Training for a half marathon

The starting point for training depends on your experience, current levels of activity and time to train. You need to be confident that you are able to schedule regular training in to your week as consistency is one key part of the training process. Building up regular individual training sessions which progress in a planned manner week-to-week will allow your body to adapt to the demands that are being placed on it.

If able, purchase a heart rate monitor as this will allow you to know how hard you are working and will allow you to correct your pace as needed during training runs. To develop endurance fitness, assuming you are able to run 4-5 km or jog for 20-30 mins relatively comfortably, you should be aiming to run at 80-85% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your (theoretical) maximum heart rate subtract your age from 220.

If we take someone of 40 years of age as an example it would work out as follows:

• Age= 40
• Maximum heart rate (220-40) = 180 beats per min
• Optimum running heart rate at 80-85% = 145-155 beats per minute.

Running at this intensity, a manageable steady pace, will stimulate the body to physiologically adapt to the demands it is being placed upon it and become more efficient (i.e. fitter!). Adaptations to training occur over a number of weeks so it is important to train to a plan which increases volume of distance in a progressive manner.

You know that you need to be able to cover 21km by 6 March so planning back from this point may provide a logical schedule. Let’s use a hypothetical recreational runner as an example, who has other commitments in the week but can run 5 km comfortably a couple of times a week. If this runner is wanting to complete the race in 2 hrs, working at 80-85% of theoretical maximum heart rate, they could adopt the following plan:

• Split the training in to high – medium – low weeks of training relative to total miles/Km covered.
• Aim for 3 runs per week (two medium and one longer run as the model).

The weekly model varies the total distance covered up to the race week. A few things to keep in mind when putting this plan into action:

• The lower volume weeks will allow your body to adapt to the training which is occurring.
• You should schedule your longer runs with a clear rest day afterwards.
• The longest run can be 18-20 km.

Run 1, 2, 3 are interchangeable, schedule your long run in the best position relative to your wider weekly activities.

As a recreational runner there is no need to cover the full distance before the event. Leave that for the race day!