5 minutes. Keep your work out easy-to-moderate during this day. You can also do some basic strength training on Wednesdays which helps you gain some muscle endurance.
Friday: You can choose to rest during this day or do some easy-to-moderate cross training. It is completely okay to rest this day if you are feeling sore or sluggish because you need to be in perfect shape by Saturday. But, if you are feeling great, doing some cross training will help you build more endurance as well.
Saturdays: This is the day when you take your long distance run. It is best if you maintain a slow pace during this run. You should run the designated mileage at a comfortable pace. This is also the best day to practice proper breathing which is extremely important when you are already in the actual race.
Sundays: Treat this day as an active recovery day. Do a short 20-30 minutes run while maintaining an easy comfortable pace. All you want is to loosen up your muscles. Never forget to do some gentle stretching after your Sunday run.
Prescribed Mileage In Your Half Marathon Training Plan
If you are going to follow this 12-week plan, you can see that the mileage that you cover each week will increase. The slight increase is really important because it helps your body to slowly adapt to the distance it needs to run. You can easily find the right mileage for a half marathon training plan online.
Tips Before You Begin
It is important to invest in the appropriate gear before you start this training. You should buy running shoes that are suitable for long-distance running since it offers your feet more support. And never forget the right apparel and also high-quality hydration equipment. They don’t need to be the most expensive ones, they just need to do their job in keeping your comfortable during your long runs.
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