[Nettie]

Ok, this is going to sound really ridiculous, but how do you race a half-marathon?<br><br>
I have run maybe 4 half-marathons in my entire life. The first one was in 2004 and I averaged a 12<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/mad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Mad">x minute pace. The second one was in 2005 and I spent the majority of it running with a woman that was doing a 13 minute which was slower than I could have done. The third and fourth were this year. The third one was two weeks after a marathon and I felt tired the entire time and average an 11:58 pace. The latest one was last weekend and I average an 11:58 pace while taking walk breaks and I just came off of a month of no running.<br><br>
So, really, I don't feel like I've actually raced any half-marathons and now there is one I would like to race on September 9th. I would love to run it at an 11 minute pace. Today, I did 14 miles at an 11:34 minute pace, but I started out at a 10:55 pace and everything just kinda went down afterwards with my slowest mile being at a 12 minute pace.<br><br>
In April, I did a 12 mile run averaging just under 11 minutes per mile, but it just seems impossible to me right now. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Sad"><br><br>
So, basically, is there anything I can do now to help (I realize it's only 3 weeks out) or is there a racing strategy I should use (should I start out slower and then try to drop the pace)?<br><br>
Will this post get any actual responses? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Confused">

 

[Nettie]

Well hmph! I guess I'll give myself advice.<br><br>
Nettie, why don't you start out between 11:45 and 12 and then drop your pace by 15 seconds every 3 miles, so maybe like so...<br><br>
1 - 12:00<br>
2 - 11:45<br>
3 - 11:45<br>
4 - 11:30<br>
5 - 11:30<br>
6 - 11:30<br>
7 - 11:15<br>
8 - 11:15<br>
9 - 11:15<br>
10 - 11:00<br>
11 - 11:00<br>
12 - 11:00<br>
13 - 10:45<br><br>
Unfortunately, your average won't be 11, but since you haven't been running too consistently as of late perhaps it's as good as you can hope for.

 

[Nettie]

Tigger, thanks for responding! Well, my first half was my first half and I was still pretty new to running long distances at that time. And, I would've been in better shape for the last one, but I was actually injured for a month, not just slacking off. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile"><br><br>
10:something for 9 miles? Oh boy. I will try my best. I think racing for 13 miles is still psychologically hard for me to wrap my mind around. I just started running hard for shorter distances and then I got injured and blah blah blah.<br><br>
Thanks. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile">

 

[Nettie]

Liam,<br><br>
In November of last year, I started a marathon program based on the Hal Higdon novice marathon program, but condensed into fewer weeks. At the end of March, I ran a marathon. At the end of April, I ran another (after taking two weeks off for ITB issues). At the end of May, I ran another marathon. I finished the first marathon in 5:25, the second in 6:18, and the third in 5:18. Between marathons, I would run approximately 6 miles for my first LR, 6-12 miles for my second LR, and 12 miles for my last LR before the marathon.<br><br>
I took one week off at the beginning of June and started leading a marathon group that was following Hal Higdon's novice program. I lead them at a 11:30 pace. The weekend of the half-marathon, I lead the marathon group on a 6 or 8 miler the day before.<br><br>
Additionally, I did a 5K race, a 5-mile race, and a 4-mile race in between leading the marathon group.<br><br>
During the second week of July, I injured a tendon in my foot and couldn't run for 4 weeks.<br><br>
My mileage has been pretty sporadic since then...<br>
Post Injury Week 1 - 6.7 miles (LR 6.7 miles)<br>
PIW 2 - 31 miles (LR 12 miles, race 13.1 miles)<br>
PIW 3 (my most current week) - 18 miles (LR 14 miles).<br><br>
Because I don't want to aggravate my injury, I'll only be running 3 days a week for while; this week will be 4 miles, 8 miles, 12 miles; next week will be 6, 6, 14; and the week after that is the half.