Nathan Pennington Running in The Distance

Half Marathon Training Plan Sub 2 Hours

Are you seeking more information about what a half marathon training plan sub 2 hours should provide? If so, welcome to rundreamachieve. I'm glad you have made it here. I have run 1:07:06 for the half-marathon and 2:19:35 for the marathon. So, I understand the complexities of running under 2 hours for the half marathon entails. Yes, you need to be in great physical shape but also mentally tough to run a 1:59:59 or faster for the half marathon. I know a lot of athletes around the world are seeking to break this barrier.

My goal for you is to ensure that you do. The goal is to sustain 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometer for the entire 13.1 mile or 21.1 kilometers. Remember, it isn't necessarily about working harder in order to run 1:59:59 or better. You want to ensure you are using leverage. Leverage simply means doing more with less. I have known plenty of athletes over the years who were hard workers but may not have always achieved their goals. So, the focus needs to be training at, near or far below goal sub 2 hour half marathon pace. You want to make sure you get that race pace to feel less demanding. In addition, learn to burn fat at race pace and conserve carbohydrates so you have those to call upon at the latter stage of your race.

What Pace is Needed for a 2 HR Half Marathon?

Pace sustainment is the goal and slowing down less than your competition. I teach the athlete the same strategies I was taught to eventually run 2:19:35 for the marathon in the sub 2 hour half marathon domination course. I am a big believer in self-development and have also invested in courses that have helped me take my running to new levels. The sport of middle to long distance running has given me a lot. So, my aim is to teach a course where I share all of the strategies and fundamentals some of the world's top distance running coaches taught me. I didn't just run 1:07:06 for the half-marathon or 2:19:35 for the marathon overnight.

It was a process for me too. I am share the video above because it is the process that determines how successful you are going to be in this sport. What are you doing during your off hours when the training is done? Are you getting enough sleep? Hydrating well? Are you running sufficient mileage at, near or far below sub 2 hour half marathon pace? Why is this important? The faster you train the easier 2 hour half marathon pace is going to feel. Of course, it will hurt in the race no matter how fit you are. That being said, if you perfect your taper phase you will go into your next major race feeling motivated, rested and ready.

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How Do I Get a Sub 2 HR Half Marathon?

Persistence and proper planning. No one runs 1:59:59 without having put in the proper amount of training. In addition, you need to get that taper correctly. I have found that athletes who start dropping volume and intensity 3 weeks out sometimes feel lethargic and tired. I always set personal bests for all of my races using a 10-day taper. You are more than welcome to visit our about page if you would like to know more about my racing history if you wish. The key thing to keep in mind is to stress the anaerobic systems of the body but also jog on recovery days

Remember, all of the benefits of your hard training come within the rest period. You need to do 1, Vo2max workout per week. Vo2max is your maximum oxygen uptake. You can only spend a few seconds to a few minutes running at these types of intensities. The problem with running at sprint speeds is you are building up too much lactic acid. So, your body cannot clear it faster than it is building up. Of course, the overall goal is to spend sufficient time running at paces that far exceed 9:09 mile or 5:41 per kilometer effort.

Would you like to finally dip under that 2 hour barrier for the half-marathon? If so, click on the button below to learn more about the Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon domination course.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUB 2 HOUR HALF MARATHON DOMINATION COURSE

How to Run a Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon

You need to focus first and foremost on building a strong base of easily mileage. I prefer a 16 week build up and 4 months is certainly sufficient time to prepare for a sub 2hr half marathon. That being said, if you jog for 4 weeks you can extend your build up to 20 weeks. Again, if you do this correctly you will drastically increase your chances of breaking the 2 hour half marathon barrier. The key thing is to focus on periodization. I have built all of my training plans focused on this fundamental. We focus on a recovery week every 4th week of our training plans. So, you recover from the harder anaerobic efforts you are doing in training.

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half marathon training plan sub 2 hours
finishing in 4th place and top American at the 2007 California International Marathon

Also, you need to start focusing on doing faster long runs. You cannot just run long, slow easy runs every weekend and expect to run 1:59:59. A sub 2 hour half marathon is quality running. So, you need to focus on doing the little things that add up better than your competition. In addition, you do not want to neglect your nutrition either. Protein is very important for muscle recovery. So, a half marathon training plan sub 2 hours should focus on harder efforts coupled with easy recovery workouts. A big issue I see with a lot of runners is they are running too many of their mileage too slow. Of course, there still is a place for easy running especially on those recovery days. Again, you cannot continue to push the body anaerobically. There is a point of diminished returns.

Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon Pacing Strategy

I would focus on a negative split to run under 2 hours. That being said, that doesn't mean running a positive split can't be done either. You just need to be well-prepared to race in this fashion. For example, my personal best for the half-marathon is 1:07:06. I hit the first half-marathon in my 2:19:35 in 1:07:09, a mere 3 seconds off my personal best for 13.1 miles. I ran the second half of my marathon in 1:12:26. So, I went out very aggressive with the lead Kenyans that were in that race but had some wiggle room in the second half to achieve my lifelong goal, a sub 2:22 marathon. Yes, it can be done but you also have to be in great anaerobic shape and have tapered perfectly in order to do this.

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It is sometimes more wise to run more conservatively in the early miles or kilometers of your half marathon. Thus, you can attack the last 10 kilometers of your half and finally dip under 2 hours. So, pacing is very important and how you run your race. A solid plan of action is running the first 10 kilometers at or around 9:20 mile pace or 5:55 kilometer pace. Furthermore, finishing the second half of the race running around 8:45 mile or 5:20 per kilometer pace or faster.

Closing Thoughts

So, a half marathon training plan sub 2 hours should focus on harder training at, near and far below sub 2 hour half marathon pacing. In addition, recovery weeks every 4th week. Again, you want to ensure that you are recovering from the harder training sessions that you are doing. Also, start working on alternating one harder long run one weekend followed the next weekend by a nice, easy and relaxed long run. Long runs are usually nice and easy for many runners. That being said, running fast is an art form and takes time to perfect.

You are aiming to run a highly competitive time with a 1:59:59. There are many runners who want to own a time like this. My goal is to help you speed up that process and teach you exactly what needs to be done. This post only scratches the surface and provides only a few clues into the details that we dig into with the sub 2 hour half marathon course. Would you like to get started on the path to running well below the 2 hour barrier? If so, click on the button below to learn more.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUB 2 HOUR HALF MARATHON DOMINATION COURSE

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