12 Week Half Marathon Program Beginner

Notes on How to Train

  • Before beginning this or any exercise routine, make sure that you are medically cleared by a healthcare professional.
  • For detailed information on exercise physiology and aerobic training, read the resources on this page first!
  • I can’t stress this enough, to be effective and sustainable, the training laid out below (except where workouts are specified to be hard) must be EASY. For many, it may require walking to stay below the prescribed heart rate. That’s OK. The goal is to condition your body for endurance and fat burning. You may not even be breaking a sweat, but trust me, dramatic effects will be occurring, if you stay healthy and consistent.
  • In addition to the exercise protocol below, be sure to consume a healthy clean diet, rich in vegetables and healthy ingredients.
  • Your “Maximum Aerobic Heart Rate is critical to this training plan. From here on out, we refer to this value as “MAHR”. We use the “Maffetone Method” to find maximum aerobic heart rate.
    • Take 180 and subtract your age, and for most people starting out, that is your MAHR (Maximum Aerobic Heart Rate).
      • If you already have a very good level of fitness, you can add 5-10 points to this number. For example, if you are 30 years old, your MAHR will be 180 – 30 = 150 +5 for good fitness = 155. All aerobic training will be under this heart rate.
      • If you have not been exercising for an extended period, are generally unhealthy, or have been injured, subtract 5-10 points.
  • To verify your MAHR, monitor your breathing as you exercise at that heart rate. If you are breathing at a rate that makes it so that you can’t hold a conversation, your heart rate is too high. If you can still hold a conversation, it’s still aerobic. 
  • IMPORTANT: If you don’t feel comfortable doing the speed elements, DON’T DO THEM! Perform the workouts under the aerobic heart rate instead.

Weeks 1-6

Weeks 7-12

Proper Run Form

How to Run With Proper Form

Strength Training

Bodyweight Strength Program for Runners