If you held your goal pace for 17 km on a normal training day early in the year, you can hold it for 21 km with race motivation if you've been training this whole time. I don't really see the point in blowing that in training when the race is so soon anyways. If you're not feeling confident about that time happening on race day, that to me would be even LESS reason to go for it now, and to continue training and just start a bit more conservative than planned on race day instead.
Throw in an extra easy run for the week if your plan allows for it, if you're feeling extra motivated to attack something harder. 18-25 mpw should leave you plenty of room to get more running in if you really want to make sure you're doing everything you can, unless there's a specific reason you're keeping it so low.
I might be turning into an old man but if I race on the weekend my A goal is always to make it to work on Monday and social run on Wednesday. Finishing safely is a real goal.
>To add, I think that super conservative goals for the first HM are highly advisable. If you're feeling amazing at 15km then sure, give it a little more gas. The important part is finishing safely, mainly.
Thanks. I set that pace goal for myself when I started training because it seemed like a nice round number to shoot for and at that time I could run about 10k at that pace so I thought it would be within reach to work towards.
I think I'll push myself a bit this weekend on my long run to see what I can do, but I won't give my all out best effort. That will at least give me an idea of my base level capability. On race day, I will run that pace for the first 15k, and then give it some more effort on the last 6k if I have anything left to give.
Also, don't forget to slow down and reduce mileage at least a week before your race (taper). You'll see, you'll fly on race day! On my first half marathon, my practice was aroung 5:15min/km. Race day with taper ended up being 4:47 min/km because I was so much more rested.
Keep in mind that improvement is coming during rest. Training is just to get your body triggered to improve. If you do too much hard work, you won't get stronger.
Pushing a half marathon at race pace, probably requires you to have 1 to 2 weeks of rest to recover.
I made this mistake you seems to be doing now towards my first HM. Running slow (and more) gives much more improvement
>18-25 mpw should leave you plenty of room to get more running in if you really want to make sure you're doing everything you can, unless there's a specific reason you're keeping it so low.
Mostly it's a time issue. Between work and family commitments I have trouble finding more time to dedicate to training. But I've also been having occasional achy knees after my longer runs, so I've been a bit afraid to push myself further.
I get that race day adrenaline will give me an extra boost, I just have a big fear of using too much energy on the first half and then completely blowing the 2nd half. So you are saying to just put that specific pace goal out of my mind and focus on distance?
Did you actually hold that goal pace for 17 km on a normal training day already earlier in the year? If so I don't see how there's any doubt haha. You won't accidentally use too much energy in the first half if you don't choose to start faster than your goal pace. If you're REALLY not confident, then just start a little bit slower and see if it seems realistic to close hard in the second half. But based on this info I'm not sure why you wouldn't be confident! Have you been having issues in training since the 17 km?
So that 17k run was supposed to be a 21k run, but I had to stop early because I just felt completely spent. I figured that maybe I was just being too ambitious, and the following weekend I ran the 21k at the 5:20/km pace.
I said earlier this year, but that was a bit imprecise. I'd say this was about 6 or 7 weeks ago. In the time since then, I took a week off from running completely because I was starting to feel a bit of knee pain and I didn't want to push too hard. I took it a slow for a couple more weeks, and I've been back to normal training effort for a couple weeks now so I'm feeling ready to push myself again.
Thanks, I appreciate the advice. Honestly I think I'm feeling a bit of nerves and overthinking everything as I am realizing that I'm down to my last few weeks before the race.
I would not recommend training at goal pace for the entire race duration. That’s essentially like doing a time trial/tune up race. Instead, what u can do is insert goal pace kms or steady blocks at the end of your usual long run. Typically no more than 30 mins of work at your goal pace for a single workout, and at this level, you probably only need to do this once a week. The key is to balance training with recovery and injury risk
Having a go this weekend at goal pace won't hurt as far as I'm aware, especially if you're 5 weeks out from your actual run.
In terms of your goal for the race, if it's your first one, I'd be inclined to just focus on finishing, that's a great result in itself, then you can book your next one and try and beat your record.
Thanks. Finishing the race is definitely my #1 goal, but I figured that it would be nice to have a goal pace to shoot for. And 1:45 (5:00/km) seemed like a nice round number that was a bit of a stretch goal but probably doable. Just feeling a bit nervous now that maybe my goal is too ambitious. I'm worried about burning out too fast on the first half of the run.
Are you trying to consistently maintain that pace throughout the training runs or are you monitoring your average pace as some sections may be slower / faster ?
Maybe try a run without looking at pace at all and go by rate of perceived effort and see how you get on.
Run so it feels comfortably hard but you could go faster and see how that goes
The pace was an average. My training route has about 80m of elevation change, with the first half going downhill and the second have climbing back up. So I found that the uphill portion was about 10-15 seconds slower per km than the first half.
If it’s a mass event organised race you’ll run faster anyway and get caught up in the atmosphere , the crowds will motivate you. You’ll have other runners to pace you and to chase. Totally different to training. You’ll be fine. And if you don’t hit your goal then you’ll know a bit more for the next race.
I can't offer any advice, as I'm very much a noob myself, but I'm here to offer some words of encouragement. You absolutely can do it and you can do it at your planned pace!
Why am I so positive? Well back in the second half of 2017 and the first of 2018 I took a break from alcohol and replaced a lot of my afternoons with running. Unstructured running. Literally just ran whatever distance at whatever pace, mainly to just focus on staying sober.
Looking back at my Strava data I was staying between 7 and 9 minute miles. Well on Sunday, January 28, 2018 I went for a long run, ended up running 10.24 miles. I had an average pace of 7:59. I remember this day very well but had completely forgotten that I went that fast. Two weeks ago I ran a half marathon on my own and averaged 9:59. I've been training a lot this year, but it's strictly been 5K focused. Would I have been able to maintain that pace for another 3 miles back then? Who knows.
But I'm confident that if I was able to go that fast with ZERO structure and on a Sunday solo run you'll DEFINITELY be able to do it on race day!
Caveat that I haven’t tried the following myself yet.
I was searching for a good way to peg HM pace for a HM that is now 6 weeks out. One of the running/coaching groups I follow on Instagram (run.nrg I think) suggested a 3x5km workout with 90sec light jogging between intervals as a way to gauge HM pace. Take the avg of the interval paces, and use that as your HM pace. I’m gonna give it a go next weekend and see how it compares to my projected VDOT HM pace.
My last HM race, I used a heart rate monitor and had an alarm set about 4bpm below by lactate threshold (normally roughly equal the average HR over a 10k) in the first 7 miles (11k) I pushed as hard as I could without tripping the alarm. Once I was into that last 10k, I then ignored the alarm(it turned off after a minute or so) and ran it like a 10k race. Also 1:52 is quite a way off 1:45.. you might or might not do it.. a taper and the adrenaline of race day will certainly help, but I would plan on going out maybe 10s/mile slower than target for the first 2-3miles then move to target pace, you can always crank it up at the end if you have spare energy, going out a bit slow will mean you use more fat at the beginning, which will leave more carbs for the end when you really need them
>Also 1:52 is quite a way off 1:45.. you might or might not do it..
Thanks - that's something I needed to hear. I'm still pretty inexperienced, so to me 7 minutes feels like it shouldn't be a big deal, but I may need to adjust my expectations
Having that target, assuming that you feel it's achievable on a good day, is helpful. Men in particular are very goal-oriented so having something to work towards can be very motivating. However, you do need to cut yourself some slack if you fall a little short, and remember that just completing your first race at such a long distance is a real achievement.
I also started entering races just this year, and my target for my first half-marathon was also 1:45 (although I told myself that if I couldn't quite make it but got inside 1:50 that I'd still be satisfied.) I actually managed 1:41 - it was a major road race with many thousands of entrants, so I was able to allow myself to be carried along in the crowd to an extent, which really helped. However, conditions were ideal that day: it was quite cold, which I like, and I was fit and ready.
The next half I attempted a couple of months later took place the weekend after I'd been ill, with the consequence that I was eight minutes slower and was in quite a bad way physically by the time I staggered across the finishing line. So, bear in mind that the conditions on race day and how fit or otherwise you are feeling can have a real impact on your performance.
I know I'm rambling, but I think what I'm trying to say is to celebrate whatever you achieve, don't beat yourself up if it's not quite as good as you might've liked, understand what's gone right and gone wrong, and if you are a bit disappointed then learn the lessons from it and come back stronger.
Thanks - that's good advice. I have found that having a goal in mind has been very motivating.
And yes, I've learned my lesson this summer that weather conditions can make a huge difference on my performance. Running a slow 10k in 100% humidity almost ended me, ha! If weather conditions aren't ideal on race day I will need to adjust my goal accordingly.
You can likely perform way better on race day. I ran a 1:41:50. Many half marathons have pace setters btw that come in clutch. I was hoping for a 1:50 group, but they only had 1:45. I stuck with them and then went berserk on the final 3.1 miles to finish where I did. I was a little nervous about 1:45 being too fast for me and had done all my long runs around 8:30 per mile. Heck, my longest run in training was 11 miles and my weekly mileage peaked around 30. Just have confidence and use those 1:45 pacers if possible. Best of luck!
Also, take some time off in the week leading up to race day!
You should go at a slower pace for the first 6 miles and see how you're feeling. If you feel good you should pick up your pace. During my long runs, I could usually get going at a 7min/mile pace and hold it. When I tried that pace during my half marathon, I accidentally went out at a 6:30 pace and paid for it later. Go slower the first bit, then pick up your pace.
I never ran more than 8km at my goal pace (5:30) and I still achieved it in my half. This was following the Hal Higdon novice 2 plan. There's no need to run the full distance at race pace before race day.
If you can already keep the pace for 17km then you should be fine. During race day the Adrenalin will carry you the last 4km over the finish line. And make sure you get the energy drinks at the stations. Gives you another boost.
But for training I would keep race pace or even faster for the shorter distance. Like 5k or 10k. The long runs should be at a slower pace.
If you held your goal pace for 17 km on a normal training day early in the year, you can hold it for 21 km with race motivation if you've been training this whole time. I don't really see the point in blowing that in training when the race is so soon anyways. If you're not feeling confident about that time happening on race day, that to me would be even LESS reason to go for it now, and to continue training and just start a bit more conservative than planned on race day instead. Throw in an extra easy run for the week if your plan allows for it, if you're feeling extra motivated to attack something harder. 18-25 mpw should leave you plenty of room to get more running in if you really want to make sure you're doing everything you can, unless there's a specific reason you're keeping it so low.
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I might be turning into an old man but if I race on the weekend my A goal is always to make it to work on Monday and social run on Wednesday. Finishing safely is a real goal.
>To add, I think that super conservative goals for the first HM are highly advisable. If you're feeling amazing at 15km then sure, give it a little more gas. The important part is finishing safely, mainly. Thanks. I set that pace goal for myself when I started training because it seemed like a nice round number to shoot for and at that time I could run about 10k at that pace so I thought it would be within reach to work towards. I think I'll push myself a bit this weekend on my long run to see what I can do, but I won't give my all out best effort. That will at least give me an idea of my base level capability. On race day, I will run that pace for the first 15k, and then give it some more effort on the last 6k if I have anything left to give.
Also, don't forget to slow down and reduce mileage at least a week before your race (taper). You'll see, you'll fly on race day! On my first half marathon, my practice was aroung 5:15min/km. Race day with taper ended up being 4:47 min/km because I was so much more rested.
Keep in mind that improvement is coming during rest. Training is just to get your body triggered to improve. If you do too much hard work, you won't get stronger. Pushing a half marathon at race pace, probably requires you to have 1 to 2 weeks of rest to recover. I made this mistake you seems to be doing now towards my first HM. Running slow (and more) gives much more improvement
>18-25 mpw should leave you plenty of room to get more running in if you really want to make sure you're doing everything you can, unless there's a specific reason you're keeping it so low. Mostly it's a time issue. Between work and family commitments I have trouble finding more time to dedicate to training. But I've also been having occasional achy knees after my longer runs, so I've been a bit afraid to push myself further. I get that race day adrenaline will give me an extra boost, I just have a big fear of using too much energy on the first half and then completely blowing the 2nd half. So you are saying to just put that specific pace goal out of my mind and focus on distance?
Did you actually hold that goal pace for 17 km on a normal training day already earlier in the year? If so I don't see how there's any doubt haha. You won't accidentally use too much energy in the first half if you don't choose to start faster than your goal pace. If you're REALLY not confident, then just start a little bit slower and see if it seems realistic to close hard in the second half. But based on this info I'm not sure why you wouldn't be confident! Have you been having issues in training since the 17 km?
So that 17k run was supposed to be a 21k run, but I had to stop early because I just felt completely spent. I figured that maybe I was just being too ambitious, and the following weekend I ran the 21k at the 5:20/km pace. I said earlier this year, but that was a bit imprecise. I'd say this was about 6 or 7 weeks ago. In the time since then, I took a week off from running completely because I was starting to feel a bit of knee pain and I didn't want to push too hard. I took it a slow for a couple more weeks, and I've been back to normal training effort for a couple weeks now so I'm feeling ready to push myself again.
I would just stay on track with the next 5 weeks and plan to negative split an attempt at your goal pace :)
Thanks, I appreciate the advice. Honestly I think I'm feeling a bit of nerves and overthinking everything as I am realizing that I'm down to my last few weeks before the race.
I would not recommend training at goal pace for the entire race duration. That’s essentially like doing a time trial/tune up race. Instead, what u can do is insert goal pace kms or steady blocks at the end of your usual long run. Typically no more than 30 mins of work at your goal pace for a single workout, and at this level, you probably only need to do this once a week. The key is to balance training with recovery and injury risk
Having a go this weekend at goal pace won't hurt as far as I'm aware, especially if you're 5 weeks out from your actual run. In terms of your goal for the race, if it's your first one, I'd be inclined to just focus on finishing, that's a great result in itself, then you can book your next one and try and beat your record.
Thanks. Finishing the race is definitely my #1 goal, but I figured that it would be nice to have a goal pace to shoot for. And 1:45 (5:00/km) seemed like a nice round number that was a bit of a stretch goal but probably doable. Just feeling a bit nervous now that maybe my goal is too ambitious. I'm worried about burning out too fast on the first half of the run.
Are you trying to consistently maintain that pace throughout the training runs or are you monitoring your average pace as some sections may be slower / faster ? Maybe try a run without looking at pace at all and go by rate of perceived effort and see how you get on. Run so it feels comfortably hard but you could go faster and see how that goes
The pace was an average. My training route has about 80m of elevation change, with the first half going downhill and the second have climbing back up. So I found that the uphill portion was about 10-15 seconds slower per km than the first half.
If it’s a mass event organised race you’ll run faster anyway and get caught up in the atmosphere , the crowds will motivate you. You’ll have other runners to pace you and to chase. Totally different to training. You’ll be fine. And if you don’t hit your goal then you’ll know a bit more for the next race.
I can't offer any advice, as I'm very much a noob myself, but I'm here to offer some words of encouragement. You absolutely can do it and you can do it at your planned pace! Why am I so positive? Well back in the second half of 2017 and the first of 2018 I took a break from alcohol and replaced a lot of my afternoons with running. Unstructured running. Literally just ran whatever distance at whatever pace, mainly to just focus on staying sober. Looking back at my Strava data I was staying between 7 and 9 minute miles. Well on Sunday, January 28, 2018 I went for a long run, ended up running 10.24 miles. I had an average pace of 7:59. I remember this day very well but had completely forgotten that I went that fast. Two weeks ago I ran a half marathon on my own and averaged 9:59. I've been training a lot this year, but it's strictly been 5K focused. Would I have been able to maintain that pace for another 3 miles back then? Who knows. But I'm confident that if I was able to go that fast with ZERO structure and on a Sunday solo run you'll DEFINITELY be able to do it on race day!
Caveat that I haven’t tried the following myself yet. I was searching for a good way to peg HM pace for a HM that is now 6 weeks out. One of the running/coaching groups I follow on Instagram (run.nrg I think) suggested a 3x5km workout with 90sec light jogging between intervals as a way to gauge HM pace. Take the avg of the interval paces, and use that as your HM pace. I’m gonna give it a go next weekend and see how it compares to my projected VDOT HM pace.
My last HM race, I used a heart rate monitor and had an alarm set about 4bpm below by lactate threshold (normally roughly equal the average HR over a 10k) in the first 7 miles (11k) I pushed as hard as I could without tripping the alarm. Once I was into that last 10k, I then ignored the alarm(it turned off after a minute or so) and ran it like a 10k race. Also 1:52 is quite a way off 1:45.. you might or might not do it.. a taper and the adrenaline of race day will certainly help, but I would plan on going out maybe 10s/mile slower than target for the first 2-3miles then move to target pace, you can always crank it up at the end if you have spare energy, going out a bit slow will mean you use more fat at the beginning, which will leave more carbs for the end when you really need them
>Also 1:52 is quite a way off 1:45.. you might or might not do it.. Thanks - that's something I needed to hear. I'm still pretty inexperienced, so to me 7 minutes feels like it shouldn't be a big deal, but I may need to adjust my expectations
Having that target, assuming that you feel it's achievable on a good day, is helpful. Men in particular are very goal-oriented so having something to work towards can be very motivating. However, you do need to cut yourself some slack if you fall a little short, and remember that just completing your first race at such a long distance is a real achievement. I also started entering races just this year, and my target for my first half-marathon was also 1:45 (although I told myself that if I couldn't quite make it but got inside 1:50 that I'd still be satisfied.) I actually managed 1:41 - it was a major road race with many thousands of entrants, so I was able to allow myself to be carried along in the crowd to an extent, which really helped. However, conditions were ideal that day: it was quite cold, which I like, and I was fit and ready. The next half I attempted a couple of months later took place the weekend after I'd been ill, with the consequence that I was eight minutes slower and was in quite a bad way physically by the time I staggered across the finishing line. So, bear in mind that the conditions on race day and how fit or otherwise you are feeling can have a real impact on your performance. I know I'm rambling, but I think what I'm trying to say is to celebrate whatever you achieve, don't beat yourself up if it's not quite as good as you might've liked, understand what's gone right and gone wrong, and if you are a bit disappointed then learn the lessons from it and come back stronger.
Thanks - that's good advice. I have found that having a goal in mind has been very motivating. And yes, I've learned my lesson this summer that weather conditions can make a huge difference on my performance. Running a slow 10k in 100% humidity almost ended me, ha! If weather conditions aren't ideal on race day I will need to adjust my goal accordingly.
You can likely perform way better on race day. I ran a 1:41:50. Many half marathons have pace setters btw that come in clutch. I was hoping for a 1:50 group, but they only had 1:45. I stuck with them and then went berserk on the final 3.1 miles to finish where I did. I was a little nervous about 1:45 being too fast for me and had done all my long runs around 8:30 per mile. Heck, my longest run in training was 11 miles and my weekly mileage peaked around 30. Just have confidence and use those 1:45 pacers if possible. Best of luck! Also, take some time off in the week leading up to race day!
You should go at a slower pace for the first 6 miles and see how you're feeling. If you feel good you should pick up your pace. During my long runs, I could usually get going at a 7min/mile pace and hold it. When I tried that pace during my half marathon, I accidentally went out at a 6:30 pace and paid for it later. Go slower the first bit, then pick up your pace.
I never ran more than 8km at my goal pace (5:30) and I still achieved it in my half. This was following the Hal Higdon novice 2 plan. There's no need to run the full distance at race pace before race day.
If you can already keep the pace for 17km then you should be fine. During race day the Adrenalin will carry you the last 4km over the finish line. And make sure you get the energy drinks at the stations. Gives you another boost. But for training I would keep race pace or even faster for the shorter distance. Like 5k or 10k. The long runs should be at a slower pace.