Half Marathon Plan
Sub 1:30
Half Marathon
Wks 1–4: 3 runs only (Tue/Sat/Sun) · gym introduced gradually from week 2
Wk 5: Monday easy run added → 4 runs/week
Wk 6: Wednesday easy run added → 5 runs/week
Wk 7: Friday shakeout added + first tempo → full structure
The full week template (from Wk 7+):
Mon Quality run + Strength · Tue Social 10k 🔒 · Wed Easy + Strength · Thu Rest · Fri Shakeout · Sat Long run 🔒 · Sun Social 5k 🔒
Your hardest session (long run) is Saturday. Sunday's slow 5k is active recovery — ideal timing. Tuesday's social 10k at 6:00/km (~9:40/mile) is comfortably in easy territory, so it builds volume without taxing your system. Monday becomes your quality session day — tempo or intervals — when you're freshest from Sunday's light effort. Thursday is always full rest before Friday's short shakeout and Saturday's big effort.
Sub-1:30 = 6:51/mile (4:15/km) average. Your social 10k pace of 6:00/km is very comfortable — well slower than race pace, which is exactly right for social running. The plan peaks at ~38–40 miles/week in weeks 14–15. You'll hit 13 miles in training by week 14. Weight target: ~197–200lb by race day (1lb/week loss).
Every 4th week is a recovery week (Wks 4, 8, 12, 16) — volume drops ~35%, intensity stays. This is when your body actually adapts. The pattern is: build, build, build, recover, repeat. Don't skip recovery weeks and don't add extra sessions in them. At 42, recovery is as important as the training itself.
Rebuild aerobic foundation. All easy effort. Introduce strength work. No pace pressure — just consistent movement and habit building.
Add tempo runs and intervals on Mondays. Long runs extend to 12 miles. Volume climbs steadily. Weight loss accelerating here.
Highest volume. Race-pace miles in long runs. Sharpest quality sessions. This is where sub-1:30 fitness is built. Hard but purposeful.
Volume drops 40–50%. Legs freshen. Trust the training. Focus on sleep, nutrition, and race preparation. You've done the work.
Miles 5–10: Settle at 6:51/mi. This should feel hard but sustainable — cruise control.
Miles 11–13.1: If you've been disciplined, this is your reward. Give everything.
Every 30 seconds too fast in miles 1–3 costs 60–90 seconds in miles 10–13. This is the most common race mistake.
185g protein is the non-negotiable floor — hit it every day including rest days. This is what keeps muscle while dropping fat.
Sunday (1.5–2 hrs): Batch cook all proteins, carbs and veg for the week. Portion into 5 containers.
Mon–Fri: Grab container. Microwave at office. No decisions, no effort.
Saturday: Long run day — more care around breakfast and post-run meal. Air fryer does the heavy lifting.
Every lunch is designed to travel in a container and reheat in 2–3 mins in an office microwave. Breakfast options are either overnight oats (grab from fridge) or 3-minute jobs. You're never more than 3 minutes from a proper high-protein meal.
At 2,500 cal on training days vs an estimated TDEE of ~2,900–3,000 cal at your size and activity level, you're in a ~400–500 cal daily deficit — ~0.8–1lb/week of fat loss. Fast enough to lose 15–18lb by race day, slow enough to keep muscle and training quality high.
Air fryer: Chicken, salmon, potatoes, veg — Sunday batch cook workhorse.
Microwave: Rice, oats, reheating batch meals at the office.
Toaster: Quick breakfast — wholegrain toast, English muffins.
Yields: 5 lunch portions of ~200g cooked chicken (~44g protein each). This is the backbone of the whole week.
Yields: 5 lunch portions (~45g carbs each). Microwavable pouches are a perfectly valid shortcut.
Yields: Veg for all 5 lunch containers. Keeps 5 days in fridge.
Each container: ~550 cal · 48g protein · 55g carbs. Reheat 2.5 min, stir, 30 more seconds.
Toaster + protein: 2 slices wholegrain toast + 2 tbsp peanut butter + banana = 20g protein, 4 mins.
Supermarket run: Cooked chicken slices + microwavable rice pouch + Greek yoghurt = 55g+ protein anywhere with a microwave.
Meal deal hack: High-protein sandwich (chicken/tuna/egg) + yoghurt + banana. Skip the crisps, add the yoghurt.
- Chicken breasts × 1.5kg
- Eggs × 12–15
- Salmon fillets × 2–3
- Greek yoghurt 0% fat × 6 pots
- Cottage cheese × 500g tub
- Tuna sachets × 4–5
- Turkey mince × 500g
- Protein powder — top up if needed
- Rolled oats × 1kg bag
- Microwavable rice pouches × 6–8
- Wholegrain bread × 1 loaf
- Sweet potatoes × 4–5
- Bananas × 7+
- Rice cakes × 1 pack
- Oatcakes × 1 pack
- Pasta × 500g
- Courgettes × 2–3
- Mixed peppers × 4
- Red onions × 2
- Cherry tomatoes × 400g
- Baby spinach × large bag
- Frozen mixed veg × 1kg
- Frozen peas × 500g
- Berries (fresh or frozen) × 300g
- Avocado × 2–3
- Olive oil — top up
- Peanut butter (natural) × jar
- Mixed nuts × 200g
- Milk or oat milk × 1L
- Cheddar or feta × small block
- Chia seeds × bag
- Paprika · garlic powder · mixed herbs
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Hot sauce (Sriracha)
- Honey × jar
- Tinned chopped tomatoes × 2
- Chicken stock cubes
- Protein bars × 3–4 emergency stock
- Creatine monohydrate (5g/day)
- Vitamin D3 (2000–4000 IU)
- Magnesium glycinate (300mg)
- Omega-3 fish oil (2–3g)
- Electrolyte tabs/powder
- Energy gels × 6–8 for long runs
Eat exactly as through training. No calorie deficit this week — eat at maintenance (~2,800 cal). High protein. 3–4L water daily.
White rice, pasta, white bread, bananas, honey. Reduce fibre. You'll feel slightly bloated — this is glycogen and water. It's correct. Protein stays at 185g.
Pasta + chicken + small olive oil for dinner. Eat by 7pm. No alcohol. No new foods. In bed by 10pm. Sip electrolytes all day.
2.5–3 hours before: Oats + banana + honey + electrolyte drink. The exact breakfast from every Saturday long run — practised 17 times. Trust it.
10 min before start: 1 gel + sip of water.
Gel at mile 4–5 and mile 8–9. Drink water at every station — don't skip any. Never use a gel on race day you haven't trained with.
Within 30 min: banana + protein shake or chocolate milk.
Within 2 hours: whatever you want. You've run a sub-1:30 half marathon. You've earned it. Just get protein and carbs in first.