The primary objective in training for a half marathon is to prepare your body to run 13.1 miles efficiently without endangering your health. Half-marathon finishers run the gamut from individuals who run the entire time or walk the entire time to those who use a combination of the two to reach the finish line safely and in good spirits. Consult with your doctor before starting a running program.
Strategy
Intervals of one-mile runs and one-minute walks are one way to train your cardiovascular system and running muscles for endurance for a half-marathon. The keys to getting race ready in roughly 12 to 17 weeks are to gradually increase the mileage of your weekly long run and to perform at least three to four running workouts per week. If you can run one mile continuously already, using one-minute walking intervals is an ideal strategy for increasing your mileage and building your tolerance for running longer distances.
Starting Place
Depending on your previous running experience, you may need to start with less intense run/walk intervals before progressing to the one mile to one minute ratio. If you need to focus primarily on walking during the first few weeks of half-marathon training to build your fitness, grow your program from there as your fitness improves. If you use a track for some of your training workouts, for example, you might build your tolerance for running with 200-meter walking and running intervals. Gradually increase your running intervals while decreasing your walking intervals, or maintain a steady one-minute walking interval while increasing your running periods until you can run continuously for one mile.
Maximize Your Training
Marathon coach and author Jeff Galloway recommends you base your training intervals on your race pace. For example, if you typically run a 12-minute mile, Galloway suggests switching between two-minute runs and one-minute walks. The main objective of walk breaks during race training, and even on race day, is to reduce fatigue by giving your running muscles a chance to rest. Not only do walk breaks help in post-race recovery, but they also help you maximize your performance during the final few miles of a race.
Considerations
Execute the timing of running and walking intervals according to your fitness level, both at the beginning of your training and as you near race day. Schedule one long run a week to build your endurance for long-distance running. Your first long run in a half-marathon training program is typically a three- to four-miler. The American Council on Exercise recommends increasing your overall mileage by no more than 10 percent each week. Add the distance to your long runs while limiting your shorter runs to 30 minutes or to no more than four to five miles each.
Marathon coach Hal Higdon suggests adding one mile to your long run every two weeks during the first six weeks of half-marathon training and then increasing your long run by one mile per week during weeks seven through 11, with the exception of a 6.2-mile race -- a 10K -- during week nine.
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