Take the time to get fitted for the right pair of shoes for you and your body, if you haven’t already. You are about to put a significant amount of mileage on your body – and your feet – over the next 20 weeks. Before diving into your trail half marathon training journey, here are ten important tips to keep in mind: 1. You Need to Run on Trails (some of the time) This workout will be one of the tougher workouts in your week. Listen to your body: if anything feels off, adjust this day to become another easy, base building run instead. Thursday: Base Mileage, Graduating into Tempo Runs Visit the post 8 Trail Running Safety Tips Every Runner Needs To Know to learn basic trail running safety tips to help minimize the risks of danger while trail running

This will help your body get used to the nuances of trails, from both a physical and neuromuscular point of view. Trail running – especially on more technical terrain – does not always come as naturally as one might expect. Having a few training sessions on the trail before race day will make a world of difference in your comfort level during your trail half marathon. 2. Get the Right Shoes Further, long runs are the perfect “dress rehearsal” for your race. Long runs give you an opportunity to experiment with – and perfect – nutrition and hydration plans, anti chafing products, new shoes or shorts…you get the idea. Now, I realize that not everyone has easily accessible trails to run on. If that is the case, do your best to incorporate trails or off road running as much as you possibly can, but don’t stress if you can’t do every trail workout ON the trails. Miles on the road or treadmill are better than no miles at all. The plan includes only 4 runs a week, all with specific purpose. There’s one day of active recovery, one day of strength training (though I always encourage more!) and one day of complete rest.

Stay in the loop

On the treadmill? Nothing should get in your way, you can shuffle all day, even as your legs get tired, with nary a worry but potentially scuffing the tread on your sneakers. Your trail base mileage workouts should be done at an easy, conversational pace. If you are heart rate zone training, I’d recommend spending the majority of your time in zones 1 & 2. Obviously your heart rate may spike when climbing hills, which is normal. But try to allow the heart rate to return to that aerobic zone for the majority of these workouts. Wednesday: Hill or Speedwork

For the first five weeks, Thursday runs will be a continuation of base building runs. Again, these are done at conversational pace. Trail Experience:Newer trail runners are going to need to spend more time training on trails than a more experienced trail runner. The more experience you have running on trails, the higher developed your sense of proprioception (balance, equilibrium, etc) and general trail running skills will be. This comes with time – more experienced trail runners can afford to spend less time training on trails IF necessary. If you’re completely new to trail running, you may be overwhelmed by the prospect of stepping off the pavement and onto the trail. Don’t worry – it’s not nearly as scary as it may seem! Please note: the strength training and active recovery play a vital role in the training program. These are not “days off” from training, but rather, another opportunity to make your body stronger. Please don’t skip them. Long runs are truly where your body adapts to running for long periods of time, physically and mentally, and are a cornerstone of distance training.

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DISCLAIMER: The Heater Hat may emit smoke during the initial setup. The insulation materials used to manufacture the Heater Hat contains organic materials that will burn off with the initial startup. Once the heater is up to the correct temperature the smoke will stop. The insulation is UL723 rated and will not catch on fire with the heat radiating off of the heater. The temperature rating for the heater hat is 800F/426C. Chances are your trail running pace is going to be slightly – if not significantly (depending on terrain) slower than that of your road running pace. And there’s a number of reasons for this.

For true trail beginners, I highly recommend giving the following articles a read before starting your half marathon training journey: Here are the nitty gritty details of the time commitment, training structure, and types of workouts included in this 12 week trail half marathon training plan This product the flex heat perfectly. Easy to install and requires no tools. Installs in approximately 30 seconds and starts working immediately. Every outdoor patio heater should come with the heater hot. It’s a must have for every outdoor patio heater and is the best accessory you can get. The hater hat is one exceptional product. It is a heat multiplier. It actually causes the heat to more broadly cover our patio area. Couldn’t be happier. Quality product! However, there are also a number of reasons why a runner may prefer to use a training plan, rather than work one-on-one with a coach.Ultimately, the decision to work with a coach or follow a training plan (like this one) is up to you. If you aren’t sure, I highly suggest reading the post “Need A Running Coach? 25+ Expert Tips To Find Your Perfect Coach”. I bought these for our customers and installed two today...survey says....amazing! Worth every penny! I designed this beginner trail half marathon training plan with newer trail runners in mind. The goal of this plan is to safely build the endurance required to run 13.1 miles, while also focusing on the specific needs of trail running. That includes not only becoming comfortable with running on trails, but purposefully incorporating hill work into your training routine. Ideal Baseline Fitness Before Beginning this Training Plan: Before beginning this trail half marathon training plan, runners should be able to comfortably cover a 4 – 5 mile long run on trails as well as covering at minimum, 15-20 miles per week for multiple weeks, while remaining injury free. Should I Complete a Road Half Marathon First?