Hi everyone! While I’m away exploring London and eating all of the fish & chips with a pint, I scheduled some awesome fellow running bloggers to guest post! Today Meredith from The Cookie ChRUNicles is sharing a fun and effective half marathon long run workout with us. Meredith won my coaching services giveaway and is a strong half marathoner, so I’m very excited about this post!
Hi! My name is Meredith and I host the blog, The Cookie ChRUNicles. I was so excited when Laura asked if I would be interested in guest posting while she was away this week. I love Laura’s blog and value everything she shares with us each day so being asked to contribute some of my own running wisdom to her blog is an honor. Seriously.
Editor’s note: I was so excited when Meredith agreed to post for me! Her blog is one of my favorites to read because she is so refreshingly honest and friendly.
I have a really fun workout for you today that I hope you will try the next time you want to run long but wonder how to pass the time without a specific plan in mind.
I am all about making my miles engaging. I like running workouts that challenge me without feeling intimidating yet at the same time, also help me to zone in on my run, forgetting about everything else.
I like to make workouts fun, versatile and customizable so that I can use each running workout that I create multiple times and for many purposes. While I do not follow specific race training plans, I like to think that the workouts I conjure up can complement your training plan really well so long as you adjust the miles and strategies to meet your needs.
I do not focus my workouts based on specific paces. Rather, I challenge myself (and you) to go by how you feel and get a little creative while pushing out of your comfort zone, allowing things to happen as you run.
This workout is perfect for just that! As you will see, you will have three sets of 3 miles to run at an increased effort with easy miles in between. With each group of 3 miles, get creative! Maybe you want to run them at a tempo pace, maybe you want to create some negative splits and maybe you want to get faster and faster as you progress through the run.
You can adjust the number of miles you are running for this workout as well. If you don’t have time to run 13 miles or simply want to run less, you can always drop one or two of the 3-mile sets.
Just make sure you warm up and cool down!
[Tweet “Run faster and farther with this #halfmarathon long run workout via @cookiechRUNicle @thisrunrecipes #fitfluential #sweatpink”]
Do you add “stuff” to your long runs to turn them into harder workouts?
How are you creative with your workouts?
14 Responses
I love adding workouts like this into longer runs, it definitely makes the run go by faster! Especially when I’m not training for anything specific these kinds of workouts keep my motivated to get the miles it. I am hoping to try this the next time I do a long run!
Long run workouts really do make time pass faster – and make it feel more fun than the average weekly 10+ mile run. I’m really excited to try Meredith’s workout once my training is done!
this has got me all atwittle about running again! I will meanwhile be doing this on the bike, lol.
That’s what is so awesome about it – you can adapt workouts like these for any type of cardio!
I love workouts based on effort since they work for everyone and aren’t intimidating! Meredith, your running workouts are my favorite!
I love how intuitive and organic her workouts are! They aren’t intimidating, and the removal of that intimidation makes it so much easier to get a good workout in.
Thank you again for letting me share this post on your site! And you are way too kind with how you describe me, made my day 🙂
Thank YOU again so much for guest posting!! I’m so excited to work with you on the guest post for your blog and the training plan! 🙂
One of my friends has run tons of marathons and was super fast back in the 70s (he’s an older guy). He suggested a workout like this for marathon training. I think it’s a good one!
It is a good one! It would work great for marathon training as well as half marathons – and probably even for shorter distances as well!
Hi Meredith! *waving* I love plans that change the pace back and forth like this. It feels like the run goes by faster but it’s not one of those super complicated ones with a bunch of specific paces to hit (so confusing!). Love it. Have fun in London, miss Laura!
Thank you, Suzy – we did have fun! Is it time to go back yet? Those specific paces are so confusing – I guess them based on effort most of the time, so usually my workouts end up more like these!
The work out model you have suggested it looks like a on and off switch button. warm up, push, relax, push, relax, push. and so on but I think it’s good and an effective way to finish the 13 miles. Some people get so excited at the time of start that they end spending their whole energy within few miles and collapse. 13 miles is no joke and it is better to have a good plan for these kind of workout.
This workout is great for keeping you from going out too fast and crashing – which is super valuable for racing!