Seems to me if you're just trying to add a HM then you would want to add one additional run per week which is a long run. You appear to be training by time not distance (which is fine). The run should be at a "slow" pace in heart rate zone 2 or perceived effort of "easy enough that I could do this all day." You can hardly go too slow if you feel like your doing something more than "easy-peasey". But you can go too fast, like feeling like you've "hard a good workout." Except for the race pace portions, you don't want to feel like you've had a good work out. These can be really enjoyable runs, as your feeling relaxed and your building endurance.

During the run you want to focus on your running form and cadence, and build up to the feeling of running on your feet for a HM length.

Assuming you have 12 to 16 weeks or longer until the HM, you should be able to start at 90 minutes and add 10 minutes per week. Every fourth week (recovery), you step back a 10 to 20 minutes. Then start back at where you were for the previous week.

Something like this:
W1 - 90min
W2 - 100min
W3 - 110min
W4 - 90min
W5 - 100min
W6 - 110min
W7 - 120min
W8 - 100min
W9 - 110min (last 10 at race pace)
W10 - 120min (last 15 at race pace)
W11 - 130min (last 20 at race pace)
W12 - 110min
W13 - 120min (last 15 at race pace)
W14 - 130min (last 20 at race pace)
W15 - 140 min (last 30 at race pace)
W16 - Race

But this assumes you are simply trying to finish the HM in a reasonable time for you and not set a record for your age group.

My $.02 worth.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

thanks so much. wow, up to 140m!! I think I can hold 90 to 100m right now... I am quite meticulous with the running form, strenght exercises, stretching... working on my cadence..its being tough cause I am a 6f2'' and 187lbs, long legged...not the sort of thin bonned guy. I have shortened my stride to gain cadence and I think it is safer for my knees and back. Thanks again for the advice. I will try to find good terrain to those long sessions...

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Spaniard. Sorry for my english for the sensitive ones :P

thanks so much. wow, up to 140m!! I think I can hold 90 to 100m right now... I am quite meticulous with the running form, strenght exercises, stretching... working on my cadence..its being tough cause I am a 6f2'' and 187lbs, long legged...not the sort of thin bonned guy. I have shortened my stride to gain cadence and I think it is safer for my knees and back. Thanks again for the advice. I will try to find good terrain to those long sessions...[/quote]


Unless you're injury prone, as long as you listen to your body and work up your run distance in a smart way (never more than 10% increase week to week), then you should be ok. FWIW, I'm 6'3 and 196lbs and have a realistic goal to run a 1:21 HM in March. Big guys can run fast and far too!

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Blog: https://davidkoppeltriathlon.blogspot.com/
Coaching: https://dkendurance.com/

You are going to be far from your full potential by only running 2-3x a week. When I've seen my best run performances I've been running 6-7 days a week. I know that can't work for everyone, but I'd consider looking at frequency to improve overall performance.

I've found over the past few years that I simply can't handle the speed sessions I once did weekly. For me, I generally do some faster running on Wednesday (usually tempo, but up to some work at 5k pace) and shorter faster runs off the bike on Tuesday and Saturday. My long run is up to around 14-15 miles currently (around 105 min currently). When only training for 70.3 or less I tend to limit long runs to 2 hours (120 minutes) - around 16-17 miles for the longest runs. I feel this is enough to do pretty well in a half marathon in early spring and then transition more into triathlon specific work as the season gets closer.

If you could fit in 4 runs a week, I'd do something like 2 easy runs of up to 60 minutes, 1 run with some speed work up to 70 or so minutes, and then a longer run. Also throwing in some strides at the end of the easy runs is a quick way of 'hiding' some speed to work on turnover and getting comfortable at faster paces.

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

I know I know...the more I could train the better, but my schedule is full and I am not gonna get crazy about this... I do enough training, 6 days a week for triathlon...I am not a couchpotato already :D

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Spaniard. Sorry for my english for the sensitive ones :P

As mentioned, one LSD (long slow distance) run each week (I tend to limit mine to 16-18k). I use a heart rate monitor on this to force myself to go slow (yesterday's was "If it is reading above 120bpm, slow down").

There is another workout I really like (especially in the winter, since it's made for treadmills). I only do it every couple of weeks, since it is does drain me a bit. One hour run in six, 10 minute blocks. The first part of the block is done at a moderate pace, and the second part is 800m at 10K race pace.

An example would be:
6 x (6:45 at 5min/k, 3:15 at 4min/k)

The hardest 2min. of this should be the last minute of the fast portion and the first minute back at moderate pace, since you have to recover while still running at a not-easy pace.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Let me add to my original post on what I do. First, know that I am SLOW - possibly the slowest guy on the forum.

I train by mileage and started training for HM two years ago. Before that I just ran three times a week for three year after nearly 35 years of no running (stopped after college). My initial goal was only 12min/mile pace (remember I said I'm slow), which was significantly slower than my college pace (5 to 5:05 miles, 17min 5ks - neither particularly fast, but faster than NOW :) ).

I only ran 3 or sometimes 4 times a week for 1 1/2 years, and frankly, I couldn't even finish a HM without walking some. I had no idea how to train. After my third failure (Feb 2019), I started reading and watching youtube about training and learned a TON. I started trying the MAF training, but I didn't increase my running and didn't have any speed training. My 4th HM the first weekend in Oct 2019, again I failed and had to walk some.

So I did more reading and youtube research and decided I needed to increase my mileage - a lot. That's when I started running 6 days a week with 5 around 4-5 miles (one HIIT and one tempo) and one LSR (getting up to 10 or 11 miles) with a race pace (12:00) section of 3 miles in the middle or at the end. I also worked on fueling, form and cadence.

My last HM was in the first weekend in Dec (13.7 mile trail run). I decided I was going to run at 84% HR at 170 cadence for the first 9.5 miles and then if I felt good, pick up my cadence - and take my time at whatever it came out. I was SUCCESSFUL this time, finishing the last four miles in @10:20 pace and total pace of 11:39.

Now my son has me training for the Galveston HIM to "do it with him" (Funny, as he's age group starts long before mine and I'll only see if maybe two or three times - I'll be 59 and 9 months on race day, so maybe the oldest guy in my age group). Three swims (one with 50 meter sprints, one with 200 meter hard and one long), three bikes (one with sprints, one with longer hard and one long) and three runs (same idea, sprints, long hard and one long). The biking is always on it's own day and the swim/run are on the same day (same 6 days per week). My distances right now are near the HIM distances and all feels fine. I'm 7 weeks out and am increasing distances. I'm only interested in finishing within the 8 1/2 hours :)

I'll see how this training affects my HM next weekend, as I am signed up for one. Today I ran 4.5 miles with 6xone minute max effort. Three of the one minutes were in the high 6 minute and low 7 minute pace and the other three were in the low 8min pace. I'm expecting my HM to be faster than 2:30, but I'm not planning to run too hard as this is at the end of a recover week. I plan on doing the HM on a similar plan as my last one, but increase my HR to 86% of my max for the first 9 miles and then see how I feel.

Training more will always help an "out of shape" guy like me get faster. The long runs/swims/bikes builds that aerobic base that I need.

My ultimate goal is to my HM in the 10min pace, but this will take me another year or two. Of course, my son may get me to do some other HIMs, which I'll see how this affects my HM times :) Plus, it's fun to train :)

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

I’m 6’ 1” @ 200 lbs +/-, got my HM down to 1:19 last year . I have A, B , C runs I try to fit in the week. aiming for 1:15 this summer

A ) 4x 3 mile at tempo

B) 10-12 mile , up tempo last 3 miles

C) 18-20 @ 90% tempo , focus on negative split second half.

If I could 2 out of 3 of those in a week I am stoked .

I think you are doing great. I wish I could run as you do at your age. I am 40 and I took up running and triathlon after 7 years of zero training due to an injury( i have no running background actually, but swimming) I have been training for 7-8 months and my 10k pace must be nw around 7.05m/mile. The technical day I do a slow-mid tempo run for 20'...then I do uphill repetitions, or speed workout (1k series) or fartlek. I end up with 15' of easy running. For the mileage day, I am doing 60m, but too fast IMO. I should slow down my HR and add more minutes ...
when the good weather is coming, I think I will do 3 sessions. I will exchange one day of bike for one of running and increase the mileage in the bike...

I am enjoying the process.I will never be a good athlete but setting goals is the way to keep us focused. In addition, I use my running as a sort of meditation (I focus on how my feet land, my breathing)..it is just great..
If I could run a bit faster, well, I would not mind either :D

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Spaniard. Sorry for my english for the sensitive ones :P