Running with a faster group (Read 917 times)

A local running group has a weekly group meet-up and run of "6-8 miles, the main pack at 7:30 - 8:15 pace, but all paces are welcome."  This pace is a little faster than me, but they're running flatter courses and it's a pace that I think I would like to get a feel for.  I'm wondering if I should try running with their pack for, say, 3 miles and then dropping back and thinking of it as a "tempo" workout.  Would I gain anything by doing this?

I also have a 10k next Saturday.  It's not a huge goal race (probably no PR as there's a mountain in the middle of it), but I would like to run it hard.  If I hit up the group run for the first time next Wednesday, will I still be feeling it by Saturday?  Two days should be enough time to recover, right?

That pace looks a lot faster than your normal pace.  It's almost looks like you'd be running your 10K pace right before your 10K on Saturday.  I'm no expert but it seems risky to me.  Why not just wait till the next week?

 

 

Plus, I'd have a tendency to try to hang with the group longer than I should - maybe you have more self control, though! 

In general, running with the group shouldn't be a problem, I would think.  You can approach it as a tempo run, but my opinion is that it actually may be a little slow as a tempo run.  It would be more of a harder, steadier effort, and I think you could do the whole distance at that pace.  You will be surprised, though, how easy this will feel with the group after you do it a few times, and doing it once a week isn't going to hurt you (in fact it will help).  One thing it does for me is break up the monotony of running every day.  You will just have to make sure you keep Thurdays easy.

 

As for the 10K, I think this week doing the group run for only the three miles will be fine and even beneficial to get the legs moving a few days before the race. 

 

 

 

I guess I would just rather play this safe then sorry.  I would not run with them this week because of the race.  However, I would run with them after that or at least give it a try.  Any reason you have run with this group a few days before your race and could not start running with them the follwing week?

 

I think it is a great idea and think you will find you enjoy it. 

screw it and do it

 

if you cant keep up then just don't join them again; no harm, no foul.

Based on your 5K PR on 2/20, your tempo pace should be around 7:45. I would definitely do a mile or two warmup before running at that pace though. How long should you stick with the pack? That depends a lot on how many miles you're running each week. But if you're running a 10K on the following weekend, I wouldn't push it.

 

Ron

That pace looks a lot faster than your normal pace.  It's almost looks like you'd be running your 10K pace right before your 10K on Saturday.  I'm no expert but it seems risky to me.  Why not just wait till the next week?

 
+1

What it will result in is you running faster times during your training runs than in a lot of your races if you do it too much.  I did this for years when I was young thinking if I could keep up with them it was making me better.  Sure I could do day after day of training at 6:40 pace, but then I'd get hurt or I'd get to Saturday's 5 mile race and have a lot of trouble breaking 6:00 pace while those guys were at their 5:20-5:30.

 

I think its good to make it a tempo on an OCCASIONAL basis as others mentioned but if you do it too much you'll leave yourself flat for races.  If you do it within a week of a race you'll probably notice it on race day.

 

+1   I think many of us have been there.