1/2 marathon on May 18th

[Bonnie]

I am planning on running a 1/2 marathon on May 18th.  It is a flat sea-level course -- could be on the hot side (it is the "Avenue of the Vines" race in Lodi, CA).  Between now and then I will probably have 2 more "speed/stamina" workouts and 3 more "long" runs of 14 or so miles.  I am not sure what pace I am shooting for, I would love to break 1:39 (faster than ~7:35 pace for you speedsters), but I am not sure I am there yet.  I do think the runs I have been doing over the past 3 months have increased my stamina at about 1/2 marathon pace, but I don't know if I have the leg speed yet to enable me to run 1:38:xx.  I have been running in the 50 miles/week range for the past 7 weeks (including this one which is not finished yet).  Given that I am so much slower than most of you - what do you think I can realistically "hope" for 3 weeks from now and what might be a good strategy?  My head tells me I should run about 7:35-7:40 pace for the first 6/7 miles and then see if I can speed up over the last half.  My heart wants to try to run 7:25-7:30 for the whole race!

Thank you. 

[Dale]

With the possibility of temperature being a factor, you'll probably need to make a race morning call.  Set yourself a couple of different goals....one for when you're having an okay day and one for when you're having one of *those* days you wish you could bottle.  It's usually always a good idea in a longer race to hold yourself back for at least a couple of miles.....give yourself time to warmup fully and really figure out how you're feeling.  Try to avoid getting locked into thinking you have to run a particular pace (hard to do, I know....I'm the poster child for not following my own advice ).  After the first couple of miles, see how you feel and if you find you're in that race gear we all dream of finding regularly, start doling out some of the extra energy.  Listen to what you head is telling you, but be ready to put the hammer down on race day if your heart is telling you to go for it after the first couple of miles.  I'm sure you'll do great!

[Sasha Pachev]

When it is hot the goal should be to survive. Time goals on hot days lead to disasters. In good conditions I think you could go even faster than 1:39, though.

If you come for one of our uneventful runs I can give you a better idea what you can do.

[Michelle Lowry]

Hi Bonnie,

I think that you can do a sub-1:39.  Assuming the first couple of miles are flat, I would try to hit 7:35-7:40 because it's always easier to go out too fast in a race than too slow.  How you should feel in the first couple of miles is like you can talk in almost sentences, perhaps broken sentences, but you should feel fresh and like the pace is easy at mile 2.  This is where I think GPS watches come in handy because it helps keep me calm in the first mile or two.  The weather component is definitely an issue which may make you tweak your stategy.

And you definitely need to come down for an uneventful half, and let me know when you do so I can try to join

[Bonnie]

Thank you for your comments (and strategy).  I want to come up for an uneventful run, I am not sure I can do an uneventful 1/2 between now and May 18th -- I really can't recover as quickly as some of you from this kind of effort (Sasha and I will have to agree to disagree about the effects of aging).  I would love to try to come up for a run though -- if I can do it some day when I have something faster scheduled and I can join you guys on one of your recovery runs.  I am nervous about running with you in part because I am SO much slower than you guys - I don't want to make you run too slowly for me - but maybe if it is short it would be more of a warm-up for you!!

I will see what I can do about working something in sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks again!

[Michelle Lowry]

Ok Bonnie, enough self-deprecation, ok?  I just read your blog and a fast run for your would be a clip for me too, and even your easy pace would be an ok easy pace for me so don't be afraid and we won't try to run into the ground (well, at least I won't  ).  We would love for you to come down, now, later, both.

[Bonnie]

Ok then, if you won't leave me stranded somewhere on the Provo Trail ... I will talk to Greg this weekend and see what kind of workouts he has in mind for the next couple of weeks and then see if I can sneak into work late some morning (or sneak out of the house at 4AM to get up there in time to run with you guys)!!

Thank you again.  I am both excited and nervous about this race!

[Sasha Pachev]

On the uneventful we are in no hurry. Sometimes we get to 4 miles and we are still behind the 8:00 guy even when it is just Jeff and I. And even after that, sometimes we finish the whole run without breaking 7:30 on any of the miles.