Forums >Racing>2018 Boston Marathon Thread
speaking of pace bands, any of you guys have experience with using some of the custom ones out there? I've seen Greg Maclin's (mymarathonpace.com), Runner's connect, and findmymarathon.com. I'm thinking of going with the runner's connect pacing strategy but I'd pay for the mymarathonpace pacing spreadsheet if I could find any testimonials on how it worked out in real life
I've typically used the combination of the FindMyMarathon conservative model combined with the MARCO marathon calculator.
I go in and add my projected HR numbers into the FindMyMarathon pace band.
I haven't ever actually made a pace band though, I generally just put the 5K split times on a little scrap of paper or something and try to keep in the general vicinity of the overall pace.
Last year on my downhill marathon my HR numbers were stupidly low for the first half of the race so I just kept at my pace even though it was way faster than my goal pace. I actually held it together on the back half and ended up almost 30 seconds a mile faster than my goal pace.
From what it sounds like I shouldn't rely on that for Boston though, I have done some downhill training, but not near as much as I did for the REVEL race. And the down then up sounds like it is more of a specific muscle issue, nothing to do with cardio.
Knowing myself, I should probably plan for the 3:30 pace numbers and then when I actually run closer to the 3:26:10 numbers I will possibly still be okay. If I start out planning on the 3:26:10 pace numbers and run faster than that I might end up really regretting it.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
running = therapy
My first year of running Boston I bought Greg Maclin's pace band/spread sheet.
It's very comprehensive with what to expect from the course and day, in addition to the pace band. I was able to quickly see what time of day I'd be at such and such mile marker, which was great for my family/friends that came to watch.
I've since learned to run by heart rate which has worked beautifully for me, but if I were going to use a pace band his was great.
Strava:
https://strava.app.link/gEx4nfnrLy
Weather update: it's snowing again.
Runners run
boo again!
- Joe
We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.
Those are nice enough but I will take mine over any of them. If you want to run sub-3, you could do a lot worse than this. Just saying.
For all of you obsessing over the weather, I give you this.
You're welcome. Actually, I'm just providing the link. Someone way smarter and more dedicated is to thank.
https://runaugur.shinyapps.io/boston_marathon_weather_analysis/
Well, hopefully we can see some improvement from the current forecast. Still 7 days out so it could for sure see some changes.
53 degrees, 60% chance of rain and wind SSE at 15 to 25 mph.
Not the worst running conditions, but not very good for spectators.
It will be interesting to see how much it changes.
Well, my first and probably only Boston Marathon is going to be interesting. Long story but due to life and the a horrible case of the flu I started my training way late. Tried to do too much in too short a period of time and a little over two weeks ago I got hurt.
I had an MRI last week and I have a stress fracture in my left tibia. The doc says it just started, right on the cusp. Given where it is (lower shin) and severity he cleared me to run. He said I can run until I can't tolerate it any more.
The good news is I don't have to worry about hitting any goal times! I would rather be a DNF rather than a DNS so I am going to the start line and see what I can do. It looks like Boston has medical tents every mile so if I decide to stop I won't have to go far to get assistance.
The funny thing is that, usually, the week before a marathon I am in the grips of taper madness. But I don't have anything to worry about now. I am already hurt so I can just relax and get ready to see what happens. The injury is oddly freeing.
So if you see some old guy hobbling along - it might well be me.
Well, hopefully we can see some improvement from the current forecast. Still 7 days out so it could for sure see some changes. 53 degrees, 60% chance of rain and wind SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Not the worst running conditions, but not very good for spectators. It will be interesting to see how much it changes.
If so that wind is really going to suck.
I have two problems with the pace bands. First, the instantaneous pace feedback from a GPS watch isn't accurate enough to adjust pace +/- a few seconds per mile in real time. Second, mile splits aren't the right way to do it. Splits should occur wherever pace changes. For example, if a mile is uphill half a mile and downhill half a mile, you don't run the prescribed pace for the entire mile, but slower for part of it and faster for part of it., but with the pace band only giving mile splits, you have no idea of the correct pace for each half mile. The pace band would be more useful if (in this example) if it gave a pace for each half mile separately.
Somebody needs to figure out how to program the watch to simply do warning beeps when going too fast or too slow based on the course and conditions. Even more specific than half mile or mile splits: if going up, slow down and so on. Wouldn't that be fancy?
I think probably almost everybody on this thread has enough running experience that mile splits are fine. You have a mile that is principally uphill... it will be a little slower. Mainly downhill, it will be a little faster. And you mostly don't need to dial it in in real time. You can kind of adjust your effort from mile to mile. In fact, obsessing about it in real time, minute by minute for me would be a sure way to be completely stressed and un-relaxed, which would be highly counterproductive to the goal. I use half-mile splits frequently when I'm pacing tempo run workouts, but half-mile splits for a marathon would drive me nuts.
Some of the Garmins already do this - my Garmin 230 has this feature.
RIP Milkman
Ohhh so that explains why some people next to me have their watch beeping so annoyingly for most of the race. I thought they just had some crazy split set up like every 0.1KM.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)