First RA Race Report - and Marathon Pace Advice (please!) (Read 419 times)

So yesterday I ran a final 10K tune-up race as called for by my trusty Bob Glover marathon training schedule - I'm running the Providence, RI marathon in 2 weeks. Part 1: Yesterday's race The 10K I ran was the Shawn D. Patterson Memorial Road Race in Scituate, MA. I haven't been to Scituate before - it's very pretty (I want to live there now!). Arrived nice and early to register and found it well organized and the weather was about perfect: 52F and sunny. There was a fun run + a 5K + the 10K, so the whole field was probably 300-400, of which about 150 were doing the 10K. I started about 1/3 of the way back through the crowd and straight away found myself passing more people than were passing me - my plan was to go out in < 7="" minute="" miles="" and="" hang="" on="" in="" there="" at="" that="" pace="" for="" the="" whole="" race.="" the="" last="" time="" i="" ran="" a="" 10k="" was="" a="" few="" years="" ago="" and="" i="" was="" keen="" to="" soundly="" beat="" my="" pr="" of="" 43:51,="" especially="" because="" -="" in="" 2004="" -="" i'd="" run="" that="" />exact time twice within a couple of months! I got to the first mile marker at 6:40 feeling good and under control. This was going to be easy, right? The next mile was a little harder (6:50) but everything was still good. There was a handful of guys ahead of me who I was slowly gaining on. I caught them during mile 3 (7:07 - can you see a pattern emerging?) but began to find it dificult to keep up with them. I hung on to them through mile 4 (7:03) but then they slowly drifted away from me. Over the last 2-3 miles, the course seemed to consist of hill after hill after hill. I passed a couple of guys who were obviously enjoying the hills even less than I was, but felt myself slowing and struggling to keep going at all. Mile 5 was the slowest yet (7:17) and after that it really was a battle to keep moving. I couldn't even seem to pick it up on the long awaited downhills! Mile 6 finished with what seemed like an almighty long hill. I'm sure - in retrospect - that it wasn't that bad, but it felt it. I rounded that mile off in 7:21. What was worse was that the last 1/4 mile - normally a lung-bursting sprint to the finish - was instead a painful slog, until I crossed the line in 43:46. A 5 second PR, but hard won and not much fun. (Which was my fault, not the race organizers' or the course itself - I'd recommend it as a well organized race on a pleasant, scenic course) Excuses / lessons learned include (a) know where the hills are - going out fast and hanging on isn't a brilliant idea if the second half of the race is mainly uphills! and (b) maybe don't go for a 3 hour hike the day before a race, though I'm not sure if that actually made any difference. Part 2: Marathon pace advice (please) As I mentioned, I'm running a marathon in 2 weeks. It's my second one ever and my first one (this time last year) was somewhat spoiled by an injury that meant I hardly ran for the 5 weeks before the big day. I ran the first 22 miles at roughly 8:50/mile before hitting the wall and struggling through the last 4 to finish in 3:58. My training's gone better this time around, though I did suffer a minor injury that meant I missed two of the four key 20-mile long runs in my schedule. Boo. Still, I did the last two (at about 9:00/mile) and they were OK. I also did several build up races: Yesterday: 10K in 43:46 2 weeks ago: HM in 1:38 (OK, this was actually on a treadmill but it was a race effort) 5 weeks ago: HM in 1:41 2 months ago: 5M in 35:20 According to Bob Glover's book, these times all predict marathon times of between 3:26 and 3:37. However, I've only done two 20-mile runs (plus a reasonable number of 13 - 16 milers). Is that a sufficient handicap that I should be aiming for more modest goal? I'd love to run 3:30 but I'd really, really hate to start at that pace and suffer a tortuous and slow last few miles. What do you think? Have any of you been in a similar situation - i.e. missed out on a couple of long run workouts and tackled your marathon anyway? Any advice much appreciated.

What Jake said. Exactly.

Yeah i would say that is a good idea. So 3:40 pace is about 8:25 per mile or so, but if you start feeling good at the end...maybe after 23 or 24 miles then give it a good surge and go after it. Going for it after 20 miles..ehhh only if you are walking on sunshine. A lot can happen in 6 miles.