This plan sculpts your body to be the most efficient oxygen-processing factory possible. Key workouts such as longer runs, Out & Back steady state runs, and Progress Calibration Runs are the cornerstones for learning to pitch your effort at the threshold of your aerobic capacity. All long runs are time-based rather than distance-based allowing you to reach the start line with fresh legs and ready to go.
Plan length: 12-24 weeks. Choose your start date and race date - the plan adjusts automatically.
Fitness level: All fitness levels, from the couch potato to the seasoned runner.
Days of training: Select 4, 5, 6 or 7 days a week training.
Training outline (12-24 weeks):
- Phase 1: Base – progressive aerobic conditioning from your current fitness level (5-10 weeks)
- Phase 2: Hill Leg-Strengthening – for faster work (2-4 weeks)
- Phase 3: Anaerobic Conditioning – working on form, efficiency, oxygen debt and pace (2-4 weeks)
- Phase 4: Coordination – specific workouts to sharpen you for the half-marathon (2-4 weeks)
- Phase 5: Taper – cutting back the workload with shorter faster feel-good workouts (1-2 weeks)
Optional Programs: Two-week Recovery Schedule. Then ride the Peak with Race-Week / Non-Race-Week add-on plan for a continued racing season.
Long You May Run:
The half marathon has gained popularity in the last few years very quickly because of its accessibility (after all, it's HALF of the marathon!!) as well as sense of accomplishment. It does however take sensible and legitimate hard work to achieve reasonable success with the distance. As with a full marathon, you need to respect the distance. Many people would take nearly 2-hours to complete 13.1 miles. Two-hour is where Arthur Lydiard had come to realization, from his own trial and error, where all the body's changes occur and, in training, your body will start to benefit from all the physiological changes; stands to reason why you should have near- or beyond 2-hour in preparation. Too much of that, however, would leave your legs too beaten up and dead. You'd lose "effort" part of the program and you'd become a "plodder".
Powerful Legs as well as Strong Plumbing:
Lydiard Running Wizard Half Marathon Training Program would show you the way to sensibly build up the duration of the long run up to 2-hours. Hill training and Anaerobic (speed) training phases will strengthen your legs like you had not realized possible. It has been proven, out in the field as well as in the lab, that it is not only the plumbing (heart and lungs) that will get you to the finish line but also strong legs (this is why Japanese call Conditioning Phase a "Leg-Building" phase).
Lydiard Running Wizard is the most comprehensive and balanced training program available with ALL the elements combined together in a balanced way with the best-proven method – The Lydiard Way.