Half marathon | 2 months to go training plan
- Overview
The following programme is part of a six-month training regime for a half marathon. See the full programme here.
By this point you've likely put in a lot of effort to your training and you should be reaping the rewards.You'll have a good idea of what time you will be able to complete the half marathon in and should convert this to minutes per mile for your training this month. The end goal is in sight but you should use this month to set smaller goals and hit them, giving you confidence before you enter the last leg of training.
Tip for the month
When out on a long run take an energy gel with you, remember that they take 20 minutes to take effect and are effective for around 90 minutes, so in some cases you may need to take two with you.
By the end of this month you should...
Have entered and run a competitive 10k event to prepare you for what conditions will be like come your half marathon.
Programme
Stretch session - In a stretch session you should stretch for two minutes per leg muscle group: calves, quads and hamstrings.
Interval session - In an interval session you should be running at around 1-1.5min per mile faster than your predicted race pace. Run for two minutes, then walk for one or two mins and repeat.
Strength - Find a very steep hill and aim to run up it as hard as you can. Walk down and repeat. Include a light 5 mins jog warm up and cool down within the time limit.
Bodyweight - These are leg strength exercises. Do 10 - 15 reps for 2-3 sets of squats, lunges, and step ups.
Tempo run - Run at the same pace as you predict for your half marathon without stopping.
Long run - Run as close to the distance of a half marathon as possible at a speed that is around 1-1.5min/mile slower than your predicted race day pace.
WEEK 1
| Day 1 | Interval 25 mins |
| Day 2 | REST |
| Day 3 | Strength 20 mins + bodyweight |
| Day 4 | REST |
| Day 5 | Tempo 20 mins |
| Day 6 | REST |
| Day 7 | Long and slow + stretch |
WEEK 2
| Day 1 | Interval 25 mins |
| Day 2 | REST |
| Day 3 | Strength 25 mins + bodyweight |
| Day 4 | REST |
| Day 5 | Tempo 25 mins + stretch |
| Day 6 | REST |
| Day 7 | Long and slow + stretch |
WEEK 3
| Day 1 | Interval 30 mins |
| Day 2 | REST |
| Day 3 | Strength 25 mins + bodyweight |
| Day 4 | REST |
| Day 5 | Tempo 30 + stretch |
| Day 6 | REST |
| Day 7 | Long and slow + stretch |
WEEK 4
| Day 1 | Interval 30 mins |
| Day 2 | REST |
| Day 3 | Strength 30 mins + bodyweight |
| Day 4 | REST |
| Day 5 | Tempo 30 mins + stretch |
| Day 6 | REST |
| Day 7 | Long and slow + stretch |
WEEK 5
| Day 1 | Interval 30 mins |
| Day 2 | REST |
| Day 3 | Strength 30 mins + bodyweight |
| Day 4 | REST |
| Day 5 | Tempo 30 mins + stretch |
| Day 6 | REST |
| Day 7 | Long and slow + stretch |
Last updated Wednesday 3 January 2018
First published on Monday 11 April 2016