First Half Marathon pace questions.
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iWaffle
Posts: 2,208 Member
First half marathon in 54 days. How does everyone pick their half marathon pace? I have one coming up in June and while I've run the distance I never get to do it on fresh legs. This training plan always has me running 20+ miles during the week and an additional 6 miles the day before my long run. I like the training plan and it seems to be working well for me. I did a 15 mile run yesterday and my legs don't feel sore at all but then I just ran it at a 9:36 average pace. I did 14 the week before at a 9:11 pace. I really only pushed the pace the last few miles on that one. (Mile 11 @ 8:57, 12 @ 8:59, 13 @8:33, 14 @ 8:28.) That did leave me with some sore hamstrings for a couple days but nothing terrible. I don't want to back off on the training but how do I know what I'm capable of doing if I've never tried running the entire thing at racing speed? It isn't that I'm not comfortable with the distance. Since March my longer runs have been 10, 10, 13, 13, 13 and then a 14, 15 this month so far.
A 9:00 pace seem too easy for sure. An 8:40 I think would be totally possible but would an 8:30 pace as an average be reasonable considering that this will be June 9th and the starting temp will probably be about 70 - 75 degrees. Also in consideration what's the best warm up strategy? Should I run the first couple miles at an easier 9:00 - 9:15 and then make it up with a faster pace the last 2 miles or just try to even it out and run the entire thing at the goal pace?
Last 5k time was 24:55 but that was over 2 months ago. I was looking at doing another one this weekend. Can I use that time as a prediction of my half marathon pace or is that just too big of a distance gap to be able to tell anything>
Race Results Predictor
http://www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/predictcalc.cfm
I'm probably overthinking this since there's no telling if the wind will be crazy or I'll drop a hammer on my toe the night before. I was just trying to plan some strategy on how to do these remaining longer runs. I have 5 left over 13 miles before the race. Should I try running one of these under 9:00 as a test or just stick with the plan and see how I do on race day?
A 9:00 pace seem too easy for sure. An 8:40 I think would be totally possible but would an 8:30 pace as an average be reasonable considering that this will be June 9th and the starting temp will probably be about 70 - 75 degrees. Also in consideration what's the best warm up strategy? Should I run the first couple miles at an easier 9:00 - 9:15 and then make it up with a faster pace the last 2 miles or just try to even it out and run the entire thing at the goal pace?
Last 5k time was 24:55 but that was over 2 months ago. I was looking at doing another one this weekend. Can I use that time as a prediction of my half marathon pace or is that just too big of a distance gap to be able to tell anything>
Race Results Predictor
http://www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/predictcalc.cfm
I'm probably overthinking this since there's no telling if the wind will be crazy or I'll drop a hammer on my toe the night before. I was just trying to plan some strategy on how to do these remaining longer runs. I have 5 left over 13 miles before the race. Should I try running one of these under 9:00 as a test or just stick with the plan and see how I do on race day?
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I'm not sure if there is a great predictor for race days. The environments are so different. I know the 4 or 5 times I've ran that distance the latter half was stronger than the first half but I wasn't in that racing environment where you 'give it all' from the very beginning.
I might be inclined to up the pace a bit on the plan but it's almost impossible to 'not' go faster on race day. With the mileage you're putting in I suspect you average 08:30 or faster on the race.0 -
Pace is always this enigma to me because I run what I run. Having said that, my pace has greatly improved since I started training for a marathon. I did my first half last year and I was around 2:30. Did a second half, different course but same time. Did a third half in November and by that point I'd lost about 10 lbs and I dropped my time to 2:19. Now I'm down over 30 lbs and training for a full - when I did a 14 mile training run, I made a point of looking at the time elapsed on my watch around the half marathon point and noted that I was down to about 2 hours. Then I ran an organized half a couple of weekends ago - and even though it was hillier than what I've been training, I came in under 1:53 - so I totally surprised myself!
I think all else being equal, you can expect that you'll run a bit faster than your pace you've been keeping while training & doing similar distance runs. Something about a race atmosphere just helps you go faster. As I'm sure you know, don't start off too fast - save something for the second half. I had the 1:55 pace runner in my sight for most of the race until I passed him during the second half of the race and never saw him again. And when I said "I run what I run" - my pace fluctuates a lot. It just depends on how I feel that day, what the weather is like, whether the sun is shining on me, etc. Then again, my goal is never for time - my goal is to complete the race and feel good while doing it. If I improve along the way, great.0 -
Maybe run the first half of the race at a 8:50 min/mile pace and then use your extra energy to speed up in the second half to an 8:30 pace or so. Definitely focus on achieving negative split times instead of starting out too quickly and having to slow down at the end.
70-75 degrees sounds pretty hot to me but you seem very well prepared!0 -
Your long runs should not be at race pace. You should be doing things closer to race pace on one or two workouts of a shorter distance. Not unusual for longer days to be a minute or so slower, so they are not a good judge. Doing another race, or even a mile on a track can give you an idea, but it does depend a bit on your training
All that said, the first 6-7 miles should feel pretty easy. If not you are going too hard. I would recommend you hold a pretty steady pace the first 10 miles then start to see what you have left in the tank0 -
Your long runs should not be at race pace. You should be doing things closer to race pace on one or two workouts of a shorter distance. Not unusual for longer days to be a minute or so slower, so they are not a good judge.
Ah good. That sounds correct then. I'm doing stuff like this 5x1 workout tomorrow at a 8:35 to 8:45 pace per mile. I'll probably run all the mile intervals at 8:30. I've been doing these pretty consistently and it feels good for 6 miles or so. I just haven't attempted it for too much longer. I'm trying to be good and follow the plan.0 -
I think you will be able to run at an 8:30 pace, I would start at 8:50 or 8:45 for the first 2 miles and settle at 8:30 min/mile around mile 3 and run the last 3 miles faster at 8:20 or better.0
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Run an all out 5K about 5 weeks out from the race and use the McMillan calculator to determine what your pace for the HM should be. Then, dial it down about 10 seconds per mile. Run the first mile 30 seconds slower, than speed up to 10 seconds slower, then drop the hammer for the last 3 or 4 miles if you are feeling good.0
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I would not over-analyze. I would continue with my training, perhaps using HR monitor on long runs to see what effort is. Taper well, and then, on race day, Kill it. Overthinking might lead to a result not being what your best is. Just race it, and start out a tad bit slower. After this race, then start on the next progression. But if you get stuck with having all of these numbers in your head, unless you KNOW what your race pace should be, you might hold yourself back.0
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I train and race by heart rate. So I'll run a half mary about 5 bpm short of my threshold until 5k left and then I'll blow out whatever I have left in the tank.0
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I have been told you can't win a race in the first mile or two but you can lose it. You don't want to start out to fast and then run out of gas before the end. I would find a pace group your are comfortable with and start there, if after a couple miles you feel you can kick it up a little feel free to run ahead.
The weather is a whole other story, if you have not bee able to train in warmer weather it may throw things off a bit, even better reason to start out slow.
Good luck-0 -
Good comments on the pace.
Re temps — a 9:32 pace at 60º is the same level of effort as 9:45 at 75º. Keep in mind that humidity plays a significant factor, especially as temps rise above 60º.0 -
Good comments on the pace.
Re temps — a 9:32 pace at 60º is the same level of effort as 9:45 at 75º. Keep in mind that humidity plays a significant factor, especially as temps rise above 60º.
Temps are ever below 60? Oh right I'm from southeast Texas.0 -
Good comments on the pace.
Re temps — a 9:32 pace at 60º is the same level of effort as 9:45 at 75º. Keep in mind that humidity plays a significant factor, especially as temps rise above 60º.
Temps are ever below 60? Oh right I'm from southeast Texas.
Southeast Tejas? You folks grow cotton and humidity, I seem to recall. ;-)
I had a chance to do the "Ride Around Texas" a couple of years back on my GoldWing
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=2217517ed0f8a3885
We did the 48 hour trip so we had to hustle a bit but it was a great ride!0
