8/22/2023 0 Comments Download half marathon distancesResearch also shows that spikes in training load are what predispose an athlete to injury-you need time to gradually increase and adapt to new levels of training. Advice varies on exactly how much mileage is adequate, but a recent three-year study of marathoners and half marathoners found that runners became injured less often if they consistently trained more than 23 miles per week for the half marathon and 40 miles per week for the marathon. Many recreational runners don’t have the experience or the time to put in enough miles to run the full marathon safely, and the half marathon requires less training volume. If you’re not interested in making such significant changes at this time, you can get much of the motivation, benefits, and satisfaction from the half with less commitment. Training for a marathon can feel like it’s taking over your daily life, often requiring you to rearrange your schedule and prioritize training over other activities. Yet unlike the full marathon, a half doesn’t have to significantly alter your daily routine. Running longer than you ever have before also provides a special personal satisfaction. Besides its ability to deliver an exceptional race experience, what makes the 13.1-mile distance such an inviting goal for runners of all abilities? It Inspires Transformational Training but Doesn’t Take Over Your Lifeįor those stepping up from shorter races for the first time, the half-marathon distance requires consistent mileage and longer training runs, both of which work to transform your body and make all your runs easier, faster, and more enjoyable. Thirty-nine percent of runners in Running USA’s 2020 national survey said the half marathon is their favorite race, making it more than twice as popular as the 10K, 5K, or marathon. Plus, I’ve gathered advice from two experienced coaches: Ryan Hall, who not only has run the half marathon faster than any American man but also coaches his wife, Sara, who recently set a new American women’s record for the distance and Jenny Spangler, an Olympic marathoner turned club and online coach who excels at working with new and developing runners. To design the training, I’ve drawn from two decades of coaching runners of all levels and years of interviewing the world’s top coaches and runners. I’ve also prepared two day-by-day, 12-week training plans for you to follow- one for first-time half marathoners and one for intermediate runners with more experience and a bigger training base. In this training plan, I’ll take you through training priorities, key workouts, and proven race strategies. The dozens of half marathons I’ve run since continue to confirm that this distance provides a uniquely enjoyable and satisfying race experience-if you’re prepared and race it smart. Never before had I run my best race and had such a good time doing it. I finished with a huge smile and a personal record. By mile ten, my body began to send stress signals, but I was still moving well and feeling confident, with none of the gasping panic of shorter races or the soul-sucking exhaustion of the marathon. Even though we were flying, I was running comfortably: working hard but controlled and not rapidly accumulating fatigue or worrying about holding on. Soon we were speeding along at a pace that took my breath away whenever I saw a split. I’d been doing long runs and speed workouts in preparation for the New York City Marathon, and lined up to race in Philly beside a more experienced training buddy. I fell in love with the half marathon one September morning on the streets of Philadelphia.
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