I can't tell if I'm nervous or not. I'm ready to go and anxious to get on the course, but I'm feeling a little uncertain about the morning's logistics. This is my first participation in an official road race since 1988. That's such a long time ago, I might as well be a novice. I don't like that.
My strategy is to break the race up into quarters (approximate).
I. Warm up - first three miles. All the advice says to go out slow. I'm going to try my best not to let my adrenaline get the better of me and keep my pace close to 9:00/mile. I hope to hit the 3 mile marker (right around Chestnut) at 27:00.
II. Pick up - 3 to 6.5 miles. I'll take 15-30 seconds to slow and grab water, and maybe pop a Clif Shot just for a psychological boost, and then see if I can sustain a quicker tempo, perhaps 8:30 or better. It'd be great if I could cover this segment in 30 minutes, putting me at the halfway point at 57:00.
III. The Hump - 6.5 to 10 miles. This'll probably be the crux for me and the leg that'll determine if I'm going to have a shot at a 1:50:00 time goal or just a successful finish. After another quick pit stop for water, I'll try to hold a steady 8:40, which will make the 3.5 miles go by in about 31. I'll be 3 miles from the finish with 1:28 elapsed. I've run 10 miles in 1:22, but that was when I was done at 10. I've got to remember that I need a little more reserve.
IV. Cruise - Final three miles. If I relax, it'll take me 26 minutes to finish the race, putting me in at 1:54:00, which would be acceptable. If I have it in me, I can press to 24 minutes at an 8:00 clip, but that'll end up at 1:52:00. In order to motivate me to bust it over that last segment, I'd have to have a shot at 1:50:00, which means I will have needed to claim 2 minutes somewhere else, earlier, over the course. I'm sure I'll keep that in mind when I decide how to attach the last quarter of the race.
A 1:50:00 half marathon is an 8:23 pace. That's 7.1-7.2 mph: definitely not an LSD training pace for me. More like a 10K tempo run...twice. The more I think about it, the more I realize I don't want to put that pressure on myself. Let's just enjoy this run and if I should find myself in the position to shoot for a proud time, then I'll consider it.
Time for bed.
