Half Marathon Trainers

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Intrepid Racers - July 13 & 14 (Read 12 times)


an amazing likeness

    In aviation there is a concept called the "coffin corner" which describes a scenario where an airliner flying at high altitude enters a zone where the thin air brings the maximum speed of the airplane (vmo) and the stall speed very close -- as close as ~20 mph.  The plane is 'trapped' in the sense that if they try to nose down and descend into thicker air to relieve the problem , they'll speed up and exceed the max speed capability of the airplane, and if they slow down to drift down, they'll stall and fall out of the sky.

     

    (with apologies to any pilots for the layperson description of a very technical scenario...)


    Because I'm so poor at it, I often think of summer racing as managing a "coffin corner" situation between heat and pace. You're trying to balance your running effort against the ever-increasing temp of day as your core temp is rising.  Do you start hard in the opening miles and bank some time before the heat beats your pace down, or do you start easy and try to stay cool longer before the heat-driven fade starts? And when the fade starts, how hard to you hold on to pace by increasing effort, which just makes you generate more heat.

     

    Ahh...summer races...these are what makes Oct seem like a good thing.

     

    A couple entries in our race calendar for the coming weekend.

     

    Redleaf is taking her recent tempo and interval training out for a test-drive as she attacks her 5K PR.  Saw news reports of Toronto being hit by some major storm-driven flooding in the past week, so hope everything's ok and the race goes off as planned.

     

    I'll be toeing the line at a local mid-summer half which is in its third year. There's a redone course this year which completely changes the character of the race from a fairly flat ocean side out-and-back to a winding, climbing, up and down run though (small) city streets. On paper, I'm not a fan. After the climbs at miles 4 and 7, I expect to be less of a fan.

     

    Jul 14 MilkTruck Old Port Half 13.1 mi Portland, ME
    Jul 14 redleaf Dawn at the Don 5K Toronto, ON CA

    Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

    redleaf


      Thanks MT. I'm really trying to approach this one as "eff it - if I blow up I blow up". The plan is "start recklessly fast and keep it up as long as possible."

       

       

      The flooding was worse in other areas than our neighbourhood - we live on a rise right beside a flood plain so if anyone saw pictures of the highway and the river beside it becoming one - well, that was about a 10 minute walk due south of the house. We didn't lose power whereas some others were without power until Wednesday morning. By now everything is pretty much back to normal *knock on wood*

      First or last...it's the same finish line

      HF #4362


      an amazing likeness

        Uggh. Career half marathon #26 goes into the books as a personal worst time. Day dawned hot (as expected), so I ran easy in the opening miles, and even power walked the steeper hills to help. Slowed (walked most) water stops and took 2 cups at each one. But by mile 10, it was over. Had to change over to jog/walk/shuffle and talk myself out of just quitting. Bummer.

        Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

        Zelanie


          MilkTruck, it's been a tough summer for racing!  Are you going to schedule any fall races to get your revenge?

          HappyFeat


            That was a really rough one for you, Andy.  Sorry it was so miserably hot.  Overheating is the worst in my book! Too bad they didn't  have buckets of ice for people to put in their caps!  Do you do any special prep for hot weather racing? I've heard of people doing several sessions in a sauna or running 12 days in a row in the heat to get acclimated.  Do you take salt caps or an particular electrolyte drink?

             

            I didn't race, but had a milestone run this weekend. Yesterday I ran 18 miles for my LR - the farthest I've ever gone. I knew if I went slow enough I could do it, so I did. IRC (sorry MT) and a really fun run. DH rode his bike to and fro while I ran. He carried an extra water bottle for me, which I really appreciated.

            Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

            Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.


            an amazing likeness

              "PORTLAND, Maine — Dozens of runners had to be treated for heat exhaustion Sunday morning at the Shipyard Old Port half marathon.

              A few of the runners were hospitalized, according to race director Erik Boucher of GiddyUp Productions, who said Sunday that he estimated about 2,000 people had finished the 13.1-mile race, which began at 7:30 a.m. at the Ocean Gateway Terminal Pier. The temperature in Portland was 83 degrees...although runner Jodie Beth Benvie of Windham said that she believed the humidity was much higher at 7 a.m.

              “I feel melted,” she said after the race. “I saw a lot of people stopping to walk. I saw a lot of people saying, ‘Oh, I need more water.’ There was definitely a higher percentage of people walking than usual...."

               

              Yeah...that.  I placed top 20% with a time over 2 hours! Wow. That's surprising.

               

              Can't wait for fall races...but summer days are precious in these parts, so no need to rush.

              Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.


              an amazing likeness

                ...in the same summer weather Redleaf just posted a 5K PR!  Yeah!

                Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

                redleaf


                  ...in the same summer weather Redleaf just posted a 5K PR!  Yeah!

                   

                  Ha! Was just coming in here to post. I'll do a proper report tomorrow (it's been a long day) but in short my "go out recklessly and hold it as long as possible" only amounted to 5 minutes thanks to 33 degree temps and humidity. (Uhm 90 something f) And crappy crappy training lately.

                   

                  My friend uses map my run and said our first mile was 9:47. our 3rd was 11:47. 5ks are stupid. Big grin

                  First or last...it's the same finish line

                  HF #4362