Forums » General Training » Running

1. cbanks8
   Member

   So I know this is a bit far in advance, but I'm a little OCD about my planning and I wanted to start creating my training plan for my half marathon in October.

   The good thing is that I have 21 weeks, which should give me plenty of time to get ready. However, in August I will be in Europe for 3 weeks and I have no idea what my running possibilities there will be.

   I will have a little over 6 weeks to get ready once I come back.
   So, my question is, how far should my long runs be by the time I LEAVE, for me to still be on-track for the big day?
   I'm sure I'll get to run a couple of times a week while I'm gone, but it may only be for 3 or 4 miles at a time, so will this negatively affect my stamina once I come back, or should I be able to more or less "jump back in" where I left off?

   Thanks in advance for your help :)

   Posted 7 months ago #

2. Brad Hefta-Gaub
   Administrator

   21 weeks is still a good amount of time to prepare for a half marathon. So I think you'll be fine...

   What kind of a training plan are you following? Sounds like you need to get one and follow it!

   Posted 7 months ago #

3. kaminski64
   Member

   Interesting question and dilemma. I'll be interested in the replies you receive, as I think this is a question that has no firm data based answer. Replies will be a far ranging set of people's opinions.

   As for my opinion (aka $.02)... No worries, you'll be fine!

   21 wks - 3 weeks away - 6 weeks before race = 13 weeks to train before you leave. That's enough time to build a solid base and go run 13.1 miles before your leave for Europe. I'd consider doing exactly that, then allow yourself to run "lite" for the three weeks in Europe.

   Don't forget that running while traveling can be a great way to see an area and you can often find beautiful places to run. I traveled to Copenhagen last summer and had no problem finding good places to run.

   When you return, you can again pick up the miles and be very ready for your main event.

   Good luck and post how things go for you.

   Posted 7 months ago #

4. cbanks8
   Member

   Thanks for your replies...sorry I've been MIA. The training plan I'm following is a modified version of Hal Higdon's plan (can be found at: http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm)

   His plan is very similar to the others I've seen on the web, and I've just modified it a bit to fit with my schedule. Basically, I was planning on running 2 weeks each of the longer distances (6 miles and up). However, I also like kaminski's idea of building up to the full training distance BEFORE I leave for Europe, running as much as I can while I'm there, and then picking up the longer distances again when I return. I think that would give me a bit more peace of mind.

   In terms of running while I'm away --- I agree, it's a great way to see a new place. We will be spending at least half of our time in the country, which should definitely give me some nice running opportunities. I'm always just a bit wary of safety in a place I know very little about, but my dad (who I'm traveling with) is quite the avid runner himself, so maybe I can convince him to run with me :)

   Either way, thanks for your advice. Any more words of wisdom are always appreciated, of course :)

   Posted 6 months ago #

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