TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST HALF MARATHON
Week 2: Speed It Up
The first steps are behind you! Now it’s time to push yourself and start building some speed.
What to Expect:
“But first you gotta get speed. Demon speed. Speed's what we need. We need greasy, fast speed.” - Rocky’s coach in Rocky II
Perhaps the biggest mistake most distance runners make is that they run the same pace every day. Don’t get me wrong, you can improve by this type of training. But for me, the question is not if running the same speed every day make you faster. Rather, the question is what type of training yields optimal results for you. The best distance runners in the world work on their speed every week with strides, sprints, intervals and sustained faster efforts. There is simply no way around the truth that if you want to run fast you have to run fast. So, what we need is speed, which is what we will be working on this week and all throughout the program.
Run fast and have fun,
Ryan
TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST HALF MARATHON
Week 2: Speed It Up
The first steps are behind you! Now it’s time to push yourself and start building some speed.
What to Expect:
“But first you gotta get speed. Demon speed. Speed's what we need. We need greasy, fast speed.” - Rocky’s coach in Rocky II
Perhaps the biggest mistake most distance runners make is that they run the same pace every day. Don’t get me wrong, you can improve by this type of training. But for me, the question is not if running the same speed every day make you faster. Rather, the question is what type of training yields optimal results for you. The best distance runners in the world work on their speed every week with strides, sprints, intervals and sustained faster efforts. There is simply no way around the truth that if you want to run fast you have to run fast. So, what we need is speed, which is what we will be working on this week and all throughout the program.
Run fast and have fun,
Ryan
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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
5-mile easy run
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Ryan says:
Keep it nice and chill today. First long run is tomorrow.
Run
Long run of 7 miles. Don’t worry about speed today, just run for distance and enjoyment.
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Ryan says:
It’s really important that throughout your training that we have some runs where fun is the objective. My Dad used to always tell me as a kid that “happy feet make light feet,” which I found to be incredibly true and helpful through my pro running days. The more fun you are having in your training, the better your training is going to go.
Today, let’s disconnect from pace and being structured. Let’s simply try to enjoy this run as much as possible. Helpful tools can be: listening to music, driving to a beautiful place to run, running with friends, and simply being mindful of how good it feels for your body to be in motion. Find as many things as possible to be grateful for on your run and it will quickly turn into a very pleasant experience.
Run how you feel today. If you feel like just going really slow and easy, then do that. If you are feeling good and want to move along a little bit, that is fine as well. The key for today is letting your fitness out rather than striving to hit a target. Fun is the target today.
Run
Rest Day
Hydrate
4-6oz 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 strides at 90% max sprint speed.
Then you are going to hop on a track (or according to your GPS watch or based on time, depending on what you have access to). Running this workout on a track would be ideal, but isn’t essential, so don’t stress if it isn’t possible. Today you will run 8 by 400 meters at current mile fitness effort (the pace you think you could hold for a mile if you were to race one today) and take 90 seconds rest between each interval. Then a 15-minute cool down.
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Ryan says:
Developing your mile speed will both help your half marathon to feel slower and will increase your running economy (how efficiently your body moves when you run).
Run
Rest Day
Hydrate
16 oz water + 1 tab of Nuun Sport 30 minutes before workout
Run
5-mile easy run, plus drills and 6 by 100-meter strides at 90% max sprint speed.
Hydrate
4-6oz 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!