Long Walks on the Weekends

QUESTION: I have been following your training schedule to walk a half marathon, but I have trouble getting in my long walks on the weekends.

HAL'S ANSWER: It takes a relatively long time to walk a half marathon. In many respects, the walkers have it harder than the runners, since they may be out on the course longer. More sun. More heat. And sometimes not that many people to cheer them crossing the finish line. Still, a lot of people have embraced the half marathon, and we welcome them all: runners and walkers, fast and slow. As for finding time to train, those who accept the challenge need to find time. Sorry if I seem rude, but the increasingly longer weekend runs (and walks) in my half marathon programs are designed to get you ready to cover 13.1 miles. There's no shortcut--or at least none that I would recommend. If you want to walk the distance in the race itself, you need to prepare by walking increasingly more miles in the weeks leading up to that race.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website. 

This is the new home of "Q&A with Hal Higdon"! This column was recently moved from its previous address at http://askhalhigdon.tumblr.com, where archived Q&A's can still be found.

Dividing Long Runs

QUESTION: I am training for my first marathon and was wondering if you can break up the long runs? For instance if I don't have time for 15 miles at once, can I do 10 miles in the morning and 5 miles at night? Does it matter if I run the miles continuously? Will this approach be less effective?

HAL’S ANSWER: The moment marathon race directors allow you to run 13.1 in the morning, then 13.1 in the afternoon after a lunch break, subtracting the delay from your finishing time, then sure, you can break your long runs in half. But seriously, it doesn’t work that way. Yes, there are some benefits to be had from the total mileage run in a single day, but not as much as if that mileage came in a single workout. The most important benefit is the ability to run for 15 or more miles without stop. Breaking the workout in half defeats that purpose. I might even suggest that the benefits in a four-hour run don’t come until after you have run three or more of those hours. Only then will you begin to experience the fatigue felt in the closing miles. Doing a long run of whatever distance conditions you for the physical challenge you will encounter in the marathon itself.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website. 

This is the new home of "Q&A with Hal Higdon"! This column was recently moved from its previous address at http://askhalhigdon.tumblr.com, where archived Q&A's can still be found.

Suffering from Shin Splints

QUESTION: I'm currently in Week 4 of your 18-week training program for the marathon and have begun to have issues with shin splints on my left leg only. I wonder if you have any experience or suggestions so that I can keep training for the OKC Marathon in 13 weeks. I stretch very good before and after all runs.

HAL’S ANSWER: Very good? Stretching is great if you know what you’re doing. I don’t always myself, so I worry that sometimes runners may overstretch themselves into an injury or make it worse. That may or may not be true in your case, but are you certain that your problem is “shin splints” and not one of many other problems that masquerade as that ailment? The standard remedies are ice, anti-inflammatories, cross-training and/or rest, although too much rest may be a problem if you are aimed at a specific marathon. Unless cutting back on your training results in some relief of your symptoms, you might be best served by seeing a podiatrist or orthopedist who can at least determine whether your self- diagnosis is correct. And provide the proper treatment, which at least would include the best stretching exercises for your particular case.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal Higdon's training plans here or on his website. 

This is the new home of "Q&A with Hal Higdon"! This column was recently moved from its previous address at http://askhalhigdon.tumblr.com, where archived Q&A's can still be found.

Changing the Schedule

QUESTION: I'm using your Intermediate 2 training program to prepare for a marathon. I just finished week 7. Without realizing what I was doing, I registered for the Manhattan Half Marathon (coming up Saturday). I'm at a loss as to how to modify the program so I can run the race and still not compromise my training. My sources of confusion: 1) The race is on a Saturday, so instead of running 8 miles, I'll be running 13 miles. 2) That means I probably can't (and shouldn't) run the scheduled 17 miles on Sunday. Does it make sense to swap this week for the next? Or should I just run 12 miles on Sunday after the Saturday race so I can maintain the weekly mileage?

HAL’S ANSWER: It makes the most sense to plan these changes in advance, meaning you can easily anticipate that you would swap Week 8 with Week 9 in my program. The latter is a week when I suggest a half marathon race. But please notice that I said “suggest.” You will get the most benefit from my programs if you follow them reasonably closely—but that doesn’t prevent you from making changes, even last minute. So, yes, run your race on Saturday and follow up the next day with some easy running, or maybe a day of rest if you feel fatigued or suffer too much muscle soreness. Then the following week get back on schedule with that long run at the end of the week.

Hal uses TrainingPeaks to power his interactive marathon and half marathon training plans. Check out more of Hal's training plans here or on his website. 

This is the new home of "Q&A with Hal Higdon"! This column was recently moved from its previous address at http://askhalhigdon.tumblr.com/, where archived Q&A's can still be found.

Coping with Hills

QUESTION: I am currently training for the Pittsburgh Marathon in May: Hilly! Hilly! Hilly! My training is in Myrtle Beach: Flat! Flat! Flat! How can I incorporate hill training into my training? And on which days should I do it? On the short-run days, or on the long-run days?

HAL’S ANSWER: I was at the Pittsburgh Marathon a few year ago and don't remember it being that hilly. Of course, I once set the masters ascent record for the Pike’s Peak Marathon, so my perspective may be somewhat different than someone living in Myrtle Beach. Nevertheless, I feel runners psych themselves out when anyone mentions hills. Consider that hills bring flavor to any marathon course, sort of like salsa to your tacos. Certainly, you must have some bridges or ramps or even bumps in the road that could masquerade as hills. Treadmills can be adjusted to simulate running uphill, and even downhill. As to when to run hills? Any day of the week to suit your convenience. Start with the easy days, but eventually do some of your longer runs on hilly courses. Sometimes you need to look around to find hills and maybe jump in a car for an hour’s drive somewhere, but hills exist even in the flattest states. In Jacksonville, Florida where we spend the winter, the local runners do loops featuring several bridges in preparing for the Gate River Run.

This is the new home of "Q&A with Hal Higdon"! This column was recently moved from its previous address at http://askhalhigdon.tumblr.com/, where archived Q&A's can still be found.