Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge Training Plan

QUESTION: Any advice or suggestions on what training schedule I should follow to run Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge this year? I ran the Disney World Marathon for my first and only marathon in January 2012, but would like to train to compete in both the half and full marathons in January 2013. My assumption is that I would have to train two long and longer runs on back-to-back days.

HAL’S ANSWER: Your assumption is correct. Excuse me for pounding my own drum, but the perfect training plan for Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge is my Intermediate 2 marathon training plan. Or for more seasoned runners (i.e., those used to speedwork) Advanced 1 or Advanced 2 marathon training plans. In fact, even though I designed those three programs before there was a Goofy (combining a half marathon on Saturday with a full marathon on Sunday), it almost seems as though I had Goofy in mind. This is because of the two-day progression in my top-line training plans featuring a pace run on Saturday and a long run on Sunday. The programs peak in Week 15 with a 10-mile pace run and a 20-mile long run, like you said on back-to-back days. Voila! It's an easy jump from 10-20 to 13-26. Here is a link that will take you to my Intermediate 2 program.

But you won't be starting Goofy training until the fall. Consider for the interim one of my half marathon programs, 12 weeks long, aimed at a race that distance this spring or summer. Good luck with your training, and maybe I will see you at Disney next year.

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. Archived Q&A's from Hal can be found here.