How to Predict Your Marathon Pace
Run Pacing – How to Predict a Pace for Your First Marathon.
In two of my recent articles I have discussed the importance of pacing. I started with a look at the importance of getting the pace right and subsequently went on to review some of the evidence from an elite runners perspective. I concluded that article by suggesting that if even or negative pacing was good enough for Haile then it should be good enough for all of us. Having hopefully convinced you that pacing is a worthy thing to aspire to the question then is, how do I calculate my pace for my next marathon? If I haven’t convinced you then go out and smash the first half of your next race and let me know your splits for the two halves. One of my athletes recently completed a well paced 10km race in 37:23 so I decided to use this time to look at what is out there to try and ascertain a predicted marathon time finish. Of course a great predictor of a marathon time is a recent marathon time! But what if this is your first marathon? How accurate can you predict how well you will do from shorter races and therefore what pace you should run. Read more >>
Triathlon Swimming: Swim Faster with Less Effort
Making a Triathlon Swim less of a Drag.
I don’t need to tell the average age group triathlete that water is 1000 times denser than air. This is a result of the billions of hydrogen and oxygen molecules that give water its density. Therefore as a swimmer moves through the water it resists that movement with a force substantially greater than air. This force is known as resistive drag and swimmers must literally move water molecules out of the way to open a hole to allow the body to pass through. This is why drafting in a swim is so beneficial. Therefore a swimmer who reduces the resistive drag they encounter will travel forwards faster and with less effort; and if that swim is the opening component of a triathlon then it is even more beneficial.
Forefoot Running for Ironman Athletes
Almost on a daily basis I meet Ironman athletes or aspiring Ironman athletes who have been struggling with trying to teach themselves to run with more of a midfoot or forefoot strike rather than their previous heel strike. Sometimes they have suffered from achilles tendon injuries from their attempts to change their technique, sometimes it’s just a feeling of tightness in the calfs – but usually there is (or has been) a difficulty of some sort for these endurance athletes in making the change of foot strike.
Now, it’s well worth acknowledging that, there are a small number of Ironman athletes who genuinely do run the whole marathon with a midfoot/forefoot strike. Which is a great example of consistency of form, which I will come on to later… These athletes are few and far between, and it’s such variety between athletes which keeps my job interesting and exciting!
But, I want to take a moment to discuss the situation as it applies to the vast majority.
When a heel striking Ironman athlete approaches me and asks for my help to coach them into a more efficient midfoot striking technique, my first question is “why?”
Marathon Pacing for Optimal Performance
Run Pacing Part 2: The Evidence.
In a previous post we examined Run Pacing and suggested a methodology whereby, dependent on fitness at the time of the race, runners could achieve an even paced race. We discussed this was even pace but effort had to increase to achieve the even pace. It is important to note that this strategy is applicable to runners of all abilities and that optimaldistance performances are usually achieved when the time taken to complete the first half is equal to or greater than the time to complete the second. Looking through the record books we see the World’s best runners are no exception. When Haile Gebrselassie set his then world best time of 12:39:36 for the 5km, the first half was completed in 6:22:78 (ie 50.4% of the total time) and the second half was run in 6:16:58. Similarly when he lowered the 10km record the same year to 26:22:75 he ran the first 5km in 13:11:53 and the second 5km in 13:11:22.
What’s Limiting Your Triathlon Performance?
Performance Limiters and What To Do About Them
If you are training for your first Ironman Distance Triathlon and I was giving you a choice of swim session, would you rather do 40 x 100m with 10s Rest Intervals or would you rather do 4 x 1000m with 1 min Rest Intervals? The majority of athletes generally would opt for the former, and this alone would tell your coach whether you were naturally comfortable with either endurance or shorter sessions/events. Most athletes train the way they like to train whereas the most successful athletes train the way they need to train.
What is limiting your triathlon performance? Is it skill, technique, strength, muscular endurance, power or pure endurance? Sit down and look at all the disciplines in a triathlon: swim; bike; run; transition and nutrition then take each of these constructs, be honest and mark yourself out of 10 for each one. You should start to see where your performance is being limited. Then get your coach or a friend or partner to do the same thing; do the scores match? If you are a novice triathlete who has signed up for an Ironman then it is safe to assume you are limited by firstly endurance and secondly skill, particularly, unless you come from a swim background, in the swim.
Returning to Training after a Break
According to Aristotle and Obree
For some athletes the festive holiday period and some time off work may be the ideal opportunity to get out and train. For most however, and particularly those in the Northern Hemisphere, it may be a period of reduced training. Family commitments, potential bad weather and an innate desire to sit on the sofa usually take priority. So this might be a good time to give your body a good chance to heal and start rebuilding itself after a long season. To quote Graeme Obree “Training is bad for you! Training followed by rest and proper nutrition is good for and will make you better prepared for the event you are training for.” Remember that’s proper nutrition! So rather than fight it why not plan for this to be your down time and give something back to those who support you during your times when you are building to your A Race.
So what will happen to you during this down period and how should you come back after either this or any training break? Firstly you may put on some weight; this is entirely normal. This can be a combination of those Christmas dinners or your body returning to a more natural weight if you have shed pounds to get down to a racing weight. However over any down time the more you control the gain – the less you have to lose. Unless you have a very specific Winter race however, this period is not the time to lose weight and risk loss of training due to down time brought on by a reduced immunity. Try therefore to keep a constant healthy weight over this period. If in doubt then just try to eliminate processed foods, get your energy from fresh fruits, vegetables and lean protein and limit sugary food intake.
Run Pacing: Get the Pace Right
Physiologists are agreed that even-pace running is the best way to run – most races for most people. However, even-pace does not mean even effort. It means increased effort as the race progresses. We may, in a 5km run of a sprint triathlon, handle the first 400m in 70 seconds with some ease, we can also maybe reach 800m at the same pace, but for the third 400m and thereafter we have to increase our effort to remain on time. The longer the race, them more the factor of maintaining an even pace has greater significance. The more we work hills and attempt to “burn off” the opposition, the greater will be the drain on our glycogen reserve. A marathon which sees the first half run in 1 hour 30 minutes and the second part in 1 hour 50 minutes has been badly executed. The favoured method is to run 51 per cent of one’s time for the first half and 49 per cent for the second half.
For races of all distances, from 5km to marathon and beyond, it is a good idea to draw up a tactical plan based on the answers to some pertinent questions:
Am I short of training and not too fit? If the answer is yes, run three quarters of the distance of the race well within yourself and try to start passing others for the last quarter.- Am I fit but not at my best yet? If so, run half the distance of the race comfortably and then start passing others to the finish.
- Am I very fit and at my peak? If so, run a quarter of the distance of the race will within yourself, and then start passing others to the end.
If difficulty is found in determining what part of the race one is in, calculate the winning time and apportion time accordingly. For example, if it is known that a 10km is usually run in 37 minutes and 30 seconds, the runner in (1) above will run steady for 28 minutes. The athlete in (2) will run steady for around 18½ minutes. And an athlete in category (3) will only be taking it steady for 9½ minutes before blasting through the field.
Ironman Success – What it Takes
Goals Are Not Reached By Themselves
Kinetic Revolution Head Coach, Neil Scholes discusses what it takes to reach your performance goals:
1. Patience
For example I waited 8 years before even giving Ironman a go. After being in the sport for about three years I knew that I was not a naturally-gifted athlete. It was going to take a bit of time and patience to gain the fitness required.
Recently, I have seen a huge influx of very new athletes signing up for Ironman, within their first year of entering the sport. Unless these athletes come from a very strong aerobic background, focusing on the development of durability, they are likely to be without proper preparation.
These athletes often fall into the trap of a shotgun approach, overly emphasising intensity during their training. This typically leads to injury and/or burnout, which derails consistency and long-term progress. Of course, there are plenty of athletes who do qualify with this approach, but I would argue that they are outliers; exceptions to the rule, gifted with good genetics. However, a more patient approach would promote even greater long-term progress for them as well.
