to half or not to half

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Date: 20 Mar 2006 11:32:02
From: Parker Race
Subject: to half or not to half

Time to register for the upcoming weekend.
Decision to make 1/2 marathon or 5k?
The 1/2 may give me more of a clue as to where my marathon progress is
and the 5k may confirm that my turnover is way better than expected as
the 4 mile race did on the 11th.

Opinions please.

Date: 20 Mar 2006 18:04:44
From: Phil M.
Subject: Re: to half or not to half

Parker Race wrote:

> Time to register for the upcoming weekend.
> Decision to make 1/2 marathon or 5k?
> The 1/2 may give me more of a clue as to where my marathon progress is
> and the 5k may confirm that my turnover is way better than expected as
> the 4 mile race did on the 11th.
>
> Opinions please.

Not an expert here, but this is what has worked for me. Since your goal
marathon will be 9 weeks away from next weekend (May 28?), you're not quite
at the race preparation phase or the speed phase where you do more VO2 max
workouts. You should be doing more workouts at LT pace and marathon pace as
well as lengthening your long runs and maxing out your weekly mileage.
Personally, a 5K race doesn't fit in anywhere. But if you want to do it
just for fun, go for it. It won't hurt your training. However, the half
marathon, if done at marathon pace would be a good workout without
requiring a substantial amount of recovery. That way you would require very
little taper and you could get back into training as usual right after the
race.

The question is whether or not you can hold back the pace of the half
marathon so that you aren't running any faster than your marathon pace.

--
Phil M.

Date: 20 Mar 2006 09:38:31
From: Beach Bounty
Subject: Re: to half or not to half

2005 I did 365 half marathons on my bike with a back pack.
in a circle area of here 360=B0 r2
r =3D ratio 2 =3D circle 360=B0
picking up 10=A2 cans and such............. ... ...............

so 365=D7 13.1 =3D 4781.5 miles
4781.5 =F76.214=3D769.47215 or
4781.5=D76.214=3D29712.241 K

so evan if it is a bike ad backpack.

365 =D713. aunt bad.
To half or not to half.that is a ? right...

Lowtuc ............... ..... ................
was that a butter fly or Frank?

ahh it was a =F7 shake's speers. and me back is feelng better. better
try the spin and wind bike first and lower rest of bars down to really
low weights.........

and this sit nd rip was not funny.......

42=B0N,83=B0W 90=B0N,180=B0 90=B0lat,
3rd planet from the Sun.
Milky Way, Orion arm.
U.S.A., Michigan. west of Port Huron
Bottum of Lake Huron.

Date: 20 Mar 2006 08:21:09
From: Charlie Pendejo
Subject: Re: to half or not to half

Parker Race wrote:
> Time to register for the upcoming weekend.
> Decision to make 1/2 marathon or 5k?
> The 1/2 may give me more of a clue as to where my marathon progress is and
> the 5k may confirm that my turnover is way better than expected as the 4
> mile race did on the 11th.

I can tell you, I am still not-so-subtly sore 47 hours after finishing
Saturday's half marathon. I'll certainly run no hard workouts until at
least the fourth day after that race. Dunno what your recovery time is like
but I'd think it's a factor to consider.

That said, I think your recent training has been pretty good for the 21k
distance, right?, and you've already got shorter races of 5, 4, and 6.2 in
the next five weeks. Guess I'd vote for the 1/2.

Date: 21 Mar 2006 01:46:28
From: Doug Freese
Subject: Re: to half or not to half

"Parker Race" <prace@internal.int > wrote in message
news:SowTf.25125$jf2.11621@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> Time to register for the upcoming weekend.
> Decision to make 1/2 marathon or 5k?
> The 1/2 may give me more of a clue as to where my marathon progress is
> and the 5k may confirm that my turnover is way better than expected as
> the 4 mile race did on the 11th.
>
> Opinions please.

If you want to know if you are on target for the marathon the 1/2 is a
much better choice. Sure speed has value but the real question - do you
have strength to hold pace and the 1/2 is a better indicator. Choose a
reasonable pace.

-DougF

Date: 21 Mar 2006 11:10:36
From: Parker Race
Subject: Re: to half or not to half

Doug Freese wrote:
> "Parker Race" <prace@internal.int> wrote in message
> news:SowTf.25125$jf2.11621@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>
>>Time to register for the upcoming weekend.
>>Decision to make 1/2 marathon or 5k?
>>The 1/2 may give me more of a clue as to where my marathon progress is
>>and the 5k may confirm that my turnover is way better than expected as
>>the 4 mile race did on the 11th.
>>
>>Opinions please.
>
>
> If you want to know if you are on target for the marathon the 1/2 is a
> much better choice. Sure speed has value but the real question - do you
> have strength to hold pace and the 1/2 is a better indicator. Choose a
> reasonable pace.
>
> -DougF
>
>

Thanks for all the feedback.

Turns out the 5k isn't certified and the course has been estimated to be
anywher between 2 and 4 miles in the past. SO it looks like it's the
half if we go. The plan will be to run the first 3 to 4 miles in 7:40
(hopeful marathon pace) and then see if I can hold that or do 7:30's
after that. The hills are front loaded in the first 4 miles, it's pretty
much flat or downhill from there. I rna 7:13 pace at this race in 2003,
I ran the first 4 miles in 28 minutes which was too fast. I remeber a
pretty young woman telling me you're doing great as she passed me on the
klast 1/4 of a mile. I couldn't muster a response , but it would have
been "please carry me the rest of the way!" if I could have.

This is the the course http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=72571

PR

Date: 21 Mar 2006 11:10:12
From: Parker Race
Subject: Re: to half or not to half