Run Run Away

Question:

If you are finishing at 2 milutes per mile slower than you started then you either had a miserable day or you weren’t trained well enough. What was your long run? For a half marathon that I’d want to run a pb in I’d be sure to get in a few runs at 15 miles. This makes the pesky last few miles bearable. It also seems that you fell apart before you even got started. Which may mean that you just weren’t ready to run a half marathon that day. And I’d guess that somewhere around 6 miles you had your doubts and just gave up around 10 miles. I hate it when I’m running a half marathon and I see my pb go by. It messes up my head and I can’t seem to keep the pace after that. Perhaps you had a rough week and didn’t get enough rest or maybe you were coming down with a cold? Since you’ve run 1:39 look back at how you trained for that one and compare to what you just did. Disasters happen. Learn from it and move on to the next day. Andy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran my third 1/2 marathon at the weekend but it was disappointingly poor. I ran 1:51 although my PB is 1:39. I had major problems maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. I was aiming for 7:30 minute miles, but my splits were well off that as you can see: Mile-Time; 1-7:34; 2-6:52; 3-8:05; 4-8:14; 5-7:45; 6-8:32; 7-8:50; 8-8:59; 9-7:54; 10-9:06; 11-8:57; 12-9:52; 13-9:31; Finish-1:51:34 The route was undulating (Burnham Beeches, UK) and perhaps I should have aimed at a more realistic time. Can anyone please suggest a type of training, or a way in which I can try to practice running at a fixed pace. This was my obvious failing at the weekend! I feel that if I was more practiced at running race pace then this may not have been a problem! Perhaps the solution is just to run as often as possible at race pace and not doing ‘fartlek’ as I have spent some time doing! I do not have access to a track but have measured (approx) 400m, 800m (1/2 mile), 1 mile distances for interval training. I was following Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon training program. Many thanks Dave

Response:

I’ll be running a 1/2 this coming Sunday and I expect to see exactly what you have listed for splits.  The weather can certainly play a part on slowing me down. I’ll try for 7:30s to start with, then there will be some hills that will slow me down and then I expect to finish in "survival mode" where all I can do is keep from walking.  ;-)  I did 2:04 chip time last year at the same race. Yep, it could be just like last year, but this time I will be wearing a different HRM that won’t lose the splits just because I moved the receiver too close to the chestband. If I’ve had fun at a race, I don’t care how bad my splits were.  I’ve had a lot of fun going out at 6:10 – 6:35 first mile in a 5k and then crashing in the second or third mile.  I guess it would be different if certain people passed me on those runs.  ;-) Thanks,         Roger – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran my third 1/2 marathon at the weekend but it was disappointingly poor. I ran 1:51 although my PB is 1:39. I had major problems maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. I was aiming for 7:30 minute miles, but my splits were well off that as you can see: Mile-Time; 1-7:34; 2-6:52; 3-8:05; 4-8:14; 5-7:45; 6-8:32; 7-8:50; 8-8:59; 9-7:54; 10-9:06; 11-8:57; 12-9:52; 13-9:31; Finish-1:51:34 The route was undulating (Burnham Beeches, UK) and perhaps I should have aimed at a more realistic time. Can anyone please suggest a type of training, or a way in which I can try to practice running at a fixed pace. This was my obvious failing at the weekend! I feel that if I was more practiced at running race pace then this may not have been a problem! Perhaps the solution is just to run as often as possible at race pace and not doing ‘fartlek’ as I have spent some time doing! I do not have access to a track but have measured (approx) 400m, 800m (1/2 mile), 1 mile distances for interval training. I was following Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon training program. Many thanks Dave

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran my third 1/2 marathon at the weekend but it was disappointingly poor. I ran 1:51 although my PB is 1:39. I had major problems maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. I was aiming for 7:30 minute miles, but my splits were well off that as you can see: Mile-Time; 1-7:34; 2-6:52; 3-8:05; 4-8:14; 5-7:45; 6-8:32; 7-8:50; 8-8:59; 9-7:54; 10-9:06; 11-8:57; 12-9:52; 13-9:31; Finish-1:51:34 The route was undulating (Burnham Beeches, UK) and perhaps I should have aimed at a more realistic time. Can anyone please suggest a type of training, or a way in which I can try to practice running at a fixed pace. This was my obvious failing at the weekend! I feel that if I was more practiced at running race pace then this may not have been a problem! Perhaps the solution is just to run as often as possible at race pace and not doing ‘fartlek’ as I have spent some time doing!

  Fartlek and track work are good things, but at a guess not your problem for the pace consistency.  My guess is to try running the same kind of course (rolling, in this case) during training as you’ll race on, at least some of the time.  Specificity does count.  The other thing being to run tempo runs (regardless of what pace one is calling tempo — faster than Hmara pace at any rate) at a steady pace for a few miles (20-30 minute runs) again on similar routes to the race.   Also, vary the routes, some more hilly some flatter and practice running them each at the same effort level.  Then use the pace difference as your guide to what is doable on different surfaces.   Experiment, in other words. — Robert Grumbine http://www.radix.net/~bobg/ Science faqs and amateur activities notes and links. Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much evidence and ease; this great facility makes them less appreciated than they would be had they been presented in a more abstruse manner." Two New Sciences

Response:

I make a concerted effort to run at an even pace on all my training runs (apart from speciality runs such as hill workouts, fartleks, intervals).  I know the mile markers on my regular route and I try to hit them at consistent intervals.  You just have to work at it.  I find counting my strides helps.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran my third 1/2 marathon at the weekend but it was disappointingly poor. I ran 1:51 although my PB is 1:39. I had major problems maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. I was aiming for 7:30 minute miles, but my splits were well off that as you can see: Mile-Time; 1-7:34; 2-6:52; 3-8:05; 4-8:14; 5-7:45; 6-8:32; 7-8:50; 8-8:59; 9-7:54; 10-9:06; 11-8:57; 12-9:52; 13-9:31; Finish-1:51:34 The route was undulating (Burnham Beeches, UK) and perhaps I should have aimed at a more realistic time. Can anyone please suggest a type of training, or a way in which I can try to practice running at a fixed pace. This was my obvious failing at the weekend! I feel that if I was more practiced at running race pace then this may not have been a problem! Perhaps the solution is just to run as often as possible at race pace and not doing ‘fartlek’ as I have spent some time doing! I do not have access to a track but have measured (approx) 400m, 800m (1/2 mile), 1 mile distances for interval training. I was following Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon training program. Many thanks Dave

– Regards, Dave I’d love to think that there’s an end just waiting right around the bend, but every turn’s a tunnel.        I descend I’m the running man… Edward Ka Spell and kEvin Key, The Last Man to Fly, 1991

Response:

I ran my third 1/2 marathon at the weekend but it was disappointingly poor. I ran 1:51 although my PB is 1:39. I had major problems maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. I was aiming for 7:30 minute miles, but my splits were well off that as you can see: Mile-Time; 1-7:34; 2-6:52; 3-8:05; 4-8:14; 5-7:45; 6-8:32; 7-8:50; 8-8:59; 9-7:54; 10-9:06; 11-8:57; 12-9:52; 13-9:31; Finish-1:51:34 The route was undulating (Burnham Beeches, UK) and perhaps I should have aimed at a more realistic time. Can anyone please suggest a type of training, or a way in which I can try to practice running at a fixed pace. This was my obvious failing at the weekend! I feel that if I was more practiced at running race pace then this may not have been a problem! Perhaps the solution is just to run as often as possible at race pace and not doing ‘fartlek’ as I have spent some time doing! I do not have access to a track but have measured (approx) 400m, 800m (1/2 mile), 1 mile distances for interval training. I was following Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon training program. Many thanks Dave

Response:

I don’t know this course, but it’s not uncommon for the mile markers to be out of place (sometimes a long way out of place) even when the distance for the whole course is certified. Combine this with the hills, and it might be that your pace was more even than the splits made it seem. Obviously you slowed down in the second half of the race, but perhaps you at least slowed down steadily! Oliver.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran my third 1/2 marathon at the weekend but it was disappointingly poor. I ran 1:51 although my PB is 1:39. I had major problems maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. I was aiming for 7:30 minute miles, but my splits were well off that as you can see: Mile-Time; 1-7:34; 2-6:52; 3-8:05; 4-8:14; 5-7:45; 6-8:32; 7-8:50; 8-8:59; 9-7:54; 10-9:06; 11-8:57; 12-9:52; 13-9:31; Finish-1:51:34 The route was undulating (Burnham Beeches, UK) and perhaps I should have aimed at a more realistic time. Can anyone please suggest a type of training, or a way in which I can try to practice running at a fixed pace. This was my obvious failing at the weekend! I feel that if I was more practiced at running race pace then this may not have been a problem! Perhaps the solution is just to run as often as possible at race pace and not doing ‘fartlek’ as I have spent some time doing! I do not have access to a track but have measured (approx) 400m, 800m (1/2 mile), 1 mile distances for interval training. I was following Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon training program. Many thanks Dave

Response:

Don’t beat yourself up over one poor result. Besides, you said the course was hilly – that’s a good enough reason as any to not run what you thought you would! By looking at your splits, it looks like you just ran out of steam. Did you eat enough food that day, or if it was in the morning – the night before? Were you properly hydrated? As far as practicing a fixed pace, I usually do my runs on a course with mile/km markers. I’m lucky enough to have a 3.2km asphalt path near me with every 200m marked. I run it a LOT, and it really helps. Although short intervals on a track have a definite place, thaey aren’t as similar to race conditions as a normal, nonstop run done on a measured course. Perhaps you have something similar? The trick is to understand how a certain pace feels like at differing fatigue levels, of course. best of luck, — David (in Hamilton, Ont) "You can’t burn out if you’ve never caught fire." http://www.angelfire.com/nc/swstudio/racing.html –

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ran my third 1/2 marathon at the weekend but it was disappointingly poor. I ran 1:51 although my PB is 1:39. I had major problems maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race. I was aiming for 7:30 minute miles, but my splits were well off that as you can see: Mile-Time; 1-7:34; 2-6:52; 3-8:05; 4-8:14; 5-7:45; 6-8:32; 7-8:50; 8-8:59; 9-7:54; 10-9:06; 11-8:57; 12-9:52; 13-9:31; Finish-1:51:34 The route was undulating (Burnham Beeches, UK) and perhaps I should have aimed at a more realistic time. Can anyone please suggest a type of training, or a way in which I can try to practice running at a fixed pace. This was my obvious failing at the weekend! I feel that if I was more practiced at running race pace then this may not have been a problem! Perhaps the solution is just to run as often as possible at race pace and not doing ‘fartlek’ as I have spent some time doing! I do not have access to a track but have measured (approx) 400m, 800m (1/2 mile), 1 mile distances for interval training. I was following Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon training program. Many thanks Dave

Response: