Forums >General Running>Races vs. Time Trials
Dad, Runner, Programmer
How many of you do time trials in place of races from time to time? And what I mean by a time trial is an all out race, but it's only you. I'm asking because I don't race that much, but occasionally to see where I'm at I'll run a time trial. This almost always leaves me dissapointed because I don't do as well compared to races.
I'm currently training for a half in April and I ran a 10k just now and I ended up running it at the same pace as a 6 mile tempo run I did a few weeks ago. During the tempo run, I felt strong and controlled, and today I felt awful and was exerting too much effort for the pace I was going. This leaves me upset and rethinking my pacing strategy for the half. Do others have the same experience? Maybe I just had an especially off day today, or I'm not acclimated to the weather (70).
2015 Goal:For now, keep running!
I've done an "all alone" time trial just once in my life. I agree, it's very hard to do.
Yes, not being acclimated to the heat will have a significant impact
Btw, I don't think you need to a full 10K time trial to access your fitness, especially if you're trying to get an idea for a 1/2m goal..
Well, based on my 6 mile tempo run from a few weeks ago where I averaged 7:08, I thought I would go for 7:15 pace for my half (1:35) but after today I'm thinking that's a bit optimistic. Although maybe the weather did have more of an affect than I realize. That and my 37 mile weekend (also training for an ultra).
I thought a 10K was a good distance for a test race before a half. What would you have done, a 5K, 8K?
I have never done time trials
There is a big difference to me between racing and not racing. In racing there is many motivators to run harder and when it really hurts and you want to back down - Many more motivators not to do so.
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
I have only done solo time trials a couple of times--I cannot come close to the same times in a time trail as in a race.
Runners run
Well, based on my 6 mile tempo run from a few weeks ago where I averaged 7:08, I thought I would go for 7:15 pace for my half (1:35) but after today I'm thinking that's a bit optimistic. Although maybe the weather did have more of an affect than I realize. That and my 37 mile weekend (also training for an ultra). I thought a 10K was a good distance for a test race before a half. What would you have done, a 5K, 8K?
A 10K at race effort (effort, not necessarily results because of so many factors) is a huge effort. My coach had me do a mere 1.25 miles. From that he had charts that extrapolated paces for other distances. The assumption is you'll be doing the training for the 1/2M, not for the shorter distance,which it sounds like you have been.
When I was like 21, I ran a mile time trial because I thought I was ready for something big, like in the 4:15 range, and I didn't want to wait for a race -- or maybe I didn't want to worry about other bodies (I was a notorious front-runner who always did much worse in crowds).
57+65+70+75=4:27.
Then I played basketball on an all-purpose surface in my spikes, planted and ripped three ligaments in my right ankle. I was never really the same again, mile-wise.
That was my last time trial.
rectumdamnnearkilledem
I've not really done any running time trials (aside from shorter runs where I just feel good from the start and decide to really push myself from the get-go, but they still never have the intensity of an actual race). I did one bike one last Spring. I didn't really like it. It was a legitimate "race," but I never really knew who I was competing against. And it was demoralizing getting passed like I was standing still by sponsored racers with TT bikes and aero wheels who started behind me. It was difficult to push myself and find "carrots" to try and pass. I may has well been riding alone.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Why is it sideways?
When I was like 21, I ran a mile time trial because I thought I was ready for something big, like in the 4:15 range, and I didn't want to wait for a race -- or maybe I didn't want to worry about other bodies (I was a notorious front-runner who always did much worse in crowds). 57+65+70+75=4:27. Then I played basketball on an all-purpose surface in my spikes, planted and ripped three ligaments in my right ankle. I was never really the same again, mile-wise. That was my last time trial.
You seriously went out in 57?
Well, he does like to run at the front.
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau
You probably just had an off day, or weren't warmed up enough before the start. (Yeah, I know it was 70°.)
I've done a ton of "race pace" time trials, mostly 3 miles. I'm usually around 10 seconds slower per mile than in competition (for 5-10K). The effort level feels the same as a race, but the adrenaline is just not there. Mentally, I can push hard solo, probably because I when I first started running I lived out in the country and always ran by myself. Races are more fun, but sometimes they aren't convenient. And they cost money. And I'm cheap.
MTA: lost my "Y"
Feeling the growl again
I ran a 9:57 PR in the two-mile doing a time trial once. Of course, I had the incentive of having made a bet (I forget what was at stake) with someone on my college XC team that I could break 10. But I also had ~30 people in audience to see the outcome, and pacers throughout.
Short of that type of setup, I don't think I could ever approach my fitness's potential in a time trial. I much prefer to use my current tempo run pace, but that requires having a history of how your tempo run pace has correlated with race outcomes.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Personally, there's no way I could duplicate a race effort on my own on some random training day. You have pretty darn good mileage banked - I'd suggest running a real 5 or 10K race and see "where you're at". You'll likely be surprised how well you run relative to that 10K time trial (who runs a 10K time trial, anyway? I'd rather quit running altogether than run a 10K time trial!).
I'd rather quit running altogether than run a 10K time trial!).
Ha! Thanks for that. So I'm getting from all these responses that most folks (except for Spaniel who somehow set a PR but there were other factors like a bet and spectators and pacers) have not had luck matching race times in their time trials. That's kind of what I was hoping, so I'm deciding not to be too upset about today's run
Yep. I was all jacked up. It was at University of Wisconsin's indoor track, pretty new technology in those days, green rubberized something. Was going to kill it. Just me and the guy with the watch.
Blew through the first quarter in close to a PR -- for a quarter.
I never did get that 4:15. My best wound up as 4:22.8.