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Despite the impression its name gives,
a half marathon isn’t just a warm up for the main event – the marathon. It’s a huge challenge in
itself and something not to be taken lightly.
Throughout your
half marathon training you’re going to need to build up
to running 13.1 miles without rest and that’s no easy task.
So give it the respect it deserves and follow these
5 golden rules...
#1 Give Your Body An Overhaul
Go your doctor or a registered physio for a
check up before you start. Try getting to bed earlier at night and watching your diet, start to get
more active overall... find ways to add more activity in to your life.
#2 Follow A Plan
Any good quality half marathon training
schedule should contain the proper level of progression and enough rest days to allow for
full recovery. Stick to your plan as much as you can but don’t be afraid to take the additional
rest days if you really need them.
Also you’ll have days where you feel like doing
more than your schedule suggests, I would ignore your urge to clock up more miles as
it's far better to work comfortably within your
capabilities when you can than to push yourself constantly.
#3 Sign Yourself Up For A Couple Of Races
Instead of waiting until the day of your big
race to experience the thrill and rush of race day, why not assist your preparations by booking
yourself on to a 5k, and then a 10k or 2. Doing this also helps to give you a couple of mini
targets to hit along the way.
#4 Don’t Forget About Rest Days
Allowing your body enough rest between runs is
critical to your success. Keep pushing yourself without sufficient recovery is a sure fire recipe
for disaster. You'll feel run down, be susceptible to any bugs going and be way more likely to get
struck by niggling injuries.
It’s a great thing to be focussed and committed
to your training, but you do have to be mature enough to sometimes say, ‘you know what I’m really
tired today, I’m not going to run.’ Just make sure it’s your body telling you and not your
heart.
#5 Add In Some
Speed
Yes the half marathon is a long and steady run
and yes, you’ll need to do your fair share or this type of training. However you’ll make much
quicker progress if you add in some speed sessions to your plan. Speed work helps to improve the
strength and power in your legs and to improve your aerobic capacity.
Ignore the discomfort you feel on your
challenging days. Don’t think about how far you still have to go. Think of it as how much
closer you are getting to your goal. Remember half marathon
training isn’t a walk in the park, there is always going to be times when you
need to call upon your inner strength to carry you through.
If you want to know more
about training for a half marathon, then my new half marathon running guide
‘Half Marathon Training For
Beginners' is an excellent choice...
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.
If you think
you’d be a better runner if you knew...
-
What to eat and
when
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How, why and
when to train so you get fitter, stronger and more confident
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What to do
to avoid picking up niggling injuries
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How to build up to
race day distance in the shortest amount of time
Then you
need ‘Half Marathon Training for Beginners’ – A half marathon training schedule
which gets you results – FAST.
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