SUCCESS OR FAILURE?! - ALICANTE Half Marathon Training WEEK SIX - The FOD Runner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of SUCCESS OR FAILURE?! - ALICANTE Half Marathon Training WEEK SIX from The FOD Runner. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to watch the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Week 6 focuses on goal‑pace practice for the upcoming Alicante Half Marathon, using the Alpha Fly 3 shoes for training.
The main workout is a 3‑mile half‑marathon‑pace effort, followed by a 90‑second easy jog, a 2‑mile steady effort, and a final hard 1‑mile effort – a 3‑2‑1 pattern to boost lactate, then settle into longer work. This is a fantastic application of structured workouts, and if you’re interested in the science behind them, you can learn more about mastering interval training.
A hill‑focused tempo + hill repeats session precedes the goal‑pace session: 8‑minute hill tempo, then 8×2‑minute hill repeats and 6×1‑minute hill repeats, all on the hills.
Paces are given per mile (e.g., 6:50‑7:00 min/mile on the hill repeats, 6:53 min/mile for the 8‑minute tempo). Distances are in miles.
Practical tip: set your watch screen to only show time, pace, and lap distance for a clean focus during hard efforts.

Workout Example (Thursday – Goal‑Pace Day)

Warm‑up – 7‑8 min easy jog.
3 mi at half‑marathon pace (≈6:50‑7:00 min/mi).
90‑second easy jog.
2 mi steady effort (slightly slower than half‑marathon pace, focus on steady heart‑rate).
1 mi hard effort (push a little faster than half‑marathon pace).
Cool‑down – 5‑10 min easy jog.

Workout Example (Tuesday – Hill Tempo & Repeats)

This session is a beast, designed to build serious strength and endurance. The power you develop on hills is not just for long distances; it’s a key component for improving your top-end speed, which is crucial for mastering 5K speed.

8‑minute hill tempo (≈6:53 min/mi, up a hill).
8×2‑minute hill repeats (≈6:50‑7:00 min/mi, 60‑second recovery jog).
6×1‑minute hill repeats (same pace, 60‑second recovery).
Cool‑down – 5‑10 min easy jog.

Practical Tips

Use the Alpha Fly 3 shoes for training, not for racing.
Keep your watch display minimal: time, pace, and distance only; skip heart‑rate or stride data during hard intervals.
If a workout feels off (e.g., low energy from a heavy lunch), adjust by adding a short easy jog or reduce the intensity of the next interval.
You can customise the paces in the Pacing app to match your current fitness level.

Closing Note

Give this hill‑focused goal‑pace workout a try this week and adjust the paces to fit your own training zones. While this session is tailored for the half marathon, the principles of combining tempo and interval work are incredibly versatile and can be adapted for other distances. In fact, similar strategies are key to mastering the 10K. Feel free to customise the intervals in the Pacing app and keep building toward that half‑marathon PB. Good luck, and keep running forward