Rick's Half Marathon Speed Session
Workout - Rick's Half Marathon Speed Session
- 10min @ 7'00''/km
- 1.6km @ 5'30''/km
- 4 lots of:
- 400m @ 4'30''/km
- 200m @ 6'30''/km
- 5min @ 7'00''/km
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Intro: a breakdown of “Oxford Half Marathon Debrief | My First Half Marathon Since Knee Surgery!” from The Running Channel. Solid takeaways. Here are the main ideas you can use this week. Watch the full video for the rest.
Key points
- 10% weekly build-up: starting about 2 weeks out from race day, raise mileage by around 10% per week, especially when coming back from surgery.
- Long run target: work up to an 18 km (≈11 mi) steady run with 2 weeks to go. Keep it relaxed (≈5:30-5:45/km).
- Speed work: every Saturday run 5 km at half-marathon pace. Add a “mile + 4 × 400 m” session (400 m repeats at 5K tempo, 200 m easy between).
- Strength: two 45-minute gym sessions a week. Five lower-body lifts and one upper-body exercise.
- Race-day pacing: start around 5:55/km (≈9:30/mi) and hold steady or pick up. Don’t blast the line.
- Hydration and temperature: practice grabbing cups. Account for cool starts and warmer stretches. Dress in layers.
- Mental tricks: treat the first 8-10 km as your warm-up. Stay loose, leave the earbuds, and use the crowd’s energy.
Workout example (kilometers)
- Warm-up: 1 km easy.
- Main set: 1 mi (1.6 km) at a manageable effort, then 4 × 400 m at 5K race pace (≈4:00/400 m) with 200 m easy jog between reps.
- Cool-down: 1 km easy plus 5 min stretch.
Tip: set paces by your target. If you’re aiming for 1:45, try starting around 5:30/km.
Closing note: mix steady long runs, intervals, and disciplined pacing into your training this week. Plug your target into the Pacing app to set the speeds.