Dunboyne 4 Mile Race, 29/03/2015

demfad

Bungy Girl wrote: »

Thanks very much Demfad, that's an interesting way of looking at it. I did compare a few of the top women's times but it's hard to know who's in PB form and who might be coming back from injury etc. I guess averaging the top 50 smooths out the odd exception.

Feeling a lot happier about my 20 seconds now

The wind makes things interesting. I have a good tactic for you for next time.

If you look at a cycle race the wind factor is far greater and the advantage of being in a group is magnified. So much so that it takes a very serious effort for a rider to break free. So you have the very top riders and the less good, (the whole range of abilities infact) levelled by the wind.

On a windy day the group factor is not this pronounced but is significant.
The groups will be bigger (no point in being out in the wind).
Within each group you will have a bigger range of runners.
Most likely the good runners within the group will be at the front taking the wind.

The weaker runners in each group are of most interest:

The weaker runners in the group wont be able to take the wind, (or wont run fast enough for the group when doing so) and will be along for the ride. Not their fault its just the way of it.


Pushing hard against the wind means they will be shot out the back once there is a bit of shelter and the pace picks up. What they need to do is conserve the energy during the windy periods, so that they can hang on when the pace picks up..and keep hanging on till the next windy part. That way they can get a good distance into the race in a group with runners who are on average usually faster.


Now if they had started conservatively and were one or two groups back (a minute back say). They would now be frustrated as the stronger runners in that group and have to tow the whole group. You will never catch the groups ahead, maybe just the odd straggler.

You need to be a relatively weak runner in your group on a windy day:

Normally I would always do my warm up on the end of a race course so I know how it finishes. On a very windy day, best to do it at the start, so you know where the early sections upwind and downwind start.

Pick out a few runners slightly better than you at the start and go with them.
The race will then be a kind of a fartlek: relatively hard when the group is downwind, relatively easy when the group is upwind.

Id even go as far as looking at the course map and forecast and guessing where the wind will be on such a windy day.

The (long winded) point is: You have to run in a group on a very windy day. Make sure its the right one.

hawkwing

Hopefully at least a minute-otherwise i feel like giving up after Sunday!.I read this earlier
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/25-golden-rules-running?page=1
"I disregard the watch on really windy days because headwinds cost me 15 to 25 seconds a mile, and I only get a portion of that back after I turn around," says Monte Wells, a longtime runner in Amarillo, Texas, America's windiest city.(hope he is right whoever he is!)

Firedance

hawkwing wrote: »

Hopefully at least a minute-otherwise i feel like giving up after Sunday!.I read this earlier
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/25-golden-rules-running?page=1
"I disregard the watch on really windy days because headwinds cost me 15 to 25 seconds a mile, and I only get a portion of that back after I turn around," says Monte Wells, a longtime runner in Amarillo, Texas, America's windiest city.(hope he is right whoever he is!)

that whole article is really interesting..