After the 16 weeks training, I think it's still not enough for me to finish 21km. My dad told me that every year the Official Website of the Penang Bridge International Marathon will come out some training plan for the marathoner. So I decided to go to their website and look for the marathon training plan.
Research on Penang Bridge International Marathon Official Website
They offered:
- Full Marathon Training - Beginner and Intermediate
- Half Marathon Training - Beginner and Intermediate
- 10km Run Training
Intermediate half marathon program
This program is for runners who have already done a 5km, 10km or at least a 16km race and would like to move up to the next distance, or improve an on an existing half-marathon time. The program uses long runs so you can cover the distance, plus tempo and speed work to increase your pace. The program involves running four times a week on the following days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. You can train on different days, but you should keep the recommended number of rest days between training sessions.
Training aims
Weeks 1-3
The first three weeks are designed to get your distance quite quickly up to 10km. This is the base to start your progression to the half marathon distance. These three weeks should also get you comfortable with tempo and speed training. You may want to repeat these three weeks or switch to the beginner program if you find the distance increases difficult.If you enjoy taking part in races and want to fit them into your program, a 5km race can replace a tempo session and still leave you with the energy for the long run. This is also a good way to record your times.Tempo running is a key element of the program. Remember you don't run at tempo for the full 30 minutes; you incorporate bursts of tempo running and recovery periods into the run.Use your first tempo session to get used to the feeling of running at a faster pace. For example start with a five minute warm up before running at tempo pace for five to 10 minutes. Then return to your steady run pace for five minutes to recover before repeating another five to 10 minutes at tempo speed. Run at a steady pace again and then try five more minutes of tempo speed. Remember not to go too fast and don't forget to have a five minute cool down jog after the tempo session.In weeks two and three you will be aiming to spend longer doing tempo training, but each burst of tempo running doesn't necessarily need to be longer - you could just increase the number of short bursts you do in a tempo session.
Weeks 4-6
At this stage of the programme you should be increasing your distance steadily. If the 10km run in week three was a little tough, the second time around at the end of week four should be more comfortable. Try keeping track of your times and thinking about your pace. Week four is an excellent time to test yourself with a 10k race if possible. Try to run this distance at your race pace for completing the half marathon in your target time. For example if you are aiming to complete the half marathon in under two hours, you will need to be able to keep going at less than nine minutes per mile. This means completing the six miles in less than 54 minutes. Make a note of your time and refer back to it as you cover the six mile runs later in this programme. The next two weeks increase the distance with 12-13km runs. You may notice that you feel stronger when doing the second 13km run. Your tempo runs should also be progressing well. You should now be able to run for between 10 and 20 minutes at continuous tempo speed. Speed work for a 16km race is not as important as tempo training, but fits in well if you are doing treadmill sessions in the gym or on a track. If you don't want to do speed sessions every week, alternate them with a run at your race pace.
Weeks 7-9
By now, your long runs are building up well. It shouldn't be too much of a stretch to extend to 16 and then 19 km. Look at your paces over the distances you have covered so far and try to plan for the 16 and 19km runs based on these times. Set yourself a comfortable pace and set out to run them consistently.Your pace for the 10km in week seven should be quicker than your pace in week four, and at least the pace you hope to run in the half marathon. Don't set out this fast for the 16 and 19km runs unless you feel confident you can keep running at this pace. You aren't expected to run the 19km at your half marathon pace - you still have three weeks to build up to this. Experiment with longer blocks of running at tempo pace but remember this is hard work, so don't be tempted to try to run tempo speed for 30 or 40 minutes in one go. Running more than 40 minutes at tempo speed is getting close to full race running. This isn't what you want to be doing just now because you still need energy to keep pushing up the distance. Be content with a couple of repeat 15 to 20 minute tempo runs with recovery periods in between.
Weeks 10-12
Week 10 is tough, with another 19km long run. You may have pushed yourself quite hard to build up to almost 20km over the last weeks. Now you need to run it again to make sure you are comfortable with the distance and to mentally prepare for how you are going to run on race day.Take note of your pace all the way around: it should be a little below your target race pace. You may want to lift your pace to your target level for a couple of miles if you are feeling strong, but make sure you slow down again so that you don't finish exhausted. Your tempo sessions should mean you are running longer sessions at a pace above your race pace. This may be useful on race day if you need to make up some ground after a slow mile or after getting caught up in a crowd. The aim of the taper in week 11 is to keep the gains you have made over the past 10 weeks, while your body recovers before the race.The six mile run in week 11 is ideal for assessing your readiness for the race and preparing yourself mentally. Run this as if you are running the half marathon. If you aim to finish in under two hours, run at less than nine minutes per mile for six miles. Push yourself just a little on this one if you feel like it, but don't try to go for a fast time at this stage. You should finish feeling invigorated and comfortable, as though you could run another four miles. Your last week is all about getting ready for the race, so take it easy. Eat healthily, stay injury-free, keep yourself well hydrated and you will be all ready. Good Luck!
Speed Work:
Choose a relatively flat road. Run about 200-300m for about 6-8 times, with short recovery after every sprint. Do not go all out at the first lap. Gradually build up the speed so that you are at about 80% towards the end of the last lap. It should feel hard. A good way to measure would be that you should be out of breath and not able to carry on a conversation properly. Remember to warm up and cool down before and after every speed session.
After read through all the training plan, I decided to choose the Half Marathon Training- Intermediate. Since i already training for 16 weeks, i think Half Marathon Training Intermediate for me is not very hard and i will follow the training plan for my next 12 weeks.
This is how the training plan look like:
Source from:
"Allianz Penang Bridge International Marathonpayday Loans." 10km Run Training.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.penangmarathon.gov.my/portal/component/content/article/295-10km-run-training->.
"Allianz Penang Bridge International Marathonpayday Loans." Full Marathon Training.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.penangmarathon.gov.my/portal/component/content/article/286-full-marathon-training-beginner-and-intermediate>.
"Allianz Penang Bridge International Marathonpayday Loans." Half Marathon Training.
N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.penangmarathon.gov.my/portal/component/content/article/293-half-marathon-training-beginner-and-intermediate>.
