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As discussed in the previous blog post (LINK), my training has evolved to prepare for both the Key West Half in January 2027 and the San Diego Marathon in June 2027 shortly after my 50th birthday. My goal is to improve upon the sub-90-minute finish in the 2026 Key West Half and complete my 24th marathon under 3.5 hours after a 15-year hiatus from running the 26.2-mile race.
Training for Half Speed & Marathon Endurance
Training for Half Speed & Marathon Endurance
As illustrated below, my weekly running volume has increased to 40-47 miles since late August compared to a range of 30-42 miles in the previous three months. The Half-Sim is the key high-intensity running workout to prepare for the Key West Half in January 2027 with a typical frequency of every 7-10 days. I have also completed a trial Marathon-Sim workout of 23 miles near the full marathon distance. However, I will wait until after the Key West Half before focusing on the Marathon-Sim workout while building endurance and strength with expanded Enduro-Hills.
As illustrated below, my weekly running volume has increased to 40-47 miles since late August compared to a range of 30-42 miles in the previous three months. The Half-Sim is the key high-intensity running workout to prepare for the Key West Half in January 2027 with a typical frequency of every 7-10 days. I have also completed a trial Marathon-Sim workout of 23 miles near the full marathon distance. However, I will wait until after the Key West Half before focusing on the Marathon-Sim workout while building endurance and strength with expanded Enduro-Hills.
The focus on longer hill runs is evident in the bar chart below, peaking during the week of September 19th with over one mile (5,300 feet) in elevation gain over three long hill runs in the 2:20-3:00 range. Also, note the polarized nature of training as the previous week included a higher proportion of high-intensity training with less focus on long hill runs. My current range for long hill runs is 1:40-3:00 which equates to 10-18 miles and 1,200-2,100 feet in elevation gain. With the increase in weekly running volume through longer hill runs and the Marathon-Sim workout, my training still follows the core principles of the MAX-Yield Running system:
The focus on longer hill runs is evident in the bar chart below, peaking during the week of September 19th with over one mile (5,300 feet) in elevation gain over three long hill runs in the 2:20-3:00 range. Also, note the polarized nature of training as the previous week included a higher proportion of high-intensity training with less focus on long hill runs. My current range for long hill runs is 1:40-3:00 which equates to 10-18 miles and 1,200-2,100 feet in elevation gain. With the increase in weekly running volume through longer hill runs and the Marathon-Sim workout, my training still follows the core principles of the MAX-Yield Running system:
avoiding consecutive running days
avoiding junk or recovery running days
ensuring all workouts have a clear purpose: endurance, speed, strength, balanced fitness and recovery
balancing overall fitness and active recovery: 3 days of upper body focused strength circuit training and one day of yardwork or cross-training
My training for both a half and marathon includes the following workouts with a current focus on the Half-Sim for high-intensity training to be followed by the Marathon-Sim after the Key West Half in January 2027. Adhering to the principles of MAX-Yield Running, I will continue to avoid running on consecutive days and maintain overall weekly running volume at 50 miles or less, which is more than adequate to prepare for my half and marathon goals.
Half-Sim (BLOG): half marathon simulation speed workout to improve upon sub-90-minute finish at Key West Half in 2026
Marathon-Sim (BLOG): marathon simulation workout to prepare for upcoming races in San Diego (June 2027) & Vegas (Jan 2028) with sub-3:30 goal
Enduro-Hills (BLOG): long hill runs targeting 1.5-3+ hours in duration to build run-specific strength and endurance
Strength Circuit Training (BLOG): upper body focused with non-impact cardio component to promote balanced fitness
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