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Oct 2023
5:10pm, 1 Oct 2023
42,851 posts
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SPR
Picking up pre halfway seems risky to me (still a long way to go at 10 miles). If you think you can pick up at 5km why not start at that pace (or hopefully be in a group), or is this some course specific pacing?
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Oct 2023
10:23am, 2 Oct 2023
1,690 posts
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Mark J
I was thinking of using the first 5k to stop myself from going off too soon. And also to earn up by getting into an early groove. I know I should be comfortable at 4:20-4:25's.
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Oct 2023
10:35am, 2 Oct 2023
2,528 posts
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riggys99
I tried holding back a bit on my last half for the first few miles and found it hard to do. I did however enjoy feeling strong and overtaking people in the last 3 miles or so. I think next time I will hold back at start again but maybe not as much.
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Oct 2023
10:48am, 2 Oct 2023
42,860 posts
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SPR
I think I'd just make sure I'm properly warmed up just get on to minimum pace straight away, then it's hold or pick up later. Settling into a rhythm/ effort you don't have to change for the first half likely makes things easier mentally as well. If you know you'll be comfortable at 4:20-25 then start there.
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Oct 2023
10:57am, 2 Oct 2023
2,529 posts
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riggys99
In hindsight there were two sub 1:30 pacers that I should have latched onto at the start. A group had formed with them which I could have used when we hit the section into the wind.
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Oct 2023
10:58am, 2 Oct 2023
2,942 posts
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Big_G
I was going to say the same for a Half. I warm up for a Half, but (strangely?) don’t for a marathon and use the first miles in a marathon to get up to pace. Especially useful in busy marathon events where I personally find it better to go with the flow rather than weaving in and out trying, wasting energy, trying to get up to a pace.
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Oct 2023
11:03am, 2 Oct 2023
2,530 posts
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riggys99
I was reading a article yesterday about marathon warmups and that suggested a mile or so in the morning before breakfast then just some dynamic stretching before the race itself. The theory I suppose is not using your carb stores before the race
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Oct 2023
11:03am, 2 Oct 2023
2,531 posts
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riggys99
And easing into the pace at the start of the marathon
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Oct 2023
11:04am, 2 Oct 2023
1,691 posts
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Mark J
Great, thanks for that. Although I arrived in the region today, give days ahead of race day, to howling winds and blooming freezing. Did my last speed repeats and they were truly awful. Just really struggled to get to pace consistency in the conditions so massive psychological re-evaluation. Let's just hope the weather improves by Saturday and that that session was the obligatory dud one ahead of race day.
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Oct 2023
11:07am, 2 Oct 2023
22,160 posts
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larkim
I've done chunking like that for the marathon, working on 5m segments rather than the traditional mile or km splits - helps to keep things smooth and not worry too much about "instant" pace, especially if there is anything like a hill or a headwind or twisty course to factor in.
One of the reasons I can't use km is that the time passes too quickly and I'd find myself running at an uneven pace responding to what the watch was showing me.
So 5k splits for a HM doesn't not make sense. That said, if you're looking at 5s per km then you're "losing" 25-30s of time for every 5k that you're being too cautious, and that would be harder to recover later. Hence the usual mantra about even pace being better.
It's a nice experience to finish strong, sure, but on the few occasions I've done that I've had a nagging feeling that I've left time on the table, vs when I've been hanging on at the end (on a consistent pace) I've felt I've got the best out of myself.
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larkim 
Sub 80 min Half Marathon Support
Nov 2024