Well, what I had was 9 miles of continuous forward motion - I mentioned upthread that I run:walk, and this one was 7:1. I'd like to wean myself off the walking eventually, but that's probably a topic for a whole 'nother thread after my 2 upcoming races. The 7:1 that I've been using for HMP tempo runs has seemed to work well for me because it puts me at a pace that feels comfortable - not easy, but a pace I could do for a while. But then I need the walk break because I don't think I could maintain it for 13.1. I've run a 10k without walking, but it's easy to say to myself for 6 miles: "you do not have permission to walk" but much harder for 13.1. I honestly think I need to look for a 10 mile or 15k race around here to prove to myself that I can run that distance without walking - as an intermediate step to working up to the 13.1. But again, that won't happen in the next few weeks. By "general aerobic" I think you mean easy running. Most of my easy runs are 11:30-12 pace.
Well, what I had was 9 miles of continuous forward motion - I mentioned upthread that I run:walk, and this one was 7:1. I'd like to wean myself off the walking eventually, but that's probably a topic for a whole 'nother thread after my 2 upcoming races.
The 7:1 that I've been using for HMP tempo runs has seemed to work well for me because it puts me at a pace that feels comfortable - not easy, but a pace I could do for a while. But then I need the walk break because I don't think I could maintain it for 13.1. I've run a 10k without walking, but it's easy to say to myself for 6 miles: "you do not have permission to walk" but much harder for 13.1. I honestly think I need to look for a 10 mile or 15k race around here to prove to myself that I can run that distance without walking - as an intermediate step to working up to the 13.1. But again, that won't happen in the next few weeks.
By "general aerobic" I think you mean easy running. Most of my easy runs are 11:30-12 pace.
End result: 13.38 miles done in 2:25:21 - 10:52 pace - which is slightly FASTER than the half marathon PR I achieved 3 months ago!
Your easy run pace should be more than 40-60 sec./mile slower than your half marathon race pace. Many runners struggle with the concept to run further continuously you have to slow down. Returning to running after a 4 month layoff I'm dealing with this myself. New runners tend to cycle through a narrow band of gears. As you gain experience and strength you'll be able to expand this range. For my last half marathon my general aerobic runs were often 120 sec./mile slower than my HM race pace. Increasing your frequency or mileage will contribute to the natural progression of slowing down the pace on your easy days. Improving your efficiency at a variety of speeds is a good thing.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
race obsessed
"End result: 13.38 miles done in 2:25:21 - 10:52 pace" Your easy run pace should be slower than 40-60 sec./mile of your half marathon race pace. Many runners struggle with the concept to run further continuously you have to slow down. Returning to running after a 4 month layoff I'm dealing with this myself. New runners tend to cycle through a narrow band of gears. As you gain experience and strength you'll be able to expand this range. For my last half marathon my general aerobic runs were often 120 sec./mile slower than my HM race pace. Increasing your frequency or mileage will contribute to slowing down the pace on your easy days.
"End result: 13.38 miles done in 2:25:21 - 10:52 pace"
Your easy run pace should be slower than 40-60 sec./mile of your half marathon race pace. Many runners struggle with the concept to run further continuously you have to slow down. Returning to running after a 4 month layoff I'm dealing with this myself. New runners tend to cycle through a narrow band of gears. As you gain experience and strength you'll be able to expand this range. For my last half marathon my general aerobic runs were often 120 sec./mile slower than my HM race pace. Increasing your frequency or mileage will contribute to slowing down the pace on your easy days.
Yup.. agreed.
Coach has been pushing us lately on a *ton* of speedwork. 4-5 sessions a week + racing every other week, with decreasing distance and increasing paces/ effort towards the end of the week.
The key to that is frequency - no rest days - meaning each subsequent speed session is run with more and more fatigued legs. More effort and less muscle stress makes it more difficult to hurt yourself. By the end of the week sprinting an all out 350,300,250,200,150 I can put 100% effort in an not be torn up come Monday.
Similar strategy with what Moth mentions - likely you are not fatigued enough on your easy days and therefor run them too fast.
I found this was an issue I had with the Higdon plans when I first started. (I didn't know it back then) In retrospect, I was relatively rested by the time the long run came around and thus I ran them *way* too fast for my fitness level.
Thanks for your thoughts, Moth & Sly. I appreciate the advice!
I am totally in agreement that most of my miles should be easy - I promise I'm not out there racing my easy runs. I don't know how to make the pace easier, unless I add more walk breaks. For example, yesterday's 8 mile run: I made a conscious effort to run easy. It felt like a conversational pace, and at the end I felt good and was thinking "I could do this all day." During the run I took a 1 minute walk break after every 9 minutes of running, and my overall pace was 11:24. I know that's only 50 seconds slower than my goal HMP. But it was easy! How can I run easier without more walk breaks? If I'm reading you correctly, I should be doing enough hard runs, and not taking rest days, so that my easy runs will be forced to be at an easier/recovery pace?
MTA: Oh, this is interesting. I just scrolled through my last 2 months of workouts. My easy runs all fall into the 11:30-12 band except for 3 big outliers. One was at 12:35 pace - I remember feeling very tired that day, and it was the day after a long tempo run. The other two outliers were each under 11 min pace yet I classified them as "easy." Both of those were on a very low mileage week because of travel; I had 3 day of rest before each one, so my legs were fresh and I was apparently eager to cover some miles. I guess my small data set demonstrates your point pretty well.
I think a difficulty in having a slower easy pace (and I am right there with you) is that there is only so much you can slow down before you are either walking or shuffling. There is a point where running will no longer feel natural, for me, it starts around 12:30 or so.
As far as easy pace, I look at it as an effort level and not a hard and fast pace. There are some days you feel good and have more spring to your step, other days you can barely slog along. Hills, weather, wind, etc can all impact what feels easy.
With the walk breaks, I started cutting them out on shorter runs first. The slowly cut them out of the longer runs. It was probably more mental at that point. I do find there are some times that walking is beneficial--if I am doing an easy run, especially in the summer, there are some hills that it is just not possible to keep the effort easy.
ETA: Is it possible your goal HM pace is soft based on your current fitness?
Former Bad Ass
I agree. But when I did run/walk during my post surgery comeback, one would never end up running slower than race pace. It was usually at race pace with the walk breaks slowing down the average but still nothing like 1-2mm.
Brilliant, as an example of what Moth said, I run almost 1-2mm slower on easy/long runs than my MP. I have no issues on race day (other than breathing) in hitting my pace. For Space Coast, I never ran faster than 12mm, and I hit 10:54mm on race day. For Disney, I never ran faster than 11:45 and hit 10:45mm on race day.
Damaris
From your lips to God's ears! I guess we will find out in 3 days.