Your Step-by-Step Guide to Training for Your First Half Marathon

Once you join your very first half marathon and share the excellent news, you is likely to be inundated with race ideas and methods from well-meaning associates, relations, and random “health professionals” on social media. All of a sudden, you’re questioning each coaching choice you’ve made.

However this doesn’t must be the case. To get simple, expert-backed recommendation and clear up any confusion, comply with this in-depth beginner’s information to half marathon coaching. 

Under, you’ll discover run coach-approved newbie half marathon recommendations on the right way to construction your coaching program—together with runs and different health modalities—the right way to correctly gas and hydrate, and the right way to get your self throughout the end line on race day. Belief, you’ll head into your half marathon feeling assured and able to tackling these 13.1 miles.

Half marathon coaching construction

Your half-marathon coaching plan needs to be custom-made to suit your way of life and targets. Usually, although, you’ll need to run three to 5 days every week—for 3 to 4 months—to organize to your race. Right here’s the total breakdown.

Brief, simple runs

About 80 % of your runs needs to be simple runs; you’re simply getting out the door and working at a doable effort stage, which builds your cardio base, says Mireille Siné, MPH, a USATF Degree 1 working coach and the founding father of Coached by Mireille.

Meaning two to a few instances every week, try to be working at a tempo light sufficient you can maintain a dialog with a buddy or sing aloud to your Taylor Swift playlist. What’s “simple” for one individual could also be exhausting for an additional, so use this discuss check to set your velocity.

You can additionally have a look at your coronary heart fee to observe your depth, says KC Centenari, a Tonal power coach and Nike Working coach. Throughout these sluggish runs, your coronary heart fee ought to stay between 60 to 70 % of your most coronary heart fee—often called zone 2 cardio coaching.

For first-timers, Siné and Centenari counsel working for time (e.g., 40 minutes) quite than distance (e.g., three miles). This takes off among the stress and might really feel extra achievable than reaching a sure distance, particularly in case your tempo is on the sluggish aspect. If you happen to are likely to get caught up in your tempo and mileage, depart your sensible watch at residence, set a timer in your telephone to your objective period, and hit the pavement, Centenari suggests.

Lengthy runs

Every week, you’ll additionally energy by means of one future, which is often double the time or distance as your brief, simple runs, Siné says.

For instance, you’d intention to finish one 90-minute run should you did a number of 45-minute jogs all through the week. If you happen to’re simply beginning half marathon coaching, although, it’s okay to start out with a 60-minute future and construct as much as that doubled period because the weeks progress, she notes.

A few of your lengthy runs will likely be simple, with the objective of merely spending time in your toes and constructing your endurance. However you’ll additionally need to incorporate velocity work into a few of these stamina-building exercises, difficult your physique at completely different paces, Siné says.

Velocity work

Even should you don’t have a time objective in thoughts for the half marathon, you’ll need to embody velocity work in your coaching, whether or not that be fast monitor exercises or longer, tempo runs through which you alternate between jogging, working, or sprinting, Siné says. Sprinkle this coaching into your plan about as soon as every week, Centenari suggests.

Velocity work helps you apply sustaining correct kind—and, in flip, shifting effectively—as your physique begins to fatigue, which is inevitable throughout long-distance runs.

“If you’re doing these velocity exercises, you are training good working kind, you are training response time, you are training pacing, and also you’re additionally attending to study what your physique looks like…at 5K tempo or [a] half marathon tempo,” Siné says.

Choosing up the tempo can be useful coaching to your coronary heart. Exposing your physique to greater effort ranges—you’re respiratory a bit more durable, it’s more difficult to speak, your coronary heart fee is greater—can construct up your tolerance so that you’re in a position to decide up the tempo when the end line is in sight, in accordance with Centenari.

“Individuals counter-intuitively assume they must run quick on a regular basis to be quick,” she says. “But it surely’s actually these small increments of publicity. And over time, your physique will adapt.”

Find out how to progress

Most weeks, you’ll need to enhance the time you spend in your toes or your distance by about 10 %, Siné says. The primary week, you would possibly run for a complete of 4 hours. Week two, you is likely to be as much as 4 and a half hours. Week three, you possibly can be working about 5 hours. Week 4 could also be a restoration week, holding the period the identical or letting it drop barely to permit your physique to adapt to the work you’ve been placing in, Siné explains. Rinse and repeat.

On the peak of your half-marathon coaching, you’ll hit 10 to 12 miles every week, then you definately’ll drop it down barely in the course of the tapering section (extra on this under), Centenari says.

Find out how to decide the correct coaching plan

There are lots of of half marathon coaching plans obtainable on-line, however there’s no single “finest” program. As a substitute, think about your objective for the race, your schedule, your train historical past, and your earlier accidents, Centenari says.

Don’t select a coaching plan that requires 5 days of working should you can realistically squeeze in solely three. If you happen to merely need to end the race, you most likely don’t need to select a plan that’s designed that will help you hit a sure time objective. You’ll additionally need to select a coaching plan that’s simple so that you can perceive and avoids pointless jargon; there shouldn’t be a variety of guesswork, Siné says.

“You are simply searching for a program that, in your intestine, feels manageable and doable—that is my largest piece of recommendation, particularly while you’re first beginning,” Centenari says.

Find out how to add cross-training to your routine

Working shouldn’t be the solely health ingredient of your half-marathon coaching program. One to 2 instances every week, you’ll need to interact in power coaching. This resistance work will help cut back the danger of damage, because it minimizes muscle imbalances that may develop from working, improves bone power, and might improve the power of ligaments and tendons, in accordance with the American School of Sports activities Drugs (ACSM).

Working is a unilateral motion—you by no means have each toes on the bottom on the similar time. So within the gymnasium, try to be testing your muscle tissues with a mixture of single-leg workouts that construct stability, Centenari says. Her favorites: lunges and single-leg Romanian deadlifts. It’s also possible to attempt leaping lunges, single-leg field jumps, and skaters to construct energy that may assist propel you to the end.

Lateral actions (i.e., workouts happening within the frontal airplane of movement) are additionally key. Although working is essentially a ahead motion sample, chances are you’ll must shortly soar out to the aspect to keep away from a pothole or pedestrian on the sidewalk. Plus, side-to-side workouts strengthen the muscle tissues in your hips and knees that present stability when you run, Centenari says. Attempt lateral lunges, aspect shuffles, and lateral step-ups.

Leg exercises are just one piece of the puzzle. You also needs to prioritize upper-body workouts—your arm swing helps decrease torso rotation, per a July 2014 analysis article in the Journal of Experimental Biology—and core work; the group of muscle tissues all through your trunk ensures correct working posture, permitting you to maneuver and breathe effectively, Siné says.

In Siné’s expertise, runners who’ve engaged in power coaching are likely to have extra energy, endurance, and psychological power on race day in comparison with those that averted it.

Power coaching apart, make the time for mobility work—workouts through which you actively management and entry a joint’s full vary of movement—to additional decrease your threat of damage, Centenari suggests.

For instance, analysis means that restricted vary of movement throughout hip abduction (learn: shifting your leg away from the midline of your physique) is linked with a higher probability of future lower-body accidents, in accordance with an October 2013 analysis article within the Worldwide Journal of Sports activities Bodily Remedy. Attempt strikes just like the 90-90 hip stretch, cat-cow pose, and managed articular rotations (CARs).

Prioritizing your psychological well being is equally as essential. Siné recommends setting apart time to journal all through your coaching journey and routinely asking your self: Am I bodily hurting anyplace? What can I do to enhance subsequent week? How do I really feel mentally and emotionally?

“I believe it is just like the feather in your hat for a coaching cycle,” she provides.

“You are simply searching for a program that, in your intestine, feels manageable and doable—that is my largest piece of recommendation, particularly while you’re first beginning.” KC Centenari, Tonal power coach and Nike Working coach

Find out how to gas and hydrate

Fueling correctly contributes simply as a lot to your half marathon success as working itself. One of many largest errors Centenari sees runners make is just not consuming sufficient, particularly carbs and protein.

“Whether or not you are power coaching or working, you’re breaking down muscle fiber. And that is okay— that is the essence of understanding,” she explains. “However with the intention to construct it again up and get stronger, it’s a must to be getting sufficient protein.”

The Worldwide Society of Sports activities Vitamin (ISSN) recommends exercising people eat 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of physique weight every day to construct and keep muscle mass.

You additionally must load up on carbohydrates, that are damaged down quickly to offer your physique vitality throughout high-intensity train and replenish muscle glycogen shops after strenuous train. With out replenishing these shops, your efficiency might take successful, in accordance with a January 2018 knowledgeable panel report the journal Vitamin As we speak.

Intention to get 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of physique weight per day on moderate-intensity days and think about upping it to eight to 12 grams per kilogram of physique weight per day as you lean into these high-intensity days, per the journal.

Earlier than your run

One to 4 hours forward of your run, eat a carbohydrate-rich meal for vitality to hold you thru your exercise. If you’ll want to head out to your run throughout the subsequent hour, attempt to devour 30 grams of carbs earlier than you hit the street, per Utah State College. Keep away from consuming an excessive amount of protein, which may result in intestine misery throughout your exercise, in accordance with Utah State College.

Throughout tour run

All through your runs, you’ll need to eat a carb-rich snack that’s about 100 to 200 energy each 25 to half-hour, in accordance with the consultants. Sooner is all the time higher than later.

“As quickly as you begin feeling like possibly you are under-fueled throughout a race, you are behind,” Centenari says. Along with declines in bodily efficiency, “the worst factor that may occur is we get to some extent within the race the place we’re ravenous and we’re depleting our vitality shops even sooner,” Siné says. “We are able to get actual foggy within the mind and tire simply.”

Power gels, chews, and bars are a favourite mid-workout snack amongst runners, however they’ll upset your abdomen, so experiment with completely different choices to seek out one of the best one for you, Centenari says. It’s also possible to flip to carb-heavy snacks like graham crackers, gummy bears, or home made vitality balls should you favor a pantry strategy.

As you pound the pavement, bear in mind to remain on prime of your hydration, taking a number of sips of your beverage—significantly one wealthy in electrolytes—each mile marker and each time you eat, Siné says.

After your run

Inside the first 30 to 45 minutes after your exercise, eat a meal with a mixture of protein and carbs to kickstart the restoration course of. Protein will rebuild broken-down muscle, whereas carbs will replenish your glycogen shops, Siné says. If you happen to’re tight on time, a protein bar or protein shake will do the trick, she provides.

Find out how to taper

Though it’s tempting to coach your hardest till the final minute, tapering—dialing again your working quantity—is important to performing your finest come race day.

About two weeks earlier than the half marathon, you’ll hit the height of your coaching quantity; you’re spending essentially the most time in your toes or hitting your highest mileage. Then, you’ll spend the ultimate few weeks main as much as the marathon slowly reducing again on time or distance whereas sustaining depth, Siné says. One week out, you’ll do about 60 % of your peak workload. Race week, you’re right down to 40 to 50 % of that peak.

“Tapering does not imply you are simply not understanding, you are not placing in any effort in your velocity exercises,” she explains. “You are simply working much less in quantity, however you continue to need to preserve the physique sharp till racing.”

With this downtime, your physique and thoughts can adapt to all of the work you’ve put in.

“That taper week goes to permit your physique and your mind to take just a little little bit of a step again, just a little little bit of a breather, in order that by the point race day comes, you’re feeling prepared,” Centenari says. “It is one other ego drop. You need to go into that week and inform your self, ‘Okay, what are all the different issues that I can work on right here moreover working?’ That entails sleep, your meals, holding stress ranges in your life low.”

Find out how to put together for race day

When race day lastly arrives, preserve your routine so simple as doable. Eat a protein- and carb-rich breakfast a number of hours upfront, keep away from any meals you’ve by no means tried earlier than a run, and keep on prime of your water consumption. Additionally ensure your watch, headphones, and different devices are charged, the consultants counsel.

Whilst you ought to keep away from intense bodily exercise, don’t begin the race out chilly. Attempt to go for a light-weight 10- to 15-minute jog and do some acquainted drills (e.g., A skips, B skips, strides) earlier than stepping into your corral and beginning the race, which provides your physique an opportunity to loosen up and your thoughts to chill out, Siné suggests.

Find out how to get well after your race

After you cross the half marathon end line, prioritize a cool-down routine; stroll or jog for 10 to twenty minutes and movement by means of your favourite stretches or mobility practices, Siné suggests.

“If you happen to will help it, do not attempt to instantly sit down—it is actually jarring on the physique to go from the sustained exercise, a lot velocity and energy going into it, to only a whole cease,” she says.

You’ll additionally need to drink an electrolyte-rich beverage to revive your ranges after sweating all through the race and devour a protein-heavy meal with some carbohydrates to start out the restoration course of. Simply know that your starvation cues could also be delayed, and chances are you’ll not really feel like consuming a lot. If that’s the case, go for one thing easy like a protein shake and crackers, Siné says.

Over the subsequent few weeks, Centenari recommends taking a step again from the world of working, which has probably consumed your life for the final three to 4 months. Discover different types of motion—whether or not that’s powerlifting, yoga, or Pilates.

“After the race, there’s one thing referred to as marathon blues, which similar to, ‘Nicely, I put all this work in, what do I do subsequent?’” she says. “I all the time inform folks it is actually essential to simply remind your self there’s extra to life in order that by the point you need to begin coaching for one thing else, you’re feeling refreshed and able to go.”

Greatest coaching plans

To kick off your seek for a half marathon coaching program, take a look at the next plans and see what meshes finest together with your way of life and targets. If you happen to can’t discover a good match, attain out to an authorized run coach who can work with you to develop a customized program.

FAQ

1. Can a newbie run a half marathon with out prior expertise?

It’s completely doable to run a half marathon with out a lot working expertise. Ideally, you’ll need to have spent a month or so working half-hour a day a few instances every week to construct a base stage of endurance, Siné says. It will make it much less bodily and mentally overwhelming to transition right into a half-marathon coaching program.

You’ll additionally need to check out a 5K earlier than signing up, Centenari provides.

“I really assume, as a coach, that after you get a 5K underneath your toes with a correct coaching plan, that you simply transfer slowly and actually take into accounts constructing quantity, you possibly can plan to run a half marathon,” she says.

Collaborating within the occasion may even offer you a style of the race expertise and assist you determine should you truly get pleasure from long-distance working earlier than committing to 13.1 miles.

2. How lengthy does it take to coach for a half marathon as a newbie?

Precisely how lengthy it takes to coach for a half marathon as a first-timer all relies on how lengthy you’ve been working. If you happen to started pounding the pavement throughout the final yr, you’ll need to dedicate at the least three months to coaching to your half marathon, in accordance with the consultants.

However should you’re comparatively new to working or haven’t been too constant together with your routine, think about a four-month plan, Siné suggests. This extra month upfront can be utilized for constructing your base stage of health, she says.

3. What ought to newbies give attention to throughout half-marathon coaching?

Similar to all runners competing within the race, half marathon newbies ought to focus their coaching on a mixture of simple runs, lengthy runs, and velocity work, with resistance coaching sprinkled in. However they’ll additionally must apply getting sufficient gas to help these runs.

Most significantly, first-timers ought to take it simple on themselves; nothing is ideal the primary time round.