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Tapering and planning for the half (Read 334 times)

    Hi all,

     

    Just wanted to come and ask for some last advice before my half marathon, which is coming up two weeks from today.  Mostly at this stage, I'm starting to get a bit worried about how to pace it.  I'd really like to do it under 2.5 hours, which is right on the border of what the predictors say I should be based on a 10K race time and a 5K time trial.  I'm not sure if it's a realistic goal, but I'm hoping. :-)  I was thinking about aiming for 7 minute K's, but then again, I thought maybe shooting for 7:05 or 7:10 in the first half, and speeding up in the second half if I'm able to might be better.  Does anyone have any suggestions? 

     

    I also wanted to come up with a more subjective race plan, based on how I'm feeling on the day.  I read some advice here before, but can't find it now.  From what I remember, it was basically, you should feel like you're going too slow for the first x amount of k's, if it feels hard before x k's slow down, it's normal to feel miserable in the last x k's.  Does anyone have some numbers I could fill into that to have as a mental pace check during the race?

     

    My log isn't up to date, because my ANT stick broke and I'm waiting for a new one.  On Friday, I did a 20km long run, which was my last big one planned before the race.  It felt pretty hard (MUCH harder than the 18km run from the week before), but I think that was because I'd run the previous two days, and I'm used to resting the day before a long run.  I did the first 18km easy, and then sped up to "race pace" for the last two km.  That was intended to be 7 min/km, but was actually 6:55 and 6:51.  I seem to find 7:00 a hard pace to run actually, and I tend to either be slightly quicker, or 10+ seconds slower.  (It's a semi-hilly course for the half, which will also throw off my attempts at pacing, but I'd still like to have some sort of a plan in mind.)

     

    Another kind of off topic question relates to shoes.  Some of you may have read that I recently changed from Brooks Dyads to Nike Lunarglides, to stop some problems I was having with blistered toes due to the Dyads being slightly too small.  For the most part, the new shoes are going really well, but I find I get a very sore arch in my left foot if I run on sand in the Lunarglides.  I've done it twice now, and both times it got to be very painful, but the pain went away completely within 5-10 minutes of moving back onto the road.  Does anyone have any insight into why this happens?  My short term solution is not to run on the beach again until after the half (which is a road race), but I'd like to figure it out eventually!

     

    Thanks heaps for your help!

    Samantha

    vegefrog


      Good luck in your half! I just did one today so it's not really advice, but just my perspective.

       

      I felt GREAT for the first 10K, slightly under my goal pace of 8:25 per mile, the next 5K was ok and I hit my goal pace dead on. Started to stiffen up a little and the last 4 or so miles were just uncomfortable enough to let me know I was giving it a good effort. I had enough left to pretty much sprint the last 0.2 miles or so.  Minutes after the finish I was dancing around to the DJ's music, but I felt like I gave it pretty much all I had during the race.

       

      I think mentally once you get to the halfway point, if you still feel good, then that's where the race really starts. At least for me that's how it has been for the whole whopping 2 HM's I have run. Sorry I'm not much help, but I'm sure the others will chime in with good advice for you Smile

        Thanks, and awesome job on your HM!  I can't imagine being able to run that fast!!  Well done, and hope you are able to enjoy a well deserved rest now. :-)

        CanadianMeg


        #RunEveryDay

           

          I also wanted to come up with a more subjective race plan, based on how I'm feeling on the day.  I read some advice here before, but can't find it now.  From what I remember, it was basically, you should feel like you're going too slow for the first x amount of k's, if it feels hard before x k's slow down, it's normal to feel miserable in the last x k's.  Does anyone have some numbers I could fill into that to have as a mental pace check during the race?

           

          I heard John Stanton explain that one, but he was talking about how people feel about pace bunnies. The first third (about 7K) should feel almost too slow. The second third (about 8-14k) should feel about comfortable. The last third (15k - finish) should be tough. Does that sound like what you've heard. 

           

          You've done the work. Trust your training! You'll be fine on race day! Smile

          Half Fanatic #9292. 

          Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.