Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon

Many levels of runners like to run half marathons. For a beginning runner or a fitness runner the half marathon distance provides an incentive to increase weekly mileage totals. For the runner training for a marathon the half marathon is the natural stepping stone distance to try when building toward long training runs of 20 or more miles.

For example, the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon is perfectly timed as a training run for the California International Marathon. Plus there's the excitement and perks (like well-stocked aid stations) of a staged race which gives race newbies experience in coping with race day activities and demands (you can't be late!).

Veteran long distance runners use the half marathon distance in several ways. It can be a fun, kick-back event to simply "get some extra miles in." It can be a time trial for testing fitness level and predicting marathon time (the standard prediction formula is to double your half marathon finish time and add ten minutes). And finally it can be a hard, all-out race, with the benefit that the recovery time will not take nearly so long as a hard, all-out marathon. Below you will find three 7-week long programs tailored to each of three groups, followed by training tips specific for the event and descriptions of speed and hill training techniques.

If you are looking for people to train with and additional advice, contact one of the many training groups in your area.

WHEN TO START TRAINING?

If you are a beginning runner or run less than 15 miles per week, this could be a concern. You would be courting serious injury and much discomfort by attempting to run 13.1 miles if the farthest you had ever run was three miles! All three of the training programs described here start on seven weeks before the event. This is truly a minimum amount of training time for someone running less than 15 miles per week; if you have any doubts at all about this being enough time to train but would still like to participate in the event, consider running the three-person relay.

Runners who have recently run around ten miles as their long run and average around 25 miles per week or more need not be so concerned about finishing, but the program will be helpful to increase fitness and to work into marathon goal training. For the high mileage long distance runner, the program will sharpen their running skills and perhaps help them achieve a personal best half marathon time.

Note: It is highly recommended, as with all fitness and health issues, that you consult with your physician before instituting any changes in your fitness program.

FOUR IMPORTANT RULES

1. Whenever you begin your base mileage build-up, increase your weekly mileage by approximately 10% per week. This allows your body to gradually adapt to the changes incurred by running, and you will become more fit. If you increase your running mileage too quickly, your body doesn't have time to adapt and injuries are much more likely to occur.
2. The "hard/moderate days-easy days" rule should also be included in your training program. Rather than running the same distance each day, run a longer distance on one day and a much shorter distance the next (or take a day off). Higher mileage runners might do speed work one day and easy running the next. The longer distance or speed work day (the "hard day") stresses your system and the day off or shorter mileage day (the "easy day") allows your body to recover from the "hard day." As your body recovers, it builds stronger tissues and becomes progressively more fit. Hard/moderate days refer to your longest run days or days with speed workouts, hill workouts or races. Easy days are days off or lower mileage days run at a relaxed pace.
3. Stretch! Runners tend to just want to run and as a result get tight, stiff sore muscles that are prone to injury and do not develop to their full potential. If you incorporate some light stretching after you've warmed up and additional stretching after you've finished the run, your overall fitness will benefit and you will be much less likely to develop an injury. Key stretching involves the calves, the Achilles, the quadriceps and the hamstrings.
4. Include rest days (as in "NO running")! Many people assume that serious runners run every day. Not true! Rest days are a very important component in the overall training program. They can include some form of cross training (swimming, cycling are two examples) as long as the activity is not too strenuous. The plans below incorporates two rest days per week.
   

PROGRAM FOR RUNNERS WITH A 0-15 RUNNING MILES PER WEEK BASE

Begin this program 7 weeks before the date of the race. This program is for a person running an average of 15 miles per week. If you are just starting a running program or are averaging less than the 15 running miles per week, include walking in the daily runs so that you can finish each day's workout comfortably. Also consider getting together with two friends and running as a team in the three-person relay. Gradually increase your weekly mileage by adding approximately 1-to 2-mile increments to 2 or 3 of your daily runs, especially your longest run. If you would like to participate in fun runs and races as part of this schedule, readjust the schedule so your long run is on a different day. Scroll down to view a list of events that will lead up to the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon and the California International Marathon.

Week 1
Monday (moderate): 3.5
Tuesday (easy): 2.5
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 3.5
Friday (easy): 2.5
Saturday (long run): 5
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 17

Week 2
Monday (moderate): 5
Tuesday (easy): 2
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 4
Friday (easy): 2
Saturday (long run): 6
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 19 miles

Week 3 
Monday (moderate): 6
Tuesday (easy): 3
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 4
Friday (easy): 2
Saturday (long run): 7
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 22 miles

Week 4
Monday (moderate): 6
Tuesday (easy): 3
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 4
Friday (easy): 3
Saturday (long run): 8
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 24 miles

Week 5
Monday (moderate): 6
Tuesday (easy): 3
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 5
Friday (easy): 3
Saturday (long run): 10
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 27 miles

Week 6
Monday (moderate): 7
Tuesday (easy): 5
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 6
Friday (easy): off
Saturday (long run): 12
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 30 miles

Week 7 - taper for race
Monday (moderate): 5
Tuesday (easy): 3
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 3
Friday (easy): 0
Saturday (long run): 0
Sunday: 13.1 miles Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon!
Weekly total mileage = 26 miles

Week 8 - recovery week for beginning runners
Total mileage should equal about 20 miles. For those training for the California International Marathon the event should be used as a long training run, not as an all-out race, and the the CIM training program can be resumed here.

PROGRAM FOR RUNNERS WITH A 15-30 MILES PER WEEK BASE

Begin this program 7 weeks before the date of the race. Starting with a weekly total of 25 miles per week and a long run of 7 miles, this program builds up your weekly mileage to a total of 40 miles per week and builds your long run to about 16 miles. If you are starting with a weekly mileage base of 20 miles per week, readjust the schedule so your long run totals 13 miles and you achieve a total of 35 miles per week at the end of week 6. This program also introduces some hill work (H) and some speed work, both intervals (I) and tempo runs (T). If you plan to participate in fun runs and races as part of this schedule, readjust the schedule so that your long run is on a different day. A race would be considered a "tempo run;" so be sure to follow it with an easy day.

Week 1
Monday (moderate): 6
Tuesday (easy): 3
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 6
Friday (easy): 3
Saturday (long run): 7
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 25 miles

Week 2
Monday (moderate): 6
Tuesday (easy): 4
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 6
Friday (easy): 3
Saturday (long run): 8
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 27 miles

Week 3 
Monday (easy): 5
Tuesday (hard): 5 (I)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 6
Friday (easy): 4
Saturday (long run): 10
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 30 miles

Week 4
Monday (easy): 5
Tuesday (hard): 5 (H)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 7
Friday (easy): 4
Saturday (long run): 12
Sunday: off (or take Saturday off and run the Sacramento 1/2 Marathon)
Weekly total mileage = 33 miles

Week 5
Monday (easy): 6
Tuesday (hard): 5 (T)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 8
Friday (easy): 3
Saturday (long run): 14
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 36 miles

Week 6
Monday (easy): 6
Tuesday (hard): 6 (I)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 8
Friday (easy): 4
Saturday (long run): 16
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 40 miles

Week 7 - race week taper
Monday (easy): 6
Tuesday (easy): 5
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 8
Friday (easy): 4
Saturday : off
Sunday (long run): 13.1 miles - Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon
Weekly total mileage = 35 miles

Week 8
If you are using the half marathon as a training run for CIM, you should have completed the event feeling a bit tired but not "trashed" and you should be ready to continue with the CIM training program. If you ran a hard race effort at the half marathon, you should decrease your weekly mileage by about 20% and do not do speed work. A "rule of thumb" is to take a day off or do a very easy day of running for every mile raced.

PROGRAM FOR RUNNERS WITH A 30-50 MILES PER WEEK BASE

Begin this program 7 weeks before the date of the race. This program builds up weekly mileage to a total of 60 miles per week, for runners who have a weekly total of 40 miles per week and a long run of 12 miles. It includes a long run of 20 miles, hill work, intervals, tempo runs and several days of "double" work-outs (a morning run and an evening run). Along with the concept of "hard days, easy days" discussed in the beginning of this article, it includes several races as tempo runs. Always follow them with an easy day. If you are starting with a weekly mileage total of 30 miles, adjust the schedule to build up to 50 miles per week.

Week 1
Monday (easy): 7
Tuesday (hard): 8 (I)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 11
Friday (easy): 7
Saturday (easy): off
Sunday: Buffalo Stampede 10-Miler
Weekly total mileage = 43 miles

Week 2
Monday (easy): off
Tuesday (hard): 5, a.m. & 7, p.m. (H)
Wednesday (easy): 6
Thursday (moderate): 10
Friday (easy): 6
Saturday (long run): 14
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 48 miles

Week 3
Monday (easy): 8
Tuesday (hard): 6, a.m. & 7, p.m. (T)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 12
Friday (easy): 7
Saturday: off
Sunday: Sacramento 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles)
Weekly total mileage = 53 miles

Week 4 easy week
Monday (easy): off
Tuesday (easy): 7
Wednesday (easy): 6
Thursday (moderate): 10 (I)
Friday (easy): 5
Saturday (long run): 17
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 45 miles

Week 5
Monday (easy): 6
Tuesday (hard): 7, a.m. & 6, p.m. (H)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 11
Friday (easy): 5
Saturday (long run): 20
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 55 miles

Week 6
Monday (easy): 7
Tuesday (hard): 7, a.m. & 8, p.m. (T)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 12
Friday (easy): 8
Saturday (long run): 18
Sunday: off
Weekly total mileage = 60 miles

Week 7 - race taper week
Monday (easy): 6
Tuesday (moderate): 7, a.m. & 7, p.m. (I)
Wednesday (easy): off
Thursday (moderate): 11
Friday (easy): 5
Saturday: 0
Sunday (long run): 13.1 Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon
Weekly total mileage = 49 miles

Week 8
If you are using the half marathon as a training run for CIM, you should have completed the event feeling a bit tired but not "trashed" and you should be ready to continue with the CIM training program. If you ran a hard race effort at the half marathon, you should decrease your weekly mileage by about 20% and do not do speed work. A "rule of thumb" is to take a day off or do a very easy day of running for every mile raced.