Race Report:
Had a pretty good run today but i have "rediscovered" a problem with my running i have had for a while and feel it's time to make a concerted effort to conquer it!
Arrived for the run and had a short warmup but this wasn't a problem as i took off running easy.It was an approximately 13km course round trip out and back.It started i am guessing at 30 odd metres above sea level and climbed to approximately 400m ASL.Finished in 65:07
splits
First half 37:26
Second half 27:41
So over this short distance i had a decent run and kept fairly focus but was aware of my intensity of effort fluctuating due to the "surges" i wasn't adequately controlling.
The problem:My hill running pacing is shocking and i found myself surgeing and waning on all the uphills.I know that the other runners around me were catching up then i would surge ahead again perhaps continuing and perhaps walking.
I am concerned about how this is going to affect my run at 6 foot and whether i should abandon the running of hills and attempt to just power walk them instead or a mix?
Reading the threads on Cool Running has made the race tactics a bit clearer but i need some good advice to help me with my pacing issues also it annoys some of the people i run with...
Advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers R2B
About Me
- R2B
- People can't understand why a man runs. They don't see any sport in it. Argue it lacks the sight and thrill of body contact. Yet, the conflict is there, more raw and challenging than any man versus man competition. For in running it is man against himself, the cruelest of opponents. The other runners are not the real enemies. His adversary lies within him, in his ability, with brain and heart to master himself and his emotions.
16 comments:
Personnally, I wouldn't be worrying about what others think or where others are when you doing hill running. I'm certainly no expert on these things, but hill running requires some technique, relaxed shoulders, slightly higher knee lift and so on. I always aim to run a consistent steady pace up hills and try not to be influenced by others around me. I run my own race. Do you do much hill repeat running in training? I would have thought the discipline of a consistent steady pacing in hill repeat training will translate into something similar in your races.
Thanks so much also for the tremendous comments you left on my blog about Boston. You have given me much food for thought.
No point running up Pluvi as it is too steep. Mini Mini has areas to run but may just blow your legs for black range. Maybe watch Amjan in a race, she power walks the hills really well for some technique tips.
I'm with Tuggeranong Don, who gives a s#%t about what other people think about our running.
Hi R2B
Long time no blog! missed your input. Well I concur with what the other said and I'm no expert either but I can give you some advice.
Why don't you hill train with a Heart Rate Monitor and keep practicing until you can run the hills relatively comfortably within a Beats Per Minute range that doesn't stress you too much.
I'm no good at running hills but I've got it down to a short stride arm pumping action that allows me to continue at pace without raising my heart rate too much.
All the best with it.
I have ran SFT 8 times in the 10 years.Just get to Cox's River in good shape, easy up the Mini Saddle as almost all except the good ones will walkat some time. Good walkers will pass slow runners and still keep energy in reserve. After the Pluvi, there is still 10km on the range of up and the deviation is a bit of a shock but not very long. Even the last 5 km need repsect.
hmmm .. I'm still at loggerheads with part of my brain regarding the walking .v. running hills debate. A good solid recovery walk up a hill can be the best thing to salvage a tough race. But during the Hunter Marathon I was determined to NOT walk once - and those guys I passed on hills, I stayed ahead of as well ... the jury's still out.
Some good advice already - esp from two fruits. You need to do the two hills so you're still in good shape at Pluvi.
They are both long hills with some steep bits. Often walking is just as quick as running. There are some bits you can run, but don't go too hard or you'll elevate your heart rate. You need to go at a steady pace up the two hills, whether it be walking, running or a combination of the two.
Just stay more or less with the group. Whatever you do, don't race anybody on the hills.
I can't offer any vast experience on your hill running tactics, but I do agree with Don. Sod what other people think, run your own pace!
My 2cents worth - I try to run at a steady pace (its slow)with a short stride, and if I have to walk I will because my walking can sometimes be quicker than running. And my running has improved a lot because I've done quite a bit of it in training!!!
Good to see you back with a couple of posts.
I just put my head down and plod through it when I'm going up a tough hill to save energy for the flats and downhills (although walking sounds like the option on some of the 6FT hills).
Hope your training goes well for the final stretch to race day.
Wow, lots of advice to sift through there. I won't add any to it, mainly because I have no idea :-)
What I do know is that Two Fruits is possibly the best hill runner I've ever had the pleasure of doing a training run with. I caught up with him, CJ and Tuggeranong Don in Canberra in December. He flies up and down hills with the greatest of ease, he'd be beside us one minute and then in the blink of an eye would be 100 meters in front!
I find that I can often power hike as fast as I can run and save energy as well. That's about the best advice I can give. Good luck!
I never care about other people think. I am not a fast runner but my friends call me the train because on the hills I smoke many many persons. My tactic is always the same: no walk, short steps, look the ground and go!
I concur with most, who cares what other people say. I'm no expert but here goes. Horses for courses. If something needs to change then maybe purposely run a slower pace for the duration but maintaining that pace on the ups and resisting the temptation to surge on the downs. Do that a few times and then you have some sort of benchmark to base future varied hill training runs against.
Just my two cents worth, for what it's worth.
I can't add even 1 cent's worth to all of the above, R2B! But I do wish you the very best of luck on them there hills!
I'll never forget my experience - just threw up & then felt much better!
Great blog...look forward to following your running!
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