Any thing fast before a race? ...

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9 Replies Last post: Jul 15, 2006 3:14 PM by Maria J Kent

Maria J Kent

61 posts since
Oct 13, 2007

Jul 13, 2006 8:04 AM

Any thing fast before a race?

I've been doing a lot of reading that something fast before a race like 2 days before will sharpen you up. I had never tried it BUT.....

if thats NOT a good idea then I goofed.

I just went out for a run today, (Thursday Morning) I have a race on Saturday Morning.

2 days before the race I like to try and run an easy 3.1 then take the day before off. Well I went out for my 3.1 not looking at my watch, (my pace has improved) well at the end of the 3.1 I had no idea I ran it in 22:49

would this hurt a race?

I was just telling some one last week I could never run under 23:00 Min alone, and NO I'm not Proud of this I'm a little worried, I didnt mean to do this.

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leon2

347 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

1. Jul 13, 2006 8:18 AM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

quote:<HR>Originally posted by 1milerunner:
I've been doing a lot of reading that something fast before a race like 2 days before will sharpen you up.
<HR>

Doing a few strides as part of your warmup is probably a better idea.

quote:<HR>
... I went out for my 3.1 not looking at my watch, (my pace has improved) well at the end of the 3.1 I had no idea I ran it in 22:49

would this hurt a race?<HR>

It's hard to say if it would help or hurt since every runner responds differently to training, and has different rates of recovery. It sounds as if this run was done more for confidence, and having a little extra confidence before a race doesn't hurt.

Good luck.

runnergirl8084

75 posts since
Jun 20, 2006

2. Jul 13, 2006 8:22 AM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

well first of all you SHOULD be proud!!! you did get a PR after all! now you dont need to race =D lol jk

ok i would say dont worry this time

you want to know something weird
i ran my first 10k (6.2 miles) on a saturday- in 50:42 (8:11 pace) which is amazing for me. the next day i was going to go for a recovery run, but my running group left already. so my dad drove me to the next neighborhood's running group and they happened to be holding their annual 4 miler. so i decided to enter. i thought i would do bad but i ended up doing 31:01 (7:45 milepace) which is WAY FAST for me. AND it was easy.

so now i never worry about training too hard before a race. lol 2 races in a row. i cant believe i did well... since you have 2 days it ok

Maria J Kent

61 posts since
Oct 13, 2007

3. Jul 13, 2006 8:31 AM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

I for got to say my PR is 21:42 see why I'm worried? this training run was not (to far off) I was expecting more in the 24's for a training run. I'll try not to worry but its going to be hard.

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Maria J Kent

61 posts since
Oct 13, 2007

4. Jul 13, 2006 8:43 AM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

runnergirl8 thanks that makes me feel a little bit better GO YOU!!!! you did great, and I'll even have a rest day you didn't thanks for sharing that

and look at this 5K running work out.

Thursday: 45-minute run w/6 x 200 @ R
Friday: 30-minute run or active rest
Saturday: Race

who knows maybe what I did will help I guess I will see and Learn

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Tchuck

554 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

5. Jul 13, 2006 9:05 AM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

You basically ran a hard tempo run 2 days before your race. Is this recommended. Probably not, because it is considered a "harder" work out. I believe the last harder work out should be 4-5 days before a race where you do some faster intervals but not a killer work out.

Quick shorter striders the day before or 2 days before is fine also.

I think it probably won't hurt you overall because you said it didn't feel overly hard when you ran it. You should recover fine as long as you take it easy Friday. It should help your confidence also because if this tempo was killer, you should probably be able to run faster than 21:30. Normally a tempo at 20 sec. slower than race pace should feel almost race like on a non race day.

I think you will do great but don't start to fast on race day because you feel you have this new found speed.

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WI MTP

461 posts since
Jan 7, 2006

6. Jul 13, 2006 5:03 PM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

I agree with the other posters, but everyone is different - If I am serious about the race I will run

Tuesday - Normal Track workout
Wed - About 75% of normal long run
TH - slow recovery run with striders
FR - Light hills and 3x hill striders - not all out, but @ race pace.

But then again - I have tapered and done miserably and I have run a 5 day full workout week no taper - toed the line with 92 miles (116 total for week) and tied my PR - Relax and think positive.

duckgeek086

83 posts since
May 17, 2004

7. Jul 13, 2006 11:52 PM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

Good luck in Parchment!

Maria J Kent

61 posts since
Oct 13, 2007

8. Jul 14, 2006 10:09 AM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

Thanks every one, I'm thinking positive I've over done my self before (not during races) but during the week and have always done well, I think this time I will do well also its ONLY 3.1 miles some times I take my 8 miles TO fast then the next day go out and do a 10 mile to fast that feels ok. the rest today will do me good, Then tomorrow a good warm up and lots of stretches and I should be good Togo I did 6 very slow miles on Wednesday, then yesterday the 3 was all I did so I have sort of tapered so that 3 hard shouldn't have hurt...See I'm thinking positive

Good luck to all the weekend runs and races

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Maria J Kent

61 posts since
Oct 13, 2007

9. Jul 15, 2006 3:14 PM

in response to: Maria J Kent

Re: Any thing fast before a race?

well it didn't hurt it. 21:39 with hills that did hurt.

Tchuck you were correct with out those hills I could have done faster than 21:30.

I have a race report up in run and race reports

Thanks

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Jul 13, 2006 8:04 AM

Any thing fast before a race?

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