The August Runner's World has a ten-week half training schedule for those who are planning to run their first half marathon this fall. I just finished reading the article, and can recommend it if you are not already using one of my schedules. As you know, my half training schedule is customized according to your needs and current level of fitness.

Having said that, let me be the first to state that for a “one size fits all” schedule, it's really good. It starts from the assumption that you are already running three miles three or four times a week. (If you're not there yet, you definitely need to get a copy of my half training schedule to see how to get started.)

Overview

In the Runner's World article, the general principle is to take three days per week resting or cross-training and two hard and two easy days. This is a great principle to follow, and gives you plenty of time to recover from the hard workouts. The hard workouts alternate speedwork with long runs, with one or two rest days and one easy day between each hard workout.

I approve of the general pattern, especially if you're only training for ten weeks. For longer training periods, I would personally find the speedwork they recommend boring. I understand the idea behind it: it's to get used to running at race pace by running 5- 6 miles with a gradually increasing portion of that being at race pace.

Caveat

If you're following a 13-week or 15-week schedule, I think you might find yourself getting stale through overtraining on these pace days. Think about it - the schedule looks like this:

>>>Monday: Rest or cross-training

>>>Tuesday: Easy

>>>Wednesday: Rest or cross-training

>>>Thursday: Pace run

>>>Friday: Rest or cross-training

>>>Saturday: Easy

>>>Sunday: Long run

Repeat for ten weeks, except that in week 5 they suggest a 10K race for the long run and taking an easy day instead of the pace run. I would find that monotonous, especially if I trained for more than ten weeks. I would mix in some interval runs, fartlek and hill repeats to build strength and speed without the monotony of continual pace runs, (Incidentally, while I call these pace runs, the article refers to them as tempo runs – I apologize for the inconsistency!)

Strength Training

There also seems to be no provision for strength training in this schedule. Having run for years without strength training, I am now beginning to discover the problems that has brought me. I have recently started a strength training program that would fit in nicely with this schedule, taking just 7 minutes a day on the rest days: I'm sure your running would benefit from that or something similar.

Longest Run

The third issue I would be concerned with is that the longest training run is 12 miles. This is adequate and, given the assumptions made, is probably the best you could do. Given a longer training period or a more advanced starting point, I would aim for 14 or 15 miles for the longest run.

Conclusion

In summary, if you're training for your first half marathon with only ten weeks to do it in, this is a good schedule. If you have more time, I would recommend mixing in some different workouts for the hard days, as well as strength training during the week. Personally, I would recommend, too, that you try to fit in one run of 13 miles or more before the race: it will give you the confidence you may need that you can actually finish 13.1 miles.

Running in hot weather may not be a problem where you are, but here in Texas the spring has been “a mite warmish.” Highs have hovered in the 100-105 range (38-40 Celsius) for the past few weeks, with no let up in sight. This hot weather can make running uncomfortable, or even downright dangerous.

I had planned on training for a fall half marathon – with summer still another week away I'm glad that other plans caused me to change my mind. But for those half training now, how do you handle the hot weather?

You know all the standard recommendations: stay well-hydrated, don't push so hard when it's really hot, take your long runs at the coolest times and so on. Putting these into practice can be more difficult, though. Here are some recommendations I have found worked for me in the past.

Hydration

Yes, hydration is important, but beware of hyponatration. As far as we can tell from the records, no runner has actually died from dehydration, but there have been several deaths from hyponatration. So how do you avoid it?

It turns out that the runners who have suffered from hyponatration in hot weather have collapsed after consuming really large quantities of liquid to avoid dehydration. Frequently, the problem has been due to taking large quantities of sports drinks. Sports drinks are easier than water to consume in large quantities.

The level of electrolytes in the sports drinks is too low to replace that lost through sweat, the theory goes. Hence, to maintain electrolyte balance it is necessary to run slightly dehydrated rather than over hydrated. This goes against conventional wisdom, but the statistics don't lie: let thirst be your guide in hot weather, not some arbitrary number of ounces per mile.

Don't get me wrong here – I'm not advocating against sports drinks. Personally, especially in hot weather, I like to take a glass of one of the sports drinks before and after my run: my warning is against over-consuming liquid. For my long run, I carry water, because I am not likely to consume too much of that.

Ease off

Even in a race it's a good idea to ease off if you find yourself getting dizzy or faint. Better to finish running a little slower than being driven in an ambulance. In training, the temptation is always to push a little harder: the trick to running in hot weather is to know your limits and stay within them. At other times we like to know our limits and push beyond them!

Choose your times

When you have a choice, schedule your long runs and your hard runs for cooler times. If that is not possible, respect the conditions and accept that your running times will be slower for the same level of effort in hot weather. On those really hot, still days, try cross training: I found cycling and swimming both worked well.

Running in hot weather has its own set of challenges. Before I retired, I tried various times of the day to find out what worked best for me. Running early in the morning, when the temperature was still around 80 (27 Celsius) worked well, but the higher humidity was still punishing. I also found myself frequently running in the dark, but after two sprained ankles due to unseen hazards gave up that practice.

Evening running after a day's work was not very successful for me, so that left me with either treadmill running (which I hate) or running at noon. (I'm not a mad dog, but I was born an Englishman, so going out in the midday sun may have been natural for me.) I found that, provided I started early enough in the year, I could keep running at noon during the week all summer long. I still made sure to drink water before and after the run, and I kept my run to 30-45 minutes in length, saving my long runs for the weekend.

In the end, it's up to you. Our bodies and running styles are all different, and what works for one runner may not work for another. Feel free to experiment and find what works best for you, but do it early in your training cycle so that you won't mess up your schedule too badly.

A 22-year old runner died in the Chicago Half Marathon yesterday, probably a victim of the record high temperature. When I ran the Nashville Half Marathon in 2009, also in record high temperature, we had a similar experience: another young runner died. Why does this happen?

I found myself asking this question as I went for my morning run today. With 101 degrees forecast, we are under a weather advisory, with the National Weather Service advising us to “reschedule strenuous activities to the early morning or mid- to late-evening hours.” I intended to take a long run this morning, but decided to cut it short when I realized how hot I was getting.

As runners, we are always tempted to push past our limits: it's in our nature to see how much harder or faster we can run. With experience, though, we learn that sometimes pushing too hard can be dangerous: we want to live to run another day! It's generally the younger, less experienced runners that succumb to the heat. 

The lesson? Know when to quit! During the 2009 Nashville Half Marathon, I recognized that I was becoming dehydrated and overheated, with a section that had a paucity of water stations. I didn't drop out, but I decided it was safer to quit running and walk until I could obtain some relief. No, I didn't beat my anticipated time, but I finished strong and healthy, and was able to run again in 2010.

It's fun to break your personal record, but not if you lose your life in the attempt.

It's race day morning, and you're fired up!

Preparation

Your training didn't go quite according to schedule, but you took my advice and left enough lagniappe to take care of it. You're trained and ready, and excited to be going in for your first really big race.

You set out all your gear the previous evening to be ready for your big day. The start is at 8:00 am, and you have been told to be there by 7:30. It's an hour's drive, but with 50,000 runners arriving at 7:30 you decided it would be safer to leave at 6:00.

To give yourself plenty of time to get a snack and a bathroom break, you got up at 5:00 am. Now it's 7:45 and you're in the line getting ready for the start. Being a middle-of-the-pack runner, you're in group #23 of 50. (Sometimes these are called “corrals” or “carousels” or some other name, but I'll call them groups for today.)

The Start

The excitement builds, your adrenaline is kicking in and you're getting thirsty. You drink another bottle of water as you listen to all the build-up. Now it's 8:00 am, and the elite runners are off!

The Problem

Suddenly you realize that you need another potty break. The excitement, the water you drank, the unfamiliar routine have all conspired. You realize that a diarrhea attack may be coming and you might need to find a porta-potty fast.

You're embarrassed, but don't be! It happens to the best of us. Poor Paula Radcliffe got caught during a race (with no porta-potty) and, of course, a press photographer could not resist really embarrassing her.

But the race has started, and your group is moving up fast. What to do?

The Solution

First, calm down. It's not the end of the world, but you do need to take care of your problem. Your group will probably have gone long before you return, but so what?

These days, big races are all chip-timed, so your time will be taken from the moment you start, not from when your group starts. So, even if you're not sure if you need the break, it's better to take it now rather than during the race, when the time out will be included in your race time. So take the break, join a later group if necessary, and start when you're ready: you'll be more comfortable, and your time will still be good!

Take care of yourself, enjoy the race, and accept the pre-race jitters. (They won't hurt, and might even help your performance.)