TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST HALF MARATHON
Week 1: Boiling the Frog
It’s go time! Here’s your customized plan from Ryan Hall to help you start where you are and stick with it.
What to Expect in Week 1:
This week we begin the journey to your goal half marathon. The key to a successful journey is making the first steps as easy as possible because it is usually the first steps that are the hardest, regardless of what those steps are.
So, let’s make those first steps easy so we can take them and build off that momentum week by week. If we “boil the frog” in your training, you are most likely to stick with it and respond well to the training. We only want small increases in stimulus rather than big shifts. Big increases in training stimulus have a much greater risk of injury and burnout.
Keep it easy,
Ryan
What in the world is boiling the frog?
“Boiling the frog” is an expression that suggests that when you undergo change gradually, you’ll hardly even realize it’s happening. In this case, the metaphor is an unlucky frog in a pot of water: If you boil the water straight away, he’ll jump out. But if you warm the water little by little, he won’t even notice by the time the water is boiling.
TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST HALF MARATHON
Week 1: Boiling the Frog
It’s go time! Here’s your customized plan from Ryan Hall to help you start where you are and stick with it.
What to Expect in Week 1:
This week we begin the journey to your goal half marathon. The key to a successful journey is making the first steps as easy as possible because it is usually the first steps that are the hardest, regardless of what those steps are.
So, let’s make those first steps easy so we can take them and build off that momentum week by week. If we “boil the frog” in your training, you are most likely to stick with it and respond well to the training. We only want small increases in stimulus rather than big shifts. Big increases in training stimulus have a much greater risk of injury and burnout.
Keep it easy,
Ryan
What in the world is boiling the frog?
“Boiling the frog” is an expression that suggests that when you undergo change gradually, you’ll hardly even realize it’s happening. In this case, the metaphor is an unlucky frog in a pot of water: If you boil the water straight away, he’ll jump out. But if you warm the water little by little, he won’t even notice by the time the water is boiling.
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MON
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TUES
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WED
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THUR
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FRI
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SAT
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SUN
Run
3-mile easy run
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Run
4-mile easy run, plus drills and 6 by 100-meter easy strides at 90% max sprint speed.
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Ryan says:
You will notice we do a lot of drills and strides prior to workouts. This has two purposes: First, to get your legs feeling good and neurologically firing for your workout, and second, to work on your sprint speed. As distance runners, we often do so much slow running that we lose our ability to sprint and put our body into dynamic positions. It’s really important that we offset this tendency through drills and strides.
Run
15-minute easy warmup then drills and 6 by 100-meter strides. Then a fartlek run consisting of 90 seconds hard, 90 seconds easy for 24 minutes total time. Finish with a 15-minute cool down.
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Ryan says:
In terms of effort level, we are looking for about current 5k fitness: If you were to run a 5k today, what do you think your pace would be? If you get the effort level right, this should feel only a little challenging near the end. Your big workout of the week is on Day 6, so you want to leave a little something in your legs today.
Run
Rest Day
Hydrate
4-6 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Rest before bed to support muscle recovery
Run
5-mile easy run, plus drills and 6 by 100-meter strides at 90% max sprint speed.
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Run
15-minute warmup then drills and 6 by 100-meter easy strides. Then a threshold workout consisting of: 3 by mile with just 90 seconds rest between each mile. Finish with a 15-minute cool down.
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Ryan says:
Run these mile reps at goal half marathon pace. The rest intervals are short because you shouldn’t be running all-out on these miles. Make sure your last mile is your fastest mile. In fact, this is how you know you have done the workout correctly: if you are able to run your last interval the fastest. Don’t be worried if this workout feels challenging. Running goal half marathon pace for even 1 mile can be a challenge 10 weeks out from the goal race.
Run
Rest Day
Hydrate
4-6 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Rest before bed to support muscle recovery
Rock Your Run
We’ve asked a few inspiring athletes to share their favorite songs for hitting the pavement. Tune in every week for a brand new playlist to keep you muuving and motivated!
Set Goals and Stay on Track
Our shareable progress tracker helps you stay connected and accountable. The Muuv With Nuun crew is behind you all the way!
Rock Your Run
We’ve asked a few inspiring athletes to share their favorite songs for hitting the pavement. Tune in every week for a brand new playlist to keep you muuving and motivated!
Set Goals and Stay on Track
Our shareable progress tracker helps you stay connected and accountable. The Muuv With Nuun crew is behind you all the way!