Marathon Pacing for a Newbie
Question regarding pacing for first time marathon runner. According to my vdot score I should run the marathon at an average pace of 7:24 minutes/mile. EN execution calls for miles 1-5 add 15 seconds to pace and miles 6-20 subtract 5 seconds from pace. 21-26.2 finish with everything you have left. My thought as a first time runner maybe adjusting pace to 7:45 min/mile and executing as per EN plan. Goal is to finish in under 3:30. Thoughts?
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I've done it several times and found it fairly predictive of a excellent preformance where everything just seems to click. On a bad day, not so much.
Its easy to do and you can fit it in as one of your remaning speed work sessions. The protocol is to do a WU then run 10x800 with equal time recoveries between at your goal finish time in MM:SS instead of HH:MM. So if you think you can run a 3:25:00 marathon, do the 10x800 at 0:03:25 for each 800 and recover running easy for 0:03:25. If you can hold the pace for all 10 repeats, it indicates you could run it on a good day.
Me, I like running 800 repeats for speed work anyway, they're fun. Except I dont actually time my recoveries - I do a lap (400) at what ever pace I need then head straight into the next 800. For me it seems easier to "go" when I get to a start line and I pretend I'm doing it right.
I have done 6 in the past few years. That used to be my thing prior to EN. But I have never run one "well" relative to my vdot. I have never even came within 1min/mi of my vdot suggested marathon pace.
13.1's, yes but not the full 26.2. I have also never been able to get close to my yasso times either.
I might just be built for shorter races though.
As far as what to expect, expect it to get tough around 18mi in (sorry to state the obvious. I just read what I wrote and it seems alsot silly but it is true).
I have always experience pretty meaningful cardiac drift as well.
In my experience, going out a little too hard or a little too easy didnt end up impacting my overall time much. It just brought the suck on sooner or pushed it out later if that makes any sense.
Good luck John!
John - since this is your first marathon, you are guaranteed a PR. So...I suggest that you start out at a slightly slower pace to make sure you don't burn your physical and MENTAL matches too soon. My marathon experiences taught me that the last 6 miles are mentally much harder than first 20 miles, and you will need mental strength to force your body to hold the pace. You get some sense of this in a 20 mile training run, but it is hard to really experience the full strain since it is comes on hard after mile 20. The suck will come to you anyway so take it ez at the start and save mental energy for the last 6 miles when everyone else is slowing down. Good luck.
Enjoy!
P
I really like that link that coach P put up. I had always tried to put together a RR with 18 to 20 mi at race pace. Which as a run is tough and takes time to recover from but didnt really answer the question of what was gonna happen at mile 22.
I really dont like mile 22.
So trying to push ahead of pace towards the end of an 18miler makes good sense.
I PR'd by 20 min this race. That was my 3rd time racing this course too. I did a SLOW 5.5 miles I felt like everyone was passing me but I held to my plan. At 5.5 miles into this I kicked in a 30" bump... I passed everyone... who ran by me.. Everyone !!!! There was one guy I passed who eventually re-passed me egging me on for a lets go... I stuck to my pace though and the last 3.5 miles I let go with still an even stronger run.
I was only passed by 1 person who ran his ass off into the finish shoot.. So what ... I PR'd big time and was very happy with my own progress. The secret was NOT to run my 5k Vdot... but reduce it by 1.5 and for my up coming Marathon I will further reduce it up to 2 or maybe 2.5 and still have a PR ... least of the other million things that can go wrong do.
D
awesome, because after that race I am letting loose.
@ John,
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Bad math or misunderstanding. If this 8:57 is your adjusted pace ... you will run mile 1-5 @ 9:12 the 6 -20 should be run at an 8:53, from 20 to finish is pick it up if you have it. Do not revert back to your 5k Vdot after mile 5 or you will bury yourself.
@ Brenda, Letting lose after the Marathon.... at that point maybe 2 cups of chicken broth or are we talking about Sunday night in the City ? I peg you at a 3:55 finish is that good ?
https://www.box.com/shared/fxs4ifa422
But the spreadsheet is based on targeted finish time instead of goal pace. If you are confident in being able to finish strong at 7:40, plug 3:20 into the sheet.
A more conservative approach is follow Annie's advice to go easy for your first dance and target the 3:30 knowing that you can re-evaluate mid run - at like mile 16 or 18 and still have plenty of miles to trim minutes off by running a strong negative split.
There is no better feeling in a marathon than being able to run full power the last 2 miles, passing dozens who are on the verge of debilitating calf spasms, smiling all the way in! Run smart, just like an IM or HIM, it all comes down to execution.