If
you’re planning to run a half marathon anytime soon, you’ll need a half marathon
schedule. A good one will guide you through the ups and downs of
your journey, right from your very first timid and unconfident steps on the road, through
to your triumphant strides over the finishing line of your first half marathon
race.
One thing’s for sure, without a plan of
action and an effective guide to what needs to be done and when, you really don’t stand a good
chance of reaching your destination at all.
As well as being a good motivational tool and a
reference point to gain inspiration from when you need a boost, an effective half
marathon schedule needs to contain the following important points.
Rest Days Are Critical, So These Should Be
Included
Ideally to make the best progress, you need to
run regularly. Not too much as you risk overtraining and fatigue, but also not too
little. Three times a week is a good target to aim for as this should give you the volume that you
need to build stamina and strength in to your legs. But rest completely for at least two days every
week.
Long Runs Are the Backbone to Your
Success
This is a half marathon schedule, not a 5k, so
we need to build up our distances, but gradually over time. I recommend doing this by performing
one longer run each week which should steadily get further as your fitness improves. The weekend is
probably the best time to do this as time isn’t usually so limited.
Try Other
Types of Exercise
All exercise is not equal, especially when it
comes to running. Yes you do need to run, that’s obvious because this builds up the endurance in
your legs, but you also need to increase the ability of the heart and lungs to work harder for
longer so they’re capable of removing lactic acid quickly enough from the muscles when the
going gets tough.
Don’t Stagnate
– Try Something Different
Simply plodding along mile after mile is not
the most efficient way to become a better runner. You’ll
get faster results if you vary the way you challenge your body. The long runs are essential,
but you also need to do other types of training such as intervals, hill work and
pyramids.
Using these types of training techniques cuts
down on time, reduces the amount of stress on the joints from simply running miles every time and
will also give the fastest improvements to your fitness levels.
Whether you write your own or buy one
specifically for the job, a half marathon
schedule is an essential piece of kit, almost as important to your success as a
good pair of running shoes, so get yourself one now before you start.
If you want to know more about running a half marathon, then my new half marathon
schedule and running guide ‘Half Marathon Training For Beginners' is a very good
read...
You’ll find it a great resource to help you
plan your training but also it's a fantastic reference guide for the times when you
need inspiration and new ideas to make your workouts more interesting.
Don't you think you’d be a better runner
if you knew...
-
What to eat and
when
-
How, why and
when to train so you get fitter, stronger and more confident
-
What to do
to avoid picking up niggling injuries
-
How to build up to
race day distance in the shortest amount of time
Then why
not grab a copy of 'Half Marathon Training for Beginners’ – A half marathon training
schedule which gets you results – FAST.
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