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How do you target a race, when you think a pb is definitely off the cards?
Catalin Bond
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1) Go for it anyway, you never know what you can do if you don't try.
2) Set a tough but more achievable target (e.g., best time for the course)
3) Take it easy and enjoy the day
4) stay in bed (why bother run if it's not a pb attempt!)
5) Always have a clear plan of A races which are pb attempts and B races that have a specific goal!
I have the Leeds half on Sunday. Last year I got a pb at this race, then I beat that time by 3 mins in Feb. The new time was bsaed entirely on the fact that it was a flat course, whereas Leeds is undulating/hilly. As such I'm very unlikely to beat that time. I'm wavering between going after last years time, and running at a comfortable pace and enjoying the event. Not sure if I'm just being lazy, but option 3 will involve a lot less pain!
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Comments
Have A, B, and C targets for races you do so that:
A = eyeballs out PB attempt
B = easier target such as a Course Best or to beat someone you know who is also running and is of a similar speed to you
C = the slowest time you would find acceptable
Beyond this your '3' would come into play but would probably only apply if you are nursing an injury or something has gone badly wrong with your race.
Depends how competitive you are really.
Your '4' is not an option!
You can only be as good as you can be at any one moment in time.
That's running ability and performance for you.
You can't fix it in place and keep it. It moves. Sometimes up, always down as its default position.
Its like being in a cul de sac. The optimum performance is reaching the end. The rest of the time you're somewhere between that and the entrance.
There's a lot of former runners about who couldn't cope with the decline in ability which gets us all in the end.
They leave the road completely.
🙂
Ditto RicF, my half pb is 1:25, I now struggle to stay under 2 hours (dfference between 50 &66 years old) so why not just take your option 4?
Because its not all about pb's, or if it is, its a moving target, like the GFA London time, my first GFA was sub 3;05, now its sub 4, so thats what I aim for.
Your option 3 is the one I generally follow, unless I am targetting a specific race and then its probably going for a season's best that I aim for, but each season brings a decline,
, nevermind, you always get a SB
I wouldn't think about targets for total time, only pace, and I'd try to run in a range (around 10 secs) where my PB pace was towards the fastest end of the range. As it's a hilly course you won't be pacing evenly anyway, so you might as well just take each mile as it comes.
Though I also vote (1) because I did this at a recent undulating half where I wasn't expecting a PB and ended up with a comedy 2-second PB.
For me it depends on the reason for why the pb is off the cards. If it is external factors like weather, wind, hilliness, or that it is a trail, then I run after heart rate that I know I can sustain for a race of that length. Then I let the chips fall where they may. Sometimes I get a pleasant surprise.
I find that a PB is still possible on moderately "undulating" courses, but when it's too hilly or offroad to have any chance of a PB then I look at past results for the same race to estimate a reasonable time for me to aim for.
Eg if people of similar ability to me typically run 2-3 minutes slower on that course than my PB, then I'll set off aiming for 2 minutes slower than my PB, but on a hilly course will inevitably need to run-to-feel because even pacing would be silly. So the target pace is just a guide to reduce the risk of under/overcooking it early on.
Turn up and enjoy the day. You still get a gong.
Even if a pb is unlikely you could always go for a course best. It's always more motivating to set some sort of target, however modest.
a) pace someone else, help them get a PB
or
b) run it about 90% effort, so not flat out but a bit quicker than a training run
I've run two half marathons so far this year and there was only a couple of minutes' difference between the hilly trail one and the flat mostly pavement one. My times for the flat course were more consistent but for the first one, whilst I was much slower on the uphills, I was also very much faster on the downhill sections.
Personally, if it were me, I'd just try to beat my course record and if you manage to beat your overall PB, great. If not, well you still get a medal and hopefully enjoyed your run.
More to life than absolute PBs
I agree with Tom, it can be just as satisfying to pace someone else to a pb.
Thanks everyone for your input. Think I have a plan for Sunday; main target is to beat last years time. If feeling v good at half way may push for pb esp as most the uphill is in the first half. But based on how I felt last year, I need to mentally prepare for painful legs in the last 3 miles!
Anyway am still interested to hear how other people plan targets for races.
Target for races! I don't.
You'll always be disappointed if you don't succeed and only relieved if you do.
What you need to do is train better than ever. It's that which will get you a pb. Not luck, ambition and a following wind.
🙂
But your right about training being key. Mine is generally a bit lacklutre because I let other things take priority.
I think it is about enjoying yourself and getting round the course. I try and pace it so if I have the legs after 10 miles on a half marathon I try to push it towards the finish. I injured myself in a marathon last May. Spent 4 months out and went back to Park Run running at the back. Since then have got to half marathons though took me time to build up. I was so determined to try and run a 3.45 marathon and ran 3.59 last year. Looking back I now enjoy running a lot more. I do not have time objectives just try and pace myself and see how I can get on. I did run a 5K pb the other week though so occasionally push it more.
I have a 10k race on Sunday and am not really expecting a PB (currently 50.45) - My approach to this is just going to be have an enjoyable run and see what happens. Looking around 52 mins and will target that and if I am feeling strong then you never know.
Good luck for Sunday RunningDadUK I always find a 10k more likely to be an enjoyable run as they're over a bit quicker!
As for me, I ended up about 1 min slower than last year, but overall I'm happy with my time. It came down to a decision at 9 miles, speed up a little to pb pace to beat last years time, or carry on at the pace I was doing. Didn't quite have it in me (mostly mentally I think) to speed up!