If you’re part of a run club or are friends with other runners, you’ve likely found yourself on the receiving end of this invitation: “Run this half marathon with me! It’s in four weeks, but you can totally do it! C’mon, it will be fun!”
But will it be fun? On one hand, having an event to look forward to can serve as a strong motivator and spice up your regular workouts. How to Build Fatigue Resistance!
How to Master the Half Marathon run regularly. That’s why there’s a difference between heading out a few times a week and actually training. Do you really want to pay an entry fee, get up early on a weekend morning, and schlep to the start line of a race you’re not prepared for?
Will Baldwin, USATF- and VDOT-certified running coach, has faced this conundrum many times, both with clients and in his own training. The good news is that, whatever your decision, you will be okay.
“I think the thing that surprises people is that you’re far more capable of finishing a race than you think,” Baldwin tells Runner’s World. If you’ve been running regularly at least a few times a week, four weeks is probably enough time to get you across the finish line of a half marathon. Your friend is right: You can do it.
However, just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should. Sometimes, saying “no” is the smartest choice.
To help you navigate the decision-making process, Baldwin has a few key factors you should consider. Then, if you do decide to go for it, he has a four-week On the other hand, 13.1 miles is a lot of ground to cover. You need to be in decent shape and designed to get you in the best possible racing shape in less than a month—without increasing your risk of injury.
Factors to Consider Before Signing Up for a Half Marathon in 4 Weeks
1. Your Instinct
First of all, don’t ignore your first instinct. If the thought of adding a half marathon to your current training plan immediately fills you with dread, you already have your answer.
If the prospect excites you or you feel tempted but unsure if you can pull it off, ask yourself a few more questions before saying yes or no (see below!).
2. Your Expectations
To that end, Baldwin prefers to use &ldquo run slower than usual or proactively incorporate the run/walk method into both your training and your racing. If you’re okay with that, four weeks is probably enough time to develop the endurance to finish the race.
“For most people, if you start incorporating a good amount of walking, you can finish almost any distance. Even if your training hasn’t been ideal,” Baldwin says.
Of course, not every runner is happy with simply finishing a race. Racing can be a deeply emotional experience, and your perception of your performance can affect your training and future events, Baldwin says. “Racing is really vulnerable, especially when we’re not at 100 percent. It can feel embarrassing to be attached to a time that isn’t as good as we know we’re capable of,” he explains.
Best Workouts to Set Race Day Goals.
3. Your Injuries or Potential for Injury
This may seem obvious, but some runners will need to hear it: If you’re just coming back to running after an injury, now is not the time to quickly ramp up your mileage. Mentally, you may feel ready to jump back in and “make up for lost time,” but you’re better off slowly rebuilding your strength.
Depending on the details of your injury, how much time you’ve taken off, and your current fitness level, four to six months—not four weeks—is a more realistic time frame to train for a race, Baldwin says.
4. Your Non-Running Exercise Routine
If you think you can’t be ready in time because your weekly mileage is lower than it once was, Baldwin suggests looking at the bigger picture to assess your fitness accurately.
“Maybe you’ve been in a little down period where you’re not running as much, but you’ve been doing a lot of other cross-training or fitness classes,” he says. In four weeks, it’s possible to shift the focus of your workouts back to running and build on the fitness, confidence, and momentum you’ve already created.
5. Your Long-Term Training Goals
Finally, before agreeing to show up at the start line, look at what you already have on your racing calendar. Will adding a half marathon mess with your scheduled recovery time or throw off a taper? Will it require you to travel multiple weekends in a row, cutting in on your downtime? Financially, does another entry fee (plus all the little costs you tend to incur on race day) make sense?
Even if the scheduling and logistics check out, you may not be in the right head space to add a race to your calendar. “A lot of people are chronic racers,” Baldwin says. “They can lose the impact of racing. It just feels like another run, which can make it hard to get excited for.”
Also, if you’ve got back-to-back events lined up, one disappointing time could snowball. “I work with some people who, if they get out there and they’re not at 100 percent or close to it, it can really mess with them, and they lose their confidence,” Baldwin says.
Conversely, of course, an unexpectedly great race can breathe new energy into your training. “A lot of this is about knowing yourself,” Baldwin adds.
How to Say “No” to a Running a Race
Passing on a race can elicit competing feelings: relief, FOMO, and even guilt over letting down a friend. Whether you’re 100 percent confident in your choice to sit this one out or you struggled with your decision, Baldwin strongly recommends attending the race as a spectator.
“Go and support that friend,” he says. “Carrying their stuff to the start line, bringing them water, cheering for them—that can make you feel really good. You can really build a friendship.”
Also, watching the race from the sidelines can offer a different perspective that may help you the next time you’re faced with a similar decision. “I’ve been standing there and been like, ‘This was the right call. I was right to say no,’” Baldwin says. Or, you may feel a twinge of regret and realize you were capable of competing. And next time, you’ll go for it.
The 4-Week Download Your Training Plan Plan
The bottom line, says Baldwin, is that to say yes to a half that is four weeks away, you should ideally have been running at least twice a week for the past two to four weeks and have some prior racing background. You should not be a new runner.
In fact, you should be able to comfortably run or run/walk Half Marathon Training fueling, and the atmosphere and resources of race day, you can likely complete the 13.1 miles after just four weeks of training—but you will need a plan.
To that end, this four-week half marathon training plan, developed by Baldwin, is a “short build,” which means it differs from more extended training plans because there’s not much of a taper. “If you haven’t been training a lot, what do you need to taper for? The short build is all about building momentum into the race,” Baldwin says.
Get Your Plan!
How to Execute This Plan
The focus for the next four weeks is building volume, with some strides and faster-paced work incorporated into your schedule.
To that end, Baldwin prefers to use “Do These 3 Things After a Long Run,” rather than pace, as the main metric for this plan. “Using Half Marathon Training helps prevent early overtraining and injuries, especially for those building back up,” Baldwin says. However, for runners who want more specific guidance in terms of mileage, each long run also includes a distance-based target.
Most workouts on this plan fall into the easy or zone 2 category. During these workouts, you should be able to speak in short sentences. If you’re monitoring your heart rate, it shouldn’t go above 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.
You will also add in some strength What’s a Good Half Marathon Time, hill repeats, strides, and mobility work.
“Strides aren’t all-out sprints. Think of them as a gradual acceleration, hitting about 80 to 90 percent of your max speed, while maintaining half-marathon training plan. If your arms or head are flailing, you’re going too hard—fast should still feel smooth,” Baldwin says. “Find a clear 50- to 100-meter stretch, build up speed gradually, and jog or walk back between reps.”
Finally, before agreeing to show up at the start line, look at what you already have on your power, but don’t sacrifice your form for speed. “Focus on driving the knees, engaging the arms, and staying upright. The incline naturally prevents overstriding, so the goal is to stay strong and controlled rather than straining for speed,” Baldwin says.
For the half marathon race pace intervals—which you’ll find mixed with threshold pace or your uncomfortably hard effort (about a 7 out of 10 RPE with 10 being all-out)—go for your expected pace in the race knowing you only have a four-week buildup (so tame your expectations). If you don’t have a goal pace in mind, aim for 10 to 20 seconds per mile faster than your long runs.
How to Go From 3.1 to 13.1 Miles strength training to make more time for running, but Baldwin cautions against that. “You could still build some positive adaptations in four weeks,” he says, noting that strength and mobility work is a critical part of training, not an add-on.
You’ll see strength workouts scheduled on specific days, but do what works for you so your legs are fresh for quality workouts like intervals and long runs. You can integrate mobility into your warmups and cooldowns for both strength workouts and runs.
At four weeks out, you can enhance your current aerobic ability and create positive momentum to express your endurance capabilities on race day. In fact, many consistent runners already have the ability to complete a half, Baldwin says. “It’s just about making sure you’re positioned to access that ability in a way that minimizes risk and maximizes success,” he adds.
