I ran the Athens Ohio Half Marathon today as a tune up for the Indy Mini in a couple of weeks. My plan was to run this one as a marathon pace run and hold a pace of 6:45-6:50 throughout. Figured that would make for a good, solid workout without overdoing it and had no intention of getting involved in any racing.
I'm always amazed at how fast a lot of people go out. I passed a bunch of folks between Mile 1 and Mile 2 who sounded like they were running a 5K. Anywho, around Mile 2, I pass some young kid who then proceeds to hang off my shoulder. And he hangs there and hangs there and hangs there. He never once makes any effort to get around me and share in the pacemaking work. He just stays there. I got really irritated at his refusal to step up and do his bit of the work. This race is mostly an out and back on a bike path and when we hit the turn around point, I slowed to a crawl. He went right on around and, for the next 4 miles, I never moved off his shoulder. I have no idea how many times he kept doing head checks to see where I was.
I finally go ahead and move around him at Mile 10 and pick up the pace a bit to try to drop him for good. Christ if he doesn't start hanging on my shoulder again. Fine. I formulate a plan. At Mile 11, I back down again and let him go. I spend that mile in cruise mode, catching my breath, and getting ready for what is to come. He gaps me by about 10-20 yards. I can, by this point, hear someone else catching up to me and he's only back a few seconds. Oh, and runners coming up the other side have told me that I'm in 6th place. 'Nuff said.
At Mile 12, I start picking up the effort. As soon as I get to this kid, I pick it up again. Every 0.2 miles, I try to pick it up another notch. With half a mile left, I am seriously suffering but I risk a glance and he is way, way behind me. I also look at my watch and see a 6:05 pace. Smiles. I'm able to ease off a notch at this point because there is no way he'll catch me. Still, I don't drop off completely and finish Mile 13 at a 6:12 pace and the last 0.1 at 6:06. I end up getting a top 5 overall and win my AG by a fair bit. The guy who finished in 6th said he thought he had both of us until, in his words, "someone shot you out of a cannon" at Mile 12. he he.
Seriously though, if you're going to run with someone, share the work. If this kid had done so, I doubt I would have put in a kick in the last mile as this was simply a training run for me and he would have had a shot at a top 5 finish. Not saying he would have made it because the guy I heard coming up on us caught and passed him as well. Results:5th - 1:27:44
6th - 1:28:06
7th - 1:28:12
Looking forward to running all out at the Indy Mini in two weeks and seeing what I can do. Aerobically, I am in the best shape of my life but I have done precious little race specific training so I'm not at all sure I can translate that aerobic fitness into a race. We shall see.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Hanging out with some friends post-race. I ain't stupid.
Hip Redux
I know nothing about this in running but it certainly happens in cycling. And while there is the notion that you "should" share the work, there are plenty of times when competitors don't and it's all part of the strategery. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't - sometimes the one coasting on the back is unable to react quick enough to a sprint and sometimes the person who has been doing all the work fizzles out.
In the end, you beat him. That's usually a good thing.
I watch a lot of the Tour de France as it is one of my favorite sporting events of the year. I completely understand that if Team "A" is wearing the Yellow Jersey, no other team is going to help them with pacemaking. That's part of the burden of having a rider in the lead. However, I also know that it's considered very bad form to be in a breakaway and not do your share of the work in setting the pace. Well, unless you are in the breakaway and your team has the Yellow Jersey and then you're certainly not going to help. Those riders who get into the breakaway and won't help will find that such actions come back to haunt them at some point in the future.
I should note that if I had caught him at, say, Mile 10 and he hung off my shoulder in an attempt to keep up, I wouldn't have given it a second thought other than to think he was being smart (in a good way).
Yeah, I've seen guys just hang on for no real reason other than to save their legs. I love it when the other riders in the breakaway start telling them off while they're doing it, too lol
That's awesome Brad! Congrats on the top 5 and dropping the shoulder-hugger.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
Great work, Mr. Cannon!
I have never run that close to someone before and I sure do not know how to share the work but hopefully if I am ever in that position I will.
Damaris
As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.
Fundraising Page
Are we there, yet?
Well you could thank him since his selfishness helped push you to a 5th place.
Not surprisingly this reminds me of one of my races, except mine was the complete opposite. It was a combined 5K/10K race. Early in the 10K race I found myself running next to one of the top women. Since the 5K hadn't turned off yet, I didn't know which she was running. She was running about my pace, so I fell in stride with her. Rather than hang a half step behind, I moved up beside her and asked which race she was running. She was running the 10K, so we continued to run together. On sections of the course where I was struggling, having her there to pace helped me through them. Turnabout is fair play and I helped her when she struggled to maintain our pace. This continued almost the entire race until I urged her to take off to try and catch one more runner. She finished 6th OA and won the women's race. I wasn't able to kick with her, but still finished 8th and won my AG.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
KillJoyFuckStick
Lemme get this strait.
1) It was a marathon training run (not a race in your own words)
2) You're pissed that someone decided to race it
3) Humble brag how beat the guy and your placement all from a "training run."
You people have issues
Nice report, and awesome finish! And a good reminder about sharing the work for those who ever are in that situation.
And you're coming to Indy for the mini? Very cool. I'll be about a half hour behind you haha
At what distance it is considered good form to share the work? Is this something I should be aware of for a 5 miler or a 10k?
delicate flower
Is it proper etiquette to share the work? I always just assumed it's every man for themselves unless you are part of a team. I haven't been in a position where it mattered and I have not been trained/coached on racing dynamics.
<3
Penguin Power!
I agree with Baboon here - every man for himself. It isn't like you were on some group training run where you alternate who is leading. The smartest racers just draft for as long as possible and then turn on the burners at the end. Not that I'm at all competitive at running but I certainly used tall people to block the wind during my last half - since I'm pretty short I'm not a great wind blocker for others, but I wouldn't be offended if someone tucked in behind me for awhile. On swim team the fastest/strongest swimmers lead the lane and keep the pace for the less experienced swimmers during practice. But in a race you try to stay on the opposite side of your lane from your competition -- unless of course you are trying to draft off of them for a bit, in which case you hug the lane line near their side =P
Upcoming Races: Run as One 4M (4/24) * Japan Run 4M (5/8) * Brooklyn Half (5/21)
You may see tacit agreement between a couple runners to share the work mid-race to either break up a pack or close a gap, but in the end it's every runner for themselves.
race obsessed
Depends on you.
I have been coached to share work if it is appropriate. ie: if there is someone my pace I find and we work together then I take advantage of it. Using each other to keep going and not slowing and passing others as a team effort.
Then it becomes a race towards the end of the distance -
BUT* you have to know yourself and gauge/ judge well. If you are too fast then nothing to race int he end - too slow and your 'partner' may have more than enough to take you out. Or maybe they were not the right partner.