by Mr. Breno Melo

Training for a half marathon involves a strategic blend of disciplines that optimize endurance, speed, and recovery. This guide combines detailed insights into Training Stress Score (TSS), various training modalities (heart rate, pace, and perceived effort), and the significance of customized training plans alongside a practical 12-week training schedule.

Each week of training is carefully structured to balance running, strength training, and yoga, ensuring comprehensive development and recovery:

Monday: Rest—critical for muscle recovery and overall well-being.

Tuesday: Begins with tempo runs or intense intervals to develop speed and endurance.

Wednesday & Friday: Easy runs to build aerobic capacity and promote recovery.

Thursday: Dedicated strength training to enhance muscular strength and endurance.

Saturday: Progressive long runs increase in distance, simulating race conditions.

Sunday: Yoga or mobility work to enhance flexibility and aid in post-week recovery.

Understanding TSS (Training Stress Score)

Training Stress Score (TSS) is a metric used to quantify the total stress imposed by each workout on your body. It takes into account both the duration and intensity of the workout, relative to your current fitness level. The higher the TSS, the more demanding the session. This metric is crucial for managing your weekly training load and recovery needs, ensuring that you are challenging yourself sufficiently without overtraining.

• How TSS Works: TSS is calculated by considering factors like the intensity factor (IF) and the duration of the workout. The score reflects the physiological impact of the session, with higher values indicating more significant stress. Monitoring TSS helps in planning and adjusting your training load to optimize performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Training Modalities

1. Heart Rate Training
   Heart rate training involves using your heart rate as a guide to ensure you are working at the correct intensity for specific fitness adaptations. By training within targeted heart rate zones, you can focus on improving endurance, speed, or recovery. This method is highly effective for tailoring workouts to your cardiovascular fitness and tracking improvements over time.
2. Pace Training
   Pace training is designed to help you meet specific pace goals, which is particularly useful when preparing for races. By training at or near your goal race pace, you can adapt to the physical and mental demands of holding that pace over time. It’s an essential tool for athletes looking to optimize their performance on race day.
3. Perceived Effort Training
   Perceived effort training relies on your subjective assessment of how hard you feel you are working. This method allows you to adapt to daily variations in your physical and mental state, making it a flexible and intuitive approach to training. It’s particularly useful when environmental factors or fatigue make rigid adherence to heart rate or pace targets impractical.

By integrating these training modalities, you can create a well-rounded program that addresses different aspects of fitness, from cardiovascular endurance to mental resilience, all while effectively managing your training stress.

Fartlek Workout: Incorporate spontaneous speed bursts based on feeling, suitable for perceived effort training.

Progressive Long Run: Begin at a comfortable pace, gradually increasing to race pace, ideal for pace training.

Hill Repeats: Focus on reaching high heart rate zones to boost power and endurance, perfect for heart rate training.

Custom Training Plans: Tailored to individual needs, these plans adapt to personal progress and specific race goals, significantly enhancing effectiveness and satisfaction.

Static Plans: While they provide a basic structure, they lack the flexibility to adjust to the runner’s unique responses and improvements, potentially leading to plateau or injury.

Details: 3 miles at a Zone 2 pace.

Pace: Around 8:30 min/mile, depending on your threshold pace.

TSS Estimate: Assuming a threshold pace of 8:00 min/mile, IF would be around 0.85, leading to a TSS of about 31.

Details: 4x400m at Zone 3 pace with 400m recovery jogs (Zone 1).

Pace: Hard intervals at 7:30 min/mile; recoveries at 9:30 min/mile.

TSS Estimate: This workout, totaling about 20 minutes of hard effort, would yield a TSS of around 27.

Details: 13 miles starting in Zone 1 and moving into Zone 2.

Pace: Starts at 10:00 min/mile, progressing to 9:00 min/mile.

TSS Estimate: Approximately 120, considering the increased effort and duration.

Details: 45-minute run incorporating bursts of speed based on feeling, such as sprinting to a landmark and then jogging until recovery.

TSS Estimate: ~50, varying based on the intensity and duration of speed bursts.

Details: 10 miles, starting at 10:00 min/mile, decreasing to 8:00 min/mile.

TSS Estimate: ~80, reflecting increasing stress from the pace acceleration.

Details: 6x2 minutes uphill sprints aiming for Zone 3 heart rate, with downhill jogging recovery.

TSS Estimate: ~60, due to high intensity but shorter duration.

This comprehensive training plan, enhanced with insights into TSS and various training methods, is designed to prepare you comprehensively for your half marathon challenge. It balances cardiovascular conditioning with muscle strength and flexibility to reduce injury risk and improve fitness. Whether you're aiming for a personal best or your first long-distance race, a customized approach will help you meet your goals with confidence and health.

Remember, the key to successful half marathon training lies not just in following a plan but in adapting it to your evolving needs and responses. Embrace the journey with a tailored plan that respects your individuality and pushes you towards your personal best.