re: Official Running Log/Marathon Training Thread

Since yall are dropping serious knowledge in here today, rate my HM program.

Race is on December 8.

The Wednesday track days are in a structured group.

Mondays and Fridays have been pretty fast paced with a few intervals on the last mile or 2, I think i need to slow down and just focus logging good miles on these days, the baw I run with is a monster and he has been getting me out of the comfort zone, which I do think has been good for the mental aspect.

Sundays are just standard slow/long days.

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Polar Pop

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Is this your first race? If not, when was your last race, what distance, and what was the outcome? I'm new to the thread and don't know your running experience.

I might have shared this before, but these are the plans from the Richmond Half Marathon training teams. It was my first time attempting a half distance, but I did well enough on a 10k training team that I felt comfortable with the bump up. I did the Intermediate plan and finished faster than my goal time.

Half Marathon- Novice


Half Marathon- Intermediate


The midweek runs are more important than you think when training for long distances.

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Last race on "my time" was a 5k in July at 24 minutes

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Okay. So about 7:43/mi pace.

Looks like you are running 4 days per week with a midweek speed day, another intensity day, and a long run. That only leaves you one easy day. I would either limit yourself to 1 intensity day or add another easy day to your schedule. Generally, you want your intensity miles to make up only 10-20% of your total volume, especially if you are currently building mileage.

The track workouts are good for improving speed, but the half you really want to prioritize endurance and threshold training over speed work. Ideally, you want to include some of all three in your program, but given where you are at, how many weeks you have left, how many days you are training, and what your race distance is, you won't be able to accomplish that and meet your current potential in the half.

Generally, you want to focus on building volume and an aerobic foundation early on, then add in some threshold and progression runs later, then some speed work. Your workouts should become more specific to your race as you progress from week to week.

For example, intervals would come in about midway and would progress from shorter (i.e. 400m) and faster (i.e. 3K pace) to longer (i.e. 1600m) and slower (i.e. 10K pace). Threshold runs would come in after the first few weeks. You might start with some fartleks at marathon pace or progression runs at 1/2 marathon to marathon pace and progress to tempo runs at 5K pace.

If you wanted to do some neuromuscular conditioning early in your training, short hill sprints re a good way to do that. These are repetitions of 8-12 seconds sprint up a steep hill and slowly jogging back down to recover in between reps. You could start with 1 or 2 reps at the end of an easy run per week and work up to 8 reps. These improve your ability to recruit as many muscle fibers as you can at once to increase your power and speed without becoming anaerobic and over-training.

I would aim for a pace between 9:45 and 10:15 per mile during your easy efforts and even a little slower during recovery runs. I don't see any of those in your schedule. I would at least add a recovery run the day after your speed work. Recovery is where your body adapts to the stress you are putting it through and improves your fitness.

Those ladders look good, but I would really move those to later on in your program. You don't want to peak too early. Running a fast half is more about being able to sustain moderately fast paces for longer than it is about raw speed. You'll gain more from tempo and progression runs than you will from track workouts if you had to choose just one of those things.

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ETA: I am "M. S." on the Strava group if you have time to look at my runs.

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I haven't checked my strava for a while, but I will find you on there. What is the name of the strava group?

If you are sticking with 4 days per week, then I would go:

M: Rest
Tu: Intensity workout
W: Recovery Run
Th: Rest
F: Easy Run w/ Hill Sprints
Sa: Rest
Su: Long Run

If you are wanting to keep Wednesday as you intensity day, then you could shuffle things to:

M: Easy Run w/ Hill Sprints
Tu: Rest
W: Intensity workout
Th: Recovery Run
F: Rest
Sa: Rest
Su: Long Run

Your intensity days might look something like:

3) 5 miles @ EZ (~9:30 pace) with 30-seconds at 7:30-8:00 pace every 1/2 mile or so.
4) 6 miles @ EZ (~9:30 pace) with 40-seconds at 7:30-8:00 pace every 1/2 mile or so.
5) 2 Miles EZ; 1-minute, 2-minute, 3-minute 2-minute, 1-minute @ 6:51 pace with 400m jogging recoveries between; 2 Miles EZ
6) 1-Mile EZ; 2 X 2 Miles @ 8:00-8:30 pace w/ 4-Minute Rest Interval at EZ pace in between; 1-Mile EZ
7) 1-Mile EZ; 6 X 800m @ 7:43 w/ 2-minute jogging recoveries; 1-Mile EZ
8) 1 Mile EZ; 5 Miles @ 8:30; 1 Mile EZ
9) 2 Miles EZ; 5 X 1K @ 7:43 w/ 90-second recoveries; 1 Mile EZ
10) 1 Mile EZ; 2 X 1 Mile @ 8:00 w/ 3 Minute EZ pace Recoveries; 1 Mile EZ.

I would change your last week schedule a little to something like this.

M: Rest
Tu: Intensity
W: Recovery Run
Th: Rest
F: EZ run with a few strides or hills sprints
Sa: Rest or Short Recovery Run
Su: Race

Damn. Glad you finally joined the thread. Solid stuff

I definitely need to keep Wednesday as the intensity day. That is the day that the group meets for the interval work, I know its not the most productive towards the goal, but I really enjoy the camaraderie.

On the recovery run, is there a suggested length?

Gonna switch it up and talk marathon strategy. I know HB and PHB are pretty competitive so I wouldn’t mind if they chime in if they read this.

I’m thinking since this is my first marathon, I go out with the lead pack and either hangout if it’s doable for the first half, then race the 13.1 to my potential. If that’s not an option, let my watch pace me I guess.

My biggest fear is being caught in no man’s land, too far out to make a move and relying on my watch. For reference, 240 to 305 have taken this race in the past.

My biggest, biggest fear is that I find out that the marathon is my distance.

Edit: Guess I should add the race is a month and a half out but it's starting to consume me. I've been doing a lot of visualization before bed and I have to admit that I'm excited even though I never wanted to do a marathon.

White River marathon in Cotter Arkansas. It's a flat fast BQ or so I hear.

ETA I'm always happy to hear about good marathon experiences. Usually you only hear the bad. I want to be competitive but if the field has an off year, I don't want to sleepwalk this thing.

With your experience, you are set to have a good race. I had an idea of where I wanted to finish, but I mainly just tried to enjoy the experience and trust my training. Other than the cramping late in the race, I don't remember anything bad about it. I thanked the police whenever I passed them which helped lighten things up. Walking 2 miles uphill back to my hotel room was a little rough, but it probably helped reduced my recovery time during the days after.