How To Train For a Half Marathon

All right you Running Mamas let’s talk some business.  Fall is here.  Forget autumn foliage.  Forget pumpkin spice lattes.  Forget Old Navy pullovers.  The best part of fall is running.  No more trespassing through lawn sprinklers to fend off heatstroke. Glory!!!  Nothing beats a chilly run.  I love seeing my breath as I lace up my Mizuno’s in the morning.  Makes me downright giddy.

Now that the perfect running weather is upon us, let’s talk some half.  The half is my favorite distance because 13.1 miles is long enough to be really challenging, but short enough to train and be a devoted mama.  

There are many excellent training programs out there, but this one is customized for Running Mamas.  The programs I found in magazines and online seemed to target elite runners.  The mileage was higher than I actually needed to finish a strong half.  The key to a strong half is not running for a long period of time, but running over a long period of time.  If you create a strong base by regularly running, you can do a half.  Yes YOU!

Here is the Running Mama training plan:

Remember I am an expert on this subject because I have won tons of halves.*

• I run three times a week with only one long run: Six miles, Three miles, and one long run.
• For the long run, I start with six miles and increase slowly until I peak at ten.  Yes, I said TEN! 
• When you increase, don’t add any more than two miles.  For example, get comfortable with six, then move up to no more than eight.  Stay at eight for two-three weeks before you increase again.

I never run any more than ten miles because of the time and energy it takes.  I didn’t find that running higher mileage made me faster or better, it just made me tired and injured.  Now that I am responsible for little ones, being tired or injured is ridiculously inconvenient.   I want to finish a strong race, and be a great mom too.  It is possible.

Next week:  My secret tips for training and race day.  Shhhh… Don’t tell.

*No I haven’t.