| 2010 HALF-MARATHON TRAINING SCHEDULE |
|
A new approach that may improve results The longer runs may seem faster than usual in this half-marathon training schedule, but it has proven to be successful for participants. This plan was developed as part of a study on injury rates and different stability categories of running shoes. Last year, Nike commissioned a study to examine foot injuries in a group of women training for the Vancouver half-marathon. The company wanted to know if different footwear stability categories (neutral, stability and motion control) had any relation to injury rates. Michael Ryan, along with Dr. Jack Taunton of the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre at the University of British Columbia, randomly assigned more than 100 women to different categories of Nike shoes. The women trained in them for the Scotiabank Vancouver half-marathon, and the researchers observed the injury rate between groups. The half-marathon training schedule used in the study was well-received, despite some elements of its design being unconventional, such as the training pace for the long runs being faster than usual. Considering a quarter of our group completed the 21.1-kilometre event for the first time and 10 percent of the more experienced runners posted personal bests, this program was able to walk the fine line between gradual progressive loading for the first time half-marathoner, as well as enough threshold and anaerobic training for the veteran. The schedule is a combination of distance- and time-based workouts. Workouts based on time allow faster runners the chance to integrate a relatively higher weekly training volume, and the distance-based workout on the weekend ensures that everyone is getting adequate and appropriate exposure to the long runs. Mid-week interval training consists of long intervals for anaerobic threshold, tempo runs for aerobic power (performed at an equivalent of their 10K race pace), pyramid training for anaerobic threshold and efficiency, and short intervals for anaerobic threshold and neuromuscular activation. Interval sessions will develop aerobic systems and allows your fitness to adapt before the more demanding power-based workouts are included closer to race day. The other important characteristic of this program is that all long runs are performed at 30 seconds slower than the runners' anticipated (or goal) race pace in minutes per mile. This is critical to develop sufficient aerobic capacity to carry their training over the full 21.1 kilometres. Using pace chart found at the end of this article, you can calculate how long you'll need to run on the weekend if you want to run by time. For the purpose of this article, this 13-week schedule is an edited version of the original 13-week one. The study's results, for those interested, are pending review from the British Journal of Sports Medicine and provide much-needed insights into evidence-based footwear prescription. The researchers found runners of all foot types experienced more pain throughout the training program when they wore motion control shoes (versus stability or neutral shoes), and current conventions for fitting running shoes are likely overly simplistic and may not be appropriate. Enjoy your training! Download a PDF of the 2010 Half Marathon Training Schedule here About the Authors CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 2010 MARATHON TRAINING SCHEDULE "New Approach May Improve Results: Half Marathon Training Schedule" first appeared in the 2010 Mar/Apr Running Issue of IMPACT Magazine. |
