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First 10 K of the season! I messed up!

BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
So it was the first 10K race of the season for me on sunday! The Glastonbury road run. Its not a overall technical run but there are some hills.

I messed it right up! I was hoping to post a good time of around 42 mins![X(] but.................





So the start was a bit manic with some 1500 runs all looking for some space and place near the front. I settled in about 1/3 of the way back and made a bit of space to run in. The hooter went and off we all ran. Actually at break neck speed. This is where it all begins to go wrong for me. I got caught up in the whole dash for the first corner and then the pace was so hot I found my heart rate to high and I need to slow. Lucky for me I saw someone in front running at what looked like my pace so I slotted in behind and began to sort it out.



I was running well now and much happier but concerned that the first K I ran at stupid speed was going to hurt me later. The next 4 K's slide by nicely and I was in a zone and feeling good when O began to feel my hamstring getting a bit painful. I checked heart rate, technique and hydration. All seemed fine. I then noticed the guy I was tailing was slowing down as we started a hill. With out thinking I just started to match his speed again. I pulled my finger out and put some pace back in to get myself back in a rythm that works for me. I spent the rest of the distance trying to pull back some time. I did the first 5 K in 27 mins and the second in 22 mins. That surely should the other way round.



I havent finished yet.... So I come over the last hill and can see the finish about 500 meter s away and the field begin to speed up like they do in a rush for the finish. Agin I got drag out of my zone and began to match them, I was ok with that and then all of a sudden my mind was saying wait till 200 Meters and give it all you have left when I notice I was actually almost sprinting and passing every man and his dog on my way to the line. With around 200 to go I was almost throwing up so I had to easy off as the heart rate was at 197 and I dont function well over 188. I easy a lot and lost some places but did manage to keep my dignity by not leaving a pavement pizza.





I finished with an OK 49 mins. Next 10 K is the weekend after my first TRI so will hope the next 2 weekends (Tri traing next week and tri the week after) are enough trtaing and general help to get my time down for the Wells 10 on the 24.







I will looking at tactics and disipine for the next one! Any thoughts of ways to help?

Comments

  • WannabetriWannabetri Posts: 219
    Sounds like you had quite the battle, and know where the improvements can be made in terms of early doors pacing and knowing when to kick on home and how hard!



    You actually run the splits the right way, but I would be concerned that the difference is so much. While the perfect race would be even split and pace the whole way through it's safer and more accustomed to run a negative split where the second half is quicker than the first half. I'd have thought a 10% difference would have been the norm, but this is speculation. Going by your times a 24min:23min split would have been ideal.



    Having said that you got through it. Have a great story to tell and seem psyched for the next challenge!!!
  • garyrobertsgaryroberts Posts: 869
    Hey, blinkybaz



    Great post.......i will be doing a 10K on Sunday and let me tell you......if i can post a similar result then that'll do me! I'm a terrible runner, some might say pathetic.....so your sub 50' looks good to me.



    If you had two or three tips for a 10K what would they be..................?
  • JonhinioJonhinio Posts: 289
    I'm sure there'll be a lot of differing advice on this, but here's my tuppence



    It's all about pacing. By the sounds of it (sorry if I've got this wrong), but by you trying to keep up with someone, you're not running your own race. If you start worrying what other people are doing you will not concentrate on achieving your potential. Work out your required pace and stick to it.



    Also don't worry about heart rate etc for races. Heart rate is for training. Get to know what it feels like to run at that level and then in the race, run by how you feel. It's one less distraction checking your watch every 100 metres.



  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    I'm probably the last person to advise about running a 10K as my PB is 1:01:52 (!) but jobhinio's advice is spot on. Run your race, not anybody else's.



    Work out your "preferred" pacing before as your race plan. Its OK to pace off someone else BUT only if they are matching the pace you need for that part of your race.



    I too suffer from the first Km headless chicken scenario, but i now build this into my race plans - i accept the first K will be quicker than any of the others, because of the "drag along" effect and that I have most energy early on! But also consider that you are benefiting from some drafting too at this juncture so a substantially faster pace than normal in that first Km isn't the same effort as running that pace on your own. This is of course a very personal thing, and I don't think a fast first km stuffs _me_ in terms of the race and my race plan. YMMV.



    Nothing wrong with a push at the end either if the energy levels are there. You'll learn through experience (this is what I kid myself with anyway) as to when you can start your push... I often find I can push 400m out and still be driving hard at the line so _I_ possibly still have a little more in the tank I can push earlier with. Terrain will obviously play a big part here as well.



    Good luck anyway... every race is a learning experience and ity sounds as if you have done your homewotk on this one. You'll murder the next one I am sure ;-)



    didds

  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Thanks chaps!



    I have read what you said wannabetri and am now happy you are right about the splits. I would have hoped to have done both in around 21 ish or maybe a quick 19 min second half. It was a battle royal in my head trying to sort the pace out, Did I mention how hot it was. At times there was no wind and when in the back roads with high hedges it was dam hot for early may!





    Jonhinio - I will learn the bodies feel! I do like the HRM but I can defo see where you are coming from. I will be redoing the route for my own torture one night this week. I will let you know the difference.





    Gaz Roberts - 10 K tips.

    Remember the ditsance is not big so you can use your power not have to save yourself for the duration.



    Get well hydrated before.

    Make sure you are happy with your kit choice. (I went for a compression vest and found it to hot and no zip to let the heat out.)

    Loads of people listen to music so MP3 if you need it.(they are allowed)





    Most of all set a target for halfway and they destroy it in the second half. Or just enjoy the run.
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Was 42 minutes an achievable target? If you were trying to known 8 mins of your PB, then that would be some going!



    42 minutes is around 4:15 or so for each K. Can you run at that at the moment?



    Negative splits are generally a good thing (second half faster).



    Throwing up and the end isn't a bad thing.. just means that you are going out of yourself a bit.



    When I was a kid I always retched at the end. As I got fitter and better I stopped. Here I am 30 years later - and I retch at the end of the races. So it doesn't really worry me - just tells me I'm not as fit as I need to be.



    The key thing is that you do not want to finish with anything left. If you have.. then you've unperformed. The key is to get it all out in the most efficient way. Of course, if you are using the event as a training event, then that maxim might not hold.



    If the front half of the course is hillier, then it would be slower. Hills slow you down a lot.



    Don't worry to much about the HRM when racing. It's best for post race analysis. It will vary so much - just from the adrenaline, hills, temperature etc.



    _do_ work out your paces before hand. Only run with people who are at the pace you want to be at - and if it helps your concentration. I usually run my own race until the last K or two, when I try to pick up faster people and go with them.



    To get a PB, and if you think you are fitter than when you last got it., run the first half at a pace that will match, or just go outside your PB. Then really look at speeding up a bit at the half way mark - and then towards the end. Other things being equal, 2 minutes would be a pretty impressive mark to knock off a PB - and usually only when you are starting out. Once you have a few under your belt, it's harder to get the times down by anything other than smaller increments (my last few hard 5Ks - on the same course - were all within 10 seconds of each other).



    It doesn't matter if you die, as long as your were trying!





    Good luck, and let us know how you get on in the next one.
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    Interesting stuff.



    It's really hard to avoid bombing off far too fast at the start of a race



    I did a four mile race last week in 29.10 ie 7.17 per mile. Problem was I got swept up with the general charge from the start. I did the first mile in about 6.30, which meant I was knackered for the second mile. The last two were a bit more sensible.
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Didds - Cheers I am defo taking on board what jonhinio said.



    Jack Hughse - Thanks for advice I am going to try and excell at the next in 3 weeks. Its a flat course. ( nice new picture Jack)



    I have done a flay training 10 k in 43 mins so knocking another minute off in a race should be possible. (it leads to me to rechack my training run distamce to be sure though)
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Blinkybaz wrote:
    nice new picture Jack

    Yeah! He is _nearly_ fur all the way through, and his nose is almost certainly liquorice.



    For what it's worth, I'm rubbish at practicing what I preach. I did a hilly 10K in 42:20 in September, so decided that for the Leeds Abbey Dash (a great PB course) at the end of November, I would break 40 mins. This meant trying to set a pace of 4 mins per K (obviously). I didn't have to courage to do negative splits - just "4 minute Ks or bust!". According to the 220 formula, my Max HR at the time was 220 - 44 = 176, although I'd got it up to 180 doing intervals. The first K is on a slight down hill slope, but, with around 5,000 runners, I started fairly near the front - so felt obliged to make a quick getaway!



    1K 03:38

    2K 04:01

    3K 04:01

    4K 04:04

    5K 04:15

    6K 04:07

    7K 04:12

    8K 03:58

    9K 04:19

    10K 04:29



    Total time 41:09. I lost my minute in the last 2K. The fith K was a bit hilly - otherwise, I was going fairly well, pacewise - but started to slip a bit on the 7th K. I kicked hard to get back on pace - and did the 8th K back on schedule. Nice. However, into the 9th K, I blew up. The HR tells an interesting story:



    1K 153 av, 167 Max (getting warmed up)

    2K 166 av, 169 Max (I expected to do the first half at around 168, the second half at around 172 - which is pretty much foot to the floor for me on a 10K - although I was running to pace, not HR)

    3K 166 av, 169 Max

    4K 168 av, 170 max

    5K 168 av, 170 max (looking about right so far)

    6K 167 av, 168 max (less hilly, but starting to ease off - concentration going - this is where picking up someone moving at the right pace would be good)

    7K 168 av, 170 max (must be getting a bit tired - HR up, but pace down!)

    8K 168 av, 169 Max (but Looks good as I put on some pressure - it was a nice flat K).

    9K 169 av, 182 max - Gasp! This is where I blew up - almost literally - the HR suddenly shot up - this is on the flat - about 250m into the K - after that it fell back, and I just could get it going again. 'twas over - and just about getting home, as the runners started to move past me.)

    10K 165 av, 167 max - This included the final 200m "sprint" + throw up at the end - otherwise would have been slower still. Although it was uphill.



    Anyway, it was still a new PB. And a new HR Max! Still disappointed that I did not go sub 40 though.



    The next 10K I did was very hilly, so I took it as an experiment - doing Negative Splits. It worked pretty well, and although the time was slower, my performance was a lot better (beating guys that had done 40m in Leeds). However, it was freezing - I was wearing gloves, so couldn't work the stopwatch/HRM! So no decent stats. I now have a Garmin 405 which has an autolap feature, so I don't need to fumble with buttons any more.



  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    So how do you feel about negative splits now? Are you still going to go with the average or look to negative split it?



    I think I work best if I have a clock to run against. I could tell from the first 2 K's that I was not doing what I should. I think I will try and nail the next one with a negative split but closer together this time.



    I am still very dissapointed with the performance for my first this season as I know there is speed in these old legs. As I mentioned a little way through this thread heat was a issue and the wrong top was worn. I was begining to over heat on the body so a zip top next time!





    Anyone want to join me in Wells for a 10 K (somerset) A truely beautiful city no bigger than a small town! The catherdal is stunning!
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Well, in theory, Negative splits. But it takes a bit of courage. I've only got 5 10Ks under my belt, so am still learning. At the start, you tend to improve in leaps and bounds, so that makes negative splits harder (Race 1: 43:45, Race 2: 42:20, Race 3: 41:09, Race 4: 41:52, Race 5: 42:04) Race 5 I was too injured to run, and hadn't run for two months prior to it, so had lost some fitness. However, assuming I'm able to do the race/get an entry in November, I will probably try -ve splits then for Abbey Dash 09. It all seems a bit remote at the moment.



    I'm originally from the Wells neck of the woods. Did my driving test there. Which, if you know the city, is quite weird - as it is tiny, has no roundabouts, box junctions - not much in the way of traffic lights or one way streets etc. The examiners were _very_ strict on reversing though to make up for things.



    it is indeed a lovely little city. The cathedral is, IMHO, much nicer than York. Did you know that the front was painted bright red when it was first built? Imagine that when you are running!!!!



    Is the 10K on the flat - or does it head up into Mendip?

  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    The form says its flatish and good for a PB!



    When did you leave Wells? The road network is a bit different know. It only has one way streets round the centre.

    Painted red? Thats must have been some site!!!



    I live in Street so not far away!
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    1987/88. It will have changed a lot - but I still suspect it is a strange place to do a driving test - compared to other cities.



    My Dad still lives near Wedmore.
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