Hi groovy runners!
How has the training gone this past week? The weather has been fabulous down in Hove and I have been making the most of it - including getting a 10K PB, go meeee!!!!!!
Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent poll, and/or provided us with topics on my last post. Keep them coming!
One of the most popular topics was PACING, which I will attempt to address here 😊
A quick point I want to make before I start is that I realise that when asking about pacing some people are really talking about SPEED. We have already covered the topics of speed intervals and hill training in a previous post here:
healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Such workouts are usually included in a training plan to help improve your strength, gait & posture, and leg turnover - all of which should ultimately enhance your speed.
But to sustain a greater average speed for the entirety of a race is not easy! Learning to understand how to pace yourself, and implementing a pacing strategy, can really help you make the most out of your half marathon - whether you want to be fast or just finish.
★ PREPARATION
GPS watches
Using your GPS watch is really useful for getting a particular pace per split during your run. I am relatively new to the running watch world, and I have been really enjoying some very even splits during my recent training runs. However, it is often the case that we can’t keep that desirable pace up for the whole of our run, so how can we deal with that?
Changing your pace during the run, and running by feel
Plan some of your runs to alternate your pace for each split (km, mile etc.), or gradually increase your pace for each split. Really notice how you feel as you progress, and make a note of it - learn to run by feel. This will help you to regulate your pace more effectively during your half marathon.
Practice running “negative splits” during training - purposely running the second half faster than the second. Practice “surging” (short periods of running just a bit faster), or “strides” (run fast, but not all-out, for short periods during or at the end of a run). Try a sprint finish at the end of run. These are good for improving speed, but they also will really help you learn to push yourself when you are flagging.
runnersworld.com/training/a...
Include some steady-paced runs too
30 minutes to an hour running consistently at a “comfortably hard” effort (often called a “tempo run”) can help a great deal with endurance. If you are looking to PB you should also include some runs or long intervals at your target race pace.
Preparing for particular features of your half marathon
If your course is quite hilly you may wish to take advantage of the downhill sections! To do this you should practice running fast downhill, work on your technique and your quad strength. If your course is flat, or has long, flat sections, as mentioned in previous posts be sure to include some long flat runs in your training.
Pigheadedness
Make yourself keep going when you want to stop! I have just got an indoor bike trainer, and I think this will be great for working on pushing myself onward - a treadmill would present the same opportunity. And for outdoor runs, hills are great for this. Make yourself keep going even if you are beetroot and puffing like a train - five more minutes on the indoor bike or treadmill, keep going up the hill to the next tree, etc. etc.
★ RACE STRATEGY
Ease into the run
Above all else, remember not to start off too fast! It’s easy to say... and difficult to do. But practising running by feel will really help. If you go rushing off you will quickly find that you get out of breath, so when that happens slow down and compose yourself. It should go without saying that you can practice this in training too, and at parkrun, and at a tune-up 10k race if you have one planned. If you’re working on a pb you won’t want to begin too slowly either, so find a sensible starting pace, and don’t start too far back in the pack! Also, it is very helpful if you start the race warm, because being cold can make you want to hurry at the start. Practice warming up for your race during training - a 1.5 km jog, and some dynamic stretching perhaps, before your run. A lot of events actually have a warm-up session before the start, which can be a lot of fun!
Here is my usual warm-up info link: runnersconnect.net/why-shou...
Plan your splits
For hilly races in particular, you can plan to be slower in some parts and quicker in others to get your desired average pace. You may want to know at what sort of time you can expect to be at each water station (for example) to achieve a certain pace. A very useful device is a pacing band - check out Linda’s here:
healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Plan your food and drink
You’ve all heard about practicing eating and drinking on your training runs by now! Your eating and drinking strategy can really help you pick up your pace. Learn when you typically start to run out of energy on the run and be sure to eat something before it happens! Practising eating on the run, drinking from a cup, or taking a sip of your own drink, all will help you maintain your stride during the half marathon. And a little treat every now and then can work wonders for the morale… and your pace!
And remember that final kick!
Provided you are feeling OK when you get near the finish line (if you have a niggle please be sensible and take it more slowly) you will be so proud of yourself if you go for a little sprint finish! With a few steps to go, why not try it? You can always sit down afterwards 😊😊😊
★ HASTINGS HALF MARATHON - A CASE STUDY 😄
We had a question from pianoteacher about pacing for a sub-2 hour Hastings Half Marathon specifically. PT and I both ran this race last year, and the post illustration is from my Strava record of it - so you can all see what the difficulty was!
strava.com/activities/22368...
Brighton and Hove gives me ample opportunity to train on hills, and I planned the majority of my runs to have some hills included. I did not have a running watch at that time, so all my runs were by feel. I took advantage of the fact that running downhill can feel like an easy effort even at quite a fast pace, so I was able to practice fast downhills during long slow runs. I also pushed myself to run at faster paces uphill every week, and included race-pace runs.
For the race itself, my strategy was just to keep going without walking, and to run downhill as fast as possible. For the first few km of the race there are some short sharp up and down bits, and I did capitalise on my fresh legs just a little. After that there is a long section of steady uphill (Queensway), which I checked out on Google street view to get a good idea of what it was like and when I would finally reach the top. I looked for similar inclines in Brighton to train on, and on the day I felt comfortable running all the way up - although I was certainly glad to finally reach the top! I took care to relax and look around me, and didn’t worry too much about my pace - other than to make sure that I kept running! I do think that a Jeff Galloway-type strategy can also help give a faster overall pace because the walking intervals are evenly spaced and the running intervals are at a consistent speed. But to break for a walk inconsistently will generally slow you down. After the Queensway section things get interesting with a succession of sharp ups and downs, and an opportunity for some fast downhills! I did find I was flagging a little by then though - some jelly babies helped!
I definitely struggled during the last 5 km of the race where it goes along the prom and is completely flat. I tried to keep powering along at around 5:30 min/km (a moderately hard effort) because I knew I needed to keep up the pace for sub-2, but faded in the last km. More work needed on the flat! I took a very quick stop at the last water station because I had been struggling with thirst the whole way round (I made a mistake and didn’t have a drink with me at the start) and wanted to get a cup of water down without spilling any (more practice needed there too!), but even the quick breather didn’t help me keep my pace up for that final split.
Anyway, it was a fun day (we were very lucky with the weather too), and I did make it round in just under two hours! My next half marathon will be a flat one, but possibly very windy, and I am using what I learned in Hastings to help prepare for it.
That was a long post - well done if you made it this far!! Hope it will be of some help. Feel free to ask questions!
Happy running, everyone 😊😊😊
linda9389 & roseabi xxx
January 27th, 2020
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Spring 2020 Half Marathon Group list: docs.google.com/spreadsheet...
HUHM Strava Group: strava.com/clubs/huhm
Previous posts:
Welcome: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Training plans: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Let's get to know each other!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Getting the most out of your training: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Food & drink on the run: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
How to make the most of your race photos: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Have a very happy holiday period!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Happy New Year!!!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Aiming to be race-day ready !!!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Speed intervals & hill training!: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
Long run - length and timing: healthunlocked.com/marathon...
( if you understand that )!