Embracing the Journey: Hybrid Training Program for a Half MarathonEmbracing the Journey: Hybrid Training Program for a Half Marathon
Introduction I am so excited to share my training program with you! Ok, first I have to start with the obvious… Don’t start any new workout program before consulting your doctor. Also, I am NOT a doctor. That being said… I’m glad you’re here! So, what qualifies me to come up with a workout program to whip you into shape for a half marathon? haha. I guess trial and error. I’ll be super honest.. For a long time (over a decade) I thought that the best way to get better at running distance was to run distance. Make sense right? So I ran. And I ran and I ran and I ran… only, I wasn’t improving. By improving, I mean I still felt like I was dying after 3 miles and I couldn’t improve my time. I ran this way for years. I was never planning to run competitively, but I did have a few bucket list goals to hit before I turned 30: 9 months before my birthday though, I found out I was pregnant. A few weeks after, I was put on bedrest. It was a really rough pregnancy. I landed in the hospital multiple times, but we made it! He was born in October of 2015 and I turned 30 in December. I spent the next decade pregnant. No really. 7 pregnancies in 9 years. But, now we have 4 beautiful children. My youngest is 2 years old and I am ready to slay that list! Last summer, I ran the Margaritaville 5K and placed 2nd in my age group. It was super easy and it lit a fire in my soul to finish what i started 10 years ago. Let me give you one more disclaimer before we dive in: This isn’t a ‘couch to marathon’ program. I was in pretty decent shape when I started it. Do a serious self assessment. If you can’t run 3 miles without huffing and puffing, then it may not be for you. I have been running 2-4 miles several times a week for most of my life. I love this training approach because it’s achievable from anywhere. We are an 80% (as opposed to full-time) travel family. I have done these workouts outside my RV, on a random island in the French Caribbean, Disney World… California. Literally, all over! Discovering the Hybrid Approach I don’t have the luxury of extra time. I have four kids that I homeschool, and we run several businesses while traveling the world so my workouts need to be short and sweet. That is how I happened upon this hybrid approach to half marathon training. This approach combines multiple training styles, which I learned by accident, is the perfect way to get in better shape quickly because by constantly changing your workout routine, your muscles are exposed to a variety of stimuli, avoiding the plateau a lot of runners experience. I combine a legit half marathon running program, incline sprinting, HITT & LITT (high & low intensity interval training) and Core. For my interval training, I use Beachbody’s Morning Meltdown 100 program. You do have to sign up for a subscription to access it, but I literally don’t make a dime from sharing any of this info if you do or don’t. I just want to help others achieve their health and fitness goals. I’m sure you can find plenty of high and low intensity interval training workouts for free to take the place of those on the workout calendar. Preparing for the Challenge I decided to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon because, well, I love Disney World. Yes. I drank the Mickey kool-aid and my family and I are quite addicted. We stay for a month at a time. Plus, I’ve heard it’s awesome! I plan to cover part of the race live and post race video right after, so make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow on Instagram to see the results of my program. Like I mentioned before, we travel A LOT. I run because it’s my therapy. No really. I suffered from debilitating anxiety attacks for years. I would get so wound up I would hyperventilate and pass out. I started running because pounding the pavement was a way for me to physically expel all that nervous energy. Sometimes I feel like a shaken soda bottle. So I run. I also run because it such an amazing way to experience the different locations we visit. I was just fortunate enough to run in Martinique down in the French Caribbean. The island was absolutely phenomenal. The black sand beaches stretch for miles while mist encircles the volcano on the North side of the island. I was so excited to find quite a challenging hill in Sainte-Luce that enabled me to do the uphill part of my program. The tricky thing is getting creative when you’re running in a place like Manhattan or Florida where it’s mostly flat. Find a building with a stairwell. Sprint the stairs instead. It works just as good. One thing you have to be ok with if you are attempting to do any workout program, while you are traveling, especially, is being flexible. This past few weeks, we are getting ready to embark on a 4 month tour in the RV. We have been burning the midnight oil trying to get everything prepared. I had to skip my last half marathon simulation run. I wasn’t happy about it, but I don’t think it will make or break me in the end. Training Regimen: Ok, Here’s the good stuff. The actual training schedule. Buckle up. I didn’t say it would be easy, but if you’re willing to put in the work, I think you’ll do great finishing a half marathon and you might even get that much closer to your weight/body goals. The program is 12 weeks long. You can start it much earlier thought and repeat as many times as you care to.






