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Half Marathon Training with Printable Workout Plan

Whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, training well in advance is key for a successful half marathon.

When I was in 2nd grade I ran my very first race. It was a 5K put on by the elementary school, probably as a fundraiser. I remember running the trail, grabbing cups of water, and finally finishing with a feeling of exhilaration.

As the trophies were passed out, I knew I wasn’t going to get one because I was the last runner in. To my astonishment, and utter pleasure, I received the first place trophy for my age group – because I was the only one my age running! From there, my fate as a runner was sealed. Oh I tried other sports like Softball but found I really enjoyed the solo aspect of running, and not worrying that I would hold a team back. Really though, I just had no interest in other sports.

Last spring I ran my very first half marathon. I never thought it was something I would do, because it was never something I wanted to do. 5K’s were plenty long enough, and adequate exercise.

Then we moved to Indiana near my brother-in-law and his very active family. One of their favorite races is the Indy-Mini. A 13.1 mile race in downtown Indianapolis. They convinced me that first year we were here to sign-up and run with them.

I did, and then I postponed when we decided to have baby #5. There was just no way my body would be ready for that kind of distance. After Harold was born, I decided I really should start training for this half marathon, but I had no idea where to start.

I turned to my Sister-In-Law for help. S She worked out a schedule that would increase my endurance and physical strength up to a 10K. You can download a copy of our workout for yourself.

*The Ghost and Goblins 5K+5K is a local 5k race that we then added an additional 5k run onto after crossing the finish line.

If you are fairly new to running and haven’t been out exercising much prior to your half marathon training, the first few days of interval runs I would say are crucial!

I have always hated interval running, but as I had just come from 9 months of a hard pregnancy this was basically a couch to 10k training. Those intervals are what helped my legs strengthen and increase my stamina.

After our 10k we took a small break during the cold months. We tried to get out, or at least head to the indoor track, but winter was well, winter. So with 6 weeks left before the race, we turned to Makeup Marathons for her training plan. It’s a great plan that closely followed our 10k training, with the big difference being we ran more miles leading up to the race.

6 week Half Marathon Training

Good luck and happy racing! I’d love to hear your tips if you’ve run a half marathon!

September 13, 2018
Safety Tips for Runners with Sabre

Running is a fantastic way to exercise that doesn’t require any special skill set. The following are some safety tips I’ve gathered from my own experience and from some of my running friends. I received Sabre safety products in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click through and make a purchase.

I picked up running in Middle School originally because that’s the sport my brothers were in. Eventually, I realized that I wasn’t going to be good at other sports. Running was something I could do by myself that a team wouldn’t need to rely on any athletic abilities. It’s also a good exercise as an adult since I don’t have any time to join a sports team. Something I’m guessing most of us Mom’s don’t have time for.

Unfortunately, I put off running too frequently because I didn’t feel like it would be safe. Part of it was just an excuse to not get up and move, but it was also a valid excuse. I don’t want it to be a valid excuse anymore. I went asking around to my avid running friends to see what they do to motivate and stay safe while running.

Safety Tips for Runners

Take Pepper Spray or a Personal Alarm. Thanks to Sabre I recently acquired some pepper spray and a personal alarm. Now when I go running alone I feel much safer. The pepper spray has a pretty comfortable strap that wraps around your hand and fits right into your natural runner’s fist. If you have to run alone, this is a great option that makes you not feel alone.

Run with friends/kids/dog. The best option for safety I would say is to run with a partner. Whether that be your best friend, husband, kids, or a pet. It also makes the run more enjoyable if you have someone to talk to. Don’t live near anyone you know that likes running? Find a group with either Road Runners Club of America or a local Meetup.

Run somewhere familiar. Never run alone in an area you are not familiar with. Stick to trails and roads you’ve been on. Knowing the area means you can get help if needed. You’ll also be aware of your surroundings. By being more aware of your surroundings you’re less likely to become a target.

Run in the Early Morning. I had to laugh out loud when I asked my brother in law, who said between 4 AM and 6 AM is a “magical and safe time of day, when all the criminals have finally gone to bed and the rest of society hasn’t woken up yet.” If you choose to run in the early morning I would make sure you still follow the other safety tips.

Run in a busy area. The more people around the less likely you’ll become a victim of an attack. Check what times of the day trails are the busiest and run during those same hours. This is also beneficial if you become injured.

Tell Someone where you are. Before heading out to run alone, make sure you let someone know where you are going, and about how long you plan to be gone. Running or not, this is just a good safety precaution before you go out anywhere alone.

Run on a Treadmill. Of course if you want to run, but just can not find the time or the peace of mind to run outdoors, you can always run inside on a treadmill.

June 23, 2017
Take care of your health by tracking your Heart Rate with Beets Blu

*This is a sponsored post. I received product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% honest.*

Taking care of our health as we get older becomes increasingly more important. We start seeing the effects of our childhood choices, and sometimes wishing we had made different ones. I’m taking the first step back to better health by tracking my heart rate with a Beets Blu heart rate monitor.

As a kid I enjoyed running. Cross Country was the only sport I felt I could do, because it meant a team didn’t have to rely on me. I tried softball, and while fun I felt I held the team back with my lack of sporty skills. Getting outside though has always been an important part of my life. Whether it was camping and hiking, or playing family baseball or tennis with my Dad.

One day I woke up and was an adult. I had to clean house. Do laundry. Go to work. Take school classes. Have kids. Care for them. Where did all my time go?! Moving to Indiana has been one of the best things for my body, because now I live near family who are passionate about exercise and want me to enjoy it again too.

Every Thursday my sister in law and I go running with our 2 little boys in the double stroller. She uses an app called Strava (Find me!), and helped me set up an account. When I got the Beets Blu Heart Rate Monitor she showed me how to get it set up, and also explained why it’s a good idea to track your heart rate.

I’ve never used a heart rate monitor before, so was unsure what to expect. I really really liked the Beets Blu monitor though. The strap is a perfect width that when I put it on, it didn’t bother me at all. I was worried it would be too thick, or move around a bunch, but it didn’t! My next concern was connecting it by bluetooth to my phone. Would it really hold the connection?

The answer – YES! I ran a 1.5 mile and it tracked the whole thing. Using the Strava app on my phone in my arm band, I could see where my heart rate spiked while chatting and running with my sister in law, and where it slowed because we stopped to walk the hill. So cool you guys!

How will you take back your health?

November 7, 2015
Counting, but not Calories: The 80 Bites Diet

So I finally did it, I decided to diet.

I’ve never been a fan of dieting. Counting calories and giving up my favorite foods, just have not been things I wanted to do. So I didn’t. Well, I guess I did a couple years ago when I gave up sugar, but I found a lot of yummy sugar-free foods during that time too. I was asked to test out 80Bites, all opinions are my honest thoughts. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click on and purchase from them.

Anyways – back to this new diet I’m trying out. First off, why? Well because I really needed to lose some weight. Since Lincoln was born I haven’t done much to get back in shape. I had these grand plans of running and eating lots of veggies. The veggies have worked out great, but the running not so much. I find I don’t have a lot of time with 4 kids underfoot, and a husband whose schedule is ever changing.

Basically, it didn’t matter how healthy I was eating at this point, I wasn’t losing any more weight. I hit a plateau, and it wasn’t changing anytime soon. So what happened next? I stopped eating healthy. I gave in to my sweet tooth. Exchanged water for more milk and juices. Went without some meals, in favor of quick and unhealthy snacking throughout the day.

Something had to change!

Then I found 80 Bites. Ha, that totally just sounded like an advertisement didn’t it…ok maybe it is…but really I did find it at the right time for me.

So how does it work? Well, instead of counting calories, 80 Bites has you count the bites you take. Cool right? I mean, counting your bites is pretty easy. You don’t give up your favorite foods, you don’t change anything actually, except for how much you take in.

I think we’ve all heard it before, but it really is about portion control. Too much of anything, including food, isn’t good for us.

I started this “Diet” at the beginning of the week. The program lasts 12 weeks and is separated into 4 themes. Each lasting 3 weeks – because as they say (who is they anyway?) it takes 21 days to create a habit. Each week in the program new information is provided to you with tasks to complete. Week 1 is all about getting started and observing your regular eating patterns.

I really love how simple 80 Bites is to follow. They don’t overwhelm you (a big turn off for me from other diet plans), and they keep it fun.

The 80 Bites program was developed by Joan Breibart, creator of the first Pilates Certificate program (I LOVE PILATES!!!), and Meredith Luce, dietician for 30+ years! If that doesn’t qualify for a great diet plan, I don’t know what does.

Once you’ve joined the program, you’ll want to download the App. The app helps keep track of how much you eat, plus it’s cute to boot! Is it weird I find a talking stomach cute? The program is 100% FREE!

Week 1 Take Aways from 80 Bites

How Many Bites did I take?

– Well, I’m still trying to remember to count my bites. It may take a bit, but I’m getting better at remembering.

Do you feel deprived?

– Nope. I’ve even enjoyed some brownies

Weight at the beginning of the week?

– 165 (that’s right I’m telling the world my weight!)

Weight today?

– 162 (note, these are my results only, everyone will be different. This includes a dose of exercise in addition to just observing what I eat.)

Has it motivated you?

– YES! On top of just being excited about this diet, I decided I really was going to start running again. So last night, I grabbed my 4-year-old, and we took a run after dinner. It felt so good, despite being a slow jog and the amazing back pain I woke up with.

November 9, 2012