Playing it safe, going in for the kill or pacing yourself?

Neady83

I read this piece ([URL] https://www.ultrarunning.com/featured/in-love-and-running/ [/URL] last week and it’s really got me thinking about pushing myself that bit further – of digging in and racing the race instead of always just completing races.

The idea is that in order to protect ourselves, sometimes we might play it safe, we may not push hard enough or as the writer puts it we don’t dance down the technical trails. Do we have more we can give but we’re afraid to let go?

I have to put my hand up as I’m guilty of this. Thinking back on the races I did in 2016 – Generally I get stronger the longer the race goes on. I’m usually the one that can push on for the last 20 miles in a 50 mile race, finish strong on the mountains if we’re out for 24 hours, embrace the pain on the last ball busting hills in a cycle. I tell myself that I’ve just paced it well but maybe I’m afraid at the start of a race, afraid to push hard and blow up or afraid of not being able to complete the race. Maybe I should toughen up and dig deep from the start and believe that I can do it.

My goal this year is the RACE, I want to complete the course in less than 24 hours – simple as. The thing about this long stuff is that half the battle is getting to the start line uninjured so I train long but I don’t train hard all the time. I’ve been thinking of my strategy for Donegal, the pace I’ll run the first 21km at, the pace on the bike etc. and I’m being conservative with my timings. Maybe it will turn out to be smart racing or maybe it’s because I don’t have faith in myself that I can finish it – this is my first solo race without my team around me so I am nervous.

Excuse my ramblings …. Thoughts from people on whether you think you play it safe or go in for the kill? How does one change their mind set?

Djoucer

You have to push the limit to find it. But with ultra races, you have to be a bit smarter than simply going all out from the start.

Look at most ultra races outside the elites and it's usually those finishing strong that finish near the top. Those early gains rarely match late surges.

That said, Zach Miller is a superb example of going all out, usually ending in either boom or bust. It works for him.

https://youtu.be/60wsxmurDMU

Problems with ultras is that they take a lot out of you that you can't do too may races to experiment with going out hard.

I find short races are good for testing yourself. You'll find that you can push a bit harder and that informs your approach in longer events.

I try to push it and be concerned that I'm going off too quick. You have to back yourself.

peter kern

i guess that needs way more info
weight ,height , years in sport , hours of training , give us some race times for short to longer races.
ever hit the wall in a race etc etc
at the end of the day you already give yoursef -to some extend the answer - if you never felt you pushed to the limit you were never there. ( at the same time finishing strong is important)
with the questions above you might find a few more answers ie never hit the wall nutrition wise in a long race that would be a give take away for not going hard enough . if you dont really struggle a few times in a long race you are not close to try. finishing strong is a good thing but not struggeling in a race would not be great.

at the same time if the race was a very cold day staying more in the confort zone might help as you could be more resitant at the end. were on a warmer day you might want to push more ...

Neady83 wrote: »

I read this piece ( https://www.ultrarunning.com/featured/in-love-and-running/ last week and it’s really got me thinking about pushing myself that bit further – of digging in and racing the race instead of always just completing races.

The idea is that in order to protect ourselves, sometimes we might play it safe, we may not push hard enough or as the writer puts it we don’t dance down the technical trails. Do we have more we can give but we’re afraid to let go?

I have to put my hand up as I’m guilty of this. Thinking back on the races I did in 2016 – Generally I get stronger the longer the race goes on. I’m usually the one that can push on for the last 20 miles in a 50 mile race, finish strong on the mountains if we’re out for 24 hours, embrace the pain on the last ball busting hills in a cycle. I tell myself that I’ve just paced it well but maybe I’m afraid at the start of a race, afraid to push hard and blow up or afraid of not being able to complete the race. Maybe I should toughen up and dig deep from the start and believe that I can do it.

My goal this year is the RACE, I want to complete the course in less than 24 hours – simple as. The thing about this long stuff is that half the battle is getting to the start line uninjured so I train long but I don’t train hard all the time. I’ve been thinking of my strategy for Donegal, the pace I’ll run the first 21km at, the pace on the bike etc. and I’m being conservative with my timings. Maybe it will turn out to be smart racing or maybe it’s because I don’t have faith in myself that I can finish it – this is my first solo race without my team around me so I am nervous.

Excuse my ramblings …. Thoughts from people on whether you think you play it safe or go in for the kill? How does one change their mind set?

shotgunmcos

Hi Neady its 24 hours. I do love it that you are contemplating "going in for the kill" for it!! Unless you want to race with the women and stay in touch, the first 21km doesn't matter much. 10 or 20 minutes in the scheme of such a race is not a lot but pushing yourself and burning some matches on that first run could have a real impact. The bike is supposed to be brutal, hilly, wind and cold. Then you have a marathon.


I agree that shorter races it would be a good way to "back yourself" in one though and see where it takes you. However, you may find a level of suffering but it wont simulate the loneliness of climbing up a hill in the dark on your own. I haven't done the race but I have entered twice and trained for it only for illness to strike both times.


If you ran that 21k 10 minutes faster than your "go all day" pace but it cost you 20 minutes of recovery after the paddle, what's the point?


IMO 1) You have the mental toughness for this event already!
and 2) Like Ironmans its all about the bike and limiting how much you slow down on the final run!


If you already have that kind of endurance on your feet to be strong at the end of a 50 miler then your bang for buck in training will be to build your power on the bike. Upping the ante there in training doesn't cost as much recovery. Plus biking harder takes less time for your training routes!

Neady83

Djoucer wrote: »

You have to push the limit to find it. But with ultra races, you have to be a bit smarter than simply going all out from the start.

Problems with ultras is that they take a lot out of you that you can't do too may races to experiment with going out hard.

Thanks Djoucer, I agree and that's one of the problems with the long races - because I can only do a few a year I can't experiment too much.

peter kern wrote: »

i guess that needs way more info
weight ,height , years in sport , hours of training , give us some race times for short to longer races.
ever hit the wall in a race etc etc
at the end of the day you already give yoursef -to some extend the answer - if you never felt you pushed to the limit you were never there. ( at the same time finishing strong is important)
with the questions above you might find a few more answers ie never hit the wall nutrition wise in a long race that would be a give take away for not going hard enough . if you dont really struggle a few times in a long race you are not close to try. finishing strong is a good thing but not struggeling in a race would not be great.

at the same time if the race was a very cold day staying more in the confort zone might help as you could be more resitant at the end. were on a warmer day you might want to push more ...

Cheers Peter. Weight just under 60kg, height 5' 6, only been focusing on the long multi sport stuff for two and a bit years but been running and mountain climbing for 10+ years. 12 -20 hours of training per week for this particular race. A mixed bag of cycling/running/Wattbike/Circuits/S&C/small bit of kayaking.

The last all out race was the Western Way 50miler that took in a traverse of the Maam Turk mountains & the Sheefrys - 14 hours. DCM 2015 in 3:59. Everything else has been done as part of a team so it's been done at the team pace or the pace of the slowest in the team.

Yup hit the wall, bonked on the bike, puked after a training session & during a race, hallucinated from the lack of sleep in a race but in the longer races I have always recovered.

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Hi Neady its 24 hours. I do love it that you are contemplating "going in for the kill" for it!! Unless you want to race with the women and stay in touch, the first 21km doesn't matter much. 10 or 20 minutes in the scheme of such a race is not a lot but pushing yourself and burning some matches on that first run could have a real impact. The bike is supposed to be brutal, hilly, wind and cold. Then you have a marathon.


I agree that shorter races it would be a good way to "back yourself" in one though and see where it takes you. However, you may find a level of suffering but it wont simulate the loneliness of climbing up a hill in the dark on your own. I haven't done the race but I have entered twice and trained for it only for illness to strike both times.


If you ran that 21k 10 minutes faster than your "go all day" pace but it cost you 20 minutes of recovery after the paddle, what's the point?


IMO 1) You have the mental toughness for this event already!
and 2) Like Ironmans its all about the bike and limiting how much you slow down on the final run!


If you already have that kind of endurance on your feet to be strong at the end of a 50 miler then your bang for buck in training will be to build your power on the bike. Upping the ante there in training doesn't cost as much recovery. Plus biking harder takes less time for your training routes!

Thanks Mike, I'll take that advice. The bike is where I need to do a lot of work in the next month or so. That first bike will be a breaker.

Dory Dory

Oryx did The Race back in 2015. She might be a good source of info for you.

Bambaata

I'm sure you'll be fine in Donegal, youve experienced more than most going into this. Definitely conserve as much as possible in the opening run and bike and make sure you have very easy gears on the bike. I went with a 39/27 as lowest gear and would go much easier if I ever do it again. Be aware of how cold the kayak can be but you're more experienced on that than me so I can't offer much on that part as it was cancelled the year I did it and we had to run on the distance but I was helping people out at the end of that stage last year and most hadn't planned for that northerly wind and were freezing at the end of that stage. A few didn't go on from it and I'm sure it effected others further in. Also don't do what I did and not eat for a lot of the end of the first bike!!! Nearly cost me dearly that. Very jealous of you, would love to be doing it again. I hope to be up at it in helping capacity anyway

Oryx

The Race may not be the event to test a new strategy. Its a long day with many surprises. The key things that will make you struggle are not physical endurance or pace, but clothing and nutrition. If you get properly cold, your race is over. If you get hungry you wont catch up with it.

Tbh I understand what you hope to do. Pace it well and leave nothing behind. I think your past ultra experience will really help with the issues of nutrition and the elements. I would say constantly measure how feel in terms of effort, energy, comfort and feeding, and with all those being ok, stay slightly above 'comfortable' pace.