PUBLISHED 02/05/2008
Deb is a real fighter, and that gives me great assurance that she is going to succeed. My initial worry was that she wants to run a half-marathon without having run a 10K. Because of this I immediately thought the best thing for Deb was to build a strong foundation, which includes forcing her to take walk breaks, but also introduces her to interval work and pushing past her comfort zone. My theory with beginners is you should use the first few years to lay the foundation of their running life. Don't build too quickly, and don't go out too fast.
Welcome To Running
Because Debbie is a beginner, she tends to read and hear lots of information about running from multiple sources, which causes confusion. What I want her to do is believe in the program our team has given her and ask questions when she has them. Being a new runner can be difficult, so I want to make Deb's introduction to the sport as pleasant as possible.
Running With a Partner
We all know that running can be a selfish and often solo sport, but there's also lots of time for running with a partner. In Deb's case she really wanted to include her 10-year-old son in her program. So, you'll see I've put in opportunities for the two of them to work together, but in a way that does not affect what Deb is focusing on with her running: finishing her first half-marathon.
The Treadmill Workouts
For now I have Deb doing her speedwork on a treadmill. Because she's a new runner she isn't sure about her pacing and how far she can push herself. In the future I'm hoping I can get her to a local track to do these workouts, but for now the treadmill will be a good training tool. You'll see I've labeled her speeds A, B, and C to keep things simple. A is pushing beyond her comfort level; B is working hard, but not going all out; and C is being able to enjoy the scenery. I'm hoping these simple labels will help Deb learn to pace and push herself.
The Plan Check back every Friday to get the next week's plan
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| WEEK |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
S |
1 |
2-miles of easy running |
(T)empo: warm-up with 5-minutes of walking, 3 x 10-minutes at 5.5 mph (10:55 pace), 2-minute walk in between (treadmill)
|
Walk 30-minutes with your son or a partner |
5- minute walk, 20-minutes at Speed A, 5-minute walk (treadmill) |
Rest day |
Long run of 8.5-miles, with walk breaks of 2-minutes every 12-minutes |
Long hike 1- 2hrs
|
2 |
2-miles of easy running |
T: 3 x 12-minutes at 6mph (10:00 pace), with 2-minutes of walking recovery (treadmill)
|
Walk 30-minutes with your son or a partner |
25-minutes at Speed B (treadmill) |
Rest day |
Long run of 8.5 miles, with walk breaks of 2-minutes every 20-minutes |
Rigorous cross-training (hike, swim, etc.) |
3 |
3-miles of easy running |
T: 4 x 10-minutes at 5.6 to 5.7mph (10:32 pace), with 2-minutes of rest in-between. (treadmill) |
Walk 30-minutes with your son or a partner |
30-mins at Speed B (treadmill) |
2-miles easy running or rest day |
Long run of 9-miles with 3-walk breaks, when you need them, of 2-minutes each |
Cross-training or rest day with your family |
4 |
3-miles at speed C |
3x12-minutes with 2-minute recovery walk |
Walk with your son or a partner |
25-minutes speed A- to B+ |
3 easy miles or rest
|
8-miles without stopping |
Spend time with your family |
5 |
2-miles at speed C |
4 x 12-minutes at 5.8mph with 90-seconds rest |
Walk with your son or a partner |
30-minutes at speed B pushing the hills |
Rest day |
10-miles with 3 1-minute breaks allowed, flat course if possible, concentrate on getting a rhythm |
Spend time with your family |
6 |
2 to 4-miles of easy running |
4 x 10-minutes at 5.9mph with 80-seconds rest |
Walk 30-minutes with your son or a partner; include some hills |
35-minutes at speed B pushing the hills |
Rest day |
11-miles with four 1-minute walk breaks allowed; flat course if possible; concentrate on getting a rhythm |
Spend time with your family |
7 |
4-miles easy |
4 x 12-minutes at 5.8mph with 100-seconds rest |
Walk 30-minutes with a partner or your son; include some hills |
40-minute run: 10-minutes at speed C, 20-minutes at speed B, 10-minutes at speed C |
Rest day |
12-miles, try to get to 9-miles without walking |
Spend time with your family |
8 |
3-miles easy |
4x15-minutes, 5.8 to 6.0mph, with a 2-minute walk break
|
Walk 30-minutes with a partner or your son |
40-minute run at speed B |
Rest day |
8-9 mile run with no stopping or walk breaks |
Short hike |
9 |
2-miles easy |
5-miles at speed C; one mile at speed A (total 6-miles)
|
Walk 30-minutes with a partner or your son |
20-minutes at speed B |
Rest day |
6-miles at speed C |
Short hike (50-minutes max) |
10 |
3-miles easy |
4-miles at speed B
|
Easy 30-minute walk |
2-miles at speed B |
Rest day |
Race day |
Rest day |
