A 9 week half marathon training program is only going to work if you have put in the work.
You cannot start a half marathon training program and expect 9 weeks to be sufficient. If you have not put in some base mileage, preferably, 4 to 8 weeks prior to starting, do not begin.
I've been competing for the past 26 years and have had this site for over 7. What I tell runners all the time is to be patient with your training. There are far too many middle and long distance runners second guessing themselves.
Everyone wants fast results but the body takes time to adapt. The Kenyans are good at what they do for a reason. It isn't specifically due to their talent. I have lived and trained with some of the world's top Kenyan and American runners. They all have a trait in common.
They don't get bent out of shape if they run a poor race and they see the big picture. These athletes know that fast results don't come overnight. I would never expect great results from a 9 week half marathon training plan unless work was put in prior to starting.
A Successful 9 Week Half Marathon Training Plan Should…
- Focus on the long run
The long run should be the single hardest workout you do during the week. This is the exact reason I went from 1:10:29 to 1:07:06 for the half-marathon and 2:43:36 to 2:19:35 for the marathon.
Too many runners are running far too slow during their long runs and then beat themselves up when they miss their half marathon goal time.
It isn't that they don't have what it takes. A few small, minute changes simply need to be made within their routine. If you have a specific time goal in mind like running a sub 2 hour half marathon you have to practice goal pace.
High mileage alone will not do the trick. You may be searching for a 9 week half marathon training tips. Here is one major tip for you…
2. Focus on Quality…
…not on quantity. The amount of mileage you do means every little when compared with the quality of mileage you do.
If you want to run faster at the half-marathon distance this fundamental must be followed. It is very easy to get caught up in the high-mileage mantra. Trust is, I tried it. I got up to as high as 142 miles per week.
My two highest mileage weeks were 140 and 142 miles. I ran my best marathon on 85 to 90 miles per week and didn't come close to my 2:19:35 PR running much higher than 100 miles per week.
There is a point of diminished returns where no matter how much you do there will be little to show for it.
Change up how you view your mileage per week during your 9 week half marathon training regiment. I created RunDreamAchieve half marathon training plans to help runners focus on faster results with less.
Leverage
What is leverage?
The definition for leverage simply means doing more with less. The point in creating these 4,8,12 and 16-week half marathon training plans is not to break anyone's bank account. I even placed a 30-day money back guarantee on them.
It wasn't until I started getting away from the quantity of mileage I was running and focus on quality did I start running big PR's.
3. Practice drinking and not just sipping
What do I mean? One of the biggest killers of you running a fast half marathon or running your first is not taking in enough fluid during the race.
This was another reason I dropped so much time off my half-marathon and marathon bests. I started practicing drinking during long runs. You don't want to wait until the day of the race to practice this and you certainly don't want to “sip” in a 13.1 mile race.
Your body needs the caloric intake and fluids during the race. If you neglect this no 9-week half marathon training plan will do any good. You can have all the motivation in the world but more goes into racing a half-marathon than just workouts and mileage.
Plan The Work And Work The Plan
RunDreamAchieve half marathon training plans were built to take the guess work out of preparing for a half-marathon.
Each day is set up for you. The training plans come in easily downloadable powerpoint PDF format. I provide daily guidance as you move through each day and week. Below is a graphic showing how each half marathon training plan will look like.
Additional Fundamentals To Race Well…
4. Focus on what you can control
You cannot control the weather. If it is pouring down rain on the streets and puddles everywhere don't expect a personal best.
These things happen and yet runners still will beat themselves up about it. Focus on the effort you churned out on that day and the positives it did for your body. Remember, the tougher the conditions and course the better you will be prepared on the perfect day on a faster course.
Also remember that no course is “fast”. It is the well-prepared athlete that is ready to run “fast” that makes that course fast. Focus on what you can control and disregard the rest. You have to get over bottlenecks in your training and racing quickly in order to successfully race this distance.
5. Continue to visit RunDreamAchieve
I have created the new RunDreamAchieve Academy which will be featuring new courses for runners. I just completed a course called the Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro focused on marathoner seeking to run 2:59:59 or faster. An extremely in-depth, exhaustive overview of the exact steps you need to take in order to break the 3 hour marathon. I'm currently working on the Sub 4 Hour Marathon Pro course for marathoners seeking to break into the 3:59:59 or faster category.
The Academy will continue to grow and I will also continue to listen to my readers and what they want. You can visit the archives page and review over 400 posts of free content that I have created. If you ever find yourself running low on motivation stop in. Leave me a comment on the bottom of the posts you see on this site.
You can also contact me at nathan at rundreamachieve dot com if you have a specific question or concern. Remember, no 9 week half marathon training plan will work unless you have a plan in place. It also will not work unless you have built up some base mileage before you even start.
Purchase A RunDreamAchieve Half Marathon Training Plan
Visit The RunDreamAchieve Academy
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