Half-marathon training plan

One of the reasons why I choose to do this half marathon was to have something specific to plan and organise now I have finished uni, I need a project to have on the go!

After scouring the internet for about a week for training plans, I decided to combine two to create a program that would fit with both my ability and my exercise habits. I wanted to maintain a well-rounded exercise routine, so my non-negotiables were that it needed to include:

• cross-training cardio
• strength training
• flexibility and stretching
• speed and tempo runs

I didn't manage to find the 'perfect' plan that incorporated all of these elements, so used the highly recommended Hal Higdon's novice half-marathon training program as a base as it met the first three criteria. I combined this with the Bupa intermediate program, as I felt like this prescribed ability best reflected my fitness level.  Here's the customised plan I created....

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I want to stick to this as a plan as I understand the importance of fitting in all my training runs, but I am going to try to approach it with an open mind.  The last thing I want is an injury that will prevent me from running at all, so I am going to be listening to my body, carefully monitoring its signals and letting it decide what it can handle. I will be carefully monitoring my hear-rates throughout training (and at rest) as well as any aches or pains to check for over training (more on this in a later post).

 

What do you think of this as a training plan?  How did you train for your first half marathon, did you use a plan or just play it by ear?