Are you upset that you can’t translate an awesome half marathon time into an equally awesome marathon time? You’re not alone. I’ve been there too.
One of my first acts after a new PR is to check out the VDOT tables and see what the consensus tells me I should be able to run at other distances. It’s usually very motivating. “Wow, this means I should be able to run X:XX for a marathon!”
The jump between a half marathon and a full marathon can see like jumping over the Grand Canyon. But it IS possible. If you look at elite runners, they generally can nab a marathon pace within 10-15 seconds per mile of their half marathon PR. Ryan Hall (4:46 marathon pace/4:33 half marathon pace), Meb Keflezighi (4:54/4:39), Deena Kastor (5:19/5:09), Shalane Flanagan (5:23/5:24).
What do they do differently?
Most notably, they’ve trained for several years more than the average runner and at much higher volumes. In other words, their aerobic engines are running at their max. Remember – the aerobic (aka endurance) base takes the longest to be built. The anaerobic (aka speed) system
If you’ve experienced this struggle, here’s my thoughts: think of the marathon training pyramid. I’ve adapted it from The Science of Running by Steve Magness. You can see it below. There’s two sides of it. The ENDURANCE side and the SPEED side. If you struggle to extend your half marathon success, then you are deficient on the endurance side (no surprise here!).
At a high level, this is how I think about training for most races. In the base period, the paces are on both ends of the spectrum: really fast or really slow. Over time, they gradually start to funnel more closely towards race pace. VERY effective. Here’s the rundown! I’ll share more specifics later!.
🔹General phase – lasts 3-8 weeks. Also known as the base phase. A good time to grow mileage with minimal intensity although short very fast workouts will instill good biomechanics. ENDURANCE adjustment: It takes much longer to develop the aerobic/endurance system, sometimes up to 20 weeks. That means a longer training cycle and the best place to add days to a marathon cycle is during the base period. It may seem like the least exciting phase, but I’d extend this as long as possible to maximize endurance benefits.
🔹Aerobic/Anaerobic support phase – about 4 weeks long. Speed workouts (roughly 5k paces) getting slightly slower but longer. Endurance workouts getting slightly faster. Mileage still growing. ENDURANCE adjustment: Shift the emphasis here toward aerobic support and away from anaerobic work. Make the anaerobic/speed workouts more aerobic by allowing more rest intervals and lengthening the workout (requiring more endurance). Keep the length of the phase the same.
🔹Endurance/Speed Support phase – about 4 weeks long depending on the athlete. Endurance workouts (lactate threshold) and speed workouts (10k type effort) build to their peaks. Longer uninterrupted tempos are preferred for marathon preparation. ENDURANCE adjustment: Similar story here. Emphasis on the endurance workouts. I’d even replace some of the high-end interval work with a moderate medium long run during the week. You’ll get benefits similar to a long run without sacrificing the speed that is already a strength of yours.
🔹Race specific phase – 4-6 weeks. Marathon-specific work is increased in multiple workouts. All else is carefully maintained via maintenance and easy speed efforts. ENDURANCE adjustment: Not much of an adjustment to this phase as the focus is closing in on marathon race efforts anyway. Speed work is still necessary every so often to maintain good mechanics.
I’ve seen countless people with fantastic half marathon times go on to struggle for 26.2 miles. It’s defeating, depressing, and downright frustrating! The jump between a 5k to a 10k is not noticeable. Between a 10k and a half marathon is also very doable. But from a half to a full is a challenge for any level!
If you need help making these adjustments in your own training, consider reaching out. I’d love to work with you to come up with a concrete workable solution to get you from A to B (and then C!) in the shortest amount of time possible.
