Mastering Marathon Pacing Using Heart Rate
10 Weeks To Go Till My Boston Qualifier Marathon
Hey, runners! We're just 10 weeks away from my Boston qualifier marathon, and today I want to delve into the strategy of using your heart rate to pace your marathon effectively. But before we jump into that, let’s recap my recent 20K race.
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Last Week's 20k Race
I ran a 20k race last Saturday. My race strategy was straightforward: complete the first 10k at my target marathon pace and let things unfold naturally afterward. Interestingly, I was the only participant in my age group for that distance, so the pressure was off!
I started strong, adhering to my 58-minute goal for the 10k, and successfully maintained my pace through the first two loops of the 5K course. With no need to push the limits, I comfortably completed the second 10k without aiming for a fast half marathon or maintaining race pace—a strategy aligned with this phase of my training. I completed slightly over 12 miles in about two hours, feeling satisfied with the effort.
This week, my long run is set to increase to 14 miles—though 15 or 16 miles might be more realistic with my home’s location relative to the starting point. I’m excited to start the longer runs with just 10 weeks to go!
Leveraging Heart Rate for Marathon Pacing
Heart rate can be a powerful tool in pacing a marathon. My general approach is to monitor heart rate closely only during the first half of the race, afterward, relying solely on pacing and how I feel.
Why Monitor Heart Rate in the First Half?
The primary reason for focusing on heart rate in the first half is to prevent starting out too hard. I often get too excited at the start, feeling fresh and pulled by the crowed—resulting in a couple of too-fast inaugural miles. Conserving energy in the early miles is crucial, especially on hilly courses like the one I’ll be running. Monitoring your heart rate during the first half of the race helps maintain a manageable pace, conserving energy for later challenges.
Why Ignore Heart Rate in the Second Half?
In the latter half of the marathon, your heart rate will naturally climb due to the duration and strain of the run, so it becomes problematic as a gauge to go by. At this point, it’s more beneficial to concentrate on achieving your target pace and responding to how you feel, rather than worrying about heart rate metrics.
Determining Your Heart Rate Targets
How do you determine what heart rate to aim for during your marathon? The answer largely depends on your training approach.
Personally, I’ve been employing the Maffetone method, where the calculated training heart rate generally predicts a marathon pace 15 to 20 seconds faster per mile than the MAF training pace. For instance, if a 9:40 mile is typical for my Maffetone training heart rate, my marathon pace would likely be around 9 minutes per mile with a correspondingly higher heart rate.
Everyone is different. During marathon training, you’ll gather insights on heart rate at your target race pace as you do some marathon pace runs. Use this information to set a heart rate threshold for the early stages of your race—helping not to go out too fast or too hard. So adapt a heart rate based on your comfort and experience.
Putting It Into Practice
For your next marathon training, pay attention to heart rate metrics at your targeted race pace. When the big day arrives, keep your heart rate at or slightly below the average found comfortable during training for those crucial initial miles and finish strong!
Let me know if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Until next time, stay strong and keep running towards your goals!