Pacing, pacing, pacing .... arrrggghhh!

[linda9389]

I just went out for a wonderful wild run in Great Windsor Park - about as open a run as I could pick for these 45mph winds🤣🤣🤣. As I returned down the Long Walk the wind was blowing left to right, so hard that my left foot kept kicking my right leg in mid air (think Fred Astaire kicking his heels together mid-air to the right 😵) - at any point I thought my legs might blow out from under me and I'd be lying on my side at the foot of Windsor Castle. So. It was supposed to be a 'half marathon pace' run, although as it was so windy and far more 'undulating' than my usual runs, I thought I might struggle.

When I first started this training plan, my target HM pace was 6:20 min/km (my last HM was run at around 6:25), but I tentatively revised that to 6:15 fairly early in the training. But I still keep overshooting it, for a variety of different reasons.

Today I ended up running this 'goal HM pace 13k' at 5:55 (so I've 'reassigned' it as my Tempo run - target pace 6:00 - for this week🤣). I'm pretty sure I can't sustain that pace for 21k - my legs were feeling it at the end although I could have gone further for sure.

I really can't decide how to pace this HM in March! My first ever 20k training run was abysmal because I started out too fast and ended up run/walking and I was so miserable (my attempt at GSR was the same), so I'm really frightened of my HM ending up the same way.

Being highly competitive with myself whilst also being totally risk averse there's a tricky and very noisy conflict going on in my head!

I'm thinking I should perhaps keep the first half to 6:15, and then see if I can push the second half. Too tame? Too much? My long run is already up to 20k, my HM mid-March - should I have a go at a Pace HM in training before then to settle my mind or is it best to stick to 'easy' and save 'HM pace' for the day (especially as I'm trying not to overdo it with my foot)?

Anyone any thoughts or suggestions? ....

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

I'm thinking maybe you should go back to 6:15, and maybe just try a faster km or two at the end of a couple of your runs. Do shorter runs at pace. For the race start off with 6:15 and keep it until at least halfway - if you feel good, ramp it up! If not, no harm no foul. Bathalf is a flat one, isn't it?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Virtually flat yes! And it's two laps - so whatever I did in the first half, I know it's virtually the same for the second half (bar the final stretch).

I have two more long 'easy' runs on my (your) plan before the event, plus several 'pace' runs. Can I just check - are you suggesting the 'pace' training runs should be at 6:15 apart from speeding up the last couple of kms, and keep the long (20k ish) training runs at an easy pace (which I currently have as 7:00)? I guess I could also finish the long easy runs with a couple of fast kms to see what's left.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

I meant to run the 'pace' runs at 6:15, and the long runs at easy but with some 6:15 kms at the end (and/or in the middle if you like, but perhaps at the end is more useful at this stage).

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

OK. Thanks. Sounds like a plan. Now maybe I can get some peace and quiet in my head🤬. I will also make a note to stay away from race or parkrun routes so I don't feel the ridiculous need to prove something.

Ideally I don't want anything slower than 2h15m on race day, but there's an annoying little gremlin telling me I should be going for 2h10m and I don't want him ruining everything 🙄.

Time to start playing by the rules, and 6:15 it is which would be a 2h12m HM - let strava be my witness 🤣🤣🤣

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Oh Linda I feel really responsible for your dilema as it was me that suggested that I thought you could quicker!

I would absolutely concur with Abi's suggestion that you go to halfway at 6:15 then increase the pace (or not) depending on how you feel to make sure you can really enjoy your race x

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to pianoteacher]

Haha, you were one of the voices in my head for sure 😍. I'm not complaining at that though, just be indecision. I do need to be pushed in most things as I tend to be very conservative🙄. I will make good use of our conversation though by 'converting it' to a vote of confidence in my ability to do 6:15 and possibly pick it up a bit in the last half or third. (I'm now going to feel very silly if I end up with a slower overall time than my previous attempts after all this 🤣🤣🤣)

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

You'll be great Linda! You've improved loads since your last HM and your plan is a good one 😁

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to pianoteacher]

🤞

[Papillon17 Half Marathon]

I have done one half marathon in training and just ran it at 6.3 mins/km and a ten mile a few weeks before at 5.92 mins/km not trying anything fancy just want to complete and it seems a lot of my 10Ks are run at the same pace so I am not going to worry but just try and stay consistent. Good luck with your run Linda9389.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Papillon17]

You definitely have the right approach for your first official HM. I just wish I had a silencer for all the noise in my head 😀. Hopefully there'll be lots of distractions on the day and I won't spend as much time in my own head 😍

[Papillon17 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

I have Mr Nagging Doubt also but hopefully I will have shifted him so that is part of the reason trying to make sure that I don’t put pressure on myself .

[Papillon17 Half Marathon]

It sounds like our paces are very similar. As I am hoping around 2hr 15 and will be very happy with that even if longer not setting target too high as my greatest achievement will be getting round and raising as much money as I can as long as under 4 hours as I want my bling. This is for mum.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Papillon17]

Perfect. Great to be running for something so personal. My first was 2.21 and my third just over 2.15. My other distances have improved quite a bit since then, but of course that might just be as a result of running longer distances. It may well take me more than 2:15 but I will hang on to the hope that I can PB 😍. You are pretty much guaranteed a PB so your priority should be to enjoy and feel awesome 😀

[SlowLoris]

The only pace HM you do should be the event itself. Keep your long runs slow.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to SlowLoris]

Got it! I guess I knew that really but I was talking myself round in circles this afternoon and needed to be told 😀

[SlowLoris in reply to linda9389]

I did hill repeats this morning. That slowed me down a bit. (A lot).

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to SlowLoris]

🤣🤣🤣

[tiggs1 Marathon]

I run with a girl who is on a marathon plan and she has the same problem with regards to slowing her training runs down as she runs very comfortably at 5:45/km but she knows she can’t keep that up for long distances. To help her she asked if I would run with her as I would die if I ran that fast so she runs at my pace which keeps her at a steadier pace. Is there anyone you could run with?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to tiggs1]

I don't really know anyone who runs, apart from @JaoJao. Hopefully the power of this forum will penetrate my brain on my next runs. The evidence will be on strava so I won't have anywhere to hide if I misbehave - I've committed to 6:15 and 7:00, I have a watch, I have no excuse 😍

[theoldfellow]

I find it is much more difficult to slow my pace down in the wind. I am trying to run to Heart Rate to develop aerobic fitness (nothing to do with half marathons, honest), and with the variability of the wind resistance that is next to impossible.❤

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to theoldfellow]

Running to heart rate sounds really difficult at any time to me! I think I'd get very impatient. Much respect to anyone who sticks with it 👍