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Hal Higdon's 1/2 Marathon: Advanced

Author: Hal Higdon

12 weeks - $29.95
Total Miles: 369
Total Hours: 49
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Hal Higdon's 1/2 Marathon: Advanced: This Advanced Half Marathon Training Program is for experienced runners: individuals who compete regularly in 5-K, 10-K, half-marathon and even marathon races and who want to improve their performances. Each day I will send you an email message telling you what to run and offering a tip about training. For more information, visit my website at halhigdon.com.
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Sample workouts:
Day #1
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Planned Time: 0:24
The countdown begins. There are 12 weeks between now and your half marathon. In the Advanced program, Monday is always a day of comparative rest to help you recuperate from hard weekends. Comparative rest means you run 3 miles at an easy pace. What is easy? You need to make that determination yourself, and the exact pace may vary from week to week. I recommend that you also consider using this day to do some stretching and strength training. You will have more time to do this on Mondays (and Wednesdays) than you will on Tuesdays or Thursdays, which are speedwork days.

Workout #2
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Planned Time: 0:0
One advantage of a half marathon over a full marathon is that you won't need to spend as much time on course. Most reasonably fit individuals should be able to run 13.1 miles in around two to three hours. Doing so is fun.
Day #2
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Planned Time: 0:48
6 x Hill. Find a hill 200-400 meters long, moderate incline. Run it a half dozen times, jogging back down between. This workout should be equal in difficulty to if you ran 6 x 400 on a track. For the first half of the program, you will alternate between running hills and running 400s. Jog a mile or two to warm-up before hitting the hills. Afterwards, do a mile or so of jogging to cool down. And don't forget to stretch!

Workout #2
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Planned Time: 0:0
While researching my book Run Fast, I spoke with numerous world-class athletes and their coaches. Talented and well-trained, these fast athletes often felt the answer to my questions about improving speed was almost too simple. More than one told me, To run fast, you simply run fast.
Day #3
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Planned Time: 0:24
Three miles run at an easy pace, similar to Monday's workout. Speed doesn't matter; distance does. Three miles will be your typical Wednesday workout, however, as the program continues and mileage builds, I will offer you the option of taking a complete rest on either Monday or Wednesday. Note that in the duration of all the workouts in this program, I assume that you train at an average pace of 8:00 per mile. If you run faster or slower, you can adjust that time estimate accordingly.

Workout #2
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Planned Time: 0:0
Before starting to train for an event 13 miles long, assess your fitness level. Realistically: can you do it? My Advanced Half Marathon Program assumes you currently have the ability to run six days a week with two days of speedwork and with long runs up to two hours. If that seems difficult, consider going a shorter distance--or take more time to develop an endurance base. And if you are over age 35, you probably should see your doctor for a physical examination.
Day #4
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Planned Time: 0:40
Forty-minute tempo run. Run the first 10-15 minutes easy, pick it up to near 10-K pace in the middle, then ease back by running the last 5-10 minutes easy. To do this workout properly, you should both accelerate and decelerate gradually, meaning you will only be at peak speed for a few minutes two thirds of the way into the run. A tempo run can be either your toughest workout of the week or your most enjoyable--and sometimes it can be both.

Workout #2
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Planned Time: 0:0
When I suggest that you run at a pace where you can comfortably converse with a friend, I'm not certain I want to include using a cellular phone.
Day #5
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Planned Time: 0:0
A day of rest to get ready for the weekend. Friday will almost always be a rest day on the Advanced schedule. You'll appreciate these days of rest even more as the mileage builds toward the end of the program.