RunningAHEAD - Topic: Race help (page 2)

tcoyle

posted: 3/10/2008 at 11:45 AM

Last 12 mile long run was slow. Mostly due to icy sidewalks. I felt stronger and did not really start getting tired until mile 8. I think if I eat good before the race and take some gu with me I can keep the lactic acid from hitting while keeping close to my pace.

lilyriver

posted: 3/10/2008 at 5:21 PM

Hey, I don't have any advice to add (in fact I also started a HM advice request thread myself!), but I'm also running my first half marathon on the March 15th, so I just wanted to wish you good luck! It sounds like you're really well-prepared. I hope you have a great race!

tcoyle

posted: 3/10/2008 at 7:38 PM

Quote from lilyriver on 3/10/2008 at 5:21 PM:

Hey, I don't have any advice to add (in fact I also started a HM advice request thread myself!), but I'm also running my first half marathon on the March 15th, so I just wanted to wish you good luck! It sounds like you're really well-prepared. I hope you have a great race!

Good luck to you also. I will be interested to see how yours goes.

dgb2n

Dave

posted: 3/10/2008 at 8:38 PM

I'd echo the advice to really FORCE yourself to not go out any faster than your goal pace. If you keep yourself at or even slower than your goal for the first 2 miles, then creep it up to your goal pace, you'll have a much better chance of holding it or even going faster later. I used the end of mile 11 as my point to pick up the pace on my last half. If I had to do it again, I'd start to pick it up closer to the 10 mile mark and not push quite so hard but ideally your last couple of miles should be your fastest and they won't be if you go out too fast.

I ran a mile and I liked it, liked it, liked it.

dgb2n@yahoo.com

tcoyle

posted: 3/10/2008 at 9:35 PM

Quote from dgb2n on 3/10/2008 at 8:38 PM:

I'd echo the advice to really FORCE yourself to not go out any faster than your goal pace. If you keep yourself at or even slower than your goal for the first 2 miles, then creep it up to your goal pace, you'll have a much better chance of holding it or even going faster later. I used the end of mile 11 as my point to pick up the pace on my last half. If I had to do it again, I'd start to pick it up closer to the 10 mile mark and not push quite so hard but ideally your last couple of miles should be your fastest and they won't be if you go out too fast.

So how much slower then goal pace do you think. Is say 9:20 to slow to ever catch back up? I am going to start out slow for sure, just not sure how slow to start and be able to pick it up enough at the end.

Bonkin

posted: 3/11/2008 at 12:42 AM

Quote from tcoyle on 3/10/2008 at 9:35 PM:

So how much slower then goal pace do you think. Is say 9:20 to slow to ever catch back up? I am going to start out slow for sure, just not sure how slow to start and be able to pick it up enough at the end.

No - 9:20 is not too slow to catch back up. Even running 30 seconds per mile slower in the first three miles is only a minute and a half to make up over the next 10 miles - nothing to sweat over. Running 30 seconds too fast for the first three miles might help you have a bad day. It is too easy to get caught up in how fast the people around you are running along with race day excitement.

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

Bonkin

posted: 3/11/2008 at 12:44 AM

Oh, yeah. I also wanted to chime in and agree with the other posters that said you have sub-2 in the bag.

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

DrewEOB

Lazy idiot

posted: 3/11/2008 at 9:08 AM

My first mile of my PR HM was 9:57. I went to finish with a sub-9:00/mile average. It's definitely doable.

Tick tock

tcoyle

posted: 3/12/2008 at 11:31 AM

Ok, so update on race. Its suppose to rain and winds around 25 miles per hour on Saturday. I have a feeling this my make my goal of a sub 2 hr really difficult. What has been everyones experience with heavy winds and heavy rain and its effect on your times.

Bonkin

posted: 3/12/2008 at 11:35 AM

Quote from tcoyle on 3/12/2008 at 11:31 AM:

Ok, so update on race. Its suppose to rain and winds around 25 miles per hour on Saturday. I have a feeling this my make my goal of a sub 2 hr really difficult. What has been everyones experience with heavy winds and heavy rain and its effect on your times.

Wind will affect you - rain may or may not. My experience is to not worry too much about the forecast until the day before the race. For example, the forecast for the Dallas White Rock Marathon this past December bounced between hot and freezing - dry and wet - at least 3 or 4 times in the 10 days before the race.

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

jeffdonahue

posted: 3/12/2008 at 11:37 AM

I would just be careful running on the wet roads and watch out for puddles - nothing is going to suck the energy out of you more than running in a soaked sneaker for 13 miles. Sounds like we will be in the same boat this weekend. I am doing a HM up here in Mass and the weather prediction for Sunday right now is snow, rain and wind. Should be fun. Take it in stride though. If you hit the half way mark and your goals are shot because of a killer headwind or something, I say finish it up strong but just enjoy the day and the run. WEather like that makes these races memorable if nothing else. Best of luck and let us know how you do when its over. I'll keep my fingers crossed that both of our weather forecasts change. Smile

tcoyle

posted: 3/12/2008 at 11:49 AM

Quote from jeffdonahue on 3/12/2008 at 11:37 AM:

I would just be careful running on the wet roads and watch out for puddles - nothing is going to suck the energy out of you more than running in a soaked sneaker for 13 miles. Sounds like we will be in the same boat this weekend. I am doing a HM up here in Mass and the weather prediction for Sunday right now is snow, rain and wind. Should be fun. Take it in stride though. If you hit the half way mark and your goals are shot because of a killer headwind or something, I say finish it up strong but just enjoy the day and the run. WEather like that makes these races memorable if nothing else. Best of luck and let us know how you do when its over. I'll keep my fingers crossed that both of our weather forecasts change.

Thanks Jeff Sounds like we are both in for fun. Its going to be warm like in the 50's so that will be nice. The puddles are my worst fear. Oh well we can't control the weather and if I don't hit my goal there is always another 1/2 along the way to Chicago in October!!

jeffdonahue

posted: 3/12/2008 at 12:01 PM

Quote from tcoyle on 3/12/2008 at 11:49 AM:

Thanks Jeff Sounds like we are both in for fun. Its going to be warm like in the 50's so that will be nice. The puddles are my worst fear. Oh well we can't control the weather and if I don't hit my goal there is always another 1/2 along the way to Chicago in October!!

Ah.... the 50's... I cant wait till that weather is back. I think I am looking at a high of 37 this weekend - and with wind chill (as there always is) it will probably be in the 20s.

tcoyle

posted: 3/13/2008 at 2:46 PM

Yeah its 75 here today. 70 yesterday. love this weather.

tcoyle

posted: 3/16/2008 at 9:38 AM

Well the race was a wet one for sure but the winds did not come into play until the last mile. I made a fatal mistake on this one. My Garmin was off from the course a bit so my splits were a bit off. I thought I made up enough distance on the course that by the end I would have made up the difference. I hit mile 1 at 9:05, mile 2 and 3 at 9:20's. Miles 4-10 were from 9:00-9:10. Mile 11 was the end. 9:15. Mile 12 9:00 and Mile 13 in at 8:52. I had my watch set to a quick workout with distance and time. I was way a head of that virtual training guy. So I thought I had it. But when the garmin hit 13.1. It stopped timing. I thought I would still make it. Official time was 2:00:08. 8 SECONDS OFF come on!!!!! Oh well this was over 4 min faster then the last time I tried to run this distance. Although that time was not a race I tried to get under 2 hours. I hate the fact that I messed this race up. No excuses for rain and weather, just my own stupid brain. I feel good that I kept my splits as close as I did and my HR was right where it needed to be. I had a sub 2 hour in me and left it out on the puddled road. Next time you devil clock, you will not win.

Race help (Read 854 times)