I’m training to qualify for Boston via the Portland Marathon in a few weeks. To do so, I’ve got to run a 3:10:59. Portland will have a 3:00 pace group and a 3:10 pace group. I believe I’ve got a 3:00-3:05 marathon in my legs.
What has been your experience with pace groups? Would you recommend running with one of them? Or should I just run solo and stick to my own plan? Part of me thinks it would be foolish to run with the 3:10 group and risk missing qualifying for Boston if the group comes in at 3:11. I once ran with a 1:30 pace group in a half marathon. At 6.5 miles, they were four minutes behind schedule, so the group leader picked up the pace quite a bit. I would be leery of running with the 3:00 pace group should they get behind by a few minutes, then pick up the pace and reek havok on my legs. Hmmm. Maybe I’ve answered my own question.
So, are pace groups good/bad? Should I hang my chances of qualifying for Boston on a pace group or run solo?
They are usually pretty accurate in my experience. Most marathons start them at 3:10 though (no 3:00 ones) since that is the minimum time for Boston today (male under age 35). If you are just trying to get to Boston (3:10:59) for now, don’t worry about sub 3:00 (big difference). I’d go out with the 3:10 group - if they seem off base by mile 8 - go yourself. If they are on track by mile 20 and you feel good - go on ahead and have a great time! Otherwise, if you go out with the 3:00 group, you may crack and miss 3:10 entirely. Every 10 secs you go out per mile too fast for the first 1/2 will cost you 30 sec per mile after mile 20 of suffering (old running lore quote).
What I would do is run your own race…BUT line up in between the two groups. If you ever get up to the 3 hour group…slow down. If you ever see the 3:10 pace group…speed up. IMO pace groups are only as good as their leaders. Talk to the leaders at the Expo or start line to determine what there “strategy” is for pacing. Hopefully - most will try to get back to “on pace” by mid way. Trying to follow a sporadic pacer is recipe for disaster. At your speed - you should be a pretty good judge of pace. Good luck.
What I would do is run your own race…BUT line up in between the two groups. If you ever get up to the 3 hour group…slow down. If you ever see the 3:10 pace group…speed up. IMO pace groups are only as good as their leaders. Talk to the leaders at the Expo or start line to determine what there “strategy” is for pacing. Hopefully - most will try to get back to “on pace” by mid way. Trying to follow a sporadic pacer is recipe for disaster. At your speed - you should be a pretty good judge of pace. Good luck.
That’s going to be my strategy at Columbus this year. My BQ time is 3:30, but I’ll have a 3:25 pace wristband, and that’s what I am training at. If I see the 3:30 banner and the crowd around him coming up behind me (you can’t miss them), I’ll TRY to kick it into a higher gear.
Pace groups can be good or bad - as others said, it depends on the leader’s experience and pacing strategy. I’d say go out with the 3:10 pace group and drop 'em at the half. It’ll keep you mellow in the first half and set you up for a negative split which is (IMO) the best approach. Not a bad idea to talk to the pace group leader and see what their strategy is - if they plan to go out fast and ‘put time in the bank’, you’re better off on your own. If you do go with a pace group, mind your own splits - I’ve seen groups that were way ahead and/or way behind their target time. Inattention to your own pace is a recipe for disaster. Just my opinion, though.
I qualified for Boston this year without a pace group since there wasn’t a 3:15 pace group (there was a 3:10 and 3:20). I thought about trying to go out with the 3:10 pace group so I could “bank time”. However, it was my first marathon (besides the IM marathon) so I had no idea how I would respond. I took a conservative approach and created a 3:15 pace band (leaving a 59 second buffer). I checked the “pace band” each mile and never was off my target pace more than 15 seconds the whole race. This is the most energy efficient way to make your time goal. If your primary goal is to qualify for Boston don’t go out any faster than you have to. If you have energy left over at mile 24 then ramp it up.
Since a 3:10 pace group exists I would run with them and just make sure they’re not going out too fast or too slow. Just don’t rely on them. Being in a group can give you some extra motivation especially towards the end when you may need it. BTW, when you create the pace band - be sure to wrap it well in scotch tape well so the numbers don’t run.
Ya’ know, timex makes a nice, cheap watch with a “target” time function that you can use just like that! Simply program it in and hit the lap/split button at each mile marker. Gives you your +/- time, current mile split and overall run time. Easy!
Portland is a good course to try and BQ, but that hill leading up to the bridge around mile 15 is real. If you don’t live up there, make sure you drive the course before the race from 14-18. I’d try to bank a little over the first 14 miles so that you can give a few back from 14-18, then run steady the rest of the way. Good luck
If you’re in need of a new watch it’s something to consider. In my case, I already had a good polar watch which I was used to. I didn’t have to buy anything and have to figure out how to use it. The pace band cost nothing and worked great.
