So, I’ve 13 days until my first HM. My training has been a bit haphazard; I only manage 2 runs a week on average, what with cycling 4 days a week. I made it out for my long run today (the other run is parkrun on the Saturday) which was a fairly comfortable full HM distance. Does tapering with a 5km on Saturday, a 10km next Monday, then a very gentle parkrun on the day before the race sound OK?
Also (and this is going to sound like a humble-brag 😊) I’m running the HM with a friend who I’m pretty sure is a bit slower than me. He hasn’t yet managed to make the full distance in training and he reckons he’ll be about 15 mins slower. What to do? Would most of you just start together and run the first couple of kms before splitting, or stick together the whole way? It feels a little awkward! I suppose since it’s my first HM I’m guaranteed a PB anyway...
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Colinsmith
Half Marathon
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Your taper sounds good. It’s up to you if you both want to run together. On my first HM I was following a friend until we got to the dreaded hill and he powered away 😁. I was happier running on my own after that, at my own pace - surrounded by lots of people I didn’t know along the way. Have fun!
Talk to your friend about this, he may be happy to run at own pace on the day. I had a similar dilemma on a first 10K where I knew I’d be a bit faster, but wanted to encourage my running buddy. After about 3k she told me to run at my pace. So was she saying ‘I can’t keep up with you I need to go slower’ or ‘don’t let me hold you back’. Either way we were both happy with our finish times.
My pals and I sometimes do the same events, be it parkrun or races, and we seem to have an unspoken understanding that we meet at the start for a nervous/excited chat and a coffee, then split up into our appropriate waves or positions, run by ourselves, then cheer each other in at the end and have another coffee. Or beer. It will probably happen naturally if you run at different paces 🙂
I think it might be good for you to start off together and then you go off ahead - it could be fabulous for your pacing anyway! But you know this person - how would they take it if you separated part way?
In my experience there's no such thing as a "gentle parkrun" 😉
I has this last year, when my brother-in-law came to support me for my first HM. We stuck together for the first 5km or so enjoying a nice chat, then I left him on the hill to beachy head and pushed on. It was great as it stopped me flying out the traps at the beginning. We hadn't discussed it before-hand it just felt right.
Furthermore, I doubt your friend will want you to run slow for him, any more than you do. You have trained for this and you want to get to the end feeling that you have given it your best. He has already said he will be slower than you; sounds like a green light to me.
Haha, you may have a point about parkrun Abi! This is me, every Saturday morning:
8.00am - ‘Urgh, I’ve a bit of a cold and had a couple of drinks last night, I’ll take it easy at parkrun this week. Just get round.’
9.00am - ‘Feel a bit better now, I’ll see how I go... ‘
9.05am - Set off at 4min per Km pace in the excitement.
9.20am - 3 to 4km-ish. Feel like I’m going to peg out.
9.27am - Delude myself I’m still on for a PB. Hear ‘Chariots Of Fire’ theme in my head. Put on a manic sprint to pip the 12 year old kid ahead of me at the line. 😀
Thanks for everyone’s take on this. I expected most would say we should run our own races, and I’m sure we shall after the first couple of 2kms. Maybe I’ll manage negative splits for once.
First of all, first HM, brilliant!
To be honest, I'm not even sure why I think I'm qualified to reply to this, but to me the idea of sticking with your friend for the first few k sounds ideal. It will stop you rushing the start and using too much energy, and will help your friend too I'm sure. Speaking from the experience of my recent 7k hill race, for hill read something akin to Everest, I had a much much faster running buddy with me for the first time, and it meant the world that he stuck with me, the whole way as it turned out, even though I was extra slow because I was worried about my niggly knee. For him it was fine because he'd set out with the express intention of spending some time with me and encouraging me, this guy doesn't need to do 7ks, he does ultra marathons for fun!
I would start together but agree to run your own pace there after.
I am a slow runner and can tell you it is very hard to try to run a faster pace to keep up with others. If your friend does that there is a chance he may give up before he does the distance. Neither of you want that to happen so discuss it before the race.
The one who was slower than I but who tried to keep up with me I had told I wasn't going to walk-run-walk so I ran my own race.
I enter events with two goals in mind - to enjoy my run and, so far, do the distance without stopping.
If I try to speed up, not going to make it.
If I slow down - not fun.
Either way, how does that make for a good friendship unless the main motivation is to either pace a faster runner for a stretch or to give some support all the way around for an unsure friend?
Figure your motivation, then it should be easier to figure your strategy.
Whatever you end up doing, wishing you the best for a good run
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