Very insightful article, not too heavy, but still useful and a good window into her training. I can tell you from personal experience that runners I know who were casual runners took all races, from 5k up to marathon, more seriously after last August's miracle. She's the Joanie for a new generation. I know RW is mocked here, and totally get that, but sometimes they have good content.
Put your plan in pencil--be open to changes.
Easy days easy--but enjoy them.
Improve gradually--modify your blocks, but not too much each time.
Pre-race ritual--up to the person.
Keep it light at the start--she's used to being an underdog.
Her approach, as an apparent underdog (until recently): “At the end of the day, if I don’t go out with the leaders and I blow up spectacularly, no one’s going to give a crap. Ultimately, no one expects anything of me anyway. So, I might as well just go for it.”
Embrace the boredom--focus on getting into a Zen state.
Snap back from disappointment--refocus even in-race and don't try to do too much to get back to your pace or do anything drastic.
Negative splits--go out easy and finish strong the last 6.2.
Seidel also mentions that conserving the legs a bit in the beginning of the race is key to a strong finish. “I’ve found it’s a 20-mile lead into a 10K road race,” she says. “So it’s about using the first chunk of the race—whether that’s the first half or the first two thirds—to prep your body for the final part,” she says.
Know and trust your body--she does not go into races with a set plan. This is new to me; she just lets her body dictate the race.