Jeff Galloway - Galloway's Half Marathon Training

PREDICTION STRATEGY: ONE-MILE TIME TRIAL (TT) OR TEST

About 1995 I started using a one-mile time trial (called a “magic mile”) as a prediction tool. After working with hundreds and then thousands of runners, I’ve found that those who do three to four of these during a season can get a very realistic prediction of their current racing potential. By adding 2 min/mi to this time, runners will find an injury-reducing pace for the long runs–and a realistic pace for the race itself.

IN ORDER TO RUN THE TIME IN THE RACE INDICATED BY GALLOWAY’S PERFORMANCE PREDICTOR:

• You have done the training necessary for the goal–according to the training programs in this book

• You are not injured

• You run with an even-paced effort

• The weather on goal race day is not adverse (below 60°F or 14°C, no strong headwinds, no heavy rain or snow, etc.)

• There are no crowds to run through, or significant hills

THE “MAGIC MILE” TIME TRIAL

1.Go to a track, or other accurately measured course. One-mile is 4 laps around a track.

2.Warm up by walking for 5 minutes, then running 1 minute and walking 1 minute, then jogging an easy 800 meters (half mile or two laps around a track).

3.Do 4 acceleration-gliders. These are listed in the “Drills” chapter.

4.Walk for 3-4 minutes

5.Run fast–for you–for 4 laps. Use the walk break suggestions in this chapter, or run the way you want.

6.On your first time trial, don’t run all-out from the start–ease into your pace after the first half (2 laps).

7.Warm down by reversing the warm-up.

8.A school track is the best venue. Don’t use a treadmill because they tend to be notoriously uncalibrated, and often tell you that you ran farther or faster than you really did.

9.On each successive one, try to adjust pace in order to run a faster time.

10.Use the following formula to see what time is predicted in the goal races.

HOW HARD SHOULD I RUN THE TEST

During the first month of the program, run the magic mile once a week, in the middle of a Tuesday or Thursday run. The first one should be only slightly faster than you normally run. With each successive TT, pick up the pace and beat your time each week. By the fourth week, you should be running fairly close to your potential.

Run the first lap slightly slower than you think you can average. Take a short walk break as noted in the walk break suggestions in this chapter. If you aren’t huffing and puffing you can pick up the pace a bit on the second lap. If you are huffing after the first lap, then just hold your pace on lap two–or reduce it slightly. Most runners benefit from taking a walk break after the second lap.

At the end of lap 3, the walk break is optional. It is OK to be breathing hard on the last lap. If you are slowing down on the last lap, start a little slower on the next test. When you finish, you should feel like you couldn’t run more than about half a lap farther at that pace (if that). You may find that you don’t need many walk breaks during the test– experiment and adjust.

GALLOWAY’S PERFORMANCE PREDICTOR

Step 1:Run your “magic mile” time trial (TT) (4 laps around the track).

Step 2:Compute your mile pace for the half marathon by multiplying by 1.2.

Example:

Mile time: 10:00

For half marathon pace, multiply 10 x 1.2 = 12 min/mi

For long run training pace, add 3 minutes per mile = 15 min/per mile

WALK BREAKS DURING THE ONE-MILE TIME TRIAL

FIRST-TIME HALF MARATHONERS: RUN TO FINISH ONLY

I strongly recommend that first-time half marathon runners should not attempt a time goal. Use the one-mile time trial to determine your long run pace (adding 3 minutes to the time multiplied by 1.2). During the race itself, I recommend running the first 10 miles at your training pace. During the last 3 miles you may run as you wish.

TIME GOAL RUNNERS MAY MAKE A “LEAP OF FAITH” GOAL PREDICTION

I have no problem allowing my e-coach athletes, who’ve run one or more half marathons, to choose a goal time that is faster than that predicted by the pre-test. As you do the speed training, the long runs and your test races, you should improve…but how much? In my experience this “leap of faith” should not exceed 3-5% improvement in a three-month training program.

1.Run the one-mile time trial.

2.Use the formula above to predict what you could run now, if you were trained for the half marathon.

3.Choose the amount of improvement during the training program (3-5%).

4.Subtract this from # 2–this is your goal time.

HOW MUCH OF A “LEAP OF FAITH”?

The key to goal setting is keeping your ego in check. From my experience, I have found that a 3% improvement is realistic. This means that if your half marathon time is predicted to be 3:00, then it is realistic to assume you could lower it by five and a half minutes if you do the speed training and the long runs as noted on my training schedules in this book. The maximum improvement, which is less likely, is a more aggressive 5% or 9 minutes off a three-hour half marathon.