[pace2race]

Forecast for Labor Day is out and I am wondering what to do. Start for the M is at 6:00am and it should be humid and in the mid to upper 60's. It is forecasted to be sunny and temps could be 80ish by 10:00 am.<br><br>
Would you stick to goal pace average and just deal with the conditions the later part of the Marathon?<br><br>
Would you start faster than average goal pace, bank time with the lower temp early and accept the rough ending?<br><br>
FWIW it's the Heart of America and I live in Columbia, MO where the race is ran. This will be my 5th time to run this marathon and of course I have been training in the local weather.<br><br>
Thanks for the thoughts and send a cool breeze our way!

 

[Nettie]

What time do you expect to finish in?

 

[pace2race]

Goal is 3:50. Was thinking of going for an average pace per mile of 8:20 for the first 8-10 miles with the forecasted weather. My PR is 4:08 in 1993 and I did this in 4:21 last year. Since February I have lost over 30 lbs and 5k times dropped from 26:07 to 22:40. I now weigh 163 lbs and have ran 13 LR's over 20 miles since April 9th with 2,029 miles ytd. I ran over 2,600 miles in 2006 and 4:19 in St. Louis was my best Marathon. I don't really know what my new potential is for an M until I run this Monday. I have ran several races but nothing over 5-miles this year. Sorry for the long-winded response but this is the final week of taper and taper madness is in full bloom.

 

[runningINnyc]

I'd stick with your planned pace and deal with what comes later in the race weather-wise and what not. I don't like to go out too fast and then still have to deal with some potential yuck elements in those later miles but that's just me. The time you banked might not be enough if you get too worn out. I'd also probably chop up the race into thirds and re-assess after each segment is completed, adjusting according to how you're feeling and how the race is going for you + the weather, etc.<br><br>
Good luck!!

 

[Floridaboiler]

Don't try and bank time. Run a smart race at the beginning and then start revaluating your pace after you get past the halfway point.

 

[PacerChris]

Do NOT bank time - unless you're into pain and puking (some people are - I am not!). Go out at goal pace and see how it's going - you've put yourself in position to improve a lot so that might be a conservative pace for you. If it heats up, back off a little. Better to start off a little (10-20 seconds/mile) slow and pick it up than go a little too fast and start losing massive chunks of time in the late stages of the race.<br><br>
If the first 6-8 miles don't feel really easy, you're going too hard for the conditions on that day. Good luck!