Do you have a place in the Cambridge Half for next March? Are you panicking just a bit because you had a place last year and you don’t know how you’re going to improve on how you did then? Panic no more, because Coach Rich is here to simultaneously save the day and beast your legs until they bleed. Sort of.
I’ve put together a training plan for runners with a bit of experience who want to get better. This is not a beginner’s plan. I can do one for you if you want, but this one is for improvers. I’ll be following it myself and we’re going to start on Monday next week, 5 November with the traditional rest day after a Sunday long run. Those of us who are members of C&C will be doing the Tuesday night training sessions and I’ve copied them out below each week so you can see what they are if you’re not a member and you want to follow along at home.
Some items may require explanation, others are optional, such as the Wednesday easy run. I like that as a way to shake Tuesday out of my legs and get ready for Thursday. You might find it too much and need to rest. That’s fine.
We’ll get together on a Thursday night at the track most weeks and head out onto the West Site for that session. The Thursday hills will be done either off Chesterton Road or between Cherry Hinton and Fulbourn depending on the size of the group.
Friday evenings swimming, cycling or easy spinning are entirely optional too. Again, I find them useful but you can rest, or do some yoga or stretching and rolling.
I’ve given Saturdays as rest days but you can do a parkrun if you want. The Sunday long run is not an option though and we’ll be meeting up to run together if you want. I’ve given it in time instead of distance because we’ll mostly be doing out and back along the Roman Road, Fleam Dyke or other quiet and off-road parts of the world. You might want to give yourself a set distance and I’m happy to discuss that with you if you want.
We’re going to meet for the long run at the end of the first week in the Gogs car park at 9:00am. I’ll set up a Facebook group and a weekly email if you want encouragement or support. Running a good half marathon is not an easy thing to but it can be easier with some support. We can support one another.
Cambridge
Half Training Plan
WC 5
November2018
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: Wheel of Fartlek
Track: Long WU; 5-7x 800m w 3 minutes recovery
Wednesday 30-40 minutes easy run
Thursday Cruise Intervals 6 x 6:00 (2:00 cruising at race pace, 4:00 harder)
Friday REST or 30 minutes easy swim or indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 60 minutes long run, preferably off-road and a bit hilly
WC 12
November 2018
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: Indian Running – Jesus Green
Track: Long WU; 4-5x 1k hold and kick (800m,
200m) w slow jog
Wednesday 30-40 minutes easy run
Thursday Hill Session (venue TBA)
Friday REST or 30 minutes easy swim or indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 60-70 minutes long run, preferably off-road and a bit hilly
(or St Neots HM)
WC 19
November 2018
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: Parlauf – Parker’s Piece
Track: Long WU; 3-4x 4 x 400m, w 90 secs and
3:00
Wednesday 30-40 minutes easy run
Thursday Cruise Intervals 6 x 6:00 (1:30 cruising at race pace,
4:30 harder)
Friday REST or 30 minutes easy swim or indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 70 minutes long run, preferably off-road and a bit hilly
WC 26
November 2018
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: City Fartlek
Track: Long WU; 5-7x 800m w 3:00
Wednesday 30-40 minutes easy run
Thursday Hills (venue TBA)
Friday REST or 30 minutes easy swim or indoor spin
Saturday Jingle Mile!
Sunday 70 minutes long run, preferably off-road and a bit hilly
WC 3
December 2018
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: 5 x 1k West Site
Track: Long WU; 3-4x 1k hollow (400m, 200m,
400m) w 200m slow jog
Wednesday 30-40 minutes easy run
Thursday K Reps and Kettlebells
Friday REST or 30 minutes easy swim or indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 75 minutes long run or Frostbite
WC 10
December 2018
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: Storey’s Way 700m hills
Track: Long WU; 6-9x 600m, w 200m slow jog
Wednesday 40-45minutes easy run
Thursday Cruise Intervals 6 x 6:00 (1:00 cruising at race pace,
5:00 harder)
Friday REST or 30 minutes easy swim or indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 80 minutes long run
WC 17
December 2018
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: 5 x 1k Jesus Green
Track: Christmas special (or Long WU; 7 x 800m w
3:00)
Wednesday 45 minutes easy run
Thursday Cruise Intervals 6 x 6:00 (30s cruising at race pace, 5:30
harder)
Friday REST or 30 minutes easy swim or indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 85 minutes long run
WC 24
December 2018
Christmas Eve Optional Roman Road Social Run
Christmas Day REST
Boxing Day C&C 4 or 30 minutes easy
Thursday REST
Friday 30 minutes swim or easy indoor spin
Saturday REST or parkrun
Sunday Buntingford 10 or 70 minutes easy run
WC 31
December 2018
New Years Eve Ely 10k or REST
New Years Day Optional Roman Road Social Run
Wednesday 30 minutes easy run
Thursday Hills
Friday 30 minutes swim or easy indoor spin
Saturday REST or parkrun
Sunday 70-75 minutes long run
WC 7
January 2019
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: Paarlauf, West Site
Track: Long WU; 7 x 800m w 3:00
Wednesday 35 minutes easy run
Thursday K Reps and Kettlebells
Friday 30 minutes swim or easy indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 75-80 minutes long run
WC 14
January 2019
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Off track: Wheel of Fartlek, West Site
Track: Long WU; 2-3 x cut downs (1k, 600m, 200m)
w 200m slow jog & 200m walk
Wednesday 35 minutes easy
Thursday 30:00 tempo
Friday 30 minutes swim or easy indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 80-85 minutes long run (or Folksworth 15 if you’re marathon
training as well)
WC 21
January 2019
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Wednesday 40 minutes easy
Thursday 40:00 tempo
Friday 30 minutes swim or easy indoor spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 75-80 minutes long run
WC 28
January 2019
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Wednesday 35 minutes easy
Thursday 3 x 12:00 tempo
Friday swim or spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 80-85 minutes long run
WC 4
February 2019
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Wednesday 35 minutes easy
Thursday 4 x 13:00 tempo
Friday swim or spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 90-95 minutes long run
WC 11
February 2019
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Wednesday 40 minutes easy
Thursday Hills (venue TBA)
Friday swim or spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 95-100 minutes long run
WC 18
February 2019
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Wednesday 35 minutes easy
Thursday Cruise Intervals 6 x 7:00 (1:00 race pace, 6:00 harder)
Friday swim or spin
Saturday REST
Sunday 90 minutes long run (30 minutes easy, 30 minutes harder, 30
minutes race pace)
WC 25
February 2019 (Race Week)
Monday REST
Tuesday C&C Training Session
Wednesday REST
Thursday 30 minutes easy, with 6-8 x 50m strides
Friday swim or spin
Saturday Bike Ride recce round the course
Sunday RACE DAY
