1/2 Mary plan recommendations

Salient points:

Long run of 8 miles so far.

Been training for almost a year.

Have at laest 4 months to get up to half mary distance.

Potential drain on time for work.

Based on all that, I'd say any program would be fine.  I've never really used a specific plan for a half marathon, so I cannot speak to the merits of any of them.  I think running 3x /wk is a good goal.

Well, I'm gonna give you an answer that you're not gonna like.

My answer is...It depends.

The plan he picks should be based on his goals, both short- and long-term, as well as his general ideas on training.  Does he enjoy training?  Then go for something that has more of it.  If he doesn't like to train a whole lot, then a plan with lots of runs won't be a good option.  If he wants to try to do his very best, then train more.  If that's the case, then I'd say he could get up to 15 miles in training, with more than 4 runs per week.  If he wants to just go out, run the half, and doesn't care about time, then anything over 10 miles would be satisfactory.

It's all about being realistic and honest with ourselves about our goals and our limitations.  I know that I've been guilty in the past of handing out concrete numbers without recognizing the underlying factors.  Kathy, I think you have a wealth of knowledge about training, and your husband is lucky to be able to lean on you for support.  I'm willing to bet that you can help him achieve his goals, no problem.

I did my first half-marathon this past February using the Galloway beginner's plan.  My long run was 11 miles about three weeks prior to the race.  I did my 30-45 min runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays and my long runs in Saturday mornings.  That let me still do a bike ride on Sundays (I tried doing a long bike ride on Saturday and then my long run on Sundays, but it killed my legs; my Sunday ride was almost a recovery ride from my long run)

I did a four mile race a couple of weeks prior to the half-mary which was good for pacing practice, plus it was over part of the half-mary course (the Ringling bridge over Sarasota Bay).

I met my modest goals, which were first to finish and second to come in under three hours (2:53). 

The Galloway plan worked well for me, being a slow, plodding runner.  At 56, I really don't think I could run more than three days a week, as my body needs the recovery time.   

Looking to next year, I'm planning on pretty much following the same plan.  Before I started the plan last year I had never run more than 10K in my life so I had to overcome some psychological barriers when I started doing longer runs.  I feel a lot better prepared mentally this year.

Best of luck to Kevin - he has a great coach and cheerleader!

Mark

Hey Kathy.  I really recommend the Hal Higdon plans to any new half-marathoner.  I felt the number of runs were not too arduous to keep up with, but I felt prepared.  There is a reasonable progression in the weekly runs, in addition to the long weekend runs.  I used the Novice plan to complete the Bjorklund Half at Grandma's after only a short history of running and I was "fine".  Not setting any records, or anything, but I felt ready.

I often use the "SmartCoach" on Runnerworld, which I also like.  It's very customizable.  I would say, however, that the plan can be a bit tougher.  I would recommend that for a second attempt.

Good luck to him!