Training for your first trail half marathon or under; beginners
- Rebecca Rangeley
- Jun 25, 2024
- 3 min read
Half marathons are growing in popularity, an ‘easier’ middle distance with less commitment than a full marathon. This time last year James and I were just starting our couch to 5km! Now look where I am. Not that I was new to running, I’ve been running various distances on and off…but never really committed to anything seriously. It was a way to get out the office at lunchtimes, a quick blast of exercise. I had done a 10km pre kids (no real training, which showed!), a few park runs, some charity fun runs and a run 50 miles (in total across a month to be clear!) challenge one January in the midst of Covid.
I’m reasonably fit, a regular gym goer, but for anyone no matter the level you have to put in the effort and show up to train to make the distance in any sport.
Don’t know where to start, if you’ve got 5km a few times under your belt already the below is where I started off from for about 12 weeks.
The basic formula I followed was:
Run 3x a week; a mix of trail and road running increasing distance 10% each week. 2 short(er) runs with at least one hill train as you progress into weeks 5+.
At least one gym/strength session (I did HIIT)
One yoga/ stretch session.
I also walk every day and try get those 10k steps in!
If you need something more structured to work from here is the detailed version!
Detailed Training Plan
Week 1-4
Day 1: Strength Training
Day 2: 3-4 km easy trail run
Day 3: Cross-training (cycling, swimming, or strength training)
Day 3: Rest or active recovery (yoga, light stretching)
Day 4: 5 km road run at comfortable pace
Day 5: Strength Training/HIIT
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Long trail run, gradually increasing distance from 7-10 km
Week 5-8:
Day 1: Gym/HIIT
Day 2: 4-5 km trail run with intervals (run-walk or speed intervals)
Day 3: Rest or active recovery
Day 4: 6 km road run at a comfortable pace
Day 5: Yoga/stretch session
Day 6: Rest or cross-training
Day 7: Long trail run, gradually increasing distance from 10-14 km
Week 9-12:
Day 1: 5-6 km road run with hill repeats or tempo run
Day 2: Cross-training
Day 3: 7 km road run at a comfortable pace
Day 4: Rest or active recovery
Day 5: 8-9 km trail run with challenging terrain
Day 6: Rest or cross-training
Day 7: Long trail run, gradually increasing distance from 14-18 km
I mainly went to gym on Day 1 because that was the time I could make a class. You can mix up any of these days to suit your schedule, working in London and having 2 kids I was constantly juggling when i could squeeze in training. My original training plan had 4x runs a week but I just couldn’t make that work. I dropped a run but if you can get another one in do.
I didn’t blast the world away with my time, but this was my first half and my first real training plan for a race. I do think an extra run could have helped me as could have incorporating more hill runs.
The most important thing is to gradually increase mileage, incorporate hill training, and practicing trail-specific skills like navigating uneven terrain and managing different surfaces.
Also, listen to your body, stay hydrated, and ensure proper nutrition for optimal performance and recovery. Protein shakes post run and a hydration tablet with electrolytes pre-run seemed to work for me, especially heading into the longer runs.
Finally, stretching and flexibility is key to prevent injury and improve your performance.
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