Help! My Legs want to go too fast! How much should I slow them down?

scarlett

So I'm trying to figure out paceing for my HIM and I'm concerned if I am going too easy on the bike.  Last weekend I had my 3 hours bike ride on Saturday (shown below) 25-30 mph winds, so a lot of low cadence work into the wind and about 95 degrees out.  Well after the bike I ran 4 miles after a quick 2 min transition to see how my legs really feel.  They felt fantastic!!

 I kept trying to slow myself down and running felt effortless, is this normal?  My legs wanted to run 7min miles (10k pace), I slowed down to 7:30-7:40 my marathon pace is 7:40.  It felt incredibly easy for the whole run, at mile 4 they started to feel a little heavier but I could still sustain 7:40 in very low zone 3 (in 95 degree heat).  I would have kept going to see how it felt but ran out of water.

So my question is should I be holding them back and staying at an 8:10 pace (30' slower than MP) or got with my MP out of the gate becuase its hard to slow down to even that?  Or should I be putting more into the bike and re-evaluating what my bike Zones are? (I dont have power just HR)

I need the experience and knowledge of the team because I am a soon to be first timer, and plan to be successful by not doing what everyone else is doing

• 8' (2') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard
• 12' (3') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard
• 15' (5') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard
• 4 x 15' (2') @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard, for each interval include 2' standing WITHOUT spiking watts or effort, ie, standing for position change only.
• Remainder @ 75-80%/Zone2-3/Steady, in the aerobars, practicing steady riding: no surges, constant power, etc.

 

scarlett

I guess I'm having a hard time figuring out paces because I'm seeing huge gains in my run and bike in the last month so everything seems out of whack from initial expectations.  A month and a half ago an 8:00 pace for the run put me in Zone 4 HR, now I can do an 8:00 min/mile pace with my HR in Zone 1....and thats with all the fatigue from running and biking that I didnt have then.

mgraffeo

Jenna, with rapidly changing zones, if your race is coming up very quickly, go off of perceived exertion and check with your heart rate, let the pace fall where it does. If you've got a bit of time before the race, get a run test in in the near future to help guide your race prep.

scarlett

Thanks Mike! Yea it's June 24th so I don't have a ton of time before taper, the perceived effort sounds like a good idea. I like having a concrete plan, but I guess you can't plan everything!

Al Truscott

Building on the thought of running based on perceived exertion ... if you've never done a half ironman, or raced a marathon before, your brain has no data bank from which to draw to tell you what RPE you should operate at on the run (it would be what the middle of a marathon feels like until the last 2-3 miles, then switch over to what a 10K feels like, even though you don't get any faster). So you do need to use something as a rein to keep you from going too fast over the first 8-10 miles of the run. Racing a 5K this weekend or next might be a very good use of your training time, to get a current VDOT with pace and/or HR info to inform you on HIM race day. Then plug that VDOT/HR info into the EN racing strategy, and believe it, even if it feels too easy for the first 4 miles. You'll thank yourself in the last 4 miles when you're still running past others who are walking. 

But if you already know how to pace a marathon to achieve an even split (second half as fast as the first half) at that distance, then just use that knowledge you already have to pace your HIM run.

MattAaronson

+1 to Al's comments. I ran my first HIM's based on RPE despite having a current VDOT because I was nervous about imploding. That was not a great call as I ended up with too-big negative splits and gas at the end. Running by VDOT really is highly recommended. In the specific example you mentioned, it really does get harder as you go longer. I've always thought that starting quite slow had helped a lot. The key is to push it later in the run...and I really doubt you'll feel like pushing it after 8-9 miles, 2/3 of which is at your MP. But with a 10k pace of 7-ish you are a strong runner...you can push it at that point (or maybe a bit earlier, like mile 7 even) and you should. Making up the 1:30 you "lost" at the beginning and then some ought to be do-able if you paced it right. And if you can't make it up, should you REALLY have run faster out of the gate....???? Cheers, Matt.

Bruce Thompson

I agree with the comments from Mike, Al and Matt.  Best thing would be to do a test or race a 5k or 10k 2 weeks before your HIM.  That will give you the best metric (VDOT) for your run fitness.  Then just follow the EN pacing guidelines for a HIM.  If you do that, it will seem easy at the start of the HIM run, but you will still be strong come mile 10.  Then just watch how many people you pass in the last 3 miles as they slow down and you are running your fastest pace.  Good luck.

scarlett

Thanks Everyone!

I'm so happy to have this resource, my AG (18-24) it seems is notorious for poor race execution, and I can see why with the urge to push and race hard (we all think we're pretty much invincible too lol). I'll take it slower in the beggining, focus on nutrition and hydration, and then about half way through see where I am start to pick it up and then race the last 5k or so (if legs and stomach are cooperating). I've only raced a half marathon, with negative splits, but its probably more like to pacing a marathon with fatigue from the bike and swim.

I'm going to do a vDot test tomorrow morning to see if I can quantify my improvements a little better. I am concerned my last vDot test I had 3 days off before it so I was much more rested, but it will be interesting to see the results.

Any other tips or ideas are more than welcome! Thanks again