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.
- Take 180 and subtract your age, and for most people starting out, that is your MAHR (Maximum Aerobic Heart Rate).
- 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
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Week 1 Notes:
During the first few weeks of training using the Maffetone Method, you may find yourself walking a lot, or jogging without breaking much of a sweat. That’s okay and totally normal! The goal is to condition the aerobic system, which means taking things very slow. It also allows you to increase the volume of exercise gradually without getting injured or burned out. Stick with it and trust the process!
Monday
Rest Day
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 40 min
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 30 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. Focus on good form and good turnover.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min Moderate
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 85-95% of MAHRFriday
REST DAY
Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 50 Min
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 2 Notes:
Continue to focus on keeping the exercises nice, easy, and meditative. Focus on excellent form, and be patient. It takes a few weeks for the pace to start improving within the aerobic heart rates. Just a quick note about training with “time” instead of “distance”. Don’t concern yourself with how far you are running, only worry about the time you spend training aerobically. You will begin to improve your pace over time and the number of “miles” will increase within the allotted time. Some things that will improve your body’s adaptation to aerobic training: clean nutrition (see the nutrition section of our website), and proper mindfulness techniques (see the mindfulness section of our website).
Monday
Rest Day
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 45 min
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 30 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. Focus on good form and good turnover.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 45 min High Aerobic
– Warmup 15 min easy
– After 15 min, keep the heart rate between 95-100% of MAHR
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
REST DAY
Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 1:00
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 3 Notes:
You may find at this point that you have greater energy, greater focus, and maybe you’re getting a little faster under the aerobic heart rate. If so, that’s great progress! If not, it’s still great progress! Understand and believe that the physiological adaptations are happening. Don’t push too hard, and honor the rest days. It’s during rest that the adaptations and improvements are made from the exercises we have done, not during the exercises themselves, so make sure to treat them as important. Make proper nutrition a key focus as well.
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 50 min
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 35 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. Focus on good form and good turnover.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 45 min High Aerobic
– Warmup 15 min easy
– After 15 min, keep the heart rate between 95-100% of MAHR
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
REST DAY
Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 35 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 1:10
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 4 Notes:
To promote adaptation to the workouts and aerobic fitness, every few weeks it is important to “deload”, or cut back on the volume. This is one of those weeks. Continue to practice healthy habits, clean nutrition, and a daily practice of mindfulness.
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 45 min
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 35 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. Focus on good form and good turnover.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 45 min High Aerobic
– Warmup 15 min easy
– After 15 min, keep the heart rate between 95-100% of MAHR
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 35 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 1:00
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 5 Notes:
Keep in mind there will be good days and bad days. Days where you’re not going as fast as you want, and days where you feel like you’re floating. On every single one of these days, it’s important to stay motivated and disciplined. Find the gratitude in everything. Practice visualization to help shape your attitude and bring your focus back to the goal at hand. Don’t allow your brain to tell you that you “can’t” just because you have a bad day. Character is shaped and growth happens when we face a challenge, not when we do what’s comfortable.
As the long runs begin to increase in time over one hour, begin incorporating some calories into the workout. Meaning begin to add sports drink, gels, or other types of carbohydrate calories. Start at about 100 calories per hour, and then increase it as you add more time.Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 50 min
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. Focus on good form and good turnover.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 50 min High Aerobic
– Warmup 15 min easy
– After 15 min, keep the heart rate between 95-100% of MAHR
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 40 Min Moderate
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 85-95% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 1:15
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.
– Remember to consume some calories during the workout.Workout 2:
Base Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 6 Notes:
It is entirely doable to train for an endurance race with only aerobic effort, and you may continue to do so, but incorporating a small amount of speed after an aerobic base of fitness is established is an effective way to improve strength and power. I’ve included some speed efforts in the training after this point. If you don’t want to do these intervals, that’s fine, and you can simply do the aerobic under your MAHR.
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 55 min
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. As recovery.Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 55 min w/Intervals
– Warmup 15 min easy
– 5×15 second pickups fast with 45 seconds very easy jog.
– 5 min easy jog
– 15 min of 200 meters hard, 200 meters very easy
– Cooldown 10-15 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout. As Recovery!Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 35 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 1:25
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.
– Remember to consume some calories during the workout.Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – The strength in this phase should be easy. At the end of each set, you should feel like you can do a couple more reps with good form. See the strength video and do the “Base” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.
Weeks 7-12
-
Week 7 Notes:
Be conscious of how you’re feeling as the volume and intensity begins to ramp up. If you start to feel any abnormal pain, fatigue, or lactate buildup, back off the effort. Make sure recovery is a priority. Get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and make sure you’re eating enough!
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 1:00
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. As recovery.Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – See the strength video and do the “power” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 55 min w/Intervals
– Warmup 15 min easy
– 5×15 second pickups fast with 45 seconds very easy jog.
– 3×6 min at a perceived 10k race effort, with 2 min recovery jog between each.
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout. As Recovery!Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 40 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 1:35
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.
– Remember to fuel appropriately during the workout!Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – See the strength video and do the “power” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 8 Notes:
This week we will back off the volume at the beginning of the week to prepare for the long distance run on Sunday. The goal is to target 10 miles, but 8 to 10 will be appropriate (don’t run for any longer than 2:00)
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
Moderate Run – 0:50
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– Keep heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR throughout
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. As recovery.Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – See the strength video and do the “power” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 50 min w/Intervals
– Warmup 10 min easy
– 5×15 second pickups fast with 45 seconds very easy jog.
– 10×1 min fast effort, with 1 min recovery walk or jog after each. Remember to maintain good form throughout!
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout. As Recovery!Saturday
REST DAY
Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run – 8-10 Miles (1:30-2:00) – Get as close as you can to 10 miles, but do not exceed 2:00
– Keep the pace nice and relaxed, with a heart rate between 85-95% of MAHR. Try to do this on a flat course.
– Remember to fuel appropriately during the workout!Workout 2:
Stretch – Don’t do any strength training today, just easy light stretching or yoga after the run. -
Week 9 Notes:
How was the long run on week 8? There’s a chance that you’re either really happy with how it went, or very discouraged that you didn’t quite go as far or as fast as you would have liked. Don’t be discouraged. Heart rate training is not about going “fast”. The secret to developing world class health and fitness is developing a giant aerobic engine. You do that by going SLOW! So if yesterday’s run was slow, be happy! As long as you’re staying consistent, you’re developing the healthy and strong foundation necessary to complete a half marathon in just a few short weeks. Keep at it!
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
High Aerobic Run – 55 Min
– Warmup jog easy 15 min
– 5×20 seconds pickups, with 40 seconds recovery walk/jog after each
– 2×10 min with heart rate between 95-100% MAHR, with 5 min recovery jog between each, HR below 95%
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. As recovery.Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – See the strength video and do the “power” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 1:05 with optional intervals
– Warmup 15 min easy
– 5×15 second pickups fast with 45 seconds very easy jog.
– 4×4 min @ 10k perceived effort, with 1 min recovery jog after each. Then 2×2 min @ 5k perceived effort with 2 min recovery after each.
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout. As Recovery!Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 40 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 1:40
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.
– Remember to fuel appropriately during the workout!Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – See the strength video and do the “power” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 10 Notes:
These last few weeks are about staying healthy while building volume. Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet, consuming quality ingredients, getting plenty of sleep, and practicing daily mindfulness practices to ensure abundant holistic health.
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
High Aerobic Run – 55 Min
– Warmup jog easy 15 min
– 5×20 seconds pickups, with 40 seconds recovery walk/jog after each
– 2×10 min with heart rate between 95-100% MAHR, with 5 min recovery jog between each, HR below 95%
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. As recovery.Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – See the strength video and do the “power” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches.Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 1:10 with optional intervals
– Warmup 15 min easy
– 5×15 second pickups fast with 45 seconds very easy jog.
– 3×10 min @ approximately 10k pace with 2 min recovery jog between each.
– Cooldown 15 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout. As Recovery!Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 40 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 2:00
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.
– Remember to fuel appropriately during the workout!Workout 2:
Power Phase Strength (30 Min) – See the strength video and do the “power” guidance. Following the workout, do simple quad, Achilles, and hamstring stretches. -
Week 11 Notes:
This is the last big volume week before your race day. Get the most out of it, but as in previous weeks, make sure you’re getting proper rest and recovery, and that you’re staying healthy!
Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
High Aerobic Run – 55 Min
– Warmup jog easy 15 min
– 2×15 min with heart rate between 95-100% MAHR, with 5 min recovery jog between each, HR below 95%
– Cooldown 5 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. As recovery.Workout 2:
Taper Phase Strength (30 Min) – Return to the base phase strength, but only do a max of 10 reps per exercise (excluding core workouts)Thursday
Workout 1:
Run – 1:15 with optional intervals
– Warmup 15 min easy
– 5×15 second pickups fast with 45 seconds very easy jog.
– 1×20 min @ approximately half marathon race pace, with 5 min recovery jog after. 10×1 min harder efforts, followed by 1 min recovery jog after each.
– Cooldown 10 min easyFriday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout. As Recovery!Saturday
Workout 1:
Run: 40 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout.Sunday
Workout 1:
Long Run: 2:10
– Warmup 10-15 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-95% of MAHR throughout.
– Cooldown 10-15 min.
– Remember to fuel appropriately during the workout!Workout 2:
Taper Phase Strength (30 Min) – Return to the base phase strength, but only do a max of 10 reps per exercise (excluding core workouts) -
Week 12 Notes:
Race Week! This will be a short taper to adequately give you the rest to get the mileage in on Saturday for your Half Marathon. Here are some tips to tackle the half marathon.
– Make sure to fuel adequately before, during, and after. This includes at least a couple hundred calories per hour during the race (in the form of Gus, Gatorade, etc.)
– Make it a build throughout. Start off steady to warm up, then build into your half marathon pace over the first few miles.
– Celebrate! Once you finish, make sure to celebrate your achievement!Monday
REST DAY
Tuesday
Workout 1:
High Aerobic Run – 40 Min
– Warmup jog easy 10 min
– 20 min at heart rate between 95-100% MAHR
– Cooldown 10 min easyWednesday
Workout 1:
Run – 40 min EASY
– Keep your heart rate below 90% of MAHR throughout. As recovery.Thursday
REST DAY
Friday
Workout 1:
Run: 30 Min Easy
– Warmup 10 min easy
– Keep the heart rate between 80-90% MAHR throughout. Just keep the legs loose for tomorrow.Saturday
Half Marathon!
Have a great race!!!Sunday
REST DAY