Training Schedules
The following training schedule for a beginner attempting a half marathon is kindly reproduced from Stornoway Running and Athletics Club.
Week
1
In the first week you will alternate,
exercising one day and resting the next. Also you should jog/walk,
whatever your comfortable with and rest the next day.
| Day 1 | Jog/walk 20 minute, walk as necessary, when recovered begin jogging again till completing 20 mins. |
| Day 2 | Rest Day |
| Day 3 | Jog 15- 20 mins, jog as much of the time as possible. |
| Day 4 | Rest Day |
| Day 5 | As day 1, but increase time to 25 mins, remember to jog as much as possible but walk whenever you need to. |
| Day 6 | Rest Day |
| Day 7 | Run at a steady pace faster than jogging but not to the point of total exertion for 20 mins. Remember to stretch before and particularly after your run. Good Luck! |
Week
2
Continue as week one, exercising
one day resting the next. By now you will be beginning to get used
to being able to jog for twenty minutes with few if any periods
of walking. Therefore the aim of week two will be jog/run the same
time without walking.
| Day 1 | Jog 20 minutes, starting easy for five minutes “upping” the pace for 10 minutes and easing off for the last 5. |
| Day 2 | Rest Day |
| Day 3 | 20 – 25 minutes easy jog. |
| Day 4 | Rest Day |
| Day 5 | Day 3; 15 – 20 minutes at your best but comfortable effort! |
| Day 6 | Rest Day |
| Day 7 | 30 – 40 minutes very easy jog, this slightly longer run will increase each week and be key to your half marathon build up. |
Week
3
Continue as week twoe, exercising
one day resting the next. By now you will be beginning to get used
to being able to jog for twenty minutes with few if any periods
of walking. Therefore the aim of week three will be jog/run the
same time without walking.
| Day 1 | Jog 20 minutes, starting easy for five minutes “upping” the pace for 10 minutes and easing off for the last 5. |
| Day 2 | Rest Day |
| Day 3 | 20 – 25 minutes easy jog. |
| Day 4 | Rest Day |
| Day 5 | Day 3; 15 – 20 minutes at your best but comfortable effort! |
| Day 6 | Rest Day |
| Day 7 | 30 – 40 minutes very easy jog, this slightly longer run will increase each week and be key to your half marathon build up. |
Week
4
Week four will continue with four day’s training per week
and the time spent running will increase.
| Day 1 | 35 minutes easy (you should be able to chat at this pace). |
| Day 2 | Rest Day |
| Day 3 | Run the same time and route, but include eight 30second bursts at pace (though not full effort sprints). |
| Day 4 | Rest Day |
| Day 5 | 35 minutes easy (you should be able to chat at this pace). |
| Day 6 | Rest Day |
| Day 7 | Time to test your improvement, by upping the time on your feet to 50 minutes to 1 hour. After such a long run ensure you stretch! Remember the weekly long run is key to your Half Marathon success. |
Week 5
You will now have regular days for your four training day runs and
the work begins to get a little more serious, but certainly not
unachievable! So work hard on the “effort” days and
enjoy the recovery runs when asked to run easy or jog.
| Day 1 | 35 minutes easy. |
| Day 2 | Rest Day |
| Day 3 | Run 4 –5 miles on a hilly route at a steady pace putting efforts in up hill sections (but not on the way down). |
| Day 4 | Rest Day |
| Day 5 | Run off road for half an hour easy, try a nice machair run? |
| Day 6 | Rest Day |
| Day 7 | LSD run, that is Long, Slow, Distance, for 1hour 10 to 1 hour 15minutes. Take a small drinks bottle on the run. By the end of this week your confidence should be building nicely! |
