Half Marathon Training: 3 Key Workouts to Run Your Best Race

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Do you have a half marathon on your 2023 goal list? Either training for your first, improving, or even setting a new PR? Here are three key workouts that will take your half marathon training to the next level.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am signed up for my first half marathon in about two years, which takes place in a little over two weeks. You may also know that I just got over a three-week cold, so I’m feeling a bit behind in my training.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Debbie Woodruff (@coachdebbieruns)

On the bright side, I’m feeling good again and I have a few weeks to get my mileage back up and even grab a couple of speed workouts before the race. I will definitely be including these three key workouts, and while I don’t expect a PR, I know that they will help me finish strong and enjoy my race.

 

Half Marathon Training: 3 Key Workouts

Planning a half marathon this year? Here are key workouts that will help you reach your goals.Click To Tweet

 

Lactate Threshold (Tempo) Runs

Tempo runs help increase your lactate threshold.   By training at a pace just under the point where you accumulate too much lactic acid, which would force you to slow down, you increase your lactate threshold, which allows you to run faster for a longer period of time.

At the beginning of training, you can break your tempo run into intervals. After a warm-up of one-two mile, run three to five minutes at your tempo pace, recover for a couple of minutes, then repeat, aiming for about 18-20 minutes of tempo time. These intervals can be done on the track, but simulating race conditions by training on the road is more beneficial to racing on the road.

Another option with a tempo run is to warm up, then run three to five miles at a steady pace, followed by a one to two-mile cooldown. You can do a tempo run once a week, followed by a rest or recovery day.

Estimating your tempo pace: There are a few ways to estimate your tempo pace. It is generally the pace that you can sustain for an hour without having to slow down, so for most it is around your 10k pace. That is also about 85-90% of your maximum effort, if you use a heart rate monitor or perceived exertion. Others would say that it feels “comfortably hard.”

Adding tempo workouts to your half marathon training will help you run a faster, stronger race!Click To Tweet

Half Marathon Pace Training

Doing some of your running at half marathon pace is an excellent way to teach your body what race pace feels like. It is more advanced, so if you are training for your first half marathon, focus on the long run and the tempo run. A half marathon pace run is hard because you will be running five to eight miles at your race pace.

Like the tempo run, the half marathon pace run can be broken into two or three segments, especially when you first introduce it to your half marathon training. After a two mile warm up, run the next two to three miles at your half marathon pace. Recover for two minutes at an easy pace, then repeat. Cool down for one or two miles.

An even more challenging format is to warm up for two miles, run the next four to eight at half marathon pace, then cool down for one or two miles.

Finally, another great way to get some half marathon pace training is to insert three miles at race pace in the middle of your long run. This will teach you to run strong on tired legs, an important aspect of half marathon training.

Pick one half marathon pace run and do it at least every other week. Once a week is fine, but be sure to take a recovery day or rest day following the workout.

The Long Run

I left it for last, but the long run is the most important key to your half marathon training. Running 13.1 miles is a long way so building up your mileage is vital to success in the half marathon.

How long is a long run in half marathon training? A lot depends on your experience. If you are running your first half marathon, aim for at least one or two long runs of 11 to 13 miles. More experienced runners, and runners who are aiming to set a personal record (PR), might want to add runs of 15, or even more.

When planning your long runs, know the race course for which you are training. Road race training should be mostly on the road. If your race has a lot of uphill or downhills, or has rolling hills, try to find a route that will simulate that. This will help your body adapt to race conditions.

Remember that long runs break your body down, so recovering afterward is important. Do a long run once a week. The day after a long run should be a shorter, slower run, or take the day completely off. Complete your last long run about two weeks before your race, taking the last 14 days to taper and rest your body so that you will be prepared to give it your all on race day.

Whether it’s your first or your fiftieth race, these keys to half marathon training will prepare you to run your best half marathon, whatever your goal.

 

And Now It’s Time for the Runners’ Roundup!

 

Linkup with the #RunnersRoundup with @DeborahBrooks14, @milebymilerun, @runningwithpugs, and me! Bring your best #runningrelated posts, find new blogs to follow, and share your love of #running! Click To Tweet

Weekly Linkups

My weekly linkups! Please stop by and check out all of the great recipes, workouts, and information that all these awesome bloggers share every week!

Meatless Monday with Sarah and Deborah
Inspire Me Monday with Janet
Tuesday Topics with Kim and Zenaida
The Runners’ Roundup with Deborah, Lisa, Jenn, Laura, and Me!
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