Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Don't Be A Follower

We've all been there!  About 4 or 5 miles into a race and our Garmin or watch doesn't match up to the mile markers and we inevitably mutter to ourselves, "What the ... those idiots don't have this race measured correctly!!!"  Well, most likely the race officials measured the course correctly, and unfortunately, the problem is probably us!

One thing that's made a huge difference in my race performance recently is simply ... RUNNING A SHORTER RACE!!!  It's amazing how many minutes you can subtract from your overall time by simply running 26.2 miles as opposed to 26.6.  A runner racing at an 8:00/mile pace can add 3 or 4 minutes to their overall time by running an extra .3 to .4 miles at then end of a marathon.  And if your not careful, it's easy to do.

We've all read about "running the tangents" ("tangent" for our purposes meaning the shortest distance between two points), and most of us think we are doing it. But if you fall in behind the rest of the crowd, you're most likely running more distance than you should be.  I've made a conscious effort in my last few races to observe "the pack", and the truth is - most runners don't run an efficient race.  They DO NOT take a direct path between points A & B.  It doesn't seem like a big thing, but simply running on the wrong side of the street for too long, or weaving in and out of runner traffic can add a lot of distance and time to your race.

I've put together the diagram above to demonstrate what I most commonly see runners do in races.  Usually, after runners turn onto a new street, they begin thinking about their next turn ... which is what you should do.  However, if the next turn is in the opposite direction, most runners IMMEDIATELY get over to the other side of the street, adding distance to the marked out course.  And if you repeat this process over and over, it can add on an extra half mile in no time at all.  The "proper" technique after a turn is to GRADUALLY ease over to the next turn, running a straight line directly from street corner to street corner.

Unfortunately this is easier said than done.  If there's lane closed with cones due to traffic considerations, or if the street has a curve or a bend, a runner can easily add distance to the race through no fault of their own.  But is seems like most of the pack usually takes the wrong route.  And since I've been focusing on this simple racing truth more and more, my races have consistently been shorter and shorter. 

At 4 different marathons at the beginning of 2010, I averaged between 26.5 and 26.65 miles per race.  And at the 2010 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon, I ran a total of 26.7 miles!!!  However, my last few races have been in the neighborhood of 26.33, which is much shorter ... and faster.

Will you ever run an even 3.1, 6.2, 13.1, or 26.2 ... probably not.  It would be almost impossible to run the exact measured course.  But if your focused, and willing to be the one person in the middle of the street not jambed in with the rest of crowd, you can reduce your total mileage drastically and most likely improve your finishing time significantly.  Good luck!
... be great today!

21 comments:

  1. Thanks for the clear explanation and diagram. It makes sense but as a back of the packer, I spend a lot of time weaving in between walkers! Ha.

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  2. You're so on the money. If I had a dime for every time people complained b/c a course was "long" on their Garmin. Tangents! Follow the tangents!!

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  3. Last year I ran a 5k which was dead on the money according to my Garmin. I just took it that a little miracle occurred that day.

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  4. Jim, this came at perfect timing. Thank you! Just finished reflecting on my marathon on Saturday and what I will do differently next time. This is great to read in planning for my next marathon! Thanks for such a solid and useful blog post!

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  5. Great advice! This goes for triathletes in the SWIM too!

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  6. That is awesome! I thought I was doing a good job in the BB of running the tangents, but I was doing the "get over on the side with your next turn as quickly as possible" thing instead of running that long diagonal between turns. I will do better in my next race!

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  7. Great post... the tangents are the way to go for sure!

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  8. Hey!! I was there for the 2010 KY Derby Marathon. Except I ran the half that day. That was the race where I chose to make a very poor decision the night before the race to drink a few bottles of beer on 4th St. Live.

    I stayed up till 11 drinking and crashed at around mile 8 the next morning. Ran my worst time ever at 2:17. LOTS of walking and barfing. Yum! Don't even get me started on trying to get through Iroquois Park at the beginning of the race.

    You're right. My first marathon clocked me in at 27 miles. It was totally my fault.

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  9. Thanks for the information. I was always cursing the race director afterwards because I logged farther distance on my garmin.

    I will definitely remember this for my marathon on Saturday.

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  10. lol - I literally started laughing out loud at this line - "What the ... those idiots don't have this race measured correctly!!!"

    I'm definitely not very good at running the shortest race, because usually I don't know the course, so I have no idea where we are going, haha

    I ran 26.58 for my first marathon, which does not surprise me since I took some turns wide - I generally just try to stay in the middle of the course during races, somewhat due to the banking of the road.

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  11. Ha! Yes...some races are easier for this than others. I actually ran 26.55 at Boston, but i am SURE it was from trying to get around a load of people, only to burn out before the end!

    Thanks for the illustration :)

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  12. When running the KC Marathon, I remember being shocked at how many runners hugged the same curb while running down the winding portion of Ward Parkway. I ran as straight as I could, since extra steps is just extra energy wasted. Good Illustration!!

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  13. I read something on this a while back and always TRY to run the tangents. I like your diagram better than what I saw before. I find it harder to run tangents later in the race for sure, like you (I) are (am) not so sharp after mile 20.

    I have come up short before for example, at the HIM I just did, my Garmin said 13.09 instead of 13.1 - so I guess I ran the tangents pretty well.

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  14. Great post! This is something I think about on training runs but on race day I get too caught up in the experience. It never occurred to me that I could shave actual full minutes off my time by paying attention to the tangents during a race. Maybe I'll remember to do this next time!

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  15. That's why I find I relax and enjoy my running so much more by not having a Garmin and not looking at my watch during a run or race. I just relax and run and have all the fun!

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  16. You are speaking my language sir! After Fargo (26.6 something for me) I tried much harder at Minneapolis to be more conscious of this since I knew it was most likely my running (just like you said. Minneapolis was better- only 26.44! Thanks for this post Jim!

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  17. What a great diagram! I'll keep that it mind at my next race - Kona Marathon on June 26.

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  18. What a great post. It really made me think. And will make me think about what I'll be doing in my future races!!

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  19. Great post. Great advice and has me thinking how to attack the next running race I do.

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  20. Sage advise from such a young man. You are wise beyond your years. All kidding aside, great post! Looks like someone else is pretty handy around Powerpoint. Sometimes I feel that's all I do.

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  21. Excellent. I run just as you say to do - my first full (per Garmin) was 26.24. Not too shabby.

    Well done.

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