Half-Marathon Pacing for "Bigger" Athletes

Michael Byerts

On May 1, I have my first stand-alone half-marthon in a year.  I have read the wiki entry on half-marathon pacing several times, and think I understand it -- run the 1st 3 miles slower than goal pace, run goal pace in the middle 10K, and let it rip the last 5K.  I just did my week 14 run test last week, so I have a pretty good idea of what my VDOT is going to be on race day.  I have a couple questions on tweaking the strategy:

1. Should I adjust the goal pace based on my size?  I have plugged my 5K test time into the Data Tool and seen the suggested HM pace.  I am not 138 pounds, and I don't have 5% body fat.  The numbers are closer to 188 and 18%.  While shorter, thinnner and lighter runners might match their 5K VDOT for longer distances, I suspect I will have have trouble running the HM pace my VDOT score suggests for 13.1 miles.  As an overweight, poor runner, should I shade it down 10-15 seconds a mile?
2. Does the elevation profile affect pacing?  The race I am doing is downhill in the first 4 miles, before turning uphill in the last 5K.  If I run the downhill miles at 10 seconds a mile over my goal pace, there is no way I am making that back in the last 5K (as a fatty, I don't heart hills).  The location of the hills suggest a negative-split effort, but an actual negative split seems unlikely.

My plan is to run the downhill miles right at my VDOT equivalent pace (which should feel pretty easy since it is downhill), get to 10 miles at that pace and see how I am feeling.  By "running my VDOT pace," I don't mean my 5K pace, but instead the HM pace my 5K test calculates to be appropriate.  My inclination is thus to use the tested VDOT pace and see what happens -- it's not an "A" race for me and I want to set an aggressive goal after all the OS work, so I am okay with risking a blow-up in the last mile or 2.  But I wanted some input from those with more experience.

 

gschlossnagle

As an overweight, poor runner, I executed the strategy in the wiki pretty well. I think it depends on how well you've been able to keep pace in your training runs (especially the longer runs). If you can hang with the training paces/times based off your 5k paces, I think the strategy works well. Some people advocate subtracting a point from your 5k VDOT if you're not confident in the longer distance. I didn't do that and it turned out OK. I had also added some longer runs into the last 4 weeks of the OS plan leading up to my recent half-mary as well - I felt like that helped.

Keith Wick

What was your vdot and the paces you were using prior to your most recent test? What type of mileage have you been doing for your 1 hour runs over the past few weeks of your training plan? I ask because these will determine whether or not you'll be able to reach the goal HMP of your recent test. If you've been doing the OS workouts with the TP sets and some HMP stuff thrown in, then you should be able to come close to holding that HMP for those middle 7 miles. If you've been doing LSD stuff then it will be harder to hold the paces.

ghernand

Michael: run the downhill portion at whatever feels like no work for you. Don't hit the brakes at all. Let gravity take you down. Use your weight to your advantage here. For the rest, follow your plan. Yes, your 5km vdot is typically too fast for 13.1.

Summary:
Let gravity take you first 4milez(downhill);
Start wiki race plan after that, but at slower than what your 5k vdot predicts;
Decide when you are going to attack and commit to it until the finish. Push, but maintain form;

Takes practice and since u have not done one in a year, don't worry too much. Just go out there and experiment and have fun.

Gh

liebs45

Dude I'm a fellow Clydesdale 208lbs now, down from 241 lbs a year and change ago. Big and fast are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The one caveat I will add to the above re: running downhill is be careful of the impact; us bigger guys have a lot more pressure on our joints and ligaments. Don't let your feet slap, don't have much of an upward bounce in your stride. These will preserve your muscles for later in the race, and your joints for later in life!

Michael Byerts

Thanks everyone! Sorry for the delay. I hate giving the actual numbers since they are slow, but here goes.
Most recent test:
VDOT 49 (20:12/6:31)
Prior to that, I had been using my Week 8 test.
VDOT 47 (21:01/6:46). I had been runing the Z5 stuff at 6:30-40, and the ZOne 4 repeats at about 7:08. Prior to my most recent test, I had been running the HMP stuff at 7:15-22, usually only for about a mile after the end of the VO2 intervals.
My theoretical VDOT suggests a 7:06 pace, which I haven never even run for a 10K (although all but 2 of my 10K's have come "off the bike").
My longer runs have been at 7:45-7:55 a mile after the VO2/threshold repeats on Sunday (although that might be a little misleading since there is about 275 feet of elevation gain in the 4 mile loop, aboud 550 in 2 loops).

Joe Matchette

@Michael - you just might surprise yourself. I did a half-marathon at the end of week 8 of my November OS. Based on the VDOT Paces I had been running up until thursday of that week, it said I "should" have a 7:22 HMP. I scoffed. I scoffed HARD. But, I figured, what the h*ll and I gave it a shot. 1:36:55 later and I had an 10 minute, 31 second PR. And that was with no rest whatsoever, no taper, and no run greater than 45 minutes in the eight weeks prior.

Bottom Line -- GO FOR IT! I was skeptical until about mile 10. I figured I would blow up spectacularly --- it didn't happen.

Give it a shot. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Joe

Michael Byerts

Thanks Joe! Good luck in Kona.

Michael Byerts

Wanted to give everyone who answered a quick update. My VDOT pace suggested I run a 7:05 pace for a 1:32:55. I ran the first 5K in just over 22 minutes, and got to the 9 mile mark just a few seconds slower than the 7:05 pace before the wheels came off. Ran miles 10-12 in 7:17-7:22 before closing with a 7:06. Overal time was 1:33:31. It was a 6.5 minute PR, but still a little slower than I had hoped. Thanks again for all your advice (which I hope I followed).
Michael

liebs45

Hey Stark - am I sensing a possible need for an EN Clydesdale splinter faction?

John Stark

First, you noticed I deleted my post.  :-)  Didn't notice his post-race update until after I posted.  DOH!    Moving too fast tonight.

And if you are part of the faction . . . I am in, BABY!   

liebs45

Lets do it! OK, now what? New dedicated "Clydesdale" forum header maybe? Clydesdale group? Special secret colors and handshake? Ankle tattoos (again)? Oh the possibilities are endless.

Or, alternatively, we can all just lose f*cking weight. LMAO

I like the former!

Al Truscott

Remember, ANYone can form a Group ANY time. You guys do that, and I'll start one called "Small guys who have it easy" (154#/70 kg max to enter).

liebs45

That's awesome!

William Jenks

Michael - Sorry I didn't see your post before.

I'd have suggested that a straight VDOT HMP is pretty aggressive for most people from their 5K VDOT, and somewhere around 1 VDOT point slower ia pretty doable for a half marathon. It's more like 1.5-2 points for a marathon.

This said, there are people like Mancona for whom this is not true, but I'm talking about the "most of us".

If you go to the mcmillan running calculator, and compare its answers to a straight VDOT table, you'll see that you get a somewhat slower predicted 1/2 or full marathon than the straight 5K vdot would suggest.

Michael Byerts

Thanks! I only missed it by 36 seconds, so that was pretty close.