Half Marathon Strategy
By Bob Glover
The following text is adapted from The Competitive Runner’s Handbook by Bob
and Shelly Glover. Refer to it for more detailed info on half-marathon
training and racing.
Half-Marathon Logistics
Since a quick start isn’t needed and the length of the race is quite long, minimize your warm-up run. Running a few miles before the race hastens glycogen depletion. Jog a half-mile to a mile to loosen up. Include a few easy strides if starting faster than training pace. Racing shoes may be okay for those racing at faster than 7-minute miles. Lightweight trainers offer more cushioning for runners pounding the pavement for one and a half hours and longer. Hydrating during the race is essential, especially in warm weather. Glycogen depletion becomes a factor in races over an hour. Carbo-load going into the race and fuel up during it.
Half-Marathon Race Strategy
Racing half-marathons involves a compromise strategy between that of the 10K and the marathon. Like the marathon, it is important to be patient in the early miles. The pace may seem too easy after racing 10Ks and zipping through speed workouts at 5K pace and faster. But if you start too fast, you’ll use up extra fuel. The last few miles can really drag out if your glycogen tank is on empty. Sure, you won’t struggle for as long or as painfully as in the marathon, but a too-fast start will still bring enough agony that you’ll regret it.
The key is to run slightly below your lactate threshold (LT) so you don’t
fatigue an hour or so into the race due to lactic acid accumulation. Push
the pace above your LT (about 85-90% of maximum heart rate) at the start or
along the way and you’ll regret that, too. The higher your LT, the faster you
can run at half-marathon pace.
The first mile or two sets the tone for your effort. Going out too fast sets
you up for failure. If you go out a bit too slow, you have adequate time to
make up for it. So it’s better to err on the side of caution. Don’t line up
too far back in the pack. You’ll save time getting to the starting line and
weaving through slower runners. Look at the first mile as a warm-up. Run it
at goal pace or slightly slower. This settles you safely under LT pace. Then
you may choose to run slightly faster--but no more than 10 seconds a mile
faster than your goal pace--to give yourself a bit of a cushion and boost
your motivation to keep working hard. By the second mile, start looking for
your competitors. Try to flow along with a pack of runners if they’re running
a pace that’s about right for you. Draft off the other runners, saving
energy. Resist the urge to race too early. Don’t be lured into chasing your
competitors if they’re going too fast. Let them go. Most likely you’ll
catch up to them later--at your pace. Holding pace with reasonable effort
shouldn’t be a problem for the first half if you’re properly trained, unless
you tense up due to panic. But can you hold back the pace to reserve energy
for the second half? Concentrate on staying relaxed. You have some room to
let your mind wander, but don’t let your pace slip.
If your goal pace is tough during the first few miles, you’re in trouble.
Either your goals were way higher than your fitness, the course or weather
are too difficult, or you’re just having a bad day. Try slowing the pace
slightly. Perhaps you’ll feel better later in sufficient time to get back on
pace. If not, adjust your pace and time goal. Stubbornly pushing ahead
during the first half will lead to an even slower, more miserable second
half. Look around you. You may be still doing well compared to your peers
even if you’re not able to hold your desired pace.
To achieve your goal time you need to push the effort over the second half
like you do in the middle miles in the 10K. This requires mental toughness
since by half-way through the race you’re in unfamiliar territory with
holding a pace at or near lactate threshold. You’re well beyond your 20- to
30-minute tempo runs. Move from runner to runner to help maintain a good
pace, or hitch a ride when a competitor goes by you. Don’t be satisfied
with just holding your place. Most likely many of the runners around you are
slowing down. This presents a mirage. You think you’re on pace but you may
not be if you’re slowing with them.
The first 10 miles are for pacing, the final 5K for racing. Use the 10-mile
mark as a motivational landmark: It’s now only a 5K race. Reel in runners.
Use runners up ahead as targets. Increase the effort slightly to gain ground
on your competition and to keep from slowing from your goal pace. But don’t
surge too much. That could push you over the threshold. The goal here is a
steady push at your limit.
Gather your physical and mental resources for the final mile. You won’t be
able to push it in as fast as in shorter races, but still you can gain ground
on your competiton and slice seconds off your finishing time with a strong
final mile. Reflect on how hard the last few reps were in your mile
intervals and the last mile in your long runs. You made it through the
discomfort then and you will make it to the finish line of the half-marathon
with mental toughness. Fight off fatigue by relaxing and focusing on good
running form and controlled breathing.
Position yourself to change into your final gear over the last quarter-mile.
That’s just a lap of the track. Even though you’ve been running for well
over an hour, you can muster the energy to push for another 2 minutes or so.
Remember this as you’re getting close to the finish line: In long races
seconds don’t count as much as minutes, but a second or two can make the
difference in being, for example, a 1:30 half-marathoner or a 1:29
half-marathoner. That is, run 1:29:59 and you can say you’re a 1:29
half-marathoner. At 1:30:01 you’re just a 1:30 half-marathoner.
Breaking Barriers--Goal Setting
Following are some time goals to motivate you. Running the approximate times listed for intervals and race distances predicts your ability to break the corresponding half-marathon time barrier.
The Sub-1:15 Half-Marathon (5:43 per mile)
Intervals: miles in 5:04-5:20, 3/4 in 3:42-4:00, 1/2 in 2:24-2:28.
Races: 10K in 34:20, 10 miles in 56:50, marathon in 2:41
The Sub-6-Minute Pace Half-Marathon (sub-1:18:36)
Intervals: miles in 5:15-5:35, 3/4 in 3:49-4:10, 1/2 in 2:29-2:34.
Races: 10K in 36:00, 10 miles in 59:30 , marathon in 2:48:30
The Sub-1:20 Half-Marathon (6:06 per mile)
Intervals: miles in 5:20-5:40, 3/4 in 3:55-4:14, 1/2 in 2:32-2:37.
Races: 10K in 36:30, 10 miles in 1:00:15, marathon in 2:50.
The Sub-1:25 Half-Marathon (6:29 per mile)
Intervals: miles in 5:42-6:00, 3/4 in 4:10-4:30, 1/2 in 2:42-2:46.
Races: 10K in 38:40, 10 miles in 1:04:00, marathon in 3:00.
The Sub-1:30 Half-Marathon (6:52 per mile)
Intervals: miles in 6:01-6:20, 3/4 in 4:24-4:45, 1/2 in 2:51-2:56.
Races: 10K in 41:00, 10 miles in 1:08:00, marathon in 3:11.
The Sub-7 1/2-Minute Pace Half-Marathon (sub-1:38:15)
Intervals: miles in 6:35-6:55, 3/4 in 4:48-5:11, 1/2 in 3:07-3:12
.
Races: 10K in 44:45, 10 miles in 1:14:00, marathon in 3:30
The Sub-1:45 Half-Marathon (8:00 per mile)
Intervals: miles in 7:03-7:25, 3/4 in 5:09-5:34, 1/2 in 3:22-3:26.
Races: 10K in 47:50, 10 miles in 1:19:00 , marathon in 3:43.
The Sub-1:50 Half-Marathon (8:23 per mile)
Intervals: miles in 7:22-7:45, 3/4 in 5:23-5:49, 1/2 in 3:29-3:35.
Races: 10K in 50:00, 10 miles in 1:22:30, marathon in 3:52.
The Sub-2:00 Half-Marathon (9:09 per mile)
Intervals: miles in 8:05-8:30, 3/4 in 5:54-6:23, 1/2 in 3:50-3:56.
Races: 10K in 55:00, 10 miles in 1:31:00, marathon in 4:15
