A Radical (But Effective) Training Approach to the Upcoming Pleasanton Half-Marathon

In light of the half marathon that is scheduled for here in Pleasanton in April, I thought I would share some insights as a trainer that may raise some eyebrows while lowering your time and reducing training injuries all at once.

Years ago, after running a half marathon on a whim – I agreed to do it the night before – I learned an important lesson: there are other ways to train for a run than by strictly running.

What happened was that a friend was training for a full marathon and was registered for the Golden Gate Half Marathon in San Francisco as a training milestone.

She mentioned it over dinner and, knowing I was in pretty good shape and more adventurous than wise, asked me if I’d like to join her. I had been working out several hours a week, including boxing training (lots of rope skipping, hitting the bags and sparring), so my stamina was very high. But I wasn't accustomed to the sustained impact of a race nearly that long. The result? I got through it fine, except for a tendon inflammation that was a result of not wearing actual running shoes, because I didn’t own any.

That was stupid, but what I learned over the next several runs (about half a dozen half marathons, two eight-mile hill runs and a bunch of 10ks), was that with the right cardio/cross training program, I didn’t really need to run much to train for 6-13 mile races.

Of course, for future runs, I followed a typical week-over-week ramp-up that most running clubs and coaches advocate for preparation, but with far fewer miles logged in.

I also learned from seasoned runners like Laurie Davis, former owner of and a multiple time participant in the Boston and other marathons, that tapering miles and stepping up alternative, lower or non-impact cardio is a great way to continue to raise aerobic threshold while avoiding the point of diminishing returns for the accumulated impact of logging lots of miles.

And I’ve used this formula successfully training other running clients, triathletes and other longer-duration endurance racers.

A typical training protocol for a half would be two shorter mid-week runs, followed by a longer weekend run that grows in length as the race approaches to around 70 to 80 percent of the race distance, and then, perhaps tapering the week prior to the race.

The protocol might be spread over 6 to 10 weeks. So week one might be Tuesday – 3 miles, Thursday – 3, Saturday 5; and week eight might be Tuesday – 5, Thursday – 5, Saturday – 10. As you can see, it would be pretty easy to rack up close to, or even over, 100 miles preparing for the race. That could result in burnout or injury and often does.

Here’s an alternative that minimizes both the sustained impact and accumulated running time but could actually improve your performance:

Weeks 1 - 2 Elliptical trainer or rower, 30 min; Rope skipping, 15 min; alternating mountain climbers and reverse lunges each minute for 5 min; run 2 miles [2x/week]. Repeat non-running circuit (NRC) and run 5 miles both weekend runs.

Weeks 3 – 4 NRC cutting the elliptical to 20 minutes and the rope skipping to 10 (while stepping up the intensity for both), run 3 miles 2x/week; NRC, long run = 8 miles

Week 5 Week 3&4 NRC, run 3 miles 2x/week; NRC, long run = 10 miles

Then just take it easy the week prior to the race, maybe by swimming, or doing some Pilates or yoga to keep limber, and get plenty of rest and eat properly.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results, I assure you.

Want to talk in-person? I’m usually at the studio http://trivalleytrainer.com/ and can always be reached at Dan@TriValleyTrainer.com .