|
Sep 2019
10:36am, 30 Sep 2019
236 posts
|
John Bach
Was it the 2014 Blackpool half you did jda? I've never raced in such strong a wind - getting blown along the prom on the way out, before battling on the way back (& repeat). I think my half marathon PB was set there (shows how many I've done since 2006!!)
|
|
Sep 2019
10:39am, 30 Sep 2019
5,327 posts
|
jda
That's the one, yes. Have done it several times since and always apprehensive about the weather but it's been pretty good.
|
|
Sep 2019
10:40am, 30 Sep 2019
325 posts
|
Lee78
SKR - The middle was pancake flat, it was the bloody wind! If you look at my last mile split I slow down again quite dramatically. The race organizers call this last hill the "sting in the tail" if I remember?! I never get any luck with HM's at the moment, my last two have been 29/30C temperatures on a massively hilly course and this one was heavy showers with 30mph winds! If anyone knows a fast flat course with historically good weather let me know! 
WW - Will be doing 17 miles this week. Have done 3 x 20, 2 x 21 and 1 x 22 during training plan. Don't think I'll benefit from another 20 miler? Really tempted to do a HM race this coming Sunday? Is that risky? If not there are a couple of 10k's and a 10 mile race? What pace you starting at for Abingdon WW?
|
|
Sep 2019
10:43am, 30 Sep 2019
237 posts
|
John Bach
I've wanted to go back and do it again to see if how much I could get under my 2014 time (just under 80m I seem to recall) on a less windy day, but it has just never happened - unlikely to be next year as I'm still not runnning
|
|
Sep 2019
11:04am, 30 Sep 2019
812 posts
|
SKR
Ah! That explains it Lee!
|
|
Sep 2019
11:24am, 30 Sep 2019
4,232 posts
|
Windsor Wool
thanks JDA - I expect that you're desperate state will still be more than enough to eclipse the PB I hope to run at Abingdon. 2 weeks is a long time to recover, sometimes I think we over-worry some of these things (where lots of fast pace isn't involved).
Lee - honestly, Wokingham HM in Feb. Fast course and great record of good weather. Long way for you to go though. I'm also considering Gosport in Nov but that has the potentially to be really windy too.
re Abingdon, I find that I can't be quite as precise as some to hit numbers exactly but I'd hope to go through halfway in about 87, maybe slightly quicker. Prob look to target about 6:40 pace but defo not let myself run anything faster than 6:35 (unless there are some freak winds or they've put a mountain in the course.) TBH and I've said this elsewhere / before, I think that Abingdon may be a slightly short course and last time I ran it the halfway mark came up quite a bit sooner than I or my watch expected and I went through halfway in 87:42 on the way to 2:57 dead.
|
|
Sep 2019
11:42am, 30 Sep 2019
1,657 posts
|
Little Miss Happy
Blimey Lee - reminds me of Brass this year. I ran 2.55 and change of a kosher 1.23.43 HM PB so you must be in the ballpark I wouldn't race a HM two weeks out from a target marathon. I think it would still be in my legs for my A race. I'll usually do 14 miles two weeks out but easy pace.
I've never measured Abingdon short WW and I've run it a few times.
|
|
Sep 2019
11:54am, 30 Sep 2019
4,233 posts
|
Windsor Wool
I looked back. 87:34 to the halfway marker off these splits:
1) 1m - 6:45(6:45/m) 95cal 8.9/9.37mph
2) 1m - 6:42(6:42/m) 97cal 8.95/9.33mph
3) 1m - 6:44(6:44/m) 97cal 8.91/9.56mph
4) 1m - 6:44(6:44/m) 96cal 8.92/9.27mph
5) 1m - 6:43(6:43/m) 97cal 8.93/9.27mph
6) 1m - 6:47(6:47/m) 97cal 8.84/9.6mph
7) 1m - 6:51(6:51/m) 96cal 8.77/9.25mph
8) 1m - 6:48(6:48/m) 97cal 8.82/9.1mph
9) 1m - 6:43(6:43/m) 96cal 8.93/9.16mph
10) 1m - 6:46(6:46/m) 98cal 8.86/9.98mph
11) 1m - 6:48(6:48/m) 97cal 8.83/9.12mph
12) 1m - 6:45(6:45/m) 96cal 8.9/9.16mph
13) 1m - 6:42(6:42/m) 97cal 8.96/9.12mph
If you add up the differences to 6:52 then I get to 88s and so I'd more expected to get through to halfway in 88:30 or so. I remember being very surprised at the time.
I measured the 2017 course (with the dogleg through the park at the end removed versus previous versions) at 26.04 miles.
I really didn't want to / mean to open the Abo course debate again, sorry. I guess it does show that there's always some room for inaccuracy in course markers / GPS signals which for me at least would mean that trying to run a sub 3 off targeted 6:50 - 6:52 pace would be a bit too close for comfort.
|
|
Sep 2019
12:52pm, 30 Sep 2019
15,289 posts
|
Bazoaxe
Great running SKR and Lee. Lee, that does sound like a tough race but good nevertheless.
WW - I will be gutted if I execute a plan and the course turns out to be short :-(. I was going to ask what thoughts were on accuracy of mile markers for a choice between manual and auto lapping. I manual lap at VLM and trust the mile markers as I know that there are points of GPS issues, but auto lap almost everywhere else.
I kind of think it will be an auto lap approach but keeping a close eye on any discrepancies with where the markers are and how close to them the auto lap beeps.
Your last comment does worry me as 6:50mm by garmin is exactly my plan. I have visions of a bekele like near miss.
|
|
Sep 2019
1:13pm, 30 Sep 2019
5,329 posts
|
jda
I tend to rely on Garmin and assume the course will be just a touch long. Use the mile markers as an additional guide.
|
