ROSIE - Half Marathon training schedule

I may have missed the boat by a couple of months (doesn’t time fly!) but have had requests from a few quarters to put in a training schedule, and there’s always autumn races! Are you guys lucky – my clients usually pay for these! But to thank you for your support with our blog, below is a free – yes FREE! – programme which should tailor you to achieving that target! Bear with me as it’s quite long but feel free to print it out and read when you have time. If running is not your thing then apologies… you’ll have to skip this one.

Half marathons are a fantastic goal – many people don’t have the time to train for marathons – long runs on a Sunday taking 3+ hours and the hours in the week simply mean that many don’t have time or, once you’ve done one, like me you think that you’ve “been there, done that and got the T-shirt”. However, ½ marathons can be achieved in under 2 hours and the training is obviously nowhere near as much!

I’ve made a few assumptions whilst planning this schedule; that you are fit and healthy, can run 10 minute miles and can happily run for 30-40 minutes continuously. If you CANNOT do the above, then keep doing what you’re doing until you can. It doesn’t rule you out, you just need a little longer than 12 weeks to get to your ½ marathon. The plan runs for 12 weeks… all ready for those autumn half marathons!

You also need to spend a little time planning your run routes. The occasional treadmill run is fine but if you’re planning on an outdoor half marathon than the treadmill just doesn’t cut it. You need to do the majority of your runs outside. And, if the word sprint strikes terror in your heart, please just humour me and as the popular slogan goes: JUST DO IT. Sprints are vital and you will be surprised at how much quicker you get over the weeks. You don’t have to do the sessions on the days I’ve specified but just make sure you don’t cluster them all on consecutive days in the week: recovery is as important as training.

This is not really geared to a specific time. Just do the runs as well as you can and as fast as you can. Try and keep track of how long each mile takes and you can estimate from your long runs approximately how long it will take. Once you get your first half marathon under your belt then you can try and beat your time on the next one!

The effort rate is relative to the distance. Of course a 90% effort over 6 miles will not be at the same speed as a 90% effort over 1 mile; just do the best you can for the appropriate distance.

A FINAL note before I begin (I will get there, I promise!): your weekly 50% recovery session should comprise: 20-30 minutes only (and no more!) of easy cardio (but not running); either swimming, gym, gentle cycling or equivalent with 10 minutes of resistance work: squats, lunges, core or upper body.

WEEK 1
Monday 50% recovery session (see note)
Tuesday 3 miles, 80% effort
Wednesday --
Thursday 3 x 100m sprints 100% effort then 10 min easy jog
Friday --
Saturday 2 x 1 mile, 90% effort
Sunday 4 miles, 60% effort

WEEK 2
Monday --
Tuesday 50% recovery session (see note)
Wednesday 4 miles, 80% effort
Thursday --
Friday 3 miles, 90% effort
Saturday --
Sunday 5 miles, 60% effort.

WEEK 3
Monday 50% recovery session (see note)
Tuesday 2 x 200m sprints, 100% effort then 10 mins easy jog
Wednesday --
Thursday 3 miles, 60% effort.
Friday 2 x 1 miles, 90% effort
Saturday --
Sunday 6 miles, 70% effort

WEEK 4
Monday --
Tuesday 50% recovery session (see note)
Wednesday 3 x 1 miles, 90% effort
Thursday --
Friday 4 miles, 60% effort
Saturday --
Sunday 6 miles, 80% effort (i.e. slightly faster than last week)

WEEK 5
Monday 50% recovery session (see note)
Tuesday 3 x 100 metre sprints, 100% effort then 10 min easy jog
Wednesday --
Thursday 2 x 3 miles, 80% effort
Friday --
Saturday 3 miles, 60% effort
Sunday 7 miles, 70% effort

WEEK 6
Monday --
Tuesday 50% recovery session (see note)
Wednesday 4 miles, 80% effort
Thursday --
Friday 2 x 2 miles, 90% effort
Saturday --
Sunday 8 miles, 80% effort

WEEK 7
Monday 50% recovery session (see note)
Tuesday 5 x 100 metre sprints, 100% effort, then 5 min easy jog.
Wednesday --
Thursday 5 miles, 60% effort
Friday --
Saturday 9 miles, 70% effort
Sunday --

WEEK 8
Monday 50% recovery session (see note)
Tuesday 4 miles, 80% effort
Wednesday --
Thursday 2 x 2 miles, 90% effort
Friday 4 miles, 60% effort
Saturday --
Sunday 10 miles, 80% effort

WEEK 9
Monday --
Tuesday 50% recovery session (see note)
Wednesday 5 x 100 metre sprints, 100% effort, then 5 minute recovery jog
Thursday 6 miles, 80% effort
Friday --
Saturday --
Sunday 12 miles, 70% effort

WEEK 10
Monday 50% recovery session (see note)
Tuesday 2 x 3 miles, 90% effort
Wednesday --
Thursday 4 miles, 80% effort
Friday --
Saturday 3 miles, 50% effort
Sunday 10 miles, 80% effort

WEEK 11
Monday 50% recovery session (see note)
Tuesday 3 x 200 metre sprints, 100% effort then 5 min recovery jog
Wednesday --
Thursday 3 miles, 90% effort
Friday --
Saturday 8 miles, 70% effort
Sunday --

WEEK 12
Monday 6 miles, 70% effort
Tuesday --
Wednesday 2 x 2 miles, 80% effort
Thursday 50% recovery session, see note
Friday --
Saturday 3 miles, 60% effort
Sunday RACE DAY!

Good luck, stick to it and you’ll be so chuffed when you finish the race that all the effort will be worth it… and I’d love to hear if anyone follows this programme and how they get on in the race!

Coming up TOMORROW - my not to be missed piece on race preparation, believe me, I’ve learnt by my mistakes and these are MY hot tips on getting it right.