My plan for the 21.1K

Like most things in life, what works for one person may not necessarily work for the next.

This is especially true when it comes to training for a half marathon, particularly for beginners, with running ability, fitness and goals varying from one person to the next.

WA Marathon Club’s Kim Vivian says the best advice for someone aiming to run their first half is to choose an enjoyable training program and ideally start training three months ahead of the race.

Joining a running group, downloading a generic online training guide or getting a tailored program from a running coach are some good options, he says.

“All training programs will help you get ready for a half marathon and the best program is the one that suits your lifestyle and realistically matches your aspirations and dedications,” he says.

“This might mean training with groups that create a fun and sociable environment or running in beautiful locations that provide inspiration.

“A recreational runner should aim to run four times a week.

“Week one of training should result in a total distance of 20km for the week and this should slowly build up to 35km for the week.”

On the Run Outdoor Training’s Mark Simmonds says the best half-marathon plan will depend on your running experience, current fitness level, and strengths and goals.

He says the focus should be on a combination of long runs to build endurance, shorter, faster sessions to build up speed and easy runs for recovery.

“A half marathon is an enjoyable race challenge to train for and race,” Mr Simmonds says.

“It pushes runners who usually focus on five and 10km events to test their endurance, while it helps marathoners learn to draw upon their speed reserve.”

Front Runner Sports coach and biomechanics consultant Ben Green says the best results in distance running come from maintaining a long-term running routine where runners gradually increase their training.

He recommends following a tailored program given the high training loads associated with half marathons.

“This includes having an accredited running coach or health professional devise a plan that addresses your strengths and weakness based on your previous running training, with the ultimate goal of getting you to the HBF start line both fit and injury-free,” he says.

“Unfortunately, running injuries are quite common, especially for runners looking to build up and train for longer- distance races such as a half marathon.

“The most important advice for training is to avoid unnecessary injury and soreness to ensure you can maintain a consistent training routine through to the race.”

How we got the Half Marathon bug

“Do the training, believe in yourself and have a go — it’s not meant to be easy.”

That’s the advice six-time half marathon runner Narelle Helean gives to anyone looking at doing a half marathon for the first time.

“The first really hurt and I thought ‘never again’ but I’m completely hooked and have just signed up for my first full marathon in June,” Ms Helean, who runs four days a week, says.

“When training on my own and more recently with the Front Runner Sports (FRS) running group, I follow a program that has a mix of shorter, faster interval sets, longer tempo sessions and a long, slow run, gradually building in time and distance over 10-12 weeks before a race.”

Fellow FRS member Nic Harman recently returned from racing a half marathon, his second, in Japan.

He has been running for nearly five years and in full swing training, runs seven to nine times per week.

“For my race in Japan, I had a very specific training program,” he says.

“Each of the seven days of the week was dedicated to a certain session or type of run and there was quite a lot of distance, as one would expect.

“It was a race of a life time, knocking approximately 10 minutes off my original personal best.”

Toni Heinemann has completed eight Halfs since joining the same running group two-and-a-half years ago.

She runs five times a week, with a long run on Sundays her favourite.

“Having a good training plan and sticking to it really works,” she says.

“Do it, believe in yourself, have fun and have a good, realistic training plan and a running buddy or buddies.

“Nothing helps training more than having people around you to challenge you, support you and keep you motivated.”

Training tips for the Half

• Seek medical advice or address any injury or medical concerns before starting any new exercise program.

• Make hard runs hard and recovery runs easy.

• Don’t make the mistake of running too hard on easy days. This will only result in you tiring yourself for the quality days that count most.

• There is a difference in being tired and being injured. Recognising that you will experience tiredness when doing quality sessions is important — it’s not a reason to skip your recovery runs.

• Be consistent. Try not to skip sessions as once they are missed you can’t make them up.

• Train smart. The key sessions are the sessions that will make you faster and stronger.

Source: On the Run Outdoor Training