Running in a half marathon is a significant achievement. In the half marathons that I have run there have been all sorts of people. From 80 year old men to grossly obese women just about anyone can do a half marathon. Keep in mind that it's OK to stop and walk if you have to.
However, if you want to finish a half marathon with a good finishing time you'll need to put in the training time to reach your peak performance.
Depending on your current running ability you should focus on different things.
Just Starting:
Focus on endurance. You need to put in a lot of time. Run at least 4 times per week for an hour each time. If you can't run for that long you should run-walk or switch between running and walking. For example start by running for 1 minute and walking for 1. Gradually increase the amount of running you do. Don't push yourself too hard. It's easy to injure yourself if you do too much.
Got the Endurance need the Speed:
To run faster you should first start working hills into your routine. Once per week you should focus on hills. Sprint up the hill and walk or jog back down. You don't need to do too many reps perhaps just 4 or 5 (depending on the length of the hill). Before doing the hills you should do a warm up jog to prep your body for the stresses. After 4 weeks of adding hills to your training you should start doing sprints on flat land. Try this extremely effective technique. Sprint for 30 seconds and then walk for 15 and repeat. Target a maximum heart rate near your maximum. This high intensity interval training technique is probably the best way to get in shape fast.
Setting Goals
Check out this video:
However, if you want to finish a half marathon with a good finishing time you'll need to put in the training time to reach your peak performance.
Depending on your current running ability you should focus on different things.
Just Starting:
Focus on endurance. You need to put in a lot of time. Run at least 4 times per week for an hour each time. If you can't run for that long you should run-walk or switch between running and walking. For example start by running for 1 minute and walking for 1. Gradually increase the amount of running you do. Don't push yourself too hard. It's easy to injure yourself if you do too much.
Got the Endurance need the Speed:
To run faster you should first start working hills into your routine. Once per week you should focus on hills. Sprint up the hill and walk or jog back down. You don't need to do too many reps perhaps just 4 or 5 (depending on the length of the hill). Before doing the hills you should do a warm up jog to prep your body for the stresses. After 4 weeks of adding hills to your training you should start doing sprints on flat land. Try this extremely effective technique. Sprint for 30 seconds and then walk for 15 and repeat. Target a maximum heart rate near your maximum. This high intensity interval training technique is probably the best way to get in shape fast.
Setting Goals
Check out this video:
