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10M race series 2 weeks apart - strategy due to temps (Read 48 times)

AndyTN


Overweight per CDC BMI

    I am participating in series which has a race every 2 weeks with each distance raced twice counting the best time for each distance counting towards the series total time. The first 10-miler is this Sunday with temps predicted to be in the upper 60's, which is not hot but still way above average temps for this time of year. The 2nd race is Oct 20th which has an average overnight low temp of 48 so I don't know the forecast yet but it is guaranteed to be quite a bit cooler.

     

    I was planning not to run the 2nd race of each of the longer distances if I was satisfied with the 1st race to give my body some rest for the next distance (still training). I looked up the average times for fast runners for the 2017 and 2018 races and looked up the historical temps on those dates, which showed the same ~20 degrees lower temp for the 2nd race, similar as what I think I will have in 2019. The average pace for fast runners in 2017 was 25 seconds per mi faster and 2018 was 30 seconds faster in the 2nd races as compared to the 1st.

     

    Knowing that the 2nd race will likely have a significant temperature advantage, should I just run the 1st race as a fast-paced training run to focus on racing 100% in the 2nd race? Does that 68 vs 48 temp comparison actually have a good chance of me gaining 20-30 seconds per mile? If I run the 1st race at 100% racing effort, will that yield more quality training improvement 2 weeks later or is that not really enough rest time between races?

     

    Maybe I'm overthinking it and I just need to run...

    Memphis / 38 male

    5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10


    an amazing likeness

      If I'm reading it correctly...they're two weeks apart, you should be fully recovered.  Run them as separate events.

       

      Think of this..what happens if you 'throw away' event 1, run it as a solid training run...then wake up sick as a dog or tweak something before event 2?  You just thew away your shot.

      Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.

      rmcj001


        Well, according to Hanson book on marathon training, it take 10-14 days for our bodies to benefit from a specific workout.  Rule of thumb for race recovery is 1 day/mile, or so I've heard. Both would seem to indicate that you should be able to recover and incorporate the first run.

         

        Active recovery is the quickest way to recover.  I wouldn't over think it.  I would guess that a lot of the runners are building up to the distances and the speed up is both due to the previous race and the cooler weather.  YMMV.


        Ray

         


        SMART Approach

          Race them both. You will find out how temps affect your time. If you are fit, those temps should not lead to 20+ sec faster pace per mile. If unfit yes, but not if you have been running in heat all summer/fall.

          Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery

          Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training

          Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique

          www.smartapproachtraining.com

          AndyTN


          Overweight per CDC BMI

            Thanks for the reassurance. Looking at the stats a little closer, the people running in my pace range of 7:15-7:45 were averaging 14-15 seconds per mile faster the 2nd race and it seems that the people in the 8:30-9:30 pace were the ones averaging 30+ seconds faster.

             

            I have the first half marathon 2 weeks after the 2nd 10-miler which is why I was worried about getting recovery time between races. I will certainly still be doing recovery runs in between but I am young and don't have any injuries at all. I did not think about the risk of getting sick for the 2nd 10-miler so with two young kids, that is a great point.

            Memphis / 38 male

            5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10

            JMac11


            RIP Milkman

              I would only race them both if you workouts the week after the first race would not be compromised. If so, then just take the first race as a workout and do it as an up-tempo workout, something around marathon pace.

              5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

               

               

                I personally would skip the first one. It seems like you're describing 4 (10, 10, HM, HM) races over the next 6 weeks. If you do all of them, you're either tapering or recovering for basically the entire duration. So, it's not about how fast you can recover between the 2nd 10m and the 1st HM, it's the balance of how much your training is impacted for 6 straight weeks. I say skip the 1st one because you seem confident it will be slower for you.

                Mikkey


                Mmmm Bop

                  A lot depends on your average weekly mileage, how quickly you recover from races and how you generally feel in training when it’s high 60s.

                   

                  I would personally race on Sunday if the weather is reasonable because you can’t assume that the second race will be more beneficial as there could be strong winds/rain which imo is far worse than high 60s in a 10 mile race.  Then play it by ear....if it’s ideal conditions and you feel good then go for it and hopefully the fitness boost from race 1 will have kicked in!  You would obviously need to tweak your training if you decide to run them both.

                  5k - 17:53 (4/19)   10k - 37:53 (11/18)   Half - 1:23:18 (4/19)   Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)

                    I've raced (figuratively) 2 Half Marathons 2-3 weeks apart, and got about a 2-3 min (guess about 12-15 sec/mile) improvement in the second race. The course and weather were fairly similar, the races share about half the course, and mostly similar hill gradients, with only the start and finish line location changing but still within the small Charlotte downtown area

                    AndyTN


                    Overweight per CDC BMI

                      The remaining races in the series will be 10M Sunday, 10M in 2 weeks, HM in 4 weeks, and HM in 6 weeks so my recovery is for following HM races too. I think it is too risky to skip the first race of each distance completely because I have been basing all my training since April on this series so I don't want to blow my time with a bad race (stomach, sick, bad weather) and not have a chance to redeem myself.

                       

                      What I was originally thinking/asking was to possibly run the first 10M at 95% effort with pace at 15 seconds or so below my target pace so it would be a hard training run enabling me to recover well for the 2nd 10M to run at 100% effort with the cooler weather helping me. If I had a bad race in the 2nd 10M, I would at least have a decent time to count to the total.

                       

                      Seems like most people think I will be able to recover from the 10M in 2 weeks for the 2nd 10M and then the 1st HM in 2 week again. Most people in the series don't run the HM twice which seems even tougher to completely recover in just 2 weeks.

                       

                      After getting everyone's comments, I think my strategy should be to race the 1st 10M at 100% effort to get a good time. If I get a great time in the 1st race and I don't feel like I have recovered completely by the 2nd 10M, I may skip the 2nd race to rest for the 1st HM. If I feel good recovery wise, I will start the 2nd race at 10 seconds per mile faster pace than the 1st pace and if I am not on pace to beat my previous time by at least a minute by miles 6 or 7, I will just slow down to make it a 10k race with recovery run. This should enable me to have plenty of recovery for the 1st HM race. The 2nd HM race would depend on if I am satisfied with my 1st HM time.

                       

                      Feel free to chime in on my new strategy for the remaining 6 weeks. I would still be doing many recovery runs in between races to keep up my 30+ miles per week as well as some cycling.

                      Memphis / 38 male

                      5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10

                      AndyTN


                      Overweight per CDC BMI

                        Well that race sucked! It was 73 degrees and poured rain the entire time. We must have received over an inch of rain during the race and and I knew my time was not going to be very good so I took it easy towards the end. I still ended up in 44th place out of 700+ so it looks like everyone else had a bad race too due to the weather conditions. Redemption time in 2 weeks.

                        Memphis / 38 male

                        5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10