Half Marathon 2-Months Training Block: Weeks 1-4 (Building)
The ultimate plan to build fitness before your next half marathon.
⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a pro runner. I’m testing, learning and adjusting everyday.
As you might know, I initially planned a three-month preparation block. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Two trips disrupted two crucial weeks of training, forcing me to rethink my schedule. While it’s not a complete reset, I’ve decided to adjust my plan to focus on two solid months of training instead, treating the first one as a some sort of test. If you’re interested in the earlier weeks, check out the archives - they have everything you need.
One additional note (before we start): I’m not starting from scratch. I’ve already built a solid fitness foundation, and this training block marks the first step in my journey to running five half marathons in 2025, aiming to smash my personal records one after another (at least in my head). However, it’s important to understand - and I believe in - that this plan can be tailored to your needs, even if you’re just starting. Remember, everything depends on your initial fitness level, and it’s crucial to progress gradually, making adjustments that align with your current abilities.
I’ll include some final notes on how you can adapt these weekly cycles to fit your own training schedule and goals. I assume tho that you’re like me - an aspiring mid-level runner and modifications would not be needed; at least the big ones. OK, let’s get straight to the point - the week plan.
Monday 🛋️
Mondays are my rest days, and after testing this approach for a while, I’ve found it works perfectly. Whether I’ve done a long run over the weekend or focused on cycling sessions (mostly doing them both), starting the week with a rest day feels just right. I stick to this “habit” by avoiding any strenuous activities, though I find that some light stretching works wonders for recovery. This routine helps me recharge and prepares me for the hard work ahead in the coming week. Remember about the proper hydration before the next hard workout.
Note: If you’re just starting out, beginning a training block with a rest day might feel counterintuitive, but it’s only a temporary thing. Stay committed to consistency, and by the following week, this Monday rest day will make much more sense and feel like an essential part of your routine.
Tuesday 🔥
Mondays are all about proper regeneration. By resting, avoiding significant activities, and prioritizing quality sleep, I ensure I’m ready for Tuesday morning. That’s when I tackle a tempo run - 10K at my functional threshold1 pace, or a bit above. Each week, I aim to improve my average time, focusing on consistent progress, not stopping from chasing a personal best. Below, you’ll find a helpful test session to determine your threshold pace. With regular training, you’ll gradually improve these numbers, allowing you to adjust and optimize your future tempo sessions.
Running Threshold Test
It’s good to repeat this test for a while - each one/two months.
Warm Up:
10-15 minutes of easy jogging.
Test:
Run as hard as you can sustain for 20/30 minutes on a flat course or track.
Try to maintain a consistent pace throughout.
Use a GPS watch or heart rate monitor.
Measure:
Pace: Your average pace for the 20/30 minutes is your threshold pace.
Heart Rate: Record your average heart rate during the last 20 minutes. This is a good estimate of your threshold heart rate.
Since I run in the early mornings, I rely on being fresh and well-hydrated from the day before. I don’t use any special hydration or nutrition - no gels, electrolyte drinks, or carb powders. A small glass of water before the run works perfectly for me, and I’ve never experienced performance issues, cramps, or other problems. This approach fits well with my intermittent fasting routine and works best for my body. However, this might not apply to everyone. You might need supplements before your workout, but if you prepare your body properly the day before, it should be enough to support a strong tempo run.
On Monday, focus on staying well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water (2L minimum) throughout the day. Consider adding an electrolyte drink or a pinch of high-quality salt to your water to help maintain your electrolyte balance. For dinner, opt for a carbs-rich meal, like pasta, to replenish glycogen2 stores and prepare your body for the next day’s effort. Aim to finish eating 2-4 hours before bed to allow adequate time for digestion and to promote restful sleep. Sleep is super important!
But that’s not all - every Tuesday evening, I join my friends for a game of football. While it’s nothing too competitive, it’s a fantastic alternative to the steady, straightforward rhythm of running. These matches allow me to mix speed tests, versatile movements, dynamic turns, and quick bounces. I always play cautiously, prioritizing safety to avoid injuries, and so far, it’s worked out well. After the hard and fast tempo run in the morning, football is a perfect way to round off the day with some fun and dynamic activity.
Wednesday 🏋️
Every Wednesday, I treat it more or less as a recovery day - a break from running-focused activities. Instead, I shift gears and move differently. I usually go for a short bike ride (around 60K) or do some strength training.
I skip the gym, opting instead for a park workout using resistance bands and bodyweight exercises. This allows me to focus on mobility while strengthening my core and back - essential areas, especially given my mostly sedentary work style. These activities are crucial for giving my body a "stress" impulse while engaging different muscle groups beyond just running. During long and intense runs, a strong core and back are essential to maintain posture and prevent back pain, which could derail your race even if your legs are holding up. This is even more important if you’re carrying some extra weight, as those areas need extra support.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a huge fan of cycling. It’s always a balancing act between running and getting on my bike, but cycling offers an excellent way to train my whole body and activate different leg muscles. Most great training guides recommend incorporating some biking into a runner’s routine to boost overall performance. For me, it’s a passion I can use to build a better shape while keeping my love for cycling alive. My road bike is still my pride and joy, and I love taking it for a ride. But that’s not all - I have something more planned for later in the week.
Thursday 🏟️
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my first track sessions, and since then, I’ve fallen in love with this type of training - it’s become the highlight of every Thursday. Track sessions give me incredible control over my pace and are the perfect opportunity to work on those crucial interval workouts that are so important for building phase. While a track is ideal for this, you can easily adapt it to other locations (check out the linked-already post).
My current session is broken into four parts:
a warm-up (5:00/K),
intervals (3:50/K with 2 min recovery),
fast pace block (4:30/K),
and a cool-down (5:00/K).
Keep in mind that this plan is based on my current fitness level and capabilities, so it might feel too challenging or too easy for you, depending on where you are in your training or race preparation. However, I assume you’re either at a similar level or aspiring to reach it. If that’s the case, you’ll find a quick guide at the end of this post to help you adjust the plan to fit your own needs.
Altogether, it adds up to roughly 10K for the entire session. Below, you’ll find the structure I’m following. For the first two weeks, I started with 5 repeats at Anaerobic34 speed and added one extra repeat in the last two weeks. The plan will shift slightly for the upcoming weeks, but I’ll cover that in a future post.
I don’t use any specific nutrition before or during this training. Afterward, I usually have a bottle of an electrolyte drink with around 30g of carbs. I’ve tested gels both before and during runs, but I haven’t noticed any significant difference in performance so far. That said, this might change as I move into more intense sessions during the next three-week "speeding-up" block before tapering begins.
This type of training has significantly helped me improve my shape and track my progress over the weeks. Intervals provide clear and immediate feedback on whether you’re advancing in your running performance. While they’re not absolutely essential, if you’re serious about seeing results and building your endurance and speed, incorporating intervals into your routine is a must.
Friday 🏖️
Fridays are typically rest days for me, but they’re a bit different from Mondays. Since I’m gearing up, testing nutrition for a long run on Saturday, I don’t focus too much on what I eat specifically for the next day’s effort. Of course a day before the race you’ll need to take things differently, but not now, not during this block/period - I’ll write about it soon. So my usual Friday dinner includes fish with some greens and French fries, finally in the evening, I treat myself to one or two non-alcoholic beers (I don’t drink alcohol at all but really enjoy the taste of beer) along with some pistachios. I generally keep things simple, avoiding any activities related to my training plan. At most, I’ll go for a light walk to stay relaxed, beach maybe since I leave near the ocean.
Saturday ⏰
I’ve coded Saturdays as my long-run day. After taking it easy on Friday, I start bright and early on Saturday and immediately switch into endurance mode, aiming to run as close as possible to my race pace. My chosen route is fairly flat, spanning about 18K. I use this run not only to gauge my current performance but also to test my fueling strategy before and during the session.
When you’re running near your race pace, you’re close to your threshold, and your body will quickly burn through the glycogen stored in your muscles. This makes proper fueling crucial. Studies suggest consuming roughly 100–200 grams of carbohydrates per hour, depending on your body weight and pace. Here you can find how to calculate this, for me, the breakdown currently looks like this:
30 minutes before the run I eat one banana and one PowerBar (cookie cream taste). It takes roughly 50–60 minutes for the carbohydrates to be digested and stored as glycogen, which covers me for the first 4–8K of the run. My initial energy also comes from carb-loading the day before - pasta on Friday night does the trick!
around the 4K mark I take my first gel, which contains 22g of carbohydrates and some sodium to help with hydration; I love the espresso-flavored PowerBar gels, which also have a bit of caffeine—always a nice perk,
for every 4/5 upcoming kilometers I’m taking another gel, so on kilometer 8, 12/14 and sometimes 16 (if I’m doing negative splits5)
additionally as my hydration drink I carry 0.5 liter of PowerBar ISO/hydration drink with additional 40 grams of liquid carbs, I drink the whole bottle along the run
With this approach, I’m taking in around 100-110g of carbs per hour. My long run usually lasts about 1:40–1:50, and this fueling strategy has worked well so far. As I increase my pace in the future, I might need to add more fuel.
That’s my typical Saturday session. I love long runs because they’re not as intense as tempo sessions, and they give you a real sense of progress. Remember not to overdo it, though. A good strategy is to start at a slightly easier pace than your goal, then gradually increase it as your body allows. Introduce negative splits. The key is listening to your body and adjusting as needed.
Sunday 🚴
As you probably know, I love to cycle - it remains my favorite discipline, even with all my running-related goals. I usually spend Sundays on an easy, low-intensity long rides, covering about 100–120 kilometers on a hilly route and gaining between 1000 and 1500 meters in elevation. It’s a fantastic way to wrap up my training week, and I absolutely enjoy it - especially here in Portugal, where you can cycle outdoors year-round.
If cycling isn’t your thing, you can replace it with any other activity: walking, hiking, kayaking, group sports, hitting the gym - whatever you prefer. The key is to keep your body moving, especially since Mondays are reserved as rest days. This routine helps me stay active and maintain steady progress toward my goals.
That’s it. This it my 4-week plan of 2-months preparations block. Below I would like to share some additional notes on how you can use and adjust this plan if you’re just starting your journey with running, taking in consideration to achieve some significant goal in the future, rather it will be 5, 10, 21 or 42 race. Enjoy.
The final breakdown will be presented as below.
What’s next? Jump into the next chapter of the preparations block.
For the Beginners
Story time: When I first started training, I would run the same route every week because it felt predictable and easy to measure progress. During those runs, I often passed a man who, at first, was simply walking - briskly, but still walking. Over the following weeks and months, I witnessed him transition from walking to a gentle jog, and eventually to a pace so quick that I struggled to keep up during my own tempo runs. His transformation was astounding; not only did his running speed increase dramatically, but he also leaned out and appeared far more fit overall, shedding extra weight in the process. It was a powerful reminder of how consistent effort can lead to remarkable progress.
While I’ve outlined a specific schedule based on my current fitness, lifestyle, and objectives, you should always adjust the details to fit your own situation. Here are a few tips to help you personalize the plan:
Assess Your Starting Point
Be honest about your current fitness level. If you’re just beginning, you might need to shorten distances, slow down your pace, or reduce the total number of intervals. Over time, as your endurance and speed improve, you can gradually increase volume and intensity.
Mind Your Schedule and Recovery
If you have a demanding work or family schedule, it might be tough to commit to every session. In that case, pick the key workouts - like a weekly long run and an interval or tempo session - and make those non-negotiable. Everything else can be shuffled around or shortened if needed. Just make sure you preserve at least one true rest day each week to allow your body to recover.
Listen to Your Body
While pushing your limits can help you grow, it’s crucial to stay alert to signs of overtraining or injury (persistent fatigue, nagging pains, and extended performance plateaus). If you need to switch a run for an easy session or a rest day, do it. Progress isn’t linear - it’s more important to remain injury-free and consistent in the long run.
Adjust Nutrition Accordingly
Your fueling strategy should match the intensity and duration of your workouts. If you’re running shorter distances or at an easier pace, you might not need as many carbs or gels. On the flip side, if you’re training for a marathon or have higher mileage, experiment with more robust nutrition plans and timing. As always, keep hydration a priority.
Track Your Progress and Keep It Fun
Use a training log (whether it’s an app, a spreadsheet, or just notes on your phone) to record details about each session - pace, distance, how you felt, and how you recovered. Regularly check in on your goals and adapt your plan if something isn’t working or if you discover new interests (like switching out the Sunday ride for something else you enjoy).
Above all, remember that consistency, variety, and proper rest are key factors for progress. This training block is just one example of how to structure a week for steady improvement - don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you. Stay open to learning, stay flexible, and keep moving forward. Good luck!
Here you can read about the final execution of this plan & preparations block.
In running, Functional Threshold (often referred to as the Lactate Threshold) is the fastest pace you can sustain for a prolonged period (typically around 30-60 minutes) without accumulating lactate in your blood faster than your body can clear it. It represents the tipping point where running shifts from primarily aerobic to anaerobic effort, meaning your body begins to rely more on energy systems that produce fatigue-causing byproducts like lactic acid.
Glycogen is like a storage form of energy for your body. It’s made from carbohydrates you eat, and your body keeps it mainly in your muscles and liver. Think of it as your muscles’ "fuel tank" for quick and sustained energy during exercise.
When you run, especially at a faster pace or over long distances, your muscles use glycogen as their main source of energy. It provides the quick energy needed for endurance and speed.
Your body has a limited amount of glycogen, and once it runs low (often called "hitting the wall" in running), you’ll feel tired and your performance will drop. That’s why replenishing glycogen with a carb-rich meal before and after running is important for recovery and preparation.
Anaerobic speed refers to the pace at which your body primarily relies on energy sources that don’t require oxygen (anaerobic energy systems). This speed is higher than your VO2Max speed and represents efforts where your body produces energy quickly but can only sustain it for a short period of time, typically less than 2 minutes. It’s what you tap into for short, all-out sprints or bursts of power.
VO2Max speed is the pace at which you’re running when your body is working at its maximum oxygen uptake capacity (VO2Max). VO2Max is a measure of how much oxygen your body can use during intense exercise and is often considered a key indicator of your aerobic fitness.
Negative splits in running refer to pacing your run so that you complete the second half at a faster pace than the first half. For example, if you’re running a 10K, you would aim to run the first 5K slightly slower and then pick up the pace for the last 5K, ultimately finishing with a faster split for the second half. This way you’ll not burn you out while starting, tempted to run harder and faster at the very beginning.