18-Week Half Marathon Plan

6 days running, 1 rest day (Fri). Mon easy + Lift A. Tue easy + strides. Wed Q1 (T or I). Thu easy + Lift B. Fri rest. Sat easy. Sun long, sometimes Q2 (HMP segment). Lifts never the day before a Q — Mon→Tue→Wed gives 2 days; Thu lift comes after Wed Q (fine direction).

All quality paces anchored to VDOT 44 (22:15 5K, 1:42:17 HM). Goal HM 1:42:00 ≈ VDOT 44. May 30 5K: 21:35 on short course (~3.05–3.06 mi, eq. ~21:55–22:00), avg HR 164 (~84% HRmax — sub-max). Borderline VDOT 44/45 but not clean — holding VDOT 44. Jul 9 5K: tune-up race, second data point (pre-T-block fitness). Aug 22 5K race is the load-bearing calibration — Wk 12 Sat, post-T-block fitness, certified course, max effort. Sets Phase 3 paces: ≤21:59 → VDOT 45 (M 7:58, T 7:25, I 6:52, HM goal 1:40:48); 22:00–23:00 → VDOT 44 (as written); 23:00–24:00 → VDOT 43 (T 7:42), goal 1:44; slower → 1:46+ goal. Update once, don't tinker between.

HRmax ~196 · LTHR 182. Easy cap 145 bpm (~74% HRmax / 80% LTHR — true aerobic Z2). Long-run avg ≤ 140 first 75%; drift OK in last quarter. HMP runs settle ~170–175 — sanity check, not a target. Quality sessions use pace, not HR (HR lags 30–60s into intervals). If RHR is 7+ bpm above baseline for 2+ days, drop the next quality day to easy.

Weeks 5, 8, 11, 14, 17. Every 3 weeks after Wk 1's post-5K reset. Volume drops ~25%, modest quality is kept (no full quality pause). Adaptation happens during recovery. If you feel great mid-cutback, that's the point — don't bank miles.

Run before 7 AM for anything over 7 mi. Above 80°F + humidity: HR over pace — easy runs creeping to 10:30/mi in summer heat is correct. Threshold sessions (LTHR 182): target HR 178–182 (at/just under LT) — that's the T zone regardless of pace. If you can't hit 7:33 at controlled effort by mile 1, scale to 7:50 and finish the volume. "Red" = sustained avg ≥185 bpm on a T rep (≥3 bpm over LTHR) — that's no longer threshold, that's accidental VO2max work on heat-stressed legs. Response: walk 60s, restart at 8:00/mi. If HR hits ≥188 (I-territory) at any T pace, abort the session — finish as easy miles. Don't grind reps in the red on a hot day; the adaptation you want isn't there above LT.

Mon (Lift A): squat, bench, pull-ups — day after Sun long run; legs are still warm and you have 2 full days before Wed Q. Thu (Lift B): seated OHP, standing rows, RDL + 10 min core — day after Wed Q (recovery-direction stacking is fine), 3 days before Sun long. Hold normal load through Wk 13. Wk 14–15: reduce squat/RDL volume ~20%. Wk 16–17: light maintenance. Wk 18 (race week): skip both lifts.

Wednesday and Sunday. Never lift the day before a Q. HM training is T-pace dominant — if a session must be cut for life reasons, protect the Wednesday T session over Sunday's long-run quality. Tue strides are not quality — they're neuromuscular, full recovery.

Practice race fueling on every long run from Week 9 onward: gel/chews every 30–40 min, sip water/electrolyte every 15–20 min. HM is shorter than a marathon — 2 gels is usually enough race day, but practice with what you'll carry. Carb-load Fri–Sat of race week (~3g carbs/lb body weight Fri/Sat — lighter than marathon load).

Two signals to back off: (1) resting HR up 7+ bpm for 2+ days, or (2) easy pace HR drifts up 8+ bpm at the same pace. Response: drop next Wed quality to easy, take an extra rest day (swap Sat to off). Persistent signals = structural problem (sleep, nutrition, total load), not a daily patch.

First 5K should feel too easy (24:10). The race begins around mile 9. Even pacing for 1:42: 7:47/mi flat. Negative split is ideal — first half 51:15, second half 50:45. If you're at 1:17:40 at 10 mi feeling controlled, sub-1:42 is on. Carry 2 gels; take one around mile 4 and another around mile 9.