Amberly McAteer runs in St. Thomas Ontario
I'm training to complete my first ever half marathon, and writing about the process. I've started a plan 10 weeks away from the run, Toronto's Women's Half on May 25th.
Alan Chud, co-owner of Absolute Endurance Training & Therapy in Toronto has developed a plan for me - which, as it happens, is not to have a big plan.
"You eat an elephant one bite a time. We'll start with two weeks, instead of a giant 10 week plan. After two weeks, we'll set out two more weeks based on how you did, how you felt," he says.
I run with a heart rate monitor strapped to my chest and a wrist watch that relays that information: I run at the prescribed time, in the prescribed zone. To find your heart rate zones, try this calculator - and also talk to your doctor before starting any training program.
If you've just started running, I suggest completing a 10K first: get a tailor-made 10K program here. (Here's the intro and finale to my 10K journey.)
Here are the first 2 weeks of my plan (more to come!).
Week 1:
Monday: 30 minutes, all zone 2 (for me, zone 2 is 155-165 bpm)
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: 35 minutes, all zone 2
Thursday off
Friday: 20 minutes total: 10 minutes zone 2, 10 minutes zone 3
Saturday off
Sunday: 45 minutes all zone 2
Week 2:
Monday: off
Tuesday: 40 minutes all zone 2
Wednesday: 30 minutes total: 15 minutes zone 2, 10 minutes zone 3, 5 minutes zone 4
Thursday: off
Friday: 30 minutes all zone 2
Saturday off
Sunday: 55 minutes all zone 2
Week 3:
Monday 40 minutes all zone 2
Tuesday off
Wednesday 35 minutes total: zone 2 for 30, and zone 3 for 5
Thursday off
Friday 30 minutes total: zone 2 for 15, and zone 3 for 15
Saturday off
Sunday 55 minutes all zone 2
Week 4:
Monday off
Tuesday 40 minutes all zone 2
Wednesday 45 minutes total: 15 minutes zone 2, 15 minutes zone 3, 5 minutes zone 4, 10 minutes zone 1 or easy walk to cool down
Thursday off
Friday 35 minutes all zone 2
Saturday off
Sunday 1 hour all zone 2!
Coming week:
Week 5:
Monday 30 minute recovery run and easy spin on a spin bike!
Tuesday off
Wednesday 45 minutes all easy and slow
Thursday off
Friday 60 minutes all zone 2
Saturday off
Sunday 90 minutes (focus on proper hydration)
Week 6:
Monday 40 minute recovery run all easy, optional spin on a spin bike
Tuesday off
Wednesday 55 minute run all easy efforts
Thursday off
Friday 50 minutes keeping heart rate low to begin!
Saturday off
Sunday 75 minutes all easy and slow
Follow @amberlym on Twitter and tweet running tips with #globeruns