I'm training for a half marathon and I'm in the early stages so my training schedule doesn't look much different than what I've been doing for the last 6 months or so. Tuesdays I usually lift weights or cross train and don't run. But today I'm just itching to do both, is there any harm in adding a quick 2 miles to my lifting today? I ran 4 miles Sunday, 2 yesterday and am scheduled for 2 tomorrow morning, 3 Friday and 4 Sunday. Should I just settle down? I don't know what's with me today...abundance of energy or something, but I certainly don't want to compromise my training...thoughts?

As someone who has completed four 1/2 marathons now, I would stick to your plan. It ramps up for a good reason. There are several injuries that you can sustain from overtraining. The training schedules are laid out with rest days for a good reason. If you feel that you must get in some extra cardio, then incorporate cross training, like cycling, swimming, or the elliptical. However, my trainer advised that we should always rest on rest days and save the cross training for times when we couldn't run on a regularly scheduled running day. Good luck with your 1/2!!

Yeah, this is the answer I expected...probably not the one I wanted, but what I know is right.

Hey another question for you, what's a conservative heart rate when you doing this kind of training. Just to complete, not racing or competitive. I took mine for fun while I was running the other day and I was between 145-160...don't know if this is a good place or what I should be aiming for.

I say go for it, go slower than normal. If this is the level you have been at for 6 months there is nothing wrong with ramping ahead of the program. Most programs start FAR too low and then you dont have enough reserve at the end.

As for HR it depends on the purpose of the workout. And there are a lot of theories. If you intend to do HR training I would send you out to look at Maffetone or some other HR training. If you dont intend to do HR training, then dont worry about it and go by feel.

An easy or long run should feel...comfortable. If you were running with a friend you would easily be able to carry on a conversation and for the most part at the end of the run you would feel like you could have gone farther (long runs, maybe not as much). On a long run your pace should not particularly slow by the end of the run.

A recovery run (what I would have recommended for today even though I know I am way too late) should be slower than that. It should feel almost TOO slow. Like a good stretch. At no point should you feel like you are working it.

Save the effort for intervals, speedwork, tempos or whatever other type of quality run they list.