challenging but realistic goal for my 8 hour on Aug 14 ...

SportiGrl · Aug 2, 2010

I did this race last summer, my first time ever going over 5:45 hours, btw ... it reached 93F that day ... I made 43+ miles ...
 
 
.. since then I've pr'd the 50K in 5:18 but still hang between 5:40-5:45 for all others I did in the past year ... I pulled out another < 3:30 marathon from my arse, somehow ... and have done 2 50 milers (first in 10:22 and last month in 9:43) ...
 
I want to be aggressive on this non-tech course and hopefully will get more reasonable weather than last year ...
 
 
my best 5k was around 6:40 pace ... best 10k just shy of 7 MM ... not sure my speed is quite 'there' right now but not sure how much that matters in such things as 8 hour races, lol
 
sooooo... what say the peanut gallery? what's a realistic yet challenging goal for my upcoming 8 hour?
 
 
thanks ...

trailz92 · Aug 2, 2010

How does this work? They give you a time limit and you run as far as you can? I'm assuming this is a loop course or some sort. Is that even close to being correct?

SportiGrl · Aug 2, 2010

you have 8 hours to do as many 3.29 mile loops as possible ... 1/2 hour before cutoff time you start a 1/4 mle out and back to record 1/2 mile increments to add to your loop total milage ... it's a fairly simple course reminding me of a HS XC course with very little hills, no real technical areas and maybe 1 - 1 1/3 miles of road ... lots of grass and a little 'trail' that is wide and not nearly like single track I am used to ...
<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by trailz92 <a href="/forum/thread/69221/challenging-but-realistic-goal-for-my-8-hour-on-aug-14#post_1929073"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> How does this work? They give you a time limit and you run as far as you can? I'm assuming this is a loop course or some sort. Is that even close to being correct?
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Jensparks · Aug 2, 2010

I have no clue, but I'm going to guess you do between 48-50 miles. <img alt="" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/headbang.gif" title=""> Go Sporti!

SportiGrl · Aug 2, 2010

that'd be cool, jen ... I am torn between running a pace I 'know' I will be able to maintain the entire time and just pushing things and risking having to stop early ... it'll be 9 weeks before my goal race and first 100k at Oilcreek .... decisions, decisions, decisions .....

Flounder · Aug 3, 2010

I would target (If decent weather)
1) A PR
2) 48 miles = 10:00
 
I would strategically pick what ever the biggest up area (I know you said flatich, but I would still think there is some hill) or what ever the most difficult area to run and walk 2-3 minutes each loop. When you run, run a pace you feel you could keep up for 8 hours, but still walk each look weather you want to or not. You could run the whole 1st loop to see which area you are going to walk.
 
My 2-cents

Brian Runner · Aug 4, 2010

With 9 weeks until your goal race I think you can safely push it as hard as you like, unless you have a history of being slow to recover. But then again, you don't want to get hurt before the 100 either...

SportiGrl · Aug 4, 2010

flounder ... the biggest up area is a paved hill right after the midway AS ... I would grab some boiled potatoes after getting my fluids replenished and sponging off and hike that sucker while chomping on my taters

last year I walked a lot more of the flat areas than I might have needed ... but it was hot and also the longest race I'd ever done by over 2 hours, so I was being fairly cautiously competitive, lol ... I bruised the heck out of my toenails/toes and had some considerable blisters, partially due to not being careful enough in my sponging efforts and running in very wet socks *yikes*
 
 
when I was first studying/learning about ultras I read that 50k pace might be something like 30/sec/mile slower than marathon pace ... mine is MUCH slower, but mine is also on trails rather than roads! but this 8 hour race is the least technical/hilly race I've done on trails so I think I might be able to push the pace more than any other I've done ... 
 
 
I'm just trying to decide whether I want to risk failure this time or play it safe ... like I always do.

Flounder · Aug 4, 2010

I would run a comfortable / relaxed 8 hour pace -
 
To me the difference between pushing the red line and backing down a bit to comfortably hard, but relaxed is 15-20 seconds per mile at that distance - I am not talking about dogging it, just make sure the 1st 4-5 hours feel real easy and follow your plan for walking, drinking & eating.
 
My challenge to you is to pick an effort level (Don't care about pace - heat effecte pace too much) that you can sustain the whole 8 hours - I would love to see your 1st 4 hour distance and 2nd 4 distance within 5% of each other.
 
You can work hard in the race - but make sure you can race hard your whole last hour.

Jensparks · Aug 4, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Flounder <a href="/forum/thread/69221/challenging-but-realistic-goal-for-my-8-hour-on-aug-14#post_1929778"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 
You can work hard in the race - but make sure you can race hard your whole last hour.
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<hijack>

You certainly know something about that! </hijack>

SportiGrl · Aug 6, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Flounder <a href="/forum/thread/69221/challenging-but-realistic-goal-for-my-8-hour-on-aug-14#post_1929778"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> 
 
My challenge to you is to pick an effort level (Don't care about pace - heat effecte pace too much) that you can sustain the whole 8 hours - I would love to see your 1st 4 hour distance and 2nd 4 distance within 5% of each other.
 
You can work hard in the race - but make sure you can race hard your whole last hour.
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I hope that can happen ... fairly even splits ... the temperature differential last year made that unrealistic but hopefully this year will be more hospitable

I did my 50 miler at Mohican really well, imho and did race hard the last split (approx 5 1/2-6 miles) barely walking and wish I had the split for it ... I think you'd have been proud of me and my effort on that day

I was! that's the part I am most proud of.
 
 
I have not mastered negative splits and don't know if I will ... once I lock into a pace it's very difficult for me to rev into a higher gear ... I suppose I need to practice that more ... have been wanting to include some 2-3 mile tempo pick ups in the middle of a 15-20 mile LR ... like 3-4 x 2 mile tempo in the body of the run ... maybe will do that while building to oilcreek in October ..thoughts?

SportiGrl · Aug 6, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Jensparks <a href="/forum/thread/69221/challenging-but-realistic-goal-for-my-8-hour-on-aug-14#post_1929804"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> 
<hijack>

You certainly know something about that! </hijack>
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as I was struggling (mostly mentally) to keep running w/o walkbreaks that last section at Mohican I kept reminding myself of the magnificent FLOUNDER DOPPLEBACH .... very inspirational!

Flounder · Aug 6, 2010

You will continue to excel
 
But eventually I would suggest to stop thinking about pace and start thinking about effort level -

SportiGrl · Aug 7, 2010

thanks, flounder ... I make pace bracelets but don't really pace myself by them ... I use them to guage whether the reality of my race is matching up within the timerange I thought my training was leading me ... if I'm ahead or behind I do NOT alter what I'm doing in the run, I just make a mental note of how I'm feeling and ponder why that may be and keep on trucking ...
 
I'm thinking of trying, for once, to set an aggressive pace goal and see if maybe I can meet it rather than running by feel ... I never feel nauseous/worn out/spent at the end of my races and think maybe I'm being a slacker and afraid of failure by pushing my limits ... sometimes I feel beaten up and my bones/joints hurt so badly I slow due to that, but worn out doesn't happen ...yet.

challenging but realistic goal for my 8 hour on Aug 14 ...

SportiGrl

trailz92

SportiGrl

Jensparks

SportiGrl

Flounder

Brian Runner

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Jensparks

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