Considering a Pacing Strategy
Although I haven't left much time for comments on my last post, I have consulted some more with other runners I know and with various Internet articles on 10K strategies (thanks Marcy!), and will strap on the good ship Garmin for the race. I think this will be the only way that I will be able to gauge my effort and speed given that I am a total novice and don't have the years and miles in the bag to guide me.
That being said, at this point in time I am shooting for the moon: 45:00 or less! What the hell, it's my first race, I might as well try my best to set a benchmark. If I die and finish slower than this I will have metrics for training toward my next 10k. And if I do manage to reach my 2009 goal now, then I can re-evaluate and come up with another goal for next year.
As such, I have come up with the following race strategy and am open to all feedback from everyone, good, bad, ugly, ... whatever! "Hit me with your best shot", as the song goes.
Here are my planned splits by kilometre and the total time:
1k 4:40
2k 4:40 (9:20)
3k 4:35 (13:55)
4k 4:35 (18:30)
5k 4:30 (23:00) I managed a 22:28 in a 5k training run, so I think this is doable.
6k 4:30 (27:30)
7k 4:25 (31:55)
8k 4:25 (36:20)
9k 4:25 (40:45)
10k 4:15 (45:00!) I figure that I can shave another ten seconds if I just giv'r, eh?
So, that's where my head's at right now. It may change as the race gets closer, and I will continue to tell myself that I will be satisfied with any time as long as I cross the finish line completely spent. I think the above is reasonable, with the caveat that I don't have past race experience to draw upon to come up with that conclusion, nor have I trained long enough to be confident of my predictions that I will be able to stay in the 85%-90% range of Max HR for the first half to two-thirds of the race while maintaining these pace goals.
Anyway, there she is - out in the vast open space of the Interweblogosphere, for all to ignore, dissect, digest, piss on, or revel in, whatever the case may be. I've exposed my brain to you, now it's your turn to tear me down or build me up. No pressure or anything!
I should also mention that my Dad thinks I will go under 45:00 (he's just being fatherly, but it's nice to hear), and my doctor, who's known me for all of five days, predicts a finish in the 42:00 range (which makes me question his qualifications somewhat, but it's also nice to hear). Based on the fact that HE doesn't know me at all, and neither do any of you other than in electronic text form, feel free to make your own predictions! Maybe I will come up with a prize or something for the one who comes closest? Hmmmmmmm...
That being said, at this point in time I am shooting for the moon: 45:00 or less! What the hell, it's my first race, I might as well try my best to set a benchmark. If I die and finish slower than this I will have metrics for training toward my next 10k. And if I do manage to reach my 2009 goal now, then I can re-evaluate and come up with another goal for next year.
As such, I have come up with the following race strategy and am open to all feedback from everyone, good, bad, ugly, ... whatever! "Hit me with your best shot", as the song goes.
Here are my planned splits by kilometre and the total time:
1k 4:40
2k 4:40 (9:20)
3k 4:35 (13:55)
4k 4:35 (18:30)
5k 4:30 (23:00) I managed a 22:28 in a 5k training run, so I think this is doable.
6k 4:30 (27:30)
7k 4:25 (31:55)
8k 4:25 (36:20)
9k 4:25 (40:45)
10k 4:15 (45:00!) I figure that I can shave another ten seconds if I just giv'r, eh?
So, that's where my head's at right now. It may change as the race gets closer, and I will continue to tell myself that I will be satisfied with any time as long as I cross the finish line completely spent. I think the above is reasonable, with the caveat that I don't have past race experience to draw upon to come up with that conclusion, nor have I trained long enough to be confident of my predictions that I will be able to stay in the 85%-90% range of Max HR for the first half to two-thirds of the race while maintaining these pace goals.
Anyway, there she is - out in the vast open space of the Interweblogosphere, for all to ignore, dissect, digest, piss on, or revel in, whatever the case may be. I've exposed my brain to you, now it's your turn to tear me down or build me up. No pressure or anything!
I should also mention that my Dad thinks I will go under 45:00 (he's just being fatherly, but it's nice to hear), and my doctor, who's known me for all of five days, predicts a finish in the 42:00 range (which makes me question his qualifications somewhat, but it's also nice to hear). Based on the fact that HE doesn't know me at all, and neither do any of you other than in electronic text form, feel free to make your own predictions! Maybe I will come up with a prize or something for the one who comes closest? Hmmmmmmm...
posted by Vava at
2:14 PM
6 Comments:
Glad my misfortune brings you comfort.
:)
Good luck on the race---go kick its butt!
I predict a 44:37 finish for you. I also predict that you will then (rightly) consider yourself a seasoned veteran, and you'll make your way around to the various blogs offering advice and counseling. I furthermore predict that you will suddenly have a crisis of confidence when you realize nobody else in the blogoshere is spelling "center" with an "re". I predict this crisis will not last long. I predict you will challenge Stephen Harper in the next election, but you will lose by one vote. I predict this one vote will be your Dad's. You will take comfort in the fact that at least your doctor voted for you.
I predict you will then become best friends with Al Gore.
What's my prize?
GQH: I haven't run the race yet, but I like your time prediction to be sure! Thanks!
Also, I predict that Stephen Harper (and BTW, I am very impressed that you know who our Prime Minister, for better or worse, even is!) will dig himself a hole so big in this term that he won't even be able to run in the next election.
Ha, no worries! I was just playin', dude!
I think you'll go under 45 BUT just remember (and I know it's hard sometimes) that time is secondary. Don't let it interfere with you having a good time :-) HAVE FUN!! Good luck! I'm sure you'll do AWESOME! ;D
Sounds like a speedy plan to me and a good one..I am gonna come out of left field and say under 44 mins! good luck!
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