Jack Daniels is a legendary running coach, and many runners look to him for advice on how to train. Jack Daniels half marathon training plans are rigorous training schedules that will get you in peak shape to cover 13.1 miles.
If you’re looking for a training plan to help you prepare for a half marathon, keep reading. We’ll take a look at Jack Daniels book, an overview of his half marathon plan, and a list of pros and cons. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if this is the right plan for you or if you should look at some other options.
Note: This post focuses on half marathon training plans. Here’s an overview of Jack Daniels marathon plans.
Where Can I Learn About Jack Daniels Half Marathon Training?
Jack Daniels wrote several books about running, but his work has been consolidated into one main book that is still in print – Jack Daniels Running Formula. This book contains Jack Daniels’ half marathon training plans.
In Running Formula, Jack Daniels explains his research into VO2 max and running economy. He describes the various physiological systems that impact running performance and how to train them. He then has a series of training plans, all the way from 800m races up to marathons.
The book also contains several charts to help you identify your VDOT – which in Jack Daniels’ system determines the appropriate paces and intensities for your various training runs. Although you can look this up online using the VDOT calculator, it’s nice to have everything in one chart.
Before you use one of Jack Daniels half marathon plans, you should definitely read the book. He thoroughly explains the thought process behind the development of the plan, and you’ll have a much better idea of why you’re doing certain things.
What Makes Jack Special?
All half marathon training plans are going to share some similarities. But there are a few things that set Jack Daniels plans apart from others.
First is his reliance on VDOT. VDOT is a measurement of the velocity you can run at VO2 max, and Jack Daniels uses this as a benchmark for everything else. Once you know your velocity at VO2 max, you can determine the velocity you should be able to run for various race distances and for different types of workouts.
Related to this, Jack Daniels is a proponent of the “train the system” school of thought. Every training run targets a physiological system in the most efficient way possible. As a result, his training plans target a few very specific paces and intensities – repetition pace for speed, interval pace for VO2 max, threshold pace for lactate threshold, an easy pace for other runs, and marathon pace for some long runs.
In some cases, this coincides with race paces. For example, repetition pace is near your mile race pace and interval pace is near your 5k pace race. But other paces – like your 10k pace and your half marathon pace – are in no man’s land. As a result, you won’t spent any time running at those race paces in training – unless you do a tune up race.
Finally, Jack Daniels takes a different take on periodization. Each phase of his plans focuses on a different system and a different pace. While other plans start with endurance and finish by sharpening speed, Daniels takes the opposite approach. His plans typically start with repetition work to develop speed, then progress to interval work, and finally end with threshold work.
Overview of Jack Daniels Half Marathon Training Plans
Jack Daniels book, Running Formula, includes one half marathon training plan. However, this plan is more of a blueprint than a single plan.
Note: The half marathon plan existed in the 3rd Edition of Running Formula. It was replaced in the 4th Edition by the “Alien Program.” This is a loose sketch of a plan appropriate for distances of 15k to 30k. More on that later, but if you’re looking for the old half marathon plan make sure to check out the older 3rd Edition of Running Formula.
Jack Daniels half marathon plan sketches out the workouts you should do throughout the schedule, but it is open ended when it comes to how far you should run each day.
The plan is 24 weeks long and it is comprised of four phases.
The first six week phase is essentially a base building phase, and Jack suggests that you can skip this if you are already in shape to start the plan at Phase II. Phase I includes easy running and some strides, and it is an opportunity to increase mileage safely.
By the end of Phase I – or in lieu of Phase I – you should be running at least six days a week for a total of 30 miles. Although he doesn’t prescribe specific volumes throughout the plan, he suggests that you increase over time if you’re running less than 50 miles per week. He also suggests a cap of 80 miles per week.
Phase II starts the quality work. One quality session is repetition work – hard, fast intervals. One quality session is threshold work – longer, slower intervals. The third quality session is a long run. The remaining runs are easy runs, with some strides mixed in.
Phase III transitions to an emphasis on interval work. The first workout is now interval work – medium length intervals around 5k pace. The second workout is still threshold work, and sometimes it includes a few repetitions at the end to maintain speed. Finally, there’s still a long run.
Phase IV shifts the focus exclusively to threshold work. There are only two main workouts – a threshold workout and a long run. The remainder of the week is easy runs with the occasional strides to maintain speed.
At the end if Phase IV, you’ll have rested a bit from eliminating one of the workouts, and you’ll be prepared to taper and race.
A Sample Week from Jack’s Half Marathon Training Plan
To give you an idea of what a Jack Daniels half marathon plan is like, here’s a sample week. This comes from week 17 of the full 24 week plan:
- Sunday: Long run, lesser of 120 minutes or 25% of weekly mileage
- Monday: Easy day, 6 x strides
- Tuesday: Easy day
- Wednesday: 1k repeats at I pace with a 3 minute recovery jog
- Thursday: 1 mile repeats at T pace with a 1 minute recovery jog, followed by 4×200 at R pace with a 200m recovery jog
- Friday: Easy day
- Saturday: Easy day, 6 x strides
You’ll notice that he doesn’t prescribe a specific amount of mileage for each day, nor do the workouts have specific volumes. The plans are designed to be quite flexible, so you can adapt this to whatever volume you run.
You’ll also notice the use of letters to describe paces – I, T, and R. You’ll find these by using the VDOT calculator or a VDOT chart, but again it helps to have read the book. Otherwise, you’ll find the plans very confusing.
Pros of Jack Daniels Half Marathon Training Plans
Jack Daniels plans have a reputation for being very hard but very productive. Here are some of the pros when considering a Jack Daniels half marathon training plan:
- You will improve. People who complete Jack Daniels training plans typically report improvements in race times.
- The plan thoroughly works each system and will develop both speed and endurance.
- The plan is periodized to start with lower a volume of work and transition to higher volume workouts.
- You have the flexibility to determine how far to run on any given day, as long as you hit the key workouts.
Cons of Jack Daniels Half Marathon Training Plans
Although many people have success with Jack Daniels plans, that doesn’t mean they are perfect. Here are some of the cons when considering a Jack Daniels half marathon training program:
- The schedules can be confusing, especially if you haven’t thoroughly read and understood the book.
- The lack of specific mileage prescriptions can leave people wondering how far to run each day and how much to increase week to week.
- People looking for a cookie cutter plan may be disappointed in that they have to think about how to implement the plan.
- The repetition workouts can be repetitive, with a lot of 200m and 400m intervals.
- The plan is long – 18 to 24 weeks – although Jack has advice on how to shorten the plan.
- There is no half-marathon specific work. Every pace is faster or slower than a half-marathon race pace.
The Bottom Line of Jack Daniels Half Marathon Training Plans
Jack Daniels training plans are rigorous and thoughtfully put together. They offer flexibility, so you can determine how far you want to run each day and over the course of the week.
However, this flexibility also requires a commitment on your part to understand the plan. You will have to read Jack Daniels Running Formula to understand the plan.
This is definitely not a plan for beginners. There is some room to increase your volume in the beginning of the plan, but you should have a solid base of running before starting. But if you do have a solid base of running, this is a great way to get into peak shape for a half marathon.
If this doesn’t sound like the right plan for you, check out this list of some of the best half marathon training plans. Chances are, there’s a plan that will fit your needs.
And if you’ve finished a Jack Daniels half marathon training plan, leave a comment below. I’d love to hear about your experience.