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Start by running your first mile a 4:33 and continue to run the rest of the race at that pace. I found that wearing Vibram 5 finger shoes work the best also. You can really feel the pavement on your feet which helps propel you faster. Make sure to skip all the water stations, it will only slow you down. Make sure your shave your entire body so that your hair does not slow you down. And of course free ball it.
+1 on the 4:33 pace
I would just take off my trainers.
I'm a sub 2 marathoner and I've found that positive splitting is the way to go. A sub 2 is going to hurt no matter how you pace yourself, so you might as well as bank some time early and just accept that miles 20-26 are going to be miserable.
Agree w everything said so far by those other sub-2 hour athletes. I'll add a bit of my experience, following up on the "positive splits" post. That strategy is essential, to be sure. Once you hit the halfway mark sub-1 hour, then you really, really need to surge to 32km -- that 59:xx half marathon isn't going to mean anything unless you really attack the course in the next ~10km or so. Once you do that, then it's all cruising in for the glory from 32km on.
And a happy holiday season to all!
I've only run a few minutes under 2 hours, but I feel I still have some valuable advice. When you run you should lean forward as much as possible without falling down. The optimal is obviously running close to level with the ground so that your whole body is slightly hovering over the pavement. Because of this angle of your body relative to the ground your movement will be greatly increased due to gravity. It takes a lot of skill, but this makes it possible to run as if you though you were falling from the sky and the sound barrier can be broken.
ONLY PROUD, VERY CLEAN, LION OF ALGERIA KNOWS SECRETS OF ELITE PACING! YOU FOOLS KNOW NOTHING! MAKHLOUFI WILL MAKE MOCKERY OF ALL IN 2024 OLYMPIC MARATHON (1:58 FLAT!!!!) IN PROUND CITY OF ALGIERS. YES! WE SHALL BID AND WIN FROM IFEDELS THE OLYMPICS HOSTINGS! BEWARE!!! BEFORE THIS TIMES, HE SHALL MAKE GOLD MEDALS IN MANY MANY OLYMPICS. IAAF WILL CROWN HIM CLEANEST WONDER OF RUNNING EVER!!!
Go out like hell and hang on
Don't forget to carry other critical amenities on the outing, including but not limited to:
1) fanny pack
2) gu's
3) water bottle - and be sure to throw it to some fans midway through the race so they can go nuts with delight
4) arm sleeves
5) hand warmers for if it's below 50 degrees Fahrenheit
6) tight underwear over short running shorts over basketball shorts over tights
Proper tunes on your i-pod is essential for pacing. It may be best to hold this in your hand, or get one of those arm band cases as second choice. This worked for me. 1:59:59 baby! (Some question the course's certification, accuracy, and that it was a major downhill, but I did it! Kip saw me! Ask him. He has the results on his site.)
Also, I got motivation from wearing the shirt from the local 5 K where I got my PR.