3 KEY Tips to Run a Faster Half Marathon

[@runnerkarolineolsen]

💬 What’s your biggest struggle with half marathon training? Drop a comment below-I’d love to cover it in a future video! 🏃‍♀🔥 🚀 My Half Marathon Plans launch on March 1st, 2025! Want to test them for free and give feedback? DM me on Instagram (@runnerkarolineolsen) with your running background & goals!

[@jameseden9380]

Doing a little less rather than a little too much makes so much sense

[@runnerkarolineolsen]

Yes😊😊

[@MurhsiziJessica]

Superb

[@lowzyyy]

Regarding vdot: You just have to do TT every month or every 4-6 weeks so you can check your form. The closer tt distance to your race distance is, the better.

[@runnerkarolineolsen]

Got it! Yes, VDOT can work if you test that frequently! Regular time trials help keep your training paces updated and ensure you're working at the right intensities. For me, though, heart rate and time on feet are an easier and more reliable way to train at the right intensity-especially since my paces at the same heart rate fluctuate depending on my training load, fatigue, and external factors like terrain and weather. By focusing on effort over pace, I can adjust in real-time and avoid overdoing it when conditions or my body’s readiness change. Do you find that your paces stay consistent across training blocks, or do you notice similar fluctuations? 🤔

[@alanshrimpton6787]

I'ld be interested in what zone system and percentages you use for each zone? Do you use percentage of threshold or max or heart rate reserve. I also think the problem with a lab test is the protocol and running on a treadmill really doesn't transfer very well in the real world when confronted with hills and flats and different terains and temperatures.

[@runnerkarolineolsen]

Great question! I use a 5-zone system based on percentages of max heart rate (HRmax) rather than threshold HR or heart rate reserve. My general breakdown looks like this: Zone 1: 95% of max HR (anaerobic/sprint efforts) I also test my lactate levels regularly, so I know exactly what heart rate corresponds to different effort levels. I use lactate more when I am ramping up milage and including more intensity. This allows me to fine-tune my training beyond just using percentage-based zones. When I’m feeling extra fatigued, I’ll opt for trails or a 5% incline on the treadmill to reduce impact while still getting the necessary training stimulus. However, I always use heart rate and time on feet to manage intensity and duration. This way, when external factors like wind, hills, fatigue, or heat come into play, I can adjust my pace accordingly to avoid overdoing it. Over time, this has been the most effective strategy for me to train consistently without unnecessary stress. Do you use heart rate zones in your training, or do you go more by feel? 🤔

[@alanshrimpton6787]

@runnerkarolineolsen what a great response. Thanks and thanks for your content. I'm 61 so my max HR is getting lower. Hard push at the end of a 10k and I can get to 177bpm. Depending on race it's just under 40min to about 42min while my HM in October was 1h27m. I'm pretty much pure HR but use the threshold % that coros has worked out for me. That's a 160bpm whole Garmin thinks 166 which to me is quite optimistic. I've been on base build for an April marathon so mainly 1 session of quick hills 10 to 30sec, prior to. Long run which is up to 30k now. I do 4k easy z1 then 16k z2 then 2x 5k z4 with 1min rest which is pretty tough. My average HR for those 5k was 158 then 166 about a 4:34/km and 4:36/km. Not sure yet what goal I have for the marathon because I'm working out my HR. Still too high to sustain but my last marathon was 3:05 when I was aiming for a sub 3. I was already 161bpm by the HM mark so blew up a bit and 2nd half was about 3 to 5min slower than 1st half including a toilet break. I think this time I'm going to just aim for a HR to 32km and see what's left rather than a goal. I have 10 weeks to go so probably at 6 weeks to go I'll change that long run with some goal pace rather than HR and see what my HR does. I also do one workout midweek of threshold 3-4min reps for now. Anyway thanks for answering.

[@andrew7223]

You don't say how often you do the deload weeks, does that change for you with which period of training you're in?

[@runnerkarolineolsen]

Great question! How often I do deload weeks depends on what phase of training I’m in. The more overall volume and threshold work I have in a cycle, the more frequently I schedule a recovery week. As I mentioned, I follow aggressive periodization, so I typically have a recovery week every other week and usually a rest day every other week as well. However, I only push these harder weeks when my body is in a balanced state-meaning I’m absorbing the training properly. In the past, when I’ve trained hard for prolonged periods without enough recovery, I ended up overdoing it because my body wasn’t fully absorbing the workouts. That’s when I realized I needed more frequent recovery weeks to stay consistent and avoid burnout. How do you approach deload weeks in your training?

[@andrew7223]

@@runnerkarolineolsen I shall save up for some coaching!

[@hamidihamid3082]

My pb goal last year 1.39HM

[@runnerkarolineolsen]

That’s awesome! Did you hit your goal, or are you still chasing it this year? Either way, a 1:39 half marathon is a great target-what’s your training focus right now?

[@hamidihamid3082]

I focus train HM sub 1.35 -1.30 can u teach me coach ?​@@runnerkarolineolsen

[@colinm9168]

You have a 2"46 marathon but only a 1"25 half ?

[@runnerkarolineolsen]

Good question! My 2:46 marathon is from 2019, but at that time, I had never actually raced a half marathon. If you check out my story, I went from a 3:05 to a 2:46 marathon in just 6-7 months, but I was still new to running and didn’t have the right knowledge about training and recovery. Unfortunately, that led to 6 bone stress injuries, which forced me to take a step back. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about smart training, injury prevention, and long-term progress-which is exactly why I started this KZbin channel! Now, I’m back and training in a much more sustainable way, and I’m planning to crush that 2:46 marathon this year! Super excited for what’s ahead🚀🔥