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Quick question about 1/2 marathon on Sunday (Read 772 times)

Lu481


    Hi all, I'm running a 1/2 marathon trail run on Sunday. The last 1/2 marathon I ran in May I finished in 2:12:56 a 10:09 pace. I would like to finish this one in under 2:10:00 which would be a 9:56/mi pace. (I would actually like to do under 2:05:00, a 9:33 pace but I don't think I'm quite there yet.) Last week I had an unproductive week as far as running goes. Due to unforeseen circumstances including a locked up muscle in my left knee after spending a morning at the firing range, I didn't run for 8 days. I hope this isn't going to affect my run on Sunday. I'm also taking the next 2 days off to rest. What pace should I actually start running at? Is 11:00 too slow or would it be a good pace to start? Any other advice would be appreciated as well. Thanks, Lu
    xor


      There is a really important piece of information missing. There are trails and then there are TRAILS. Is this upcoming half on what might be considered a technical trail? Say, a skinny trail with an uneven surface, rocks and/or roots, and maybe some steep dips and rises along the way? And that last half... was it a trail race? Without this info (maybe even with this info), it's hard to know. I've run road marathons at 1:30 and tougher trail marathons where it was everything I could do to make it under 2.

       

      JakeKnight


        I'd start right at 10:00 if you're serious about going under 2:10. A half isn't all that long. If you run a couple 11:00 miles, you'll have to run some pretty good miles later on to make it up. I'd run the first few at 10:00 and then start picking it up a little. It'd be tough to run that negative of splits, especially with your lapse in recent training. And not that you asked, but if it were me, I wouldn't be taking a break at all. With 14 miles since July 5th, you don't need a rest. I'd run easy the next few days, with a few race pace striders thrown in to keep my legs fresh. The last thing you need is days off. Just don't go too hard; maybe take the day before the race off. ----------------------- And as for actual pace, SRLopez makes a good point. A trail isn't a road. On my local (pretty technical) trails, 12:00-13:00 mile pace is a pretty good effort; it feels like 8-9 minute pace. Was your last half marathon on similar trails? If not, or if it was a road half, you may really not be able to set such a specific goal.

        E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
        -----------------------------

        JimR


          There is a really important piece of information missing. There are trails and then there are TRAILS. Is this upcoming half on what might be considered a technical trail? Say, a skinny trail with an uneven surface, rocks and/or roots, and maybe some steep dips and rises along the way? And that last half... was it a trail race? Without this info (maybe even with this info), it's hard to know. I've run road (half) marathons at 1:30 and tougher trail marathons where it was everything I could do to make it under 2.
          Hee. Um, yeah, I can attest to this, having run one of these suckers last Saturday (12k though, not 21). Not for the faint of heart. My time was well over a min/mile slower than it would have on the roads. I got through it unscathed, others weren't so lucky.
          JDF


          Non-Stroller-Still Crazy

            I measured my highest calorie per mile reading the other day on our local single track trail run. I ran an 8:37 for that steep mile. I couldn’t believe how fast that 8:37 felt. I would much rather run a 5:20 mile on the road than an 8:37 on that single track trail. Single track running is a different world from road running.
            Lu481


              Thanks for the replies. As far as the trails go. I think they are just trails, not TRAILS. But then again, I've never ran this race before, so I'll keep in mind the speed difference if they are the technical TRAILS. The last 1/2 I did was partially on trails and partially on roads, but the trails for that one were more like smooth walking paths. I guess I've just assumed that this one will be the same. All I know for sure is there isn't supposed to be any large hills. JakeKnight I will do an easy run tomorrow with the distance depending on how I feel. I was only going to take the 2 days off before the run because I always thought you needed a couple days without running prior to a race (not that I'm very fast anyway). I will take Sat off though. Lu


              Giants Fan

                For the three halfs I did I always ran an easy 3 the day before to keep everything loose before race day. I'm not sure one should ALWAYS take days off before a run. I think if you do an easy, short run it keeps muscles loose and ready for race day. Now I might do more easy runs that week of the race, but I haven't ever taken days off before one. Good luck!

                "I think I've discovered the secret of life- you just hang around until you get used to it."

                Charles Schulz


                Giant Flaming Dork

                  I think that regardless of whether you run or not - it's not going to effect how well you run. Looking at your log, you should be able to run a 2:10 HM. I would go out at 10:00 for the first 2 miles, then run 9:45s. If you can, pick it up and run the last 5k faster than you ran the first 10miles.

                  http://xkcd.com/621/

                  Scout7


                    I wouldn't worry about pace on a trail run. Go by effort. Just run it.
                      I wouldn't worry about pace on a trail run. Go by effort. Just run it.
                      Of course I'd say the same thing about a road half marathon, too.

                      Runners run

                      Scout7


                        Of course I'd say the same thing about a road half marathon, too.
                        I would, too, but we're talking about a trail half.
                          Your on the right path by coming up with a strategy, now it really depends on the weather conditions and you may have to make an adjustment before the race. If its going to be cool all the whole race then start with a couple of slower miles and bring up the pace to about mile 7, at that time you can make a decision if your feeling good or bad and make a run for a PR if everything feels right, that said, if its hot outside but cool when the race starts, then you should bust your chops during the cool weather and try to make it to mile 10, then just hang on for the last 3. If you get behind pace on a hot day and the sun starts beating away on the field and you get dehydrated there will be no way to make up for lost time.
                          Lu481


                            Well, I ran the race today. The trails weren't too bad. Most of them were fairly smooth. There were a couple places where you had to run single file. My Garmin 201 was inaccurate because of weak signals in the trees and quite often said I was running around 15-16 miles per minute. I ended up running faster than I had planned, and wasn't sure if I could keep up the pace for the whole race. I pressed on though and finished in 2:03:46 a lot faster than I had planned. I am registered for a 1/2 marathon road race next month. Something tells me I might not be able to improve on this time much by then. Lu
                            Spingoddess


                              Big grin Yay! Congrats on a well-run race! I thought I would die at my first real trail half, to this day it was the hardest thing I've ever done.
                              Well, I ran the race today. The trails weren't too bad. Most of them were fairly smooth. There were a couple places where you had to run single file. My Garmin 201 was inaccurate because of weak signals in the trees and quite often said I was running around 15-16 miles per minute. I ended up running faster than I had planned, and wasn't sure if I could keep up the pace for the whole race. I pressed on though and finished in 2:03:46 a lot faster than I had planned. I am registered for a 1/2 marathon road race next month. Something tells me I might not be able to improve on this time much by then. Lu
                              If we work hard at something we are passionate about, we might be rewarded with a few thrilling moments of perfection. John Bingham