PREFONTAINE

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/375555984

818E133 Gulf Beach Half Marathon

Sat, Sep 14, 2013 8:14 AM

RACE:

I ran the Gulf Beach Half Marathon today.  The official race report will read 13.1 miles completed in 1:47:01 @ 8:10/mile AP.  Had I run the race in 1:46:53 (8 seconds faster), it would have been a Personal Record! 

PLACEMENT: I placed 99th Overall out of a field of 600 (I think that was the size of the field.  I’ll check.).  This is respectable. 

RACE PLAN: Get up on time and get to the race (overslept last year)!  Go out slower.  Keep mile splits @ 8:10/mile give or take ten seconds depending on the terrain.  Fast Finish.  Forgot Power Gel (purchased it yesterday – still in my backpack).  Adapt.  Gatorade is only fuel.  Drink it every two miles. 

SPLITS:

First mile a chill out warm-up 8:14/mile. 

Mile 2-8 sees the splits being between 8:01-8:10 except for a 7:53 third mile split.  This shows high consistency amongst the splits!

Mile 9 and 10 at 8:15/mile AP and slowing a little.   

Mile 11-12 at 8:25/mile AP.  I am again, slowing.  But there is a reason for this.  I am going slower on purpose as I am planning to conserve energy for the last 1.11 miles.  I figure it is wiser to go a bit slower versus attempting 8:05-8:15s this far out from the finish as this might compromise my planned fast finish.  And yes – going ten seconds faster here can make or break the race.  A slight adjustment to the Race Plan was in order.

Going into Mile 13, I say to myself go for an 8:00/mile and that should result in a PR – it was guess work really as I did not do a formal assessment. 

Anyway, I got an 8:05 mile for the 13th mile. 

The last 0.12 done at 7:52/mile average pace.

END RESULT: 8 seconds away from a Personal Record.

Do I have a problem with this – no way.  Pre Race, I figured I should not even get close to setting a PR.  I simply have been doing minimal miles and massive speed-work, all aimed at improving at the shorter race distances.  Endurance was on the back burner and virtually no Long runs had been done.  It is only in September that I am doing more Endurance type training. 

MILEAGE:

July through Sept training regimen:

July sees 77 miles with all runs being 3-6 miles except for a 10 and 11 miler.

August sees 47 miles with all runs being 3-6 miles (two less) except for an 8 miler as the Longest run.

Thus, really minimal mileage and not a lot of Longs.

THE WORKOUTS:

July through August workouts reflecting Speed, Varied distances, Varied Paces: 3x1600m at 7:52/mile, 6x800m at 7:24/mile, 2 mile runs at 7:52/mile, 5K races, Marathon Pace runs, 5x1000m at 7:24/mile, 1.5 miler at 7:38/mile, 4 miler at 8:00/mile pace, 2x1200m at 7:40 and (2x1200m + 4x800m – same run) at 7:24/mile

September I step it up as Endurance begins – 12.44 mile Race + 8 miles at Marathon Pace + 10 miles Easy + 7 miles on Wednesday.

BOTTOM LINE: – somehow the faster workouts and minimal mileage in the absence of Long runs carries over to the longer race distances resulting in a very decent outcome! 

CONCLUSION:  Continue with the speed workouts.  BUT: do not sacrifice Long runs.  I got away with it today.  The Marathon is a different animal all together.  I have got to get some 18-20 milers under my belt. 

MARGIE: I waited for my sister to come in and congratulated her on finishing this Half Marathon.  It was probably more difficult for her than past half marathons because she has been putting in less training miles of late.