I’m now three weeks into my “official” half marathon training plan (and have exactly two months to go until the race!). Part of me has been seriously regretting this decision. With our somewhat unexpected change of heart about our time line for buying/selling, our free time has been jam packed, and won’t get any less busy as we hopefully close and move during October. But the registration fee for the race has been paid, with no refunds or deferrals possible, so I decided I have to stay focused in my training. Luckily it’s also provided me with a great stress release outlet, and I can let my mind wander to future paint colors while I’m logging the miles.
I’m using a combination of two training plans for this race. The first one is Hal Higdon’s Novice Half Marathon plan. I’ll be honest and admit my strength training and cross training have not been up to par, but I am getting in the three main runs a week from this plan. So far the distances have felt managable, I’m up to a 5 mile max so far that actually felt pretty easy!
Right before I started my official training schedule, a friend recommended another plan, which is found in the book Marathoning for Mortals. I picked up the book and really related to their philosophy of different methods of approaching the race based on your fitness level, the amount of time you have to train, and your physical limitations. I was already using a rough run/walk interval method for training, so the official run/walk training plan in this book seemed like a great fit for me. In this method, you train for a 4 min run/1 min walk interval all the way through the race. The MfM plan actually requires a bit more time than HH’s plan, so I’m using a hybrid of the two. I may eventually shift over to using one or the other 100%, but for now I’m mixing together the MfM intervals with the HH distances, and happy with my progress.
My goals for this race are (a) to finish, (b) ideally in under 2.5 hours, and (c) to still enjoy running after this race.
Think I can do it? Any distance running tips from experts?
Good Bones Home 