Sub 2.00 Half Marathon Training Plan - Is this plan suitable for me?
This plan is written for a fairly experienced to novice runner already training 3 or 4 times per week looking to break 2.00 for the first time or
better their time further below 2.00. When starting any training plan, you need to be honest with yourself in setting a realistic training goal and
following a training plan that is suitable for you. The plan you choose should be applicable to your current fitness level. It should also fit in with
your availability to train each week. Think carefully about your work, family and social commitments. Whilst you want to challenge yourself, your
training should always be enjoyable and not too hard so you go from session to session feeling fatigued. If you have any questions about the
training plan then please e mail us at [email protected] We wish you the best of luck with your training!
Measuring Your Effort
It’s important that you run at the right effort level and intensity to ensure you’re training to reach your full potential. Most of us think that
running “harder is better” so we end up running too quickly, which can result in feeling tired, illness or injury. Understand what each run is
trying to achieve and how it should feel is the way to train smart, so here’s a guide to the running sessions that you’ll find mentioned in the
training plan and a note of how they should feel as a ‘talk test’.
Type of Run
PERCEIVED
EFFORT LEVEL HEART RATE
(1-10)*
HOW IT SHOULD FEEL – “THE TALK TEST”
Easy / Recovery Run
6-6.5
65-70%
You can speak in complete sentences, totally conversational, you’re running
relaxed, enjoying it and not worrying about the watch
Long Run
6.5-7
65-70%
You’re in control, running fluidly and very much at a conversational level but
you’ll feel slightly flushed with a gradual build up of muscular fatigue
Steady Effort Run
7-8
70-80%
You can speak in short sentences but have a slight pause on your breath. This
can often be ‘no man’s land’ in training terms if this is all you do
Threshold runs / Kenyan
8-8.5
Hills
80-85%
You could speak 4-5 words if somebody asked you a question. Your breathing is
more laboured and you know you’re working, we call this ‘controlled
discomfort’
10km / Speedwork
90-92%
You can say only 2-3 words maximum and are out of breath but still know that
you could do more if you had to
9-9.5
*Perceived effort = where 1 is easy and represents minimum effort and 10 is hard and represents maximum effort
Sub 2.00 Half Marathon Training Plan
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
REST
10 min Warm-up, 5 x 4
mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Cross
effort with 90 secs jog
Training + 30 minutes
recovery between
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
30 mins Easy CrossTraining + Stretch
10 min Warm-up, 6 x 5
mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Cross
effort with 90 secs jog
Training + 30 minutes
recovery between
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
10 min Warm-up, 6 x 5
mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Cross
effort with 75 secs jog
Training + 30 minutes
recovery between
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
30 mins Easy CrossTraining + Stretch
10 min Warm-up, 6 x 5
mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Cross
effort with 60 secs jog
Training + 30 minutes
recovery between
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
15 minutes Easy, 15
35 mins Recovery run +
minutes Threshold, 15
Stretch
minutes Easy
THURSDAY
40 mins Steady
undulating run +
Stretch
45 minutes Easy Run
45 minutes Easy Run
30 minutes Easy Run
45 minutes Easy Run
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 3
x 6 minutes at
Threshold effort over 75 mins Long run - Easy
undulating terrain with
effort + Stretch
a 90 second recovery,
10 minutes Cool Down
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 4
x 6 minutes at
Threshold effort over
undulating terrain with
a 90 second recovery,
10 minutes Cool Down
75 mins Long run Easy/Steady effort +
Stretch
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 4
x 8 minutes at
Threshold effort over
undulating terrain with
a 90 second recovery,
10 minutes Cool Down
80 mins Long run Easy/Steady effort +
Stretch
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 3
x 8 minutes Kenyan Hills
with a 90 second
recovery between sets,
10 minutes Cool Down
65 mins Long run Easy/Steady effort +
Stretch
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 3
x 8 minutes Kenyan Hills
with a 90 second
recovery between sets,
10 minutes Cool Down
75 mins Long run Easy/Steady effort +
Stretch
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
REST
10 min Warm-up, 4 x 8
mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Cross
effort with 90 seconds 45 minutes Easy Cross
Training + 30 minutes
jog recovery between
Training
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
10 min Warm-up, 6 x 5
mins at Threshold
effort with 60 secs jog
recovery between
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
30 minutes Easy Run
10 min Warm-up, 4 x 8
mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Run +
effort with 90 seconds
30 minutes
jog recovery between
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
10 min Warm-up, 4 x
10 mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Run +
effort with 90 seconds
30 minutes
jog recovery between
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
10 min Warm-up, 6 x 5
mins at Threshold
30 minutes Easy Run +
effort with 60 secs jog
30 minutes
recovery between
Conditioning Work
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
50 minutes Easy Run +
Stretch
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 3
x 8 minutes Kenyan Hills
with a 90 second
recovery between sets,
10 minutes Cool Down
90 mins Long run Easy/Steady effort +
Stretch
REST
10 min Warm-up, 5 x 3
mins at 90 pct effort
with 90 secs jog
recovery between
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
30 minutes Easy Cross
Training + 30 minutes
Conditioning Work
105 mins Long run Easy/Steady effort +
Stretch
REST
10 min Warm-up, 5 x 3
mins at 90 pct effort
with 90 secs jog
recovery between
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
30 minutes Easy Cross
Training + 30 minutes
Conditioning Work
120 minutes Long Run Pick up last 20 minutes
to Half Marathon Pace
Effort
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 8
minutes at Threshold
effort, 90 second
recovery, 5 x 2 minutes 30 minutes Easy Cross
at 90% (10k) with a 60 Training + 30 minutes
second recovery, 8
Conditioning Work
minutes at Threshold
effort, 10 minutes Cool
Down
90 minutes Long Run Pick up last 30 minutes
to Half Marathon Pace
Effort
REST
10 minutes Warm Up, 4
30 minutes Easy Cross
x 10 minutes at
Training + 30 minutes Threshold effort with a
Conditioning Work
90 second recovery, 10
minutes Cool Down
45 minutes Easy Cross
Training + 30 minutes
Conditioning Work
REST
90 minutes Easy Long
Run
REST
30 minutes Easy Cross
Training + 30 minutes
Conditioning Work
105 minutes Long Run Pick up last 30 minutes
to Half Marathon Pace
Effort
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
REST
Pilates
REST
40 mins Easy run +
Stretch
10 minutes Warm Up, 3
x 15 minutes at
Threshold effort with a
90 second recovery, 10
minutes Cool Down
10 minutes Warm Up, 4
30 minutes Easy Cross
x 10 minutes at
Training + 30 minutes Threshold effort with a
Conditioning Work
90 second recovery, 10
minutes Cool Down
15 minutes Easy, 15
minutes Threshold, 15
minutes Easy
REST
30 mins Recovery run +
Stretch
90 mins Long run with
last 40 mins at Half
Marathon pace +
Stretch
REST
30 minutes Easy Cross
Training + 30 minutes
Conditioning Work
REST
10 min Warm-up, 6 x 4
mins at 90 pct effort
with 90 secs jog
recovery between
efforts, 10 min Cooldown + Stretch
REST
75 mins Long run with
last 30 mins at Half
Marathon pace +
Stretch
30 mins Easy run +
Stretch
REST
20 minutes Easy Effort +
Stretch
Half Marathon
Race