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You鈥檙e sitting on the couch watching television when inspiration strikes. You hear someone on the news recount their story of going from feeling unhealthy and sluggish to running a half marathon. You see the glow on their face and the energy in their body and suddenly you realize: This is it. This is my next goal. I want to run a half marathon.

Then reality strikes. You haven鈥檛 worked out in months and maybe you鈥檝e never run before in your life. How can you run a half marathon when you can鈥檛 even run to the end of your block?

Good question, and here鈥檚 a simple answer: You start from where you are, build up slowly so you enjoy the journey, and practice patience along the way. Here鈥檚 how you鈥檙e going to make it 13.1 miles.

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Make the Half Marathon Yours

The Couch to Half Marathon Plan is all about flexibility. At first glance, you鈥檒l notice that the schedule uses run-walk intervals. Although this plan lists specific intervals, feel free to adjust it to make it fit for you.

You may be able to follow this plan as it stands, or it may feel too aggressive. If this is the case, simply adjust the intervals to include less running and more walking. Perform only the intervals that feel comfortable for your body so that you鈥檙e able to cover the distance safely and reach race day without injury.

Understanding the Half Marathon Training Plan

The run-walk workouts start with a walking warm-up (not listed in the chart), then alternate time running with time walking, and 铿乶ish with a walking cool-down. For instance, in the first workout in week one, you run at a comfortable effort (just a bit quicker than your fastest walking speed) for one minute and then follow with two minutes of brisk walking and repeat that a total of 10 times. As the program builds, so does your running time.

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Once a week, you will do a long workout. You鈥檒l start out with 3 miles and build from there. Every few weeks this distance will drop to allow your body time to recover. The long workout will be vital to teaching your body how to spend time on your feet, use fat as an energy source, and simulate the half marathon distance.

This half marathon training plan builds to running two 10-mile runs to prepare you for the 13.1-mile distance on race day. Why not go the whole way in training? Because when you push to run longer miles too quickly, your risk for injury skyrockets. Ten miles is plenty to prepare you well for a half-marathon race.

How to Train for a Half Marathon

Training for a half marathon might sound daunting鈥攂ut you can do it. The most important thing to remember is to take the training day by day and the workouts step by step. As the weeks progress, your body will slowly become stronger, your mind will build confidence, and soon you鈥檒l be amazed by how far you can go.

This plan includes three days of running per week, all of which have run-walk intervals. On Monday and Wednesday, you鈥檒l focus on time, while on Saturday, you鈥檒l focus on distance. For the majority of your workouts, it鈥檚 important to keep the running portion at an easy-to-moderate effort. That means you should be able to carry a conversation without too much huffing and puffing.

If you鈥檇 like, you can incorporate some speedwork as well. This is optional, but it can help you get to the finish line faster on race day. Choose either Monday or Wednesday as your 鈥渇ast鈥� day. During these workouts, focus on running at a slightly harder effort. That means you can still have a conversation, but your breathing may be labored, and as the workout goes on, it might be a bit tougher to get words out. It鈥檚 critical not to go all-out pace here. As a beginner, your goal is to get to the finish line healthy and happy, so we want to avoid injury and burnout at all costs.

How Long to Train for a Half Marathon for Best Results

If you鈥檙e going from zero running, we recommend 20 weeks to build up to the half distance. But sometimes that鈥檚 not realistic. Perhaps the race that all your friends are running is just 12 weeks away鈥攐r you started running a few months ago before life got in the way, but now you don鈥檛 want to go back to square one. Wherever you鈥檙e starting from, the key is to be realistic about your current fitness level and build from there.

This plan is tailored for people who have truly never run before. If that鈥檚 not you, feel free to look at the schedule and find a better starting point that matches your weekly running volume right now鈥攎aybe you can jump in at week 4 or 8. Be honest about how consistently you鈥檝e been running, how long your recent runs have been, and how your body has felt during and after. Most people will need a minimum of 12 weeks to train before a half marathon. The less time you give yourself, the higher the risk of burnout and injury. No matter what, try not to cram extra runs into each week鈥攕low and steady really does win this race.

Half Marathon Training Schedule for Beginners

Before you get started, let鈥檚 take a look at the different workouts in the Couch to Half Marathon training plan and how to execute each one. For all the workouts, you should do a聽 5-minute walking warm-up and cool-down before and ensure your body is ready to go and you recover properly.

• Training runs: Scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays, these are the bread and butter of your training. Aim for completing the running intervals at an easy, conversational pace and the walking intervals at a brisk pace. You should end each workout feeling like you have more left in the tank and you could do a few more running intervals if needed.
• Speedwork (optional): You can choose to turn one of your 鈥渢raining runs鈥� per week into a speedwork session to give your endurance capacity a boost while improving mental toughness. During these sessions, try to complete the running intervals at moderate intensity. That means you shouldn鈥檛 be able to talk in full sentences during the intervals and you may need to take the walking intervals a bit slower.
• Long run: The long run is essential to half marathon training. These sessions will help ensure you鈥檙e able to cover the distance on race day. Approach these workouts like your training runs鈥攅asy, conversational pace for the run, brisk pace for the walk. If you鈥檙e out for over 60 minutes, carry fuel. Take a gel or chews every 30 to 45 minutes along with water or an electrolyte beverage.
• Cross-training: Performing other cardio or strength activities will help build fitness without overtaxing your system. Cross-training also has the benefit of strengthening complementary muscle groups that can help improve running form and prevent injury. This could be cycling, yoga, swimming, weight lifting, Pilates, golf鈥攐r anything that doesn鈥檛 involve running, but makes you work up a sweat.
• Rest day: This might seem like an 鈥渙ff day鈥濃�攁nd it is鈥攂ut it鈥檚 an absolutely necessary part of training. Take it easy, adding in gentle stretching if that feels good.

How Do You Train for a Half Marathon?

Training for a half marathon isn鈥檛 just about logging miles鈥攊t鈥檚 about building smart habits that support your body and mindset along the way. Whether you鈥檙e aiming to finish strong or simply cross the starting line with confidence, these tips can help you get the most out of your training and run your very best 13.1:

• Build up gradually: There are no shortcuts here. Adding mileage slowly gives your cardiovascular system, muscles, joints, and bones time to safely adapt to the demands of training.
• Listen to your body: The plan is a guideline, but you know your body best. If you鈥檙e feeling wiped out or notice persistent aches, it鈥檚 better to rest than risk injury.
• Stay motivated: 20 weeks is a long haul鈥攆ind what fuels your motivation. Whether it鈥檚 a running buddy, a killer playlist, a post-long run chocolate milk, or an online training group, use whatever keeps you going.
• Practice fueling: You鈥檒l need to fuel on race day, so it鈥檚 a good idea to use your long runs as practice sessions. Experiment with different gels, chews, and drinks to see what works best for your digestive system.
• Remember to taper: In the final two weeks, you鈥檒l ease up on mileage to give your body time to recover and recharge before race day. Don鈥檛 skip this!
• Have fun! Training can be tough, but it should also be enjoyable. Try to enjoy the ride, navigate the highs and lows, and most importantly, have fun.

20-Week Half Marathon Training Plan

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, held on September 24, 2023, had a lot of amazing contenders, but 90-year-old Dot Sowerby stood out among the crowd as she valiantly crossed the finish line with a time of 3:33:47, setting the new American women鈥檚 record for 90-94 age group.

The previous record was set by 94-year-old Harriette Thompson in 2017 at the Rock N鈥� Roll San Diego Half Marathon, clocking in at 3:42:56.

鈥淚 had looked up her time beforehand,鈥� Sowerby says. 鈥淪o I was aiming for that time in my practice runs and was confident I could get it.鈥�

This isn鈥檛 the first time she鈥檚 made history. Just this past July, Sowerby competed in the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Greensboro and broke the 1,500 meter world record for women over 90, finishing at 11:30:62. This is a minute faster than the previous record held by Canadian Lenore Montgomery鈥檚 time, 12:34:67.

Who Is Dot Sowerby?

Sowerby was born in White Plains, New York, and moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, when she was young. She always had an abundance of energy鈥攁nd obviously still does to this day鈥攖hat couldn鈥檛 be contained.

鈥淚 grew up with two brothers and was a tomboy,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o I was always running, jumping, and skipping. My brothers were athletes who played football and tennis鈥攁nd when they played games with the neighborhood boys, they鈥檇 always get me to join.鈥�

Though Sowerby played basketball and tennis in high school and college, women鈥檚 running wasn鈥檛 yet accepted at Hollins University where she attended.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 aware that this [running] was wrong, because it鈥檚 what everyone thought,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 seem unusual to me at the time.鈥�

Sowerby began seriously running later in life in her late forties. 鈥淲hen I first started running聽 again, I would take the side streets so people wouldn鈥檛 see me,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ecause I thought people would think a woman at my age running was odd.鈥�

Her son, Jim Sowerby, remembers that when he was growing up, his mother was athletic.

“She taught me how to play basketball and tennis when I was a kid,” he says. “I remember being a somewhat confident 9 or 10-year-old running around on the beach one vacation, thinking I was pretty fast. Then she said, ‘Let’s draw a line in the sand and race’ and I thought I could beat her easily, but she blew by me. She just smiled with a little twinkle in her eye.”

When she was 50 and ready to sign up for her first race, the running space, it seems, wasn鈥檛 prepared for the speedy rocket Sowerby was. The race registration age range ended right at 50.

鈥淚 told the race organizers, 鈥楴ext year, I鈥檒l be older and you won鈥檛 even have my age group!鈥欌�� She says. 鈥淎nd they said they never thought anyone ran after the age of 50. Since then, I鈥檝e always been pushing the age category more and more.鈥�

When she turned 70, Sowerby鈥檚 friends tried to get her to hang up her running shoes. Even though she’s checked with her doctor and has been given the green light, they were concerned about her health and used to tell her that running simply wasn鈥檛 something women their age did. Even her son, Jim Sowerby, was a little concerned initially.

“Mom usually runs shorted distances (sprints, 400m, 800m) in the Senior Olympics and the occasional 5K in the neighborhood,” he says. “So I was a little surprised, and a little worried, when she said that she might join my sister, brother-in-law, and I in running the Chicago Half Marathon nine months before the race.”

But his worries were alleviated as he saw her train consistently and watched her get stronger with every run.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t tell anyone I was going to try to do this long distance race in case I couldn’t make it, but she does the opposite – she tells everyone, contacts the race organizers, you name it,” Jim says. “She trained methodically, waking up early each week as she did longer runs in the dark around the retirement village. Running this half marathon as a really a new evolution, at 90, in her running repertoire.”

Daughter, Anne Samuels, says that her mother has always been active and she can barely keep up with her energy.

鈥淪he loves working toward a goal to keep her motivated,鈥� Samuels says. 鈥淪he has such a positive outlook on life and is always planning her next adventure. I want to follow in her footsteps and stay active and push myself to do more challenges.鈥�

Granddaughter, Elizabeth Samuels, grew up watching Sowerby running, so to her, it was the norm. In middle school, Elizabeth and Sowerby ran the Greensboro Turkey Trot together and, since then, the entire family has been running the race for the last 15 years.

鈥淪ometimes I have to remind myself that she is 90 because she acts like she is 70,鈥� Elizabeth says. 鈥淚t blows us away everyday that she can run in competitive races and crush the competition. I think I鈥檓 one of the only people who can say my grandmother ran a half marathon and is a record holder.鈥�

Elizabeth gushes over her grandmother鈥檚 endless positivity.

鈥淪he never complains and always sees the best in any situation,鈥� Elizabeth says. 鈥淟ots of people ask her after the race if she鈥檚 exhausted or if her legs hurt, and her response is always, 鈥楴ot at all, I feel great!鈥� She is a great reminder that just because you get older, that doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 be physically fit.鈥�

“I think she’s the best runner in the family,” Jim says. “My sister, brother-in-law, and I run partly becuase she sets a high bar and encourages us. My big fear in running the Chicago Half was whether I could, at 60, beat my 90-year-old mother.”

The Chicago Life Time Half Marathon

When Sowerby signed up for the Chicago Half, the race age groups ended at 70. After a few emails back and forth with the race organizers, a new age group 90-98 was established.

Though she didn鈥檛 have a coach for her training, she had lots of help from the fitness directors at her Greensboro retirement community, and her family was always swapping tips. Sowerby printed out a calendar with her mileage per day, and would increase how much she ran every other week.

鈥淚 do something every single day, whether it鈥檚 walking, running or swimming,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e have wonderful exercise classes in my retirement home, as well, so I just get in as much exercise as I can.鈥�

She starts off her day at 6 A.M., taking a walk-run that ends at her own garden plot, where she grows fresh vegetables. Sowerby says she has a pre-breakfast snack of tomatoes and greens before heading inside for breakfast.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 like much meat, but I do try to eat a little bit of it everyday鈥攃hicken, fish, and I really like liver鈥攂ut I mainly love raw vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower,鈥� Sowerby says. 鈥淚 try not to eat too many sweets and chips and stick to a sensible diet.鈥�

Sowerby got in two 13-mile runs before the Chicago Half Marathon, then kept her exercise light for the weeks leading up to the race. For race day, she felt prepared and excited. Her granddaughter taped a sign to Sowerby鈥檚 back that read: I鈥檓 Dot and I鈥檓 90 years old!鈥� Racers all around her were thrilled to see her run, offering words of encouragement.

“At the last quarter mile, where I saw her, she was running at a good pace slightly up the hill to the finish,” Jim says. “She did a fist pump about 100 yards before the finish, and there were a number of people (many of them young people) still coming behind her. We were very proud.”

鈥淎fter the race, I was just so exhilarated,鈥� Sowerby says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 feel tired, nothing hurt, and for that whole day, I wasn鈥檛 even sore or tired. The next day I was a little sore, but for the most part I was fine!鈥�

Sowerby doesn鈥檛 do a lot of stretching, but she finds that starting out her runs at a slower pace allows her muscles to warm up nicely.

What鈥檚 Next for the 90-Year-Old Record-Holder?

Even though Sowerby smashed the record, she isn鈥檛 close to being done. She鈥檚 already prepping for a local Greensboro 10K in two weeks, a few more 5Ks after that, and then the Greensboro Turkey Trot 10K. She always has a goal, something to train for.

鈥淚 find that if I go a few weeks without training, I can sure tell the difference,鈥� Sowerby says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so important for me to keep running.鈥�

Sowerby鈥檚 upcoming 10K consists of several big hills, which the flat Chicago Half Marathon did not have. She鈥檚 been practicing running hills around her retirement community so she can be prepared.

Her endless enthusiasm and love for a challenge is contagious and whole-heartedly inspiring. Sowerby says her life mission is to motivate anyone to run, no matter their age.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e never too old to start running,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f I can inspire someone that way, that鈥檚 what I want to do.鈥�

The post A 90-Year-Old Grandma Named Dot Is Your New Half-Marathon Record Holder appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.