I decided the time had come to do some research and see what the "experts" advise! There seems to be a lot of contradictory advise around but I have decided to try something new and see how I get on!
After reviewing my last few "long runs" I have noticed that I run the first 6 or 7 miles at a "fast" pace and then gradually slow down getting slower as each mile passes. After reading lots of articles one main mistake of the virgin marathoner seems to be running the first half too fast and then having to walk a lot during the second half! This is NOT going to be me - I will NOT walk!
So ...
I found a site that predicts your marathon time based on the pace you ran a lower mileage race, and adjusting it (somehow) accordingly. This site also recommend you set yourself three target finishing times for the day.
1) A goal time that dreams are made of!
2) A realistic goal time!
3) the slowest time you could deal with!
So using the predicted times based on my 10K and Half marathon results I have come up with these goals!
1) A goal time that dreams are made of! - 4 Hours (Pace 9.09)
2) A realistic goal time! - 4:20 (Pace 9:55)
3) The slowest time I could deal with! - 4:45 (Pace 10:52)
All the articles say the virgin marathoner should aim to run the entire distance at a constant pace, rather than setting off fast!
Based on this I decided on my short run tonight to experiment with what the pace would feel like to get a finish time slightly better than my realistic goal time.
I decided to make a conscious effort to keep my average minute miles between 9:28 and 9:40. I found this tricky! For the first mile I was too fast and then I managed to slow down into roughly the right pace!
On my next long run - 22 miles this weekend - I plan on putting this theory to the test. If I set off at a slower pace and maintain it will this stop me hitting the wall?
I hope so!
Slow and steady wins the race!
Keep tuned in to find out!
To view tonight's S - L - O - W run click here!
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