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What to do the day earlier than a half marathon? When do you run, what do you eat? What do it is advisable to know race morning to lastly hit that PR or just end your first half marathon? Regular tempo, detrimental cut up? Let’s discuss half marathon race technique ideas!!
Coaching is meant to be the laborious half and race day the celebration, at the very least that’s what we’re typically advised.
However for a lot of runners, race day is full of nerves or they cross the end line realizing they may have carried out higher…however how?
At the moment we’re going to dive in to every little thing it is advisable to know for race weekend. As a result of in the event you don’t deal with the few days pre-race proper, it might not matter what pacing technique you try and observe! Your half marathon tempo plan requires your physique being wholesome, completely happy and effectively…the correct climate!
Let’s get began with some half marathon ideas that work for each degree of runner.
Half Marathon Race Technique
We’ll get to the precise race, however first let’s begin with every little thing we’re doing within the 48 hours earlier than the race.
As a result of in the event you make a mistake like consuming fried catfish since you’re making an attempt to please your future husband…let’s simply say that you possibly can find yourself seeing a number of the Nashville Rock N Roll porta potties on the course. (cough, not that I’d know something about this.)
Seize your printable race guidelines to be sure you don’t overlook something when packing!!
1. Perceive Your Objective Tempo
When you’re undecided what to set in your purpose, it’s positively going to make race day a bit trickier.
Begin by taking a look at this half marathon tempo chart >>
Hopefully, you’ve been performing some purpose tempo exercises or intervals that can assist you know the place you ought to be. However perhaps it’s your first race and also you simply wish to end with out dying.
That’s completely fantastic!!
Use the chart to seek out your straightforward tempo. From there assume that perhaps you are able to do 10-30 seconds per mile quicker with the race day ambiance after which take a look at what that end time is.
- Attempt to discover a tempo band on the expo, so you possibly can test your occasions because the race goes alongside. When you can’t discover one, then write a couple of splits in your arm, so you possibly can test in in your purpose all through the race.
- Keep in mind that your watch could ding slightly earlier than or after the mile markers relying on if you’re working the tangents (normally you aren’t, so that you’ll find yourself barely longer)
- Additionally, attempt to run the tangents! Meaning not weaving a bunch, don’t take corners tremendous tight.
- Prepare with the mantra you’re going to be repeating in your head when it will get robust.
- Know that it’s going to get robust! Considering it’s going to all be roses results in a a lot tougher day. As a substitute, embrace that it will likely be laborious and that you are able to do it.
2. Do a Lot of Meal Planning
Don’t be like that 25 yr previous model of me who was ravenous by the point we discovered our resort after the expo and simply wanted to eat, which result in discovering the one place close by.
Granted we didn’t on the time have superior instruments like Yelp, however I may have carried out a lot extra to keep away from the scenario!
- Analysis close by eating places in your evening earlier than dinner and think about one thing gentle and eat early.
- Convey your pre-race breakfast with you or plan to swing by a grocery retailer to seize your bagel and nut butter.
- Double test that you just’ve packed all of the vitality gels, race gasoline that you’ve got beforehand examined in your lengthy runs, together with electrolyte powders.
- We LOVE grabbing groceries for the journey general as a result of it ensures each pre and put up race stomachs stay completely happy and diet on level.
3. Begin Line Planning
Have you ever ever had the dream the place you’re combating to get to the race, however every little thing is towards you and by the point you arrive everybody has already began? Yeah, most of us have.
Which is why we wish to spend slightly time planning forward, to assist alleviate that worry and get a greater evening of sleep.
Work out if there’s a drop off level, a shuttle, a simple stroll out of your resort?
Assume that you just’ll be ready in line at the very least 10-20 minutes for a porta potty and wish at the very least 10-20 minutes to stroll round, do a dynamic heat up and soak up some final minute gasoline.
MINIMUM give your self that point.
You don’t wish to waste vitality being wired or sprinting to the beginning line.
4. End Line Planning
It looks like at this level all it is advisable to do is sit down and eat your free banana. However alas, I’ve spent many a race wandering round for half-hour looking for my effectively that means spectators or associates, all of the whereas getting colder and hungrier.
- Checkout the end space map and decide a spot to satisfy your family and friends. Assist them perceive that it would take a bit so that you can get out to them.
- Go forward and test that bag initially line with some physique wipes and dry garments to alter on the end line. It’ll guarantee you possibly can hang around and benefit from the ambiance.
- When you have a finicky abdomen, then have a few of your trusted meals prepared in that bag or have a plan to seek out some inexperienced juice and a meal.
Nice now that we’ve got a number of the fundamentals out of the best way to make this an general nice expertise, let’s dive in to the race specifics.
Half Marathon Pacing Technique
Whether or not you’re seeking to hit a PR (private report) or simply have a powerful race, it’s vital to have an general half marathon technique. Typically, we wish to guarantee that you’ve got sufficient vitality to hold on via that end even when it begins to burn!
Observe Even Pacing
The very first thing it is advisable to know is that extra research are exhibiting that EVEN pacing, not aiming for a detrimental cut up is one of the best ways to hit a PR. I feel it’s because you dial in to a tempo and as a substitute of needing to push tougher when drained, you merely keep it.
The purpose is to maintain it in management throughout the first mile and from there dial in to your purpose race tempo.
All of this assumes a course that’s comparatively related when it comes to hills or flats from begin to end. When you have a race with extra hills ultimately, you might must push slightly extra within the early flats (like seconds per mile push, not 30 seconds quicker).
In the meantime in the event you begin a race on the downhill after which it flattens out, you would possibly decide up 10 seconds per mile beginning out and let that carry you later.
Begin Line
Ideally you wish to take a remaining fast little bit of vitality in initially line. Seize a honey stinger waffle or in the event you love gels, suck on down. That is placing that instant gasoline within the tank in your physique to attract from.
Keep in mind that it takes 30+ minutes for the gasoline to enter your bloodstream.
And for caffeine it peaks at 45 minutes. So in the event you had that espresso two hours in the past, you would possibly profit from slightly caffeine initially after which once more throughout the race. As all the time, it’s best to have examined how caffeine impacts you throughout your lengthy coaching runs!!
Mile 1
In truth, we frequently inform those that mile 1 needs to be your slowest of the race. This is smart as a result of it means you aren’t losing vitality dodging and weaving round different runners and also you aren’t blasting via your carbohydrates by overshooting the mark.
So perhaps you’re 30 seconds slower, know that that is time you may make up bit, by bit. Ideally you is perhaps round 10-15 seconds under purpose tempo, however regardless of the quantity don’t let it freak you out.
However in the event you’re 30 seconds too quick, that might really end in being minutes per mile slower later within the race.
Miles 2-3
Now we’re beginning to actually dial in to our purpose race tempo.
This could really feel such as you’re pushing your self, however not that you would be able to’t keep the tempo for a lot of miles to come back.
Discovering our precise tempo is absolutely laborious!! The most effective methods to do that is to cease worrying about your watch and begin focusing in your effort ranges.
- The primary few miles of the race ought to virtually really feel too straightforward
- The center set of miles ought to really feel like a push, however not laborious to take care of.
- The ultimate set of miles ought to really feel such as you’re pulling out all of the psychological instruments to carry on, however with out feeling such as you’re on the verge of a whole break down!
Taking a look at your watch can typically forestall you from hitting a brand new PR. You freak out in regards to the tempo, even when it feels sustainable and then you definitely maintain your self again. One of many causes I typically prescribe exercises for the runners we coach as medium or laborious effort, is to assist them be taught simply this sense!
Center Miles Fueling
I’ve carried out a extra in-depth article on half marathon fueling, however it must be touched on right here. As a result of with out gasoline your pacing will fall off or the race will simply proceed to really feel like a sufferfest.
- rule of thumb is start consuming gasoline between the primary 45-60 minutes of a race.
- Proceed each 45-60 minutes after that.
- Roughly 30-60 grams of carbs per hour that you just’re working
And in the event you want some assist with staying on high of hydration, a couple of tips about ingesting whereas working.
Miles 11-13.1
As you hit the ultimate 2-3 miles of the race, you can begin to push the tempo in the event you’re feeling good.
Simply do not forget that 3 miles remains to be a protracted methods to run, which implies it is advisable to maintain your tempo improve small and sustainable.
That is the place you need to begin actually taking part in a powerful psychological recreation.
I are inclined to repeat a mantra like “regular and light-weight” throughout miles 10-12, in order that I simply maintain on to my tempo after which after I hit 12 it’s on. I select somebody in a brightly coloured shirt and put all my concentrate on catching that particular person, then the particular person in entrance of them, and many others.
That breaks this remaining mile down in to constant wins and manageable items. Which can assist to get you out of your head and cease desirous about uncomfortable you might be.
Half Marathon Race Day Suggestions
Now that race day has arrived, you first must undergo my put up on managing your race day nerves. Get that below management after which it’s time to plot out the way you’ll be spending that point milling in regards to the begin space.
These are your remaining moments to get your physique and thoughts proper!
Porta Potties
Simply get in line. Don’t child your self, you’ll completely go and also you would possibly as effectively get via the road sooner slightly than later. If you end up having that “do I must pee or not?” feeling because the time ticks down, know that it’s most frequently nerves and when you begin working your physique has a mechanism to place that on the again burner!
So in case you have time, line up once more, but when not then don’t sweat it.
Don’t Skip the Heat Up
As you’re standing round with lots of or 1000’s of different runners, it may be straightforward to get misplaced within the second and simply skip your heat up, however that’s a serious no-no.
Your heat up is doubly vital on race day! It’s telling your physique that it’s time to go, to do what you’ve repeatedly skilled it to do and to make sure that all of your muscle groups are heat and able to go the second you cross that line.
Undergo the dynamic heat up after which spend just some minutes jogging. The longer the race, the much less working round it is advisable to do previous to the race as you possibly can enable your first mile to function a heat up.
The place to line up?
Of all of the race day errors that I’ve made and realized from there is just one that I proceed to make…lining up too far again.
This comes right down to trusting your self and your pacing, whereas additionally not trusting any of the runners in entrance of you, ha!
Most frequently I’ll see a pacer that’s according to my purpose and line up someplace in entrance of or behind them. However invariably, a number of people who’re going to be strolling or going a lot slower have gotten nervous and determined to start out means too far ahead. I get it, nerves are taking maintain of everybody.
However while you spend the primary few miles weaving out and in of individuals, you add steps to your race and waste a number of psychological/bodily vitality.
Attempt lining up only a bit farther ahead than you suppose it’s best to in the event you’re going for a PR.
While you’re new, be sure you actually search for these pacers that can assist you determine in the event you’re too far ahead. It’s additionally no enjoyable to have folks whipping round you continuous for the primary few miles, while you’re working laborious!
Dealing with the primary mile
It’s taking place, your wave of runners is lastly going from a bizarre run, trot, stroll via the corrals and throughout the beginning line. That is when a weird dash begins and folks utterly abandon their race objectives to only fly.
Nope, not you.
You recognize that by holding again in that first mile, you’ll get to catch and move these runners later within the race. You don’t wish to skyrocket your HR instantly and burn via gasoline, together with fatiguing your legs.
All proper hopefully these half marathon race methods and ideas gave you some new concepts and issues to consider so you will get on the market and crush it.
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