Go all in for 2025. Purchase a training plan and get 15% off Premium at checkout for a limited time.

Browse More Plans

Half Marathon - 16 Weeks - Beginner (By Heart Rate, Effort, & Pace)

Browse More Plans

Half Marathon - 16 Weeks - Beginner (By Heart Rate, Effort, & Pace)

Author

Laura Henry

All plans by this Coach

Length

16 Weeks

Plan Description

STRUCTURED TRAINING
Coach Laura Henry’s training plans will help you develop the fitness and confidence to reach your goals with a smile.



ABOUT THE TRAINING PLAN
This 16-week training plan is designed for beginner or first-time half marathon athletes who are seeking to cross the finish line feeling strong.

All training weeks in this plan include four runs, one cross training session, and at least one strength training session. As it is written, your rest days are on Tuesdays and your long runs are on Sundays. Race day is planned as a Sunday. You will need to adjust the training plan workouts on your own if the planned schedule doesn’t work well with your personal schedule or if the race is on a different day than a Sunday.

Workouts are planned using a variety of tools - Heart Rate, Effort & Pace - throughout the training plan. Incorporating several tools into your training helps to give you a wide range of options to choose from in terms of what tools are best for you to implement on race day.

In order to train by heart rate, you need to be able to run for 30 minutes at your hardest effort without stopping for any reason in order to determine your heart rate training zones. The assessment workout to set your heart rate zones is included in the first week of the training plan.

16-Week Half Marathon Training Plans based on Effort; Effort & Pace; and Heart Rate & Effort.



WORKOUT DISTANCES AND DURATIONS
Prior to starting this plan, you should have a good base of at least an average of 3-4 hours of weekly training for the past four weeks and be able to complete a five-mile run. Prior running training experience for shorter distances is recommended.

The first week of the plan includes 6 hours of training, plus strength & mobility sessions:
- 2 hours, 30 minutes + 5 miles of running / 5 miles as your longest run

You will build in your max week to 12 hours of training, plus strength & mobility sessions:
- 2 hours, 15 minutes + 12 miles of running / 12 miles as your longest run



TRAINING PEAKS WORKOUT BUILDER
TrainingPeaks's Workout Builder is used for run workouts. This gives you specific details about the targets for each workout and can be imported to various other training devices, such as Garmin.




ABOUT COACH LAURA
Coach Laura holds coaching certifications from USA Triathlon (Level II Long Course & Level II Paratriathlon) and USA Cycling (Level 2).

As a former swing shift worker with a demanding schedule, Coach Laura knows how to set goals and train as a time-limited athlete on a non-traditional schedule, and she focuses on developing effective plans for time-crunched athletes who lead busy lives. Her experience and enthusiasm has enabled her to coach many athletes of all abilities to success over the course of her career.

Coach Laura has coached dozens of athletes to finish lines of all distances. From first-timers to experienced athletes, Coach Laura has proven success with helping athletes of all abilities reach their goals.

To learn more about Coach Laura and Full Circle Endurance, please visit: https://fullcircleendurance.com/

How it Works

Load Your Plan

Quickly view upcoming workouts in the TrainingPeaks app.

Workout and Analyze

Upload completed workouts from your favorite tracking app or device.

Track Your Progress

Get feedback, stay on top of your training and perform at your best.

Learn More

Training Plan Sample Week

Stats

Average Weekly Breakdown

Workouts Weekly Average Longest Workout
Run x8
02:46:00 01:00:00
X-Train x8
03:07:00 01:00:00
Strength x5
00:48:00 00:35:00
Day Off x1
—— ——
Workouts Per Week Weekly Average Longest Workout
Run
02:46:00 01:00:00
X-Train
03:07:00 01:00:00
Strength
00:48:00 00:35:00
Day Off
—— ——

Training Load By Week


This plan works best with the following fitness devices:

Laura Henry

Full Circle Endurance

Full Circle Endurance’s mission is to empower and develop athletes of all abilities to reach their potential and personal goals.

Full Circle Endurance is not your average coaching company. We seek to empower you to lead a balanced lifestyle that is based on good health, fitness, and reaching your own full potential. Whether you’re looking to become more active, run your first race, or train for an IRONMAN, we can help you on your path to your personal goals.


  • This plan includes a Free Basic TrainingPeaks Account.
  • Access your training plan anywhere on the TrainingPeaks mobile and desktop apps.
  • Track your performance with robust data tracking and detailed graphs.
  • Plan for your event in the TrainingPeaks calendar.
  • Track your weight, sleep, hours, fatigue and stress while you train.
  • Completed workouts sync with popular apps like Garmin and Wahoo. Learn More
  • If plan includes Structured Workouts, then planned workouts sync to compatible devices and guide you through workouts in real time. Learn More

Refund Policy

This plan is protected by our Refund Policy and may, with the author's approval, be exchanged for a plan of equal value from the same author.

Still have questions about this plan?
| Premium

15% Off

Bundle your plan with TrainingPeaks Premium, and you'll unlock our progress-tracking tools, plus the freedom to move workouts to fit your schedule.

$106.24 USD for the first year, billed yearly.

$39.00 - Buy Now