Training Tips
There is no exact way to train for a half or full marathon but one thing is for sure - if you are
going to be putting in a lot of effort it is worthwhile investing in a good pair of running shoes to
reduce the risk of injury and make sure you get to the start line.
Training quality always wins out over the quantity of training but for the half and marathon
distance some quantity is necessary to get you through the 21.1 or 42.2km.
Remember though, you don’t need to do 42.2km training runs to make it through the
marathon!
Build-up
It is important to make sure that you don’t overload your body with too many training runs in
one week. A training week should incorporate at least an easy jog, a medium distance faster
paced run and a longer distance jog/run. Each week you can look at increasing your distance
on your longer run and going at a faster pace on your medium distance jog/run. Longer runs
will give you the endurance needed to get through the distance while your medium distance
runs will increase the pace that you are able to maintain for the race. A slow warm up and
cool down should always be included in your training sessions as well as regular stretching.
The newer you are to running, the longer your recovery should be in between runs so you
may want to train every second or third day. Make sure that each long run is followed some
recovery time or very easy jogging. The Ross course includes a hill so make sure you include
a few undulations in some of your training routes.
Longer distance runs
If your first long run is around 8-10km aim to increase the distance each week by around 510%. Your longest run should be a distance of around 32-35km and preferable two to three
weeks out from the marathon to give you time to recover. The speed of these runs should be
faster than your easy jogs but not as hard as your moderate distance runs. The final week of
your training will consist of a ‘taper’ where your runs are shorter but you still maintain a good
training intensity.
Moderate distance runs
Use your harder, shorter runs to help increase your running speed. You can do this in a
number of ways:
-
add in some interval work where you may alternate between running fast for
2 mins and then recover at a slower pace for 3 mins.
-
find a slight incline (nothing too steep!) and do 4-5 repetitions where you
jog/run up and recover by walking slowly back down the incline.
when you are feeling good on your training run increase the pace a bit and
-
then when you need a break slow down until you recover and are ready to
go fast again.
run at a constant, fast pace. This may start out at 4 km and then build-up to
-
12 km over the course of your training.
A combination of the above training techniques can be used in one session. For example you
may do a constant pace run for 4 km followed by some intervals on flat ground and then finish
with one or two short incline runs. Make sure you gradually build up the intensity over each
session.
If you are able to jog non-stop for 30-40 mins already, a GENERAL GUIDE for training would
be:
Week
Monday Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday Friday
Saturday Sunday
1
rest
4-6 km
easy jog
rest
6-8 km
mod-hard
rest
rest
12-14 km
(long)
2
rest
5-7 km
easy jog
rest
6-8 km
hard
rest
rest
14-17 km
(long)
3
rest
5-7 km
easy jog
rest
6-10 km
mod-hard
rest
rest
17-20 km
(long)
4
rest
4-6 km
easy jog
6-8 km
hard
rest
8-12 km
easy
rest
23-25 km
(long)
5
rest
6-8 km
easy jog
6-10 km
mod-hard
rest
8-12 km
moderate
rest
28-31 km
(long)
6
rest
5-7 km
easy jog
rest
8-10 km
mod-hard
rest
rest
32-35 km
(long)
7
rest
5-7 km
easy jog
rest
8-10 km
hard
rest
6-8 km
easy jog
13-15 km
(long)
8
rest
6-8 km
easy jog
rest
8-10 km
hard
6-8km easy
jog
rest
12-14 km
(long)
9
rest
5km
moderate
4-6 km
mod-hard
rest
4-5 km
easy
rest
Race Day!
Power of the mind
When you are out on your long runs practice positive thinking. Try to focus on inspiring words
such as ‘power’, ‘stride’, ‘drive’ and even ‘steady’ if you have a tendency to go hard out of the
blocks! It’s amazing how much your thought processes will get you through. You have done
all the hard training so know that you can make it to the finish!