How I Set a New Half Marathon PR in 4 Months

Since my race Sunday I've been thinking a lot about what exactly enabled me to acheive my new PR. I was aiming for under 2 hours, a minimum of 1 minute 18 seconds faster than my half marathon in May. I ended up being almost 9 minutes faster. That's a big jump! So, how did I do it? First, let's look at my previous "big" races:

ODDyssey Half Marathon: May 2011

This was my first big race. It's the race that put everything in motion. Though I had been running between 8-10 miles per week Since September 2010, it wasn't until I decided to actually train for this half marathon in December 2010 that everything really started happening. It was my biggest accomplishment ever. After 25 weeks of training I finished with an average 9:15 pace.

Baltimore 10-Miler: June 2011

Though shorter than my half, this was still a big race since it was less than 4 weeks after the half. Racing 13 miles was hard. Racing 10 miles seemed like it would be just as hard. I set myself a goal to finish in 1:30:00. I made the cut with two seconds to spare, nailing a 9:00 average pace. 

Run for the Hill of It 5 Miler: July 2011

This is when speed started to seem possible. It was the first time the number 8 rolled to the front of my average pace during a race. I set a new PR by more than a minute, which I had been incredibly nervous about achieving. I realized that all the work I was putting in was paying off. Average pace: 8:20.

Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon: September 2011

And that brings us to Sunday's race, where I set a new PR by almost 9 full minutes and amazed the heck out of myself. Average pace: 8:35, compared to 9:15 just 4 months before.

So how did I get from 9:15 to 8:35? Here's how:

Speed Work

I only started doing speed work a few weeks before my first half in May, but I quickly realized it's benefit. Running fast sucks. It hurts like hell. But, as I said, the rewards are great. You can't run fast in a race if you don't condition your body to what "fast" feels like. Our bodies are made to adapt. Train to run fast and you will run fast. Simple as that. 

My favorite speed work out this summer were mile repeats, usually three, but up to four some days. I also recently started running Yassos to prep for the marathon. 

More Mileage

More miles means stronger legs and quicker turnover. Again, our bodies adapt. If I run 40 miles per week instead of 20 miles per week, my legs will adapt to the higher mileage. It means that after running 40 mpw for awhile, I won't be sore anymore and I won't feel as wiped out. 

In addition to adding more mileage in general, I also started doing back to back runs, which also helped my legs learn to turn over quicker. The first week I did them, 3 consecutive days in a row, I was completely exhausted by the end, but after that they got easier. Now, it's no big deal. 

What does all of this mean? It means that my legs weren't as tired during/after this half marathon as they were during my first half four months ago. In fact, I barely experienced any soreness at all after my race on Sunday whereas after the ODDyssey and the Baltimore 10 Miler I felt like I had been hit by a truck. But, after a few months of high mileage and back to back runs, my body has adapted to the stress and no longer tires out.

Long Runs

This kind of goes with "more mileage" above, but I suppose I could have done am/pm shorter runs over all 7 days a week and still come up with high mileage. Long runs are essential to any distance training, whether it's a 10 miler, a half marathon, a marathon, or a 50 miler. Long runs teach your body endurance. The body adapts!

While the longest run I had done before the ODDyssey was a 14 miler, the longest run I did before this Sunday's race was a 20 miler. 13 miles doesn't seem like a big deal anymore to me. If I can do 13 miles on a Monday after work, I sure as heck can do 13 miles on a Sunday after a full 48 hours rest.

Hot Weather Training

Why does running slow and sluggish through 100 degree weather in the blazing sun help me run faster? Because as soon as it cools down running any distance immediately seems super easy! In the last week I feel like I've sprouted wings and have flown instead of ran. Run in the summer heat and come fall you won't be beat!

Looking back, I probably could have pushed harder on Sunday, but considering I had to get back to training today (a recovery 8 miles), I'm glad I didn't overdo it. People around me are dropping like flies and it's not time to mess around. I plan on running another half sometime next March, either the Rock 'n' Roll National in DC or the NYC Half (if I get in!) and will probably shoot for a sub 1:50 if not a sub 1:45. I've got 6 months so it's totally possible!

Happy Running!