Half Marathon #6 - Race Strategy
RunnerElizabeth
Posts: 1,091 Member
I've got HM #6 coming up on May 18th. It is the Funky Kingston Half in Kingston, NH.
The thing that will be tricky for me is that I'm planning to do this race with my 4 yearold in the jogger, so I will have to start dead last and move up. In longer races i usually try to keep a steady effort, but given that I'll have to start slow anyway and with the elevation profile of the course (flat or down hill from mile 8 on) does a negative split make more sense?
As far as choosing my pace goes, from early training i was thinking going for between a 2:15 and 2:10. I recently did 9 miles with the stroller at a 10:12 pace and that felt near perfect at the time. However I since figured out i can run somewhat faster with the stroller than I thought, except for on hills. Hills are murder! My big concern is going out too fast, losing steam and ending up having to push the stroller at a walk for 6 miles. She would hate me!
So does it make sense for me to go out at a 10:12? Or should I try even slower than that and then speed up? I'm trying to paste in the elevation profile to show what the hills are like. Even though i come from a hiking and map reading background i have a hard time understanding how elevation translates for running. Do these hills seem easy enough and like I don't have much to worry about? I do train on some nasty hills with the stroller, but the worst of it is right outside my house so i don't have to keep going.
I realize I'm probably over thinking this a bit, but that's because i do want to run this as fast as i can so that we're both still happy for the reggae party once it's over. So any advice would be appreciated!
The thing that will be tricky for me is that I'm planning to do this race with my 4 yearold in the jogger, so I will have to start dead last and move up. In longer races i usually try to keep a steady effort, but given that I'll have to start slow anyway and with the elevation profile of the course (flat or down hill from mile 8 on) does a negative split make more sense?
As far as choosing my pace goes, from early training i was thinking going for between a 2:15 and 2:10. I recently did 9 miles with the stroller at a 10:12 pace and that felt near perfect at the time. However I since figured out i can run somewhat faster with the stroller than I thought, except for on hills. Hills are murder! My big concern is going out too fast, losing steam and ending up having to push the stroller at a walk for 6 miles. She would hate me!
So does it make sense for me to go out at a 10:12? Or should I try even slower than that and then speed up? I'm trying to paste in the elevation profile to show what the hills are like. Even though i come from a hiking and map reading background i have a hard time understanding how elevation translates for running. Do these hills seem easy enough and like I don't have much to worry about? I do train on some nasty hills with the stroller, but the worst of it is right outside my house so i don't have to keep going.
I realize I'm probably over thinking this a bit, but that's because i do want to run this as fast as i can so that we're both still happy for the reggae party once it's over. So any advice would be appreciated!
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