2. Bonus Episode: Cram for a Half Marathon in 8 Weeks

  • Jeff Galloway’s half marathon will be on Sunday, March 19, 2023

March feels like it’s the beginning of half marathon season! There are so many half marathons (and we lump 10 milers in there) in March and April all over the country.

Half Marathons are really a ‘doable’ distance. They are the marathon for the people. Hard enough to feel like a challenge, easy enough that it doesn’t consume your life. Even with minimal fitness, you can be ready to finish a half marathon 8 weeks. Yes, that’s right, we have an 8 week plan that can get you across the finish line for your first half marathon, providing the course has at least 16 minute per mile limit, in just 8 weeks!

This 8 week plan is designed for anyone with a minimal base of general fitness. You don’t need to have a running background, but you do need to be able to be on your feet for an hour and a half without a problem (think a long shopping trip) and in general not have any aches or pains. If you’re not there yet, don’t worry, we have an 8 week base building plan (you can access it here, and we will cover “beginning running” in a future episode of the podcast!) to get you ready for this 8 week plan!

First off, we need to define some things for you:

  • Run - when we say run, we mean going out with the intention that the activity is a run. You may actually be walking, and that is OK! We say it all the time, the only pace that is too slow is sitting down!

  • Easy - you should be able to speak in full sentences with zero trouble breathing. If you are monitoring your heart rate, it should be no higher than the middle of your aerobic zone, or zone 3 on a 5 zone model. Ideally, it should remain in zone 2 on a 5 zone model or 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Don’t know your maximum heart rate, use 220 minus your age. To find your zone 2 goal, multiply your max HR by 0.65. Liz has a higher maximum heart rate than this formula, yet even using it, the zones wouldn’t be too low, because there is no such thing as too easy!

  • Interval Recommendations:

    • Walk: 30 seconds

    • Run: 5, 10, 15, 20, or 30 seconds

  • Listen to the episode for more information, and send us an email if you have questions!

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