Note: I had drafted this post before the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, but held off running it because it just didn’t feel right making light of crossing a finish line when so many didn’t get the chance this past Monday. But now that the second bomber has been captured and is in custody, it’s time for the healing to begin. So let’s run…for Boston. 

A friend of mine just signed up for a half marathon this fall. The best part? It’s her first post-baby 13.1-miler, and she’s doing it along with her sister, who will be tackling the distance for the first time. You go, gals!

My own sister has also been a willing guinea pig participant in both the Rock n’ Roll Chicago and the Detroit Free Press International half marathons with me, so I thought I’d share our favorite training plan below.

It’s loosely based on Hal Higdon’s training program, but I tweaked it a tad for our individual schedules and fitness levels – i.e. sometimes I’ll take an extra rest day or swap a cross training session (elliptical, bike, rower, stair stepper) in for one of the mid-week runs to help aid in recovery and prevent injury.

Check it out, and let me know what you think (and if you use it for a race, I’d love to hear your results)!