Half marathon

I made the choice, as I prefer to, to row our half marathons in the back garden today. The chances are we were going to have either sun or rain, so I decided the best course of action would be to do it under a gazebo to save us from either. We were all set up by about 1pm:

Then Jef (pictured above warming up) began rowing about 8mins before Jamie and I on rowpro at 2.30pm. It was quite hot, and very humid, but I felt mentally strong and kept well on the pace through half way. With 7k to go I was feeling the pace perhaps more than I looked like I was:

But Jamie looked to be pulling ahead of target, and Jef was going well next to me on target to finish before me still, so the pace had to keep going.

My target to beat was my pb of 1hr 14min 58.7sec, and the result was:

1hr 14mins 36.5secs

A pb by about 22seconds, and a 1:46.1 average according to rowpro, or 1:46.0 according to the PM4.

I set rowpro for 9 splits which turned out to be 2344m each, and the splits were:

1:46.4
1:46.5
1:46.4
1:46.5
1:46.5
1:46.4
1:46.4
1:46.3
1:43.5

I pushed on hard in that final split in the hope of getting the average split under 1:46.0, but it just wasn’t to be. A pretty solid personal best over my last time set over 3 years ago, and a great start to the training year. Next stop, 10k.

Half marathon day

The day has arrived. The first 6 weeks of Pete Plan 2008 are complete and now we get to take the rewards from our hard work with a new personal best time over the half marathon – that’s the plan anyway. Due to the time difference between the athletes in the PP08 group, Shirley in New Zealand has already done her half marathon today. A huge personal best time by around 3mins, and only narrowly missing out on the world record by 6seconds! The WR wasn’t in the plan before, but the pacing was perfect hence getting so close.

My half marathon has to wait until mid afternoon UK time as I will be joined on rowpro by Jamie in New York. I will be rowing mine in the back garden – the weather is good, so no problems with set up. My personal best time of 74mins 58secs was set around 3 years ago – and at 1:46.6 average pace it’s not an easy one to beat. The training is done though, and I am in shape to beat it. The half marathon is a strange distance, much more mental strength than physical to reach your limit over this kind of distance. You have to be relentless is keeping the pressure on, and your concentration can’t break. You can’t afford to go much under target or physically you won’t last the distance. You can’t afford to go too much over target or you’ll not be able to catch up.

So the plan is to row 1:46′s and 1:47′s from the start, and keep the average pace right on 1:46.5 throughout the first half. Stroke rate will start at 29 or so like the hour last week, and settle through the middle as I warm up fully to 27 or so, again as with the hour last week. This time though because I am going for the fastest pace I can possibly manage I will try to push on in the second half. Once you see 9999m left on a half marathon there is a big mental boost. I hope to negative split the second half, and average under 1:46 over the last 10k.

5 hours to start time, wish me luck. Wish the other athletes luck. Luck won’t come into it however.