5 Hours/Week Half Marathon

 

This program is for those serious runners who want to really put in an awesome half marathon time. For the 8 and 4-week program, prior athletic experience will be necessary. And only the seasoned athlete should train with the 4-week program. An example of a seasoned athlete would be anyone who is already running or doing a similar vigorous exercise 5 days a week.   The maximum time per week training is five hours. On average, training is 3 hours and 20 minutes a week.

 

Key to Workout Letters

Numbers indicate minutes for each workout

Begin by warming up slowly. A 5 minute light jog coupled with some jumping jacks will do. Just make sure your muscles aren’t tight before you start the exercise.

 

S – Strength training workout. Strength training is critical to a successful runner. It will not only make you faster, but will prevent injuries. Given time constraints, circuit training is the most effective way to strength train. By training in circuit fashion, you will save time and work your cardiovascular system as well. Circuit training is the method of hopping from workout to workout, with no break, and doing several rounds of the workout.

For the three hour week program, 5 main strength training workouts will be involved.  Calf raises, planks, lunges/wall sits, pushups, and hip abduction. Do as many calf raises as you can, then hold a plank for as long as you can, proceed by lunging or holding a wall sit for as long as you can, do as many pushups as you can, then as many hip abductions on each side, and repeat until the allotted time is up.

See the exercise guide for the correct way to perform each workout.

 

E – Easy paced workout. This should be a social workout! Get friends to come join you, you shouldn’t be panting too heavily (but hopefully sweating quite a bit at the end). If you are a beginner, don’t hesitate to walk if you need to. The goal of this workout is just to finish, with a smile on your face. Listen to an audiobook on your mp3, bring your English tutor along, or just relax and enjoy the scenery.

 

T – Tempo paced workout. This workout will be at a difficult pace. If you are a beginner, resist the temptation to walk (jog slowly if you have to, the only real difference between a jog and walk is that when jogging both feet come up in the air)

 

I-2 I-3, I-4, I-5  – Interval workouts. Interval workouts are basically “fast-slow-fast-slow” workouts. Intervals should start with a mandatory 10-minute warmup (easy pace) and always followed by a 10 minute cooldown (also easy pace). The number before the “I” corresponds to the time for each interval. Meaning if it is I-5 30 minute run that would correspond to 6 repeats of 5 minutes, alternating between fast and slow. So it would be 3 X{5 minutes fast, 5 minutes slow}. A “20*I-2” run would be 5X{2 fast, 2 slow}. To reiterate, always begin with a warmup and cooldown.

 

Half Marathon Program - Five Hour Week – 16 Weeks

 

Week Prior to Marathon

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

Workout 4

Workout 5

16

45*S

0

0

30*E

45*E

15

30*S

0

20*T

30*E

50*E

14

35*S

0

30*T

45*E

55*E

13

30*S

30*I-3

0

20*E

45*E

12

30*S

30*I-5

30*T

25*E

55*E

11

30*S

40*I-5

25*T

25*E

65*E

10

45*S

40*I-4

25*T

20*E

70*E

9

45*S

48*I-6

35*T

0

55*E

8

30*S

42*I-7

45*T

30*E

70*E

7

45*S

40*I-4

50*T

30*E

80*E

6

45*S

36*I-3

60*T

45*E

90*E

5

45*S

50*I-5

0

30*E

80*E

4

45*S

48*I-4

60*T

30*E

100*E

3

34*S

56*I-4

60*E

30*E

120*E

2

0

30*I-3

45*T

30*E

100*E

1

0

28*I-2

30*E

0

60*E

 

Half Marathon Program - Five Hour Week – 12 Weeks

 

Week Prior to Marathon

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

Workout 4

Workout 5

12

50*S

0

0

30*E

45*E

11

45*S

0

20*T

35*E

50*E

10

45*S

0

30*T

30*E

65*E

9

45*S

30*I-3

0

30*E

45*E

8

45*S

40*I-4

0

30*E

75*E

7

45*S

50*I-5

30*T

20*E

90*E

6

45*S

36*I-6

45*T

30*E

100*E

5

45*S

30*I-3

30*T

30*E

80*E

4

50*S

40*I-4

60*T

0

110*E

3

60*S

56*I-4

20*T

44*E

120*E

2

0

36*I-3

50*T

30*E

80*E

1

0

28*I-2

30*E

0

60*E

RACE

         

 

 

Half Marathon Program - Five Hour Week – 8 Weeks

Week Prior to Marathon

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

Workout 4

Workout 5

8

60*S

0

30*T

45*E

60*E

7

50*S

30*I-5

30*T

60*E

70*E

6

30*S

36*I-6

20*T

70*E

80*E

5

45*S

0

45*T

45*E

70*E

4

45*S

42*I-7

45*T

30*E

85*E

3

54*S

56*I-4

60*T

30*E

100*E

2

0

36*I-3

45*T

20*E

80*E

1

0

28*I-2

30*T

0

65*E

RACE

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Half Marathon Program - Five Hour Week – 8 Weeks

 

Week Prior to Marathon

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

Workout 4

Workout 5

4

60*S

0

45*T

45*E

60*E

3

60*S

30*I-3

30*T

60*E

80*E

2

60*S

56*I-4

45*T

39*E

100*E

1

0

28*I-2

30*T

0

60*E

RACE