What I'm doing to start running again
How I'm trying to bring in cardio into my training plan
Top of the morning, sapien. Welcome to Common Sense Medicine, where I try and keep you up to date on the latest and greatest in longevity science.
This week, I’m focusing on a strategic investment into my health, and laying out the plans that I have starting May. I think that making the plan is the easy part but then running the actual half marathon is the hard part. However, if you’re just getting to start running, I’m confident that this plan will provide you a good start to crushing the half marathon. Let’s get into it.
THE WEEKLY DOSE
Run, Shree, Run
Balancing strength training and cardiovascular exercise is a cornerstone of a well-rounded fitness routine. For many, running a half marathon is a significant milestone that combines endurance, discipline, and health optimization.
Right now, I have a half-marathon scheduled for October 25th, which is not that soon, but I think I have to have a good plan in order to move towards the goal which I’ve set. I’m going to be approaching this with an eye towards the scientific literature based on the different reviews that I’ve found.
I’m focusing on injury prevention, consistency, and maximizing performance—all while staying mindful of lifestyle and budget constraints, just to make sure that I’m able to finish what I’ve started.
Why Combine Strength and Cardio?
Strength training and cardiovascular exercise are not mutually exclusive; they complement each other. This was one of the first things that I’ve explored on this newsletter. Strength training builds muscle, improves joint stability, and reduces the risk of injury, while cardio enhances endurance and VO2 max (if performed correctly, which I’m probably going to start doing when I’m training for this half-marathon). For white-collar professionals juggling busy schedules, this dual approach ensures efficient use of time and resources as well—although I like the 'seasons’ approach of focusing on cardio or strength training depending on the season.
Building a Foundation: Base Training
Before diving into a half marathon training plan, it’s crucial to establish a solid foundation and to follow a pyramidal training plan. Base training focuses on consistency and mechanics, ensuring your body is prepared for the demands of long-distance running. I took this from Hal Higdon’s book—here’s what he says about ‘base training’.
You increase your chances of success if you stretch the period of preparation. While all my half marathon programs last 12 weeks, adding an extra 4 weeks, 8 weeks, or 12 weeks of base training will increase your chances of success.
Excerpt From Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training
Key Principles of Base Training:
As I’ve been injured in the past, I’m going to keep these three things in my mind as I’m running:
Start Slow: Begin with easy jogging or walking to build endurance without overexertion.
Consistency is Key: Aim for regular, manageable workouts rather than sporadic, intense sessions.
Injury Prevention: Focus on proper form and recovery to avoid common issues like hip or knee pain. This is when I’m going to use the stretches found in Kelly Starrett’s book.
A simple yet effective starting point is the 30/30 Plan:
Walk for the first 10 minutes.
Jog or run easily for the next 15 minutes.
Walk for the final 5 minutes.
This approach ensures a gradual buildup of training volume while minimizing strain on my body, two factors which have been shown to lower injury and decrease finishing time. I’m going to focus on this for the first 20 days leading up to the next part of base training, which is following a structured training plan.
Structured Training Plan:
Once I have established a base, I will can transition into a more structured training program. Hal Higdon’s half marathon training plans are a popular choice, offering a balance of hard and easy days to optimize performance and recovery.
Phase 1: Base Training (4 Weeks):
Focus on easy runs and cross-training.
Incorporate strength training twice a week to maintain muscle mass.
Gradually increase mileage to build endurance from having a 1.25 mile long run to a 2 mile long run
Phase 2: Intermediate Training (12 Weeks):
Introduce longer runs, aiming for 4 miles as my peak distance.
Alternate hard and easy days to allow for recovery.
Continue strength training with an upper/lower body split.
Phase 3: Advanced Training:
Add speed work and increased cross-training for enhanced performance.
Slowly increase my mileage (to 13 miles) to get to the half-marathon distance and decide on race pace
Monitor progress using tools like Training Peaks or a heart rate monitor.
Nutrition: Fueling My Training
Proper nutrition is essential for both performance and recovery. In line with my goals for Q2, I’m trying to focus on getting more nutritious foods by cooking the right things every week.
Here’s how I’m trying to incentivize myself to cook right and eat right:
Key Strategies:
Caloric Intake: Use a TDEE calculator to determine my daily caloric needs, a evidence-based strategy to be more mindful about one’s health. I’m aiming for maintenance, and I’m going to try and figure out how to meet my calorie goals to make sure that I’m not losing weight by tracking it throughout the process.
Macronutrient Balance: Focus on lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats. I’m going for at least 150g of protein on any given day and trying to stay below 200g of carbohydrates, so I’ll probably be eating ~150g of fat although I might tone it down if I want to eat less than 30g of saturated fat. Still TBD
Meal Prep: Plan weekly meals to avoid impulsive, unhealthy choices (this is the hardest part). Try one new Instant Pot recipe each weekend to keep things interesting, in line with Q2 goals.
Injury Prevention and Recovery
Running can take a toll on my body, especially since I’m new to long-distance training. Here’s how I’m going to stay injury-free:
Warm-Up and Cool Down: Always stretch before and after runs to improve flexibility and reduce soreness.
Rest days: I’m incorporating at least 2 rest days per week to allow my body to recover.
Rehab Exercises: I’m going to address specific issues like hip impingement with targeted exercises.
Tech (my favorite part):
My Heart Rate Monitor: I’m going to track my effort levels to avoid overtraining and to also understand how my heart gets adapted to the same distance
Training Peaks: I haven’t used this before, but I wanted to log my workouts and monitor progress over time. I can also make a review of this on the newsletter.
Staying Motivated:
Consistency is the hardest part of any fitness journey. Here are some evidence-based strategies I’m using to stay on track:
Set Clear Goals: My clear goal is to complete this half-marathon injury free with the best pace that I can do.
Create Accountability: I’ve shared my goals on this newsletter and I’m going to use it as a way to talk about things that I’m doing right and doing wrong (i.e., fueling strategy, VO2 max measurements over time, etc.)
Ask Yourself: “What would this look like if it were easy?” Simplify your approach to overcome mental barriers. I often use this when I’m feeling stress. This question simplifies the way that I feel and allows me to focus on what matters instead of getting overwhelmed. If I imagine telling a friend how I would approach their problem, my self-talk becomes a LOT less negative and I’m able to talk to myself rationally.
Final Thoughts
Training for a half marathon is a rewarding journey that combines physical and mental discipline. By focusing on consistency, proper nutrition, and injury prevention, I’m confident that I can achieve your goals while optimizing your health.
Hopefully this gives you a little insight into how I’m trying to prepare for this half marathon. I hope that I can continue to share learnings from the time that I’m running and more scientifically based running strategies to improve your cardiovascular exercise.
FIGURE OF THE WEEK
Q1(+2) 2025: Hypertrophy Cycle Progress
The upshot: Better luck next time. I’m just trying to maintain this level, it’s become hard to get the calories which I need to keep gaining weight but I’m going to try and maintain this weight so that I can feel fast and lean, and then try the next bulk cycle to put on more weight in the fall. Going to try and keep it at 149-150 lbs.
REMEMBER, IT’S JUST COMMON SENSE.
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought by replying to this email.
See you next week,
Shree (@shree_nadkarni)