RW's Garmin-Ready Half-Marathon Schedule: Sub-2:00

Posted: 20 February 2008

Week One
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 8 x 400m (or 2 mins) fast, with 200m (90-sec) recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 3M (approx 29 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 3M (approx 29 mins) steady
Sun 6M (approx 66 mins) easy

Week Two
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 8 x 400m (or 2 mins) fast, with 200m (90-sec) recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 3M (approx 29 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 3M (approx 29 mins) steady
Sun 6M (approx 57 mins) steady

Week Three
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 2 mins up hill, jog back. Then 1M jog at end of session
Wed Rest
Thu 5M (approx 55 mins) easy
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 55 mins) easy
Sun 8M (approx 88 mins) easy

Week Four
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 2 mins up hill, jog back. Then 1M jog at end of session
Wed Rest
Thu 5M (approx 48 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 55 mins) easy
Sun 10M (approx 1hr 50) easy

Week Five
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 2 mins up hill, jog back. Then 1M jog at end of session
Wed Rest
Thu 6M (approx 66 mins) easy
Fri Rest
Sat 1M jog, then 5M fartlek, then 1M jog
Sun 10M (approx 1hr 50) easy

Week Six
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 15 x 200m (or 1 min) fast, with 100m (45-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 6M (approx 66 mins) easy
Fri Rest
Sat 1M jog, then 6M fartlek, then 1M jog
Sun 10M (approx 95 mins) steady

Week Seven
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 800m (or 4 mins) fast, with 100m (45-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 6M (approx 57 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 1M jog, then 6M fartlek, then 1M jog
Sun 10M (approx 95 mins) steady

Week Eight
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 200m (or 1 min) fast, with 100m (45-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 3M (approx 29 mins) steady
Fri 3M (approx 33 mins) easy
Sat Rest
Sun 5M (approx 48 mins) steady

Week Nine
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 200m (or 1 min) fast, 400m (or 2 min) fast, 600m (or 3:30) fast, 800m (or 5 mins) fast, 600m fast, 400m fast, 200m fast, all with 200m (90-sec) jog recoveries, then extra 200m jog. Then 1M jog to warm-down
Wed Rest
Thu 6M (approx 57 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 38 mins) steady
Sun 5K or 10K Race

Week Ten
Mon Rest
Tue 5M (approx 55 mins) easy
Wed 5M (approx 48 mins) steady
Thu Rest
Fri 3M (approx 33 mins) easy
Sat Rest
Sun 14M (approx 2hr 35 mins) easy

Week Eleven
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 200m (or 1 min) fast, with 100m (45-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M (approx 57 mins) steady
Thu Rest
Fri 3M (approx 29 mins) steady
Sat Rest
Sun 9M (approx 85 mins) steady

Week Twelve
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 8 x 200m (or 45 secs) fast, with 100m (30-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 3M (approx 33 mins) easy
Thu 3M (approx 29 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun Race Day!

Download This Schedule For Your Garmin

You can download this schedule onto your Garmin Forerunner 301, 205, 305 and 405 (it will work best on the 205, 305 and 405). Your Forerunner will then guide you through each session with target training paces or heart rates to aim for.

Decide whether you want to train by heart rate or pace (if in doubt, choose pace).
Download the schedule onto your PC desktop using either the quick-download buttons below, or the custom-download buttons further down the page. (The custom options allow you to refine your training paces and heart rates.)
Open your Garmin Training Centre software, use 'file>import sessions' to import the schedules from your desktop, then plug in your Forerunner to synchronise it. (You should make sure your Garmin software is up to date, especially as there is a new improvement to pace-smoothing for the 205 and 305. We suggest you use the 'WebUpdater option on these pages: 205; 301 ; 305)
If you are new to the 405, to ensure that you have the right software installed, click here.

Enter your race date:	(dd/mm/yyyy)
Enter your race date:	(dd/mm/yyyy)

Make A Version With Custom Training Paces

Here are the training paces recommended by this schedule. You can adjust them if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the paces is likely to be slightly too fast or too slow.

Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session	:
Easy - Easy - a gentle jog at below 75% maximum heart rate (MHR)	:
Slow - conversational pace (73-78% MHR)	:
Steady - a comfortable, but purposeful, pace. About marathon pace (79-84% MHR)	:
Brisk (or Threshold (THR)) - around your target half-marathon pace (87-91% MHR).	:
Fast-10K - 90-94%	:
Fast-5K - 93-97% MHR	:
Fast-above-5K	:
You can also adjust the paces above by adjusting your half-marathon target slightly. The sessions and mileages in the schedule will stay the same but the paces will change.
New target:	:

Enter your race date:	(dd/mm/yyyy)
Finished? When you're happy with the paces, download your schedule

(You can revise your paces partway through your training – just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner.)

Make A Version With Custom Heart Rates

Here are the percentages of maximum heart rate used in the different sessions in this schedule. Insert your maximum heart rate to see which targets you will have to aim for. You can adjust the '% max' figures if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the heart rates is likely to be slightly too high or too low.

Enter your race date:	(dd/mm/yyyy)
Finished? When you're happy with the heart rate zones, download your schedule

(You can revise your heart rate zones partway through your training - just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner)

Your Questions Answered

Choosing and customising a schedule

Downloading the schedule from RW onto your Forerunner

Using Training Center

Following the sessions

More help... If you don't find the answer to your question in the above FAQs, then please email Garmin's helpline, inputting 'Runner's World training plans' in the subject field of your email to aid our product support teams.