Sev Dragomire's Training Plan For A Fuckass Half Marathon: On Long Slow Runs

So today's lab was probably the worst thing I've ever experienced, and I'm missing two potentially awesome social events tonight to sit at home and write last week's lab report, and I look like a truly unfortunate hobo right now as I'm dressed in varying shades of brown and grey, none of which match (I am counting 3 different browns and 3 variations on dirt-grey, I am a winner) -- so why am I in such a good mood?

Let me show you.


or click here.

So the fabulous jennyclarinet and I are training to run a half-marathon in May. I wouldn't be Sev if I didn't research the hell out of running a half (WHAT DO I DO FOR A LIVING, LADEEZ AND GENTS? THIS IS WHY), and in my research, I've found some interesting things I wish I'd known last year when training for the relay (which was, mind you, "only" 8 miles, not 13.1).

I've constructed a training plan for myself, cobbled out of multiple plans I've found online and a lot of advice and comment threads from runners - which is a super useful community by the way - and because of that, about once a week I'm going to update the training plan here and talk about it for a while.

So here it comes: Sev Dragomire's Training Plan For A Fuckass Half Marathon.

( Here we go! )

I just did 5.4 miles today, in 60 minutes. Yes, that's slow; that's the point. My heart rate averaged around 158 bpm (max 168). This is all good. And at the end of it: my legs hurt, but my lungs were perfectly happy, my chest didn't feel like exploding, and I felt like I could've taken a walk break for some water and come back for more miles. It was that good. That didn't happen last year. Already, this is better.

So February's goal is going to be lots of long slow miles. March's goal is going to be to continue to increase mileage, while upping the tempo/interval intensity. April's goal will be more speed work - upping the speed of those long runs, and more tempos/intervals/hills. By May, I'll be tapering for the race. This is my overall plan!

So, my goals for the marathon are, by increasing difficulty (and I have multiple goals so that I'm not horribly disappointed if class eats all of my free time and I can't make the hard ones):

1. Finish, without having to walk.


2. Finish at an 11-minute mile pace.


3. Finish at a 10-minute mile pace.


4. Finish in 2 hours.

And my goals for the month of February are:

1. 4 tempo runs, building up to 20 min @ tempo (1/4 done)


2. Get long slow run time up to 90 minutes *or* 8 miles (60/90 min, 5.4/8 miles)


3. Get weekly mileage around 13-16 miles, depending on how the former two points go


4. Not get sick or injured, ha ha - I know I don't have exact and entire control over this, so "within reason"