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- Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training
Hal Higdon’s name is synonymous with running. As contributing editor of Runner’s World and best-selling author, he has helped countless runners achieve their distance goals. Now, he’s created the definitive guide on today’s most popular distance, the 13.1-mile half marathon.
Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training is everything you wanted to know about running the half marathon, including where to begin, what to focus on, how to pace yourself, how to avoid injury, how to track your progress, how to stay the course, and how to improve. Whether this is your first or fiftieth half marathon, there is a plan for you.
Inside you’ll find more than 15 customizable programs, ranging from novice to advanced (you’ll even find a walking-only plan), as well as proven strategies, race-day tips, and motivation from half-marathoners around the globe. From day 1 to mile 13.1, Hal will guide, encourage, and pace you to your goal.
Other guides might help you complete the half, but only one will introduce you to the joys of running. Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training is a book you’ll return to for guidance and inspiration for a lifetime of running.
Chapter 1. An Incredible Journey
Chapter 2. Roots
Chapter 3. Ready to Run
Chapter 4. First Steps
Chapter 5. Why We Run
Chapter 6. Hard/Easy
Chapter 7. Immediate Achievement
Chapter 8. Base Training
Chapter 9. Picking a Program
Chapter 10. Novice Training
Chapter 11. Moving Upward
Chapter 12. The Pinnacle
Chapter 13. Half-Marathoner Walking
Chapter 14. HM3
Chapter 15. Tween
Chapter 16. Do-It-Yourself Training
Hal Higdon has contributed to Runner's World for longer than any other writer. An article by Hal appeared in that publication's second issue in 1966. Author of more than 36 books, including the best-selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide (Rodale, 2011), 4:09:43: Boston 2013 Through the Eyes of the Runners (Human Kinetics, 2014), and RunFast (Rodale, 2000). Higdon has also written books on many subjects and for various age groups. His children's book The Horse That Played Center Field was made into an animated feature by ABC TV.
He ran eight times in the Olympic Trials and won four World Masters Championships. One of the founders of the Road Runners Club of America, Higdon was a finalist in NASA's Journalist-in-Space program to ride the space shuttle. He has served as training consultant for the Chicago Marathon and Chicago Area Runners Association and also answers questions on Facebook, offering interactive training programs through TrainingPeaks and apps through Bluefin. At the annual meeting of the American Society of Journalists and Authors in 2003, Higdon received the Career Achievement Award, the highest honor given to writer members.
Higdon became acquainted with the Boston Marathon as a member of the U.S. Army stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, training with Dean Thackwray, who would make the U.S. Olympic team in 1956. Higdon knew then that he eventually needed to shift his focus from his usual track events (including the 3,000-meter steeplechase) to the marathon. He first ran Boston in 1959, then again in 1960, failing to finish both years. “My mistake,” Higdon realized later, “was trying to win the race, not finish the race.”
It took five years for Higdon to figure out the training necessary for success as an elite marathoner, becoming the first American finisher (fifth overall) in 1964. The previous year, he wrote an article for Sports Illustrated about Boston titled “On the Run From Dogs and People” (later a book by the same title) that contributed to the explosion of interest in running in the 1970s that continues to this day.
Higdon also wrote a coffee table book titled Boston: A Century of Running, published before the 100th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996. An expanded version of a chapter in that book featuring the 1982 battle between Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley, titled The Duel, continues as a best-seller among running books.
Higdon has run 111 marathons, 18 of them at Boston. He considers himself more than a running specialist, having spent most of his career as a full-time journalist writing about a variety of subjects, including business, history, and science, for publications such as Reader’s Digest, Good Housekeeping, National Geographic, and Playboy. Among his more than three dozen published books are two involving major crimes: The Union vs. Dr. Mudd (about the Lincoln assassination) and The Crime of the Century (about the Leopold and Loeb case, featuring attorney Clarence Darrow). The 2014 publication of 4:09:43: Boston 2013 Through the Eyes of the Runners resonated with the worldwide community of runners deeply affected by the bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon.
Higdon continues to run and bike with his wife, Rose, from their winter and summer homes in Florida and Indiana. They have three children annd nine grandchildren.
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)
Novice Training Programs
Let’s begin by defining the workouts for novice 1. When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running.
How Novice 1 Works
Let's begin by defining the workouts for novice 1.
Rest
When you begin novice 1, the first workout you encounter on Monday (and all Mondays) is rest. It may seem counterproductive to consider rest a workout, but rest is as important a part of your training as the running. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better - and limit your risk of injury - if you rest before them on Fridays and rest after them on Mondays. Rest thus brackets the cross-training and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays, when runners have more free time to devote to their training. Bracketed weekends is at the heart of all my training programs.
Run
When you see the word run in any of my programs, that means I want you to run at a conversational pace. I mentioned this in the chapter on base training, and I'll mention it again here because this is important: Don't worry about how fast you run your regular workouts. The numbers that various electronic devices spit at us during our workouts (and afterward) are fun, but don't become trapped by them. If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. If you can't do that, you're running too fast, perhaps trying to keep up with a faster runner who should be slowing down for you. Be aware also that your conversational pace might be different from one day to another, depending on what you did the day before. Tuesday's run might be easiest (and fastest) after a day of rest on Monday. Thursday's run might be hardest (and slowest) because it's your second or third day in a row of running. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone probably should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate. One reason to wear a heart monitor is that it takes the decision making out of your hands when it comes to picking an easy pace.) One other consideration. Often you encounter a day - sun shining, cool rather than warm, beautiful scenery, wind at your back regardless of which direction you run - so perfect that there is no excuse to hold back. I will not be standing by the side of the road to trip you. Running should be fun. At the same time, a program is a program. Following it pretty close to "precisely" will help you achieve all your goals. Keep that in mind so you don't deviate from the program too frequently.
Distance
The novice 1 training schedule features workouts at distances from 2 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about running precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. In deciding where to train, talk to other runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. GPS watches seemingly make measuring courses easy, but trees and tall buildings can temporarily interfere with their accuracy. Also, don't be afraid to use educated guesses when it comes to determining how fast you just ran. If you normally run at a 10:00 pace (6:12/km), and you come in after running a half hour, you probably ran about 3 miles (4.8 km). Probably works for me; it should work for you.
Cross-Train
When you see cross on any of my schedules, it means cross-train. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, in other words, exercises that are aerobic, meaning they stress your cardiovascular system. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Sports such as basketball or volleyball that involve sideways motions or sudden stops and starts do not, in my mind, qualify as cross-training. In fact, you may increase your risk of injury if you double up on these sports, particularly as the mileage builds. Novice 1 suggests that you cross-train on Saturday before your long run, but you could just as easily flip-flop days and run long on Saturdays. In week 1, cross-train for a half hour, gradually increasing to a full hour in weeks 10 and 11. On Wednesdays, you have the option of doing a short run or cross-training.
How long should each cross-training workout last? For the weekend cross-training workouts, I usually suggest the number of minutes. Please note use of the word "suggest." Don't get hung up on specific time limits. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, and walking are different enough from running, so it is difficult to compare one workout to another. If I prescribe 60 minutes, I mean "about an hour." On days when I offer you the option to cross-train or run, determine how long it would take you to run the distance prescribed, then cross-train for about that same length of time. I'll continue to say more about cross-training in later chapters.
Long Runs
The most important workout of the week comes on Sundays in this program: the long run, progressively increasing in distance each weekend. Over a period of 12 weeks, your longest run will increase from 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 1 to 10 miles (16 km) in week 11. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, plus the final week features a taper to ensure you are well rested going into the race. The schedule suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, but you can do them on Saturdays or any other convenient day, if necessary.
Walking
Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. I don't specify walking breaks, but feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need to shift gears. Let me offer a nod in the direction of fellow friend and guru, Jeff Galloway, who popularized the use of walking breaks both in workouts and in races. (Thank you, Jeff.) When you go to the starting line in your 12th week, nobody will care whether you run every step of the half marathon; they're more concerned that you finish! If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it! Be aware that I also offer a separate half marathon training program for those who plan to walk all the way (see chapter 13).
Races
In week 6 and again in week 9, I suggest that you consider entering a running race at a relatively short distance: a 5K or a 10K. If you never have experienced a running race before, the thought of running 13.1 miles in the company of 10,000 or more runners may seem intimidating. One way to dispel your nervousness is to dip your toes in the water without jumping in. Choose a local 5K, one without too many people or too high an entry fee. Wait a couple of weeks and test yourself in another race, maybe a 10K. Each race is different, and a lot of psychic energy is generated in the biggest ones, so you might as well get an idea of what to expect. If you can't find races at the prescribed distances on the day of the week suggested, or in the week suggested, feel free to modify the schedule. Notice that I prescribe one or two days of rest on Friday and Saturday before the Sunday races as well as a rest day on Monday for recovery afterward. For Saturday races, shift the rest days accordingly.
Juggling
Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If your vacation includes hiking, skiing, biking, or some other fun activity, you have my permission to consider it cross-training. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter. Having said that, I know that many of my followers take great pride in following my programs exactly as written. And I can understand the confidence that this builds in them.
Walking Training Program
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There’s that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice.
Once you have chosen your half marathon, the secret to success is consistency. There's that word again, but you need to make walking a regular habit - a daily habit, not just something you do on the weekends or when the weather is nice. Walking coach Mark Fenton states, "The fitness walker must make a positive commitment to exercise a certain number of days a week over a specific distance or length of time, even if some of those days show fairly modest efforts" (Higdon, 1997b, p. 158).
Here's how to begin. The walking program, same as most of my running programs for the half, lasts 12 weeks and begins at a fairly easy level. In week 1, you walk for short amounts of time on three weekdays: Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, and Thursday 30 minutes. (One difference between my running programs and my walking program is that for the former, I prescribe in miles, for the latter in minutes.)
Rest
Rest is important, and because the hardest workouts come on the weekends, I prescribe rest on Mondays, allowing you to recover from the weekend, then I prescribe rest again on Fridays to prepare you for the weekend workouts. If you decide you don't need much rest, particularly early in the program when minutes and miles are low, you won't find me standing on the sidewalk holding a stop sign. As the program nears its end with mileages of 8 (13 km), 9 (14.5 km) and 10 (16 km), you may be happy for these rest days. Incidentally, consider scheduling a massage on Mondays. It will help recovery.
On weekends we do the tough work. One day on the weekend (Saturday), you stroll at an easy pace, stroll being a Mark Fenton term, and I'll explain that in the section on pace that follows. The other weekend workout (Sunday) features a prescribed distance, the only workouts defined in miles: 3 miles (4.8 km) in week 1, 4 miles (6.4 km) in week 2, and so on to a maximum of 10 miles (16 km) in week 11, one week before the half marathon. The workouts on the weekend, as well as during the week, get progressively longer, thus more difficult. Because the increases are gradual, you should be able to manage the buildup without excessive strain. Before starting to train, let's consider some of the terms used, all borrowed from racewalker Mark Fenton.
Pace
Don't agonize too much about pace - how fast you walk - at least for the first few weeks. Walk at a stress-free pace. If training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't talk (and I don't mean talk into a cell phone), you're walking too fast. Mark believes that changing pace can be an effective training tool. You need not walk at the same pace day after day. Following are descriptions of three pace changes from stroll to easy to brisk. While it is easy for Mark and me to put labels on pace changes, inevitably you set your own pace. You determine how fast or slow you need to move to maximize your training without encountering the ogre: overtraining.
Stroll is the easiest pace. Walk as though you're window shopping at an outlet mall. Easy is just that: easy, but somewhat faster than stroll. Brisk suggests that you pick up the pace, getting just a little out of breath, walking fast enough that you don't notice the sign announcing a sale in the window of the store you just passed. Can you go faster than that? At levels above these three, walkers become power walkers or racewalkers, walking with an elbow-swinging, hip-wiggling form such as that used by those competing in the Olympic Games. You don't want to go that fast, although there are coaches and books to serve anyone who wants to walk at the competitive level.
Distance
This is a time-based program, meaning most of the workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than miles. Forget distance. If you must wear a GPS watch, don't let it force you to go far. Just walk the prescribed length of time and check the readouts later. If you know approximately how fast you walk, you can estimate distance, but during the week, distance is not important. You just want to get out regularly and exercise your legs. Remember the key word used so often in this book: consistency!
On Sundays, however, the training schedule does dictate workouts at distances, from 3 to 10 miles (4.8-16 km). Don't worry about walking precisely those distances, but you should come close. Pick a course out your back door or in a scenic area where you think you might enjoy walking and where there are a lot of runners and walkers and cyclists. In deciding where to train, talk to other walkers or runners. They probably can point you to accurately measured courses for your workouts. Where do you find these people? Most cities have specialty running stores that serve walkers as well as runners. By the way, when you visit such a store, get fitted with a comfortable pair of shoes that can serve you both in training and in your ultimate walking event. Be sure to tell the clerk that you are a walker rather than a runner, because it may make a difference in shoe choice.
Long Walks
The most important day of your workout week is Sunday - or the day when you do your long walks. You can flip-flop workouts, by the way, and walk long on any day that is most convenient. The long walks progressively increase in distance two weekends in a row with a third step-back week every third weekend to provide extra relaxation time and a psychological boost. This step-back pattern is one I developed for those using my full marathon programs, and it works well with half marathon walkers, too. Over 12 weeks, your longest walk will increase from 3 to 10 miles. Don't worry about making the final jump from 10 miles in practice to 13.1 miles in the race. Inspiration will carry you to the finish line, particularly if you taper the final week. Notice that week 12, the final week before the half marathon, features reduced mileage, or reduced "minute-age." This will allow you to arrive at the starting line with fresh legs.
Jogging
One way to get to the finish line faster is to do some jogging. If you were a competitive racewalker, you would get disqualified for starting to run, but because you are not competing for a prize, feel free to jog occasionally, either in training or in the half marathon itself. Jog in small segments: 50 to 100 meters every 10 minutes or so might be enough at first. Eventually you might want to expand your jogging segments, or even run the entire way, but don't do too much at first. Running is a more high-impact exercise than walking, so be cautious. Your goal should be to finish the half marathon, not finish it fast.
If you plan to jog and walk in a race that offers prizes in a walking category, you need to enter in the running division. It's unfair to those who walk the whole way for you to be ranked as finishing faster because you ran. If you suddenly become inspired and decide to break into a run a 100 or so yards out from the finish line, be aware that surrounding walkers may not consider that a friendly act. Edging past a walker with your last few strides and raising a fist while shouting, "Yes!" well, that's a no-no.
Take Time
Does the 12-week progression from 3 (4.8 km) to 13.1 miles seem too tough? Do you have more than a dozen weeks before your chosen half? Lengthen the schedule; take 18 or even 24 weeks to prepare. Repeat the week just completed before moving up to the next level. This training schedule is not carved in stone. Feel free to innovate if you feel you need more time to prepare. On the other hand, a lot of thought - both by Mark Fenton and me - went into creating a program offering a path to success. Don't stray too far afield, and you will keep both of us happy.
Beginning Runner's Guide
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner’s World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner’s Guide for the magazine’s first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today.
In 1997, Amby Burfoot, an editor of Runner's World, asked me to write a Beginning Runner's Guide for the magazine's first venture onto the Internet. Much of the information contained in that guide (later published as a booklet) remains valid today. In the introduction, I wrote the following:
Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn how to run (Higdon 1997, p. 1).
But how do you begin? That's a frequent theme for questions asked of me on the Internet. New runners want to know how to start. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.
Every runner experiences what might be described as start-up problems. Many have restart problems. Former runners (who stopped for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.
In that guide, I advised runners how to start - and how to restart. I'll save you the trouble of hunting for a copy online or in a bookstore. Here is a summary and update of what I wrote in that handy booklet long ago.
Physical Examination
Before you begin, it is a good idea to talk to your personal physician. Paul D. Thompson, MD, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, explains, "This is important if you have a family history of heart disease, if you are a current or former smoker, or if you are overweight." If you do not have a physician, get one now and ask for a general checkup. Many doctors will recommend an exercise stress test (usually done on a treadmill) to ensure that you have no cardiovascular problems, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are willing to start slowly and talk to your doctor if symptoms surface during training. "Stress tests detect established heart disease," says Dr. Thompson. "The rare heart problems that occur in runners often develop suddenly and are not detectable by those tests."
Despite the occasional death of people in road races, most often from a heart attack, but sometimes from miscellaneous medical reasons not always easy to detect, you probably are safer running 13.1 miles on a road with runners all around you and police holding back car traffic than driving on that same road with trucks and high-speed cars buzzing by.
Running is a benign form of exercise. Despite the stress we place on our bodies (perhaps because of that stress), runners have fewer heart attacks than sedentary people. We are redeemed by our healthy lifestyles.
Shoe Selection
"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers," sang Billy Joel. "You get more mileage from a $79.95 pair of shoes advertised in Runner's World." Billy didn't sing the song exactly that way, so some updating seems necessary for today's market.
The single most important piece of equipment you must purchase as a runner is a pair of shoes. When I first published the Beginning Running Guide, I cavalierly suggested that a "cheap pair of sneakers" would suffice the first week or two. I wrote, "Just get out the door first, worry about equipment later." I'm not sure I still agree with myself.
That's because in the several decades since I wrote those words, there has been tremendous growth in the number of specialty running stores. These stores are owned and staffed by runners, who know the sport. They love serving beginners and know that if they help a new runner select the best possible pair of shoes (not necessarily the most expensive pair of shoes), that person will become a regular customer. As for brand, model, and price, any comments I might offer in this book would be immediately obsolete by the time you read them. Even Runner's World has a difficult time staying current with its shoe reviews. Shoe companies change what they are selling too frequently.
At First Place Sports, a store with a half-dozen branches in and around Jacksonville, Florida, sales staff use both treadmills and runs on the sidewalk outside the store to perform gait analysis on customers. "We normally begin by putting customers in a neutral shoe," says manager Simon O'Brien. "If that doesn't fit, we try different categories." First Place Sports stocks 60 to 70 styles each for women and men. "What we are looking for is the shoe that fits best for each individual customer," says O'Brien.
I recently contacted Bob Wischnia, a friend who currently works as a consultant for Mizuno in Austin, Texas. Previously, Wish supervised shoe reviews for Runner's World and certainly knows more about shoe selection than anyone I know. I asked Wish what runners (not merely new runners, but runners) should know before walking into a shoe store such as First Place Sports. His response was, "Just ask price range and what types of shoes (styles and models) are on sale. Then try on three or four of the suggested models and go for a short jog around the store or on a treadmill. Fit is the most important factor. Even a good shoe, if it fails to fit your feet, is worthless."
Clear your mind when it comes to shoe size, particularly if you are female. Sorry for being sexist, but women who stuff their feet into spiked shoes because it will make them look great at a cocktail party may need to go up a half size or more for running shoes. "Feet, particularly those of beginners, tend to swell the further you run," says Megan Leahy, DPM, a Chicago podiatrist. Hands swell as well because your cardiovascular system may not yet be up to the task of moving fluids from the extremities back toward the heart. Wish adds "There's no real secret to the shoe-selection process for a beginner, other than going to a reputable running store and placing your confidence in that store's shoe people."
Running Attire
When I first started running - in high school and continuing into college - the word attire did not exist. Well, maybe you could find the word attire in your dictionary, which was on a shelf rather than in your computer, but nobody would have connected the word attire with what we wore at practice and in races at Carleton College. Arriving at the locker room each afternoon at 4:00, I would change into my running clothes, which consisted of a jock strap, a pair of white shorts, and a white cotton T-shirt emblazoned on the chest with "Property of Carleton College," which guaranteed that all of us on the team would make that T-shirt our property because of the status it offered us walking from class to class.
For cold days we wore gray sweat suits: baggy bottoms and loose-fitting tops. I don't recall the school providing us with much more in the way of attire, so we survived the Minnesota winters by layering more clothing, including parkas made of a material normally used for U.S. Army tents. A pair of undershorts over the jock strap or even a wool sock stuffed in the right place also protected our manhood. Nobody on our team froze, as far as I can remember, but we usually finished outdoor runs in the winter soaked with sweat and covered by frost. If continuing to run outdoors between cross country and track seasons was uncomfortable, why do I have such pleasant memories of those winter workouts?
That was in the 1950s, and even in the 1960s as I continued my running career postcollegiate, athletic clothing had not improved much. There were too few road runners to attract the attention of attire manufacturers. My best marathon came at Boston in 1964 on a wet and cold day where, in order to stay warm, I wore under my racing singlet a cotton turtleneck that certainly weighed an extra pound or more before I turned toward the finish line, then on Exeter Street. Did the weight of the soggy clothing add minutes to my time? Possibly, but every other runner in the race faced the same handicap. This is certainly one reason why our finishing times back then look so feeble compared to times today. Or that's my rationale.
Then in the 1970s and through the 1980s and the 1990s and now into the new millennium, road running emerged as a mainstream sport, attracting not merely more runners (female as well as male), but more merchants who discovered that servicing those runners could work to their financial benefit. No criticism implied: I love not being forced to wear cumbersome clothing, either in training or in races. You, too, can take advantage of all the attire available to us.
While you are in the specialty running store purchasing your first pair of running shoes, check out the clothing, the attire: shorts, singlets, sports bras, all made out of wicking materials in bright colors and trendy fashions. You don't need to make a purchase immediately. Shoe box under your arm, you can walk away without further damaging your bank account, because for your first steps as a walker, jogger, or runner, you can grab almost anything out of your clothing drawers. After a few weeks or months running, you probably will want to look good as well as feel good. Treat yourself. Buy the color-coordinated gear that makes you feel like a supermodel on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Jane Alred, owner of First Place Sports, suggests, "As far as apparel goes, a well-fitting bra is very important for women. Socks also are key to a runner's comfort, and moisture-wicking apparel is a must. Technology has improved greatly in recent years. Much of the apparel now on the market has thermo-regulating and odor-preventing properties. Tights and capris are popular now, and this serves to support muscles well. Compression is another category."
The best way to learn about clothing is to go to a road race, the equivalent of going to the Detroit Auto Show if you want to learn about fast cars. You do not even need to run the race; simply attend a 5K or 10K to observe. Or a half marathon or marathon - the more runners entered, the better - where you will see the widest and wildest collection of fashionable and unfashionable clothes.
The first thing you will notice is that nobody cares what anybody else looks like. You can look svelte or you can look sloppy. It is almost impossible to make a fashion faux pas. Almost impossible, but not totally impossible. A few picky veterans feel that you should not wear the race T-shirt in the race itself. Supposedly, this brands you as a rookie. It would be more an error if that shirt were cotton rather than a more comfortable wicking material. Cotton is okay for short, midweek runs, but for a 13.1-mile race (and for long workouts), cotton gets soggy and heavy and causes chafing.
It's important to choose the clothes most comfortable for you. No matter what you're wearing, you'll still feel like a superhero when you finish your half marathon.
Marathonfoto.com
In an Internet survey I took of runners who followed me online, runners favored comfort far ahead of fashion when it came to picking clothes. Far ahead! Use workouts, particularly long workouts, to experiment with your own personal clothing choices.
When it comes to those choices, the most important word is "layering." Begin with the almost bare basics - a pair of shorts or tights. Popular among women lately are shorts that look like skirts. Many male runners enjoy running bare-chested during the hottest of summer days; as for women, the word "minimalist" works for clothing items other than minimalist shoes. But in choosing what to wear and what not to wear, consider that the sun overhead often can be more of a problem than the heat. A loose T-shirt can protect against sunburn as can suntan lotion, particularly a product with a high SPF number. Also, if you do a lot of running beneath a burning sun, wear a loose cap to protect your face and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Will this make you look dorky? Joan Benoit Samuelson won the 1984 Olympic Marathon wearing a cap that very much was dorky, so do you really care how you look?
When temperatures drop, the layering begins. Now you do need that T-shirt - and maybe a long-sleeve shirt over that. Every clothing item should be made of a wicking fabric that will pass moisture (your sweat) up and out. What will keep you warm in winter is not only the fabric, but also the air trapped between fabric. Continue layering for comfort, understanding at the same time that the more clothes you wear, the slower you will become. Do not try to compare your split times on a cool day in October with those on a cold day in January or, for that matter, on a hot day in May.
In cold weather, substitute a wool cap for the dorky cap, perhaps with a balaclava mask that will minimize bare skin exposure in cold winds. The wool cap will help retain warm air from rising and departing the body. Also important is keeping the extremities warm. Layer your hands, too, keeping in mind the fact that mittens will keep those hands warmer than finger gloves. For the coldest winter workouts, I wore woolen mittens as my first layer with leather mittens as the top layer. I never had a problem keeping my feet warm. A single pair of socks usually worked for me, but that may not be enough for you. As with all items of clothing, experiment to see what works for you. Of course, if you plan to spend the months of winter running only on an indoor treadmill, all of the above may be lost on you. Fair enough, but as an expatriate Minnesotan, I remember those days running in subzero weather as being exhilarating. Some of the fastest American marathoners have come from Minnesota and other cold-weather states. That includes Buddy Edelen, who set a world record for the marathon in 1963, and Janis Klecker, winner of the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
As for other equipment, sometimes I feel that my simple little sport of running has become overwhelmed with equipment. Is there a single gadget that every runner should own? First Place Sports' Simon O'Brien identifies GPS watches as their most popular electronic device. GPS watches allow runners to measure time, distance, pace, and much more. Personally, I love my app on my iPhone, which allows me to view a map of the route just run after I return home. It confirms the fact that, yes, I ran that course. Depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your watch, you can spend between $100 and $500. Another best-selling item, says O'Brien, is foam rollers. Nothing electronic about them, but you can rub the rollers along a sore or injured muscle and recover more rapidly.
Staying in Shape
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says.
Stacey Saunders, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Irmo, South Carolina, started running in June 1999 because she faced something new and unwanted: a permanent off-season. "Out of college, I had nothing to train for anymore after more than eight years of team sports," she says. A coworker was training for the Chicago Marathon and Saunders joined him "just to stay in shape." Saunders adds, "I've been running ever since (in between pregnancies). I keep running because (1) it gives me a feeling that no other sport or exercise gives me, (2) I can, (3) races give me structure and focus in training, and (4) running is free."
Bridget Knepp, 38, a stay-at-home mom from Bettendorf, Iowa,says, "I run for myself. I run for my health. I run to get away from my surroundings. I hate to run. I love to run. I hate to run. I love to run. I run to show my kids how to exercise to stay healthy. Running is the cheapest way to exercise. I love to run road races and now that my 10-year-old has started beating me, I love to watch him run. To see him passing grown men and women makes me smile and makes me pick up my own pace. The feel of crossing the finish line is a sense of accomplishment like nothing else. It doesn't matter if I'm first, last, or somewhere in between. It just matters that I did it. Step out the front door and just go! That's my motto."
Sedentary people, those who perhaps unfortunately are referred to as couch potatoes, do not always understand why we run. Unless they have someone in their immediate family who is a runner, and sometimes even then, they do not comprehend why we hit the highways, in bad weather as well as good, and waste an hour or so of our time each day training. They dredge up the memory of Jim Fixx, the author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running, who died at the end of a 10-mile (16 km) training run. I can't fault them. Runners sometimes arrogantly look at couch potatoes as beneath them. I don't agree with that point of view. I just know that we are going to keep running whether or not other people understand.
What other people might not understand may be that getting in shape does not have the priority in their lives as it has with those of us who run half marathons or hope to run half marathons. But there is more to the half marathon than running 13.1 miles on a single day. It is the training to run that distance that serves as the bulk of the iceberg unseen beneath the ocean's surface. The runners quoted in this chapter know it because they experienced it. Running is wonderful. But the half marathon remains the carrot dangled before our noses as we prepare to run 13.1 and attach the semi-obligatory sticker with that number to the back of our cars.
What does training for the half marathon do for us? It helps us to lose weight if we are overweight. It strengthens our muscles, some more than others, and makes us fitter individuals. It provides a sudden 90-degree turn away from what previously had been an unhealthy lifestyle. From observing my fellow runners over a long lifetime, I can tell others that, in general, runners do not smoke; runners do not drink; runners eat healthy; runners are the first to leave the party (because they have a long run the next morning); runners live longer because of their lifestyle; and finally, runners are generally good people. If runners share a single vice, it is that we know all this and sometimes babble incessantly about our marvelous experiences even though our friends may not want to know our mile splits.
Am I Getting Fitter?
"The whole point of training," write Stephen J. McGregor, PhD, and Matt Fitzgerald in The Runner's Edge: High-Tech Training for Peak Performance, "is to increase your running fitness. More exactly, the point is to gradually increase your race-specific fitness until it reaches a peak level at the time of your most important race. So the one question you want to answer more than any other throughout the training process is this: Am I getting fitter?" (McGregor and Fitzgerald 2010, p. 93)