Chase average or current pace?
I'm my RR yesterday I came off the bike too fast. My target was an 8:18 pace for 3 miles. My first mile was an 8:01. So my question is:
1) Do I chase the average and run a 8:24 for the next two miles
Or
2) Shoot for an 8:18 pace on the remaining two miles
1) Do I chase the average and run a 8:24 for the next two miles
Or
2) Shoot for an 8:18 pace on the remaining two miles
0
Comments
The RR is the time to make mistakes and learn from them. Your question, I assume, is about what to do if you find yourself in that predicament on race day. The answer, IMO, is to use the weeks before your HIM to learn how not to get yourself in that predicament, in other words, to do some things during training so that you can lock in the feeling of what pace to run right out of T2. It's especially critical to do some specific training around this, as the vibe on race day means you'll be surrounded by people who are rocketing out of T2, and our natural herd mentality makes for an almost irresistable desire to do likewise. Many of us have learned from hard experience that's a great way to bugger your race.
Assuming your run tests and response to training have given you a veary good idea of the pace you *should* be running at, than you can use bricks between now and race day to lock in the RPE of that pace. I've found that getting out on a run within five minutes of a hard interval bike workout, or a long/hard Saturday ride offers an opportunity to pay attention to starting pace on the run leg. Mental cues for me also include trying to simulate the first mile or two of a triathlon run leg as warm-up. EVERY run I do, the first mile or so is run at a pace about a minute slower than my LRP. That's because I do a lot better if I ease into a workout, rather than slamming into the hard stuff right away. The same mentality works very well on race day.
My current plan is to ignore errors. I will focus on current pace and last lap pace, not average pace.
Here's a thread from Coach P on a topic that may seem tangential at first read:
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/9607/afs/ASC/Default.aspx
The BLUF is that a combination of HR and pace may be your best bet on race day (with all the caveats around prepping to use these tools in RR etc). I think it's relevant to your question because one answer COULD be: if you start out too hard, adjust your pace to get to the HR you want in the opening stages of the run. And then manage your pace and HR in tandem per Coach P's write up.
If you are using a pace watch, like a Garmin, during the race, then the plan is simple - DON'T GET OFF PLAN. You can check your pace every 20-30 seconds, or even more often. Believe that watch, not your RPE or HR, and adjust IMMEDIATELY if you see yourself going too fast. HR and RPE in the first mile will be totally unreliable as a means to control yourself, unless you've got a long racing history with a well-tuned inner RPE sense.
A common phrase we use is to go "Stupid Slow" during those first few miles. Meaning what it feels like, not the actual speed.
IMHO...and to give you what I believe is the simpler answer...back off the pace before you get in too deep...back off and then pick it back up progressively over the course if you feel good....
Everybodys responses are, well reasoned, and very good...especially train yourself to start slow...not to find yourself off the bike too fast...discipline...discipline...discipline...a strategy is nothing without the patience and discipline to execute it....and this thing we do is all about race day execution.
Yes....also having a second measure to gauge wether your "too fast off the bike" is okay is also good...but don't try to find it in the few weeks before your race...it is usually something you have trained with and know the correlation between it and pace...Patricks success using HR and pace comes from his knowledge of himself and the metrics combined...not just having the metric....so caution on this one if you are close to your race.....
Go to the dance with what you know......have a plan based on what you know about yourself (not what you hope or think) and execute that plan ruthelessy...good luck.