Road Racing and Training Thread, Week Ending 3/11/2018

Yeah, Best of luck to everyone racing this weekend.

Coach - Sat night I will pop some beer and wait for the Strava upload! The crash and burn is not to be feared.. its the races you remember as much if not more than the PRs. Kind of like an Epic bad date.

Allen, AJ, Smoove, RRR, et al. - From the bottom of my heart— thank you!

Unfortunately, I was hit with some bad news in regard to my job today—yes, the day before I head out for Shamrock. It was bad enough news that I considered not even running the race...but I have been convinced to do otherwise—to say the heck with it (them) and run that race, a race for which I have put in a good deal of effort. But, yes, I was so down I seriously considered ditching it.

I took my last run a short while ago, and it felt good. Yes, the weather looks good: 38 or 39 to start and a mix of clouds and sun, with wind at about 10mph.

Hopefully, I will leave in good spirits tommorrw. At least I feel a bit better than I did about three hours ago.

Again—thank you. I will run this with my family and you with me.

All the best...

OR - sorry to hear. The beautiful thing about a race is for that 2:48 (you got that sh*t) nothing else matters. The mind Ian total focused on the task at hand.

I’m pretty sure it’s possible run a marathon on “pure hate” ... you got this.

I want to echo outsiderunner's heartfelt thanks for the support! RRR is correct that you guys in North America will be drinking green beer as I toe the line. Anyone who thinks to raise a glass and send some positive thoughts my way will be much appreciated. Looks like the weather will be clear and in the mid 60s. Hopefully the wind will not be too bad.

I'm feeling respectfully fearless, but not brazenly reckless. I hope "successfully wreckless" will be the result.

outsiderunner: Reading your post, I know that there's probably nothing anyone can say to you to bring back your original enthusiasm. If it helps, I'm glad you're going to run. Thoughts and prayers...

My race is in 9 days. I'm kinda wiggin' out about strategy.

I've averaged 9-minute miles with the ruck running fairly easy, but all but one of those runs were on a track in perfect weather (low 50s). It could end up being in the 80s on race day.

In my last two ultras, I took it easy at the beginning... in one race (a trail 50K) I missed 1st place masters by 4 minutes.

Going by past results, I should have decent shot a winning the race, but with the pack (35 pounds) and weather, there's also a decent shot of blowing up. A 4:30 could win, a sub-4 hour would almost certainly win and could get a CR (3:56).

My instincts say I should go out at 10:00s and take it easy, but I don't wanna miss an opportunity to win and/or set a CR.

Should I take it easy or go b*lls out?

Ball out.

outsiderunner wrote:

Unfortunately, I was hit with some bad news in regard to my job today—yes, the day before I head out for Shamrock. It was bad enough news that I considered not even running the race...

OR -- Hang in there. I know you've been under a lot of stress at work lately, and the bad news is what it is. Put that all aside this weekend. Sleep well. Run well. You deserve to. For what it's worth, I have been through some very tough times over the past decade or so. And running has been a constant that has gotten me through (along with loving wife, family and faith). Enjoy your day. 2:47:23.

Run2 Death, normally I'm about as conservative a guy as it gets when it comes to race strategy, but I'm with RRR on this one. It's such a novel race that the truly great story will be a course record. A masters win would be nice, but not nearly the story of a CR or an implosion.

See, I can be very cavalier at times and be much less conservative. You know, with other people's races.

Smoove wrote:

See, I can be very cavalier at times and be much less conservative. You know, with other people's races.

+1

I don't have any experience with what your doing, but with so many variables in play, I'd say you need a couple of contingency plans. So maybe a full race plan for if the conditions are ideal and a second full race plan for extreme temperatures and so on. Another idea is to go back and research the CR splits if you can. If your splits are close, maybe keep your foot on the accelerator, but if you're off, maybe you just go for the win in a more conservative fashion. Of course, don't forget--there might be another guy out there right now... run2deathandintohell... who might make it a race for you. So I guess what I mean is visualize a range of possibilities and possible responses.

My body is so sensitive right now, less than 24 hours to race time. Just writing about racing has my heart rate up and I can feel the adrenaline. Same thing on the easy run I just finished... every time I let my mind wander to tomorrow's race, the watch started beeping... shifted my attention back to another topic and the heart rate dropped like a stone.

No contingencies!! PRs are one thing “I held the CR for a damn death march” is forever. If I had a 1% chance I would roll those damn dice. The alternative story is “I almost died and had to have 4 liters of IV fluid goin for the CR at a death march”. I mean that sounds just as bada$$.

Or. “Yeah I once ran 4:xx at a death march”.

I never said he needed to follow any of these plans... :D

Sorry for not getting everyone comments this week.

OR & CoachJeff, I'd wish you luck on your adventures this weekend but from the training you've been doing you two don't need luck. Inspiring stuff from both of you and I can't wait for your race reports.

I also have to chime in on the 4:50 mile vs 1:19 half. I think a 1:19 half is harder. There are what, hundreds or thousands of high schoolers every year who run a 4:50, although obviously way more Americans train semi-seriously for a mile vs a half marathon due to high school track.

January 2016 I had PF and for the next 10 weeks I did 0 workouts and ran 3-20 mpw.

Started training for a road mile 7 weeks out. Ran 28-31 mpw except week 6 was only 16.

Week 1: 2x6x400

Week 2: 16x200 @ 37, 20 min tempo

Week 3: 8x600 @ 2:15

Week 4: 12x300 @ 55, 20 min tempo

Week 5: 6x800

Week 6: No workouts

Week 7: 4:50 1 mi road race

More fast twitchers who do lower mileage will always agree that 4:50 is easier than 1:19. I think of it as anyone w 4:50 speed could run a 1:19 ... the inverse I’m not so sure of.

Thanks for the comments, fellas.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think I'll just go for it.

Even if I blow up, I'll likely finish in 5:30 or so, which would still put me top 10 most years.

I think I finished around 5:30 the last time I ran it and was 6th.

My son plans on getting under 4:50 tomorrow in the mile. He said he was going to Rupp the senior runner. I just laughed and told him to watch out for the snot rockets.

OR: it's always easier to say this from the outside, but - you gotta do the race. don't let work drag you down. I'm rooting for you, give 'em hell!

Coach: go for that sub 3:10, you got it!

r2d: I'm expecting great things - good luck!