Training

Learn More in Galloway Training Programs

Training:

Half Marathon Training

Why the Magic Mile?

After having worked with over 300,000 runners over 40 years, I’ve compiled hundreds of performances and have established a prediction formula based upon a one mile time trial. In other words, every 2 weeks or so, you can run a measured mile (at a good, hard pace for you) and use the time to predict what you could run at longer distances.

This assumes that:

-You do the training needed for the distance and time goal (See my books Running Year Round Plan and Galloway Training Programs)
-The temperature on the race day of your race is 60F or cooler
-You pace yourself correctly and take the walk breaks necessary for your goal (see the same two books for details)

The calculation uses the formula below.

Add 33 seconds to your magic mile for your pace for a 5K
Multiply your magic mile time by 1.15 for 10K pace
Multiply your magic mile time by 1.175 for 10 Mile pace
Multiply your magic mile time by by 1.2 for half marathon pace
Multiply your magic mile time by by 1.3 for marathon pace

Here’s how to do the one mile time trial:

1 Warm up with a slow one mile run

2 Do a few acceleration-gliders (See my books Running Year Round Plan and Galloway Training Programs)

3 Pace yourself as even as possible on each quarter mile

4 Run about as hard as you could run for one mile–but no puking! (finish feeling that you couldn’t have run more than a football field at the same pace)

5 Keep walking after the time trial for 5 minutes, and jog a slow 1-6 miles, as needed for the mileage for that day