Training for Half Marathon and P90X

[Runningman1956]

Can someone give me a training schedule for using P90X and training for a half marathon or even a 5K race. I have been a weekend 5K runner for years but want to take my running to the next mileage level any suggestions????:confused:

[txgolfpro]

Hi Running Dude -

DogBoy and I have been training for a half-marathon since late October. We found a schedule on runnersworld.com and incorporated it into the classic P90X schedule. Scheduled runs are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Late in the schedule, a short easy run is also performed on Thursday. Monday and Wednesday are usually a strength day on X, so we would usually perform the workout in the morning, and run in the evening. Saturday is usually some form of cardio, like Kenpo. Early in the running schedule, when the long runs are still short, we would do Kenpo on Saturday morning and run in the afternoon, or vice versa. When long runs got lonnnnng, we either eliminated Kenpo or moved it to Sunday. Sometimes we did yoga or X Stretch on Sundays for the added stretching.

Added note: be sure to do the yoga! Yeah, Yoga X is long, so we replaced it with Fountain of Youth or Patience Hummingbird. Both are great, just not as long. No balance poses tho.

We post a lot on the 'Holiday Challenge' page, if you would like to join us! Dave, Monica, DogBoy and I can also answer any questions you might have.

Miki (txgolfpro)

[Dave]

Miki is right on with the yoga call. Keep that up.

I don't have a specific plan, but I like what Miki is suggesting here. Looks good to me. Keep up the yoga and the strength training and you'll do great.

Dave

[ram1025]

OOOOOOOH, I signed up for a half marathon too. I'm trying to figure out how to do the P90X and run and not get so tired that I can't complete either. Looking forward to talking to you guys about how you are progressing. I plan on sticking to the P90X and just adding in the runs at night. I hope that will work.

[Dave]

I don't have a half-marathon plan, but here's an example of how you can mix P90X with running.

http://www.thefitclubnetwork.com/2009/12/8-weeks-to-a-faster-5k/

This one is for a 5k, but you could substitute longer runs, etc, to get to the right distance.

Dave

[TexasFitClub]

I have registered for my next 1/2 marathon here in Dallas on March 14th... and plan on doing the San Antonio 1/2 for the third year in a row in November...

I'm currently doing the Insanity workouts, but will have to modify it a bit once I get my running started really good... but have not yet decided on how it will actually look, my running has had a slow down due to a hip injury, so I'm slowly getting back into the running and hope not to aggregated the hip so that I may actually run pain free for my next race...

[txgolfpro]

Hey TexasFitClub, I'm doing the Dallas 1/2 too! Thinking about doing the full-marathon in San Antonio.

Miki

[TexasFitClub]

We should have a get together the night before the race... as we have done in San Antonio for the past two years now... first year was the best though...

Doing the full... Wow... I'm sticking to doing 1/2 the distance and having twice the fun :D

[ram1025]

Hey Doris - you are doing a half on March 14th??? I'm doing one March 13th at Hoover Dam. Its my first time running out there, but this will be I think my 5th half. First one since the implantation of my heart defibrillator two months ago. What kind of training plan are you doing? I'm running a few miles every other day and my long run on Sundays outside (brrrrr., its cold here in Milwaukee). I think I'm running 10 this weekend????

[MSgherzi]

I trained for my first 1/2 during late 2008 into early 2009 and ended up finishing at 1:43:13, 8 minutes faster than my PR. I ran that race on WAY too much fiber (we all know what that means), a bone spur, and a micro tear in my knee. My point is that it depends on your goal for the 1/2. Do you plan on just finishing, or finishing with a respectable time (under 2 hours)? If you plan on finishing with a respectable time, then take my advice, recovery will be your BEST friend, especially if you plan on doing P90X along with it. Learn to take and like cold baths. After your long runs, or, in your case, probably a couple of times per week since you're also doing P90X, take cold baths that last 10-15 minutes. You'd be very surprised how well and how fast you can recovery from a 10 min. cold bath. It's difficult at first and it's an acquired taste, but you'll learn to actually look forward to it.

Speaking of recovery, make sure you don't forget to time your recovery weeks for your running schedule accordingly to P90X's recovery weeks, otherwise, if you are recovering from one program one week but not the other, you really aren't recovering much, and that can lead to a lot of injuries. You should do 3 weeks of good hard running, and one week where you lower your mileage and intensity. Also, because of the severity of doing a 1/2 marathon training program along w/ P90X, I'd recommend a good protein shake after your longer runs (in your case, probably 10 miles or more, or whenever you feel exceptionally sore). Make sure you are supplementing yourself properly, and look into Gel GU for your running, which is something that I didn't do for my 1/2 because I simply didn't know about them, and I kick myself now for it.

Read into recoveries and try to recover as best as possible. In my opinion, I'd drop the P90X program 4 weeks before race day to ensure maximum performance for your 1/2 marathon.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Here are also some useful links that I think you'll find beneficial:

Benefits of Ice Baths from Runner's World (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--12810-0,00.html)
Runner's World - Forum discussion about cold baths (http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3ATrainingForum%3A697106477Di scussion%3A791109158)
GU Gel (http://www.guenergy.com/)

[FitRunner]

Speaking of recovery, make sure you don't forget to time your recovery weeks for your running schedule accordingly to P90X's recovery weeks, otherwise, if you are recovering from one program one week but not the other, you really aren't recovering much, and that can lead to a lot of injuries.

:eek: Thanks for posting that tidbit. My recovery weeks don't overlap, and I thought that was ok. Off to change the running plan...

I won't be able to run a half until fall at the earliest due to, well, life, but good to hear advice from someone who's done this. In fall I will be too! (If all goes well with life.)

[speedykiwi]

I too am planning a half (maybe a full one) for the fall. It's my first one, so I'm nervous but excited. I've been following a training plan for a 10K at the end of March, and then I'll switch to one of Jeff Galloway's marathon plans. I can definitely see value in getting the separate plans to jive, and I'll be scheduling runs accordingly.

[ArmyMike]

Hello fellow runners and P90Xers.
Just to let you know I'm ready to run my 4th marathon in 4 months in a couple weeks.
I hit 50 years old this summer and want to run the JFK 50 miler in November to celebrate my 50th birthday.
So if there are any Ultra Marathoners out there, I'd love to hear from you.
I have a couple of 50K trail runs scheduled prior to my 50 miler, so that should whip me into Ultra Marathon shape, especially since 16 miles of the 50 miles is on the Appalachian Trail.
Anyway if anyone has any running or exercise questions I'd love to help,
Mike

[speedykiwi]

That is awesome, Mike. I've been running off and on (mainly off) for a while now, but since I started with P90X, I've gotten back into it and have taken it seriously. But when you speak of the AT, you are speaking my language (granted I've never run on it!) - I've taken many a backpacking trip to various sections of the AT (starting in high school), and I've got a thru-hike planned for 2013. I wish you the best of luck on and off the trail.

[ArmyMike]

Thanks so much. Surely looking forward to it, well except for training in the heat and humidity in Florida.

[speedykiwi]

I am currently in FL as well - I'm taking advantage of the current cooler temps for sure! I hope to be back up in north GA before the summer heat takes over. (I'm in the Tallahassee area at the moment.)

[txgolfpro]

After your long runs, or, in your case, probably a couple of times per week since you're also doing P90X, take cold baths that last 10-15 minutes. You'd be very surprised how well and how fast you can recovery from a 10 min. cold bath. It's difficult at first and it's an acquired taste, but you'll learn to actually look forward to it.

I HATE being cold, but you're right - ice baths work. My secret to tolerating them? Keep your clothes on on your upper half. Oh, and a space heater in the bathroom!

Great info from your experience - thanks!

Miki

[CyberFitnessGuru]

P90x wount help your runing, but other cardio systems will.

Swimming really helps break running plateus also.

[FitRunner]

P90x wount help your runing, but other cardio systems will.

P90X will strengthen glutes, quads, and other muscles used for running! My running form has improved significantly in 30 days of P90X. It has also improved my typical running pace by several minutes a mile, but I also started pretty out of shape. If you're already running 40-mile weeks, though, it may not help you improve that much. Thoughts from higher-mileage runners?

Teresa

[ArmyMike]

Just my opinion and what works for me. I have done most all the Beachbody workouts and all of them have benefited me in some way or another. So running long distances is greatly benefited by the Beachbody programs because you are strengthening all muscles in your body. As a long distance runner you pull energy from all over your body, so in my opinion the more powerful your core, abs, arms, upperbody and legs are, the better off you will be the longer you run. Provided you have trained yourself to go what ever distance you are trying to achieve.