There’s a lot of discussion locally (in Lexington, Kentucky) about training for a half marathon due to the inaugural – Lexington Half Marathon. Today, as I went for a run with a few other runners, I continued to think about ideas I have been having in regards to getting people from the start of their training program to the finish of their first half marathon.
I have a podcast in the queue (yep, there will be a podcast again) discussing the “2 mistakes I see half marathon and marathon runners make”, therefore in this post I just want to highlight some general ideas about how to approach your half marathon training. In addition, I will touch on common pitfalls and training traps that I see half marathon virgins succumb to.
Background of a runner:
In the spectrum of runners there is a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.
- runners that ran cross country in junior high and high school and continued to run for fitness in college and after as a lifestyle of fitness
- runners that ran in high school for soccer (or another team sport) then didn’t run again for 15 or 20 years until they decided to do a half marathon
- runners who have never ran a step in their life, but for personal achievement and lifestyle reasons decide to do a half marathon
- then the minority (probably less than 1% of all runners) are those who ran in high school, competed in college and continue to run a significant amount post college
Which category of runner are you? (If you are wondering, I fit into blended first and second category runner. I ran initially for team sports and started “running long” in college as a lifestyle of fitness choice.) This is an important self assessment because your background and experience will greatly influence the type of training program you use to finish your half marathon. This self awareness will also allow you to review training advice you see online, in podcasts, from fellow runners and the knowledgeable co-worker and determine if their advice applies to you. It may – It may not.
Development of a long distance runner: Pitfalls and Training Traps
1. Many individuals preparing for their first half marathon or marathon start to do long runs before they are ready.
This results in injury, over-training or unnecessary fatigue. Any of these situations will require extended time away from running, resulting in a negative impact on overall fitness.
2. Runners over emphasize the importance of the long run and place too little value on regular (even daily) runs.
There is a physiological and psychological benefit for doing a regular long run (once you are ready to handle it), but it is not correct to say that your training is going “perfectly” just because you are able to make it through a long run once a week. There are training stimulus and running traits that need to be addressed outside what the long run allows. For example, you may need to improve neuromuscular patterns and coordination.
I have discussed my thoughts on the long run previously on this podcast: The long run in a marathon program
3. Runners don’t spend enough time thinking about, working on or improving their running form.
In most sports we understand there is a level of skill required when we decide to participate. If we want to play golf, we practice swinging the clubs - if we want to play tennis, we practice our serve - if we want to swim, we may take a swim lesson — but for some reason if we want to do a long distance race, we go out the door and only give thought to proper running mechanics if we start to have injuries. Run drills are valuable. They are necessary for many of us!
4. Every run is done at the same pace / effort.
I will go into detail around this issue in the podcast, but it comes back to this one basic thought : Every run workout should have a purpose. When training for a half marathon, this means that working in different effort zones is essential to improving your fitness and running ability.
Quick tips on how to approach your half marathon training and be successful:
1. Be consistent!
I like to see people I coach consistently run 4 times a week at 45mins per workout prior to adding any long runs into the schedule.
2. Think “Strong before Long”
The first phase of our training programs are dedicated to durability (usually through consistency) and strength. It is only upon this level of development can a runner start to build successful long run sessions without the risk of injury.
3. Incorporate running drills and run mechanic work into your workouts
This can be tied into your regular workouts. Start with your easy warm up (or dynamic warm up), then stop your activity and begin your running drills right were you are. The 5 to 10 minutes you spend doing these drills will pay dividends as you are trying to become a better runner. Many of us need to train or retrain our brains to signal our muscles in a properly functioning way.
4. Run “fast” in the right amounts, when it’s appropriate and run “easy” when appropriate.
Build your portfolio of running abilities. You’ll become a better runner and have better overall fitness than if you try and run every run at the same pace.
5. When you start to add in your long runs – always finish stronger than you begin.
This one simple philosophy will teach you a lot of lessons in your journey of endurance. Learning the proper pacing that you can handle and maintain is an essential lesson in the development of a runner. If you find yourself always struggling to finish your long runs or even cutting the runs short because you can’t finish them – teach yourself to go out slow. It’s a lesson you’ll want to have learned prior to race day!
You will have a successful journey!
If you start to pay attention to your training schedule, notice if you are to making any of the four pitfalls I mentioned above. If you are, ask yourself if you were focusing on the five tips I mentioned or if you were only focused on logging the miles on the calendar.
