I bought this book while in the middle of following another taining plan for my first half marathon. The other, simpler plan was based on just grinding out the miles though it did include a few longish runs (8-10 miles) split into 2 halves with a short walk in the middle. I kind of liked a short walk in the middle (100m or so), it seemed to rejuvenate my legs. But ultimately the plan I was on eliminated them in favor of pure running.

Galloway recommends many more walk breaks and, at first, this seemed to me like cheating. But I figured I'd give it a try. I started running my 8-12K runs 1000m "on", 100m "off" (walk) and I saw something amazing happen: my split times came down and I could run longer and more enjoyably. My run/walk ratio of 10:1 is actually a lot higher run than he recommends, but it works great for me.

I just used the technique in the San Jose Half Marathon and the results were great. I beat my baseline goal by 10 minutes and even beat my stretch goal by 3. I beat my last 13 mile time trial time by a whopping 20 minutes and, more importantly, I felt great coming across the finish line (I was *crawling* on my last time trial where I ran 3 x 7K with only very short walks). My pace actually sped up throughout the race and my last 2 miles were my fastest.

So, for me, the system works. I am doing another half in January and will follow the entire program this time.

I bought this book while in the middle of following another taining plan for my first half marathon. The other, simpler plan was based on just grinding out the miles though it did include a few longish runs (8-10 miles) split into 2 halves with a short walk in the middle. I kind of liked a short walk in the middle (100m or so), it seemed to rejuvenate my legs. But ultimately the plan I was on eliminated them in favor of pure running.

Galloway recommends many more walk breaks and, at first, this seemed to me like cheating. But I figured I'd give it a try. I started running my 8-12K runs 1000m "on", 100m "off" (walk) and I saw something amazing happen: my split times came down and I could run longer and more enjoyably. My run/walk ratio of 10:1 is actually a lot higher run than he recommends, but it works great for me.

I just used the technique in the San Jose Half Marathon and the results were great. I beat my baseline goal by 10 minutes and even beat my stretch goal by 3. I beat my last 13 mile time trial time by a whopping 20 minutes and, more importantly, I felt great coming across the finish line (I was *crawling* on my last time trial where I ran 3 x 7K with only very short walks). My pace actually sped up throughout the race and my last 2 miles were my fastest.

So, for me, the system works. I am doing another half in January and will follow the entire program this time.

It's quick & easy with lots of color & specific tips. It's particularly good if you feel like you're too old or out of shape to run a half-marathon. While there are great tips for training for more competent & experienced half marathoners, as a runner moving into the "masters" category, I really appreciated some of his insight into prioritizing workouts and pacing so I could avoid injury and enjoy myself longer. Took his advice on walk break and set a personal record at my next Half Marathon, despite the aging knees!!

Loved this book and still refer to it often. Jeff Galloway's training plan is great and helps you stay motivated till the race and beyond. Also great paired with Jeff's book on running.

I am basing this review on simply reading the book for about 15 minutes while killing some time at one of the big chain bookstores. From what I see, this book is wonderfully written and broken down perfectly, even for "older" novices like me (over 50, run a 9-10 minute mile, have run in about a half-dozen 5Ks' and looking to do more).

The presentation is colorful, motivational, and detailed enough for runners of all levels to get something out of it. I am currently reading the MARATHON YOU CAN DO IT book and that too is written in a breezy fun style yet there is a lot of text. HALF MARATHON seems almost like an outline with easy to view points and notes.

I also own the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO HALF MARATHON but if you only want one guide, Galloway's book appears to be the better and handier guide to own.