GFA - talent, quantity, quality, diet?

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Marts Apr 2012 2:59pm, 30 Apr 2012 3,542 posts	0 Marts Just glanced through the 100 or so runners who ran 3:09:00-3:09:59 at london and several groups 1. lots of people running 1:28-1:31 1st half then a 1:38-1:41 2nd half which sounds like a painful wayto run a marathon. Many of these ran good staeady pace until 25k (21:00-21:45 per 5k) then started to progressively slow with every 5k after that (often 23,25,27) and so lost 10-13mins. This may be lack of long runs or lack of pace judgement. some of these runners are prob really 3:03-3:06 runners in a more efficiently run race 2. good amount of people running 1st half 1:32-1:35 with 2nd half 1:34-1:38. only slowing in last 7k really if at all. These runners probably ran optimally for their training and fitness and will perhaps be the most satisfied group 3. a few people who ran 1:36-1:38 then sped up and probably left a bit in the tank, but I reckon had a nice comfortable race and will proabably move on to run faster next time, but may be wondering 'what if I started a little quicker'. I suppose they may have also improved so much since entering that they were in say pen 4 or 5 and actually ran a pen 2 time whilst being hampered in the early miles (certainly in the case of 1 guy who runs the 1st 10k over 5 mins slower than the 10k between 30-40k)
Marts Apr 2012 3:03pm, 30 Apr 2012 3,543 posts	0 Marts Gobi - Perhaps safer but out of reach now for me!! Plus the elite start only gives you Gun time not chip time and I know some people who have taken >25s to cross the start line there too.:) I think it's a real shame when people do so much hard work training for a mara and then mess it up on the pacing in the first 30-45 minutes of the race. Something that seems to be neglected in any detail in many of the books and articles which are just about the journey to the start line.
Gobi Apr 2012 3:11pm, 30 Apr 2012 47,341 posts	0 Gobi LOL, I think it was 2 seconds in 2009 to cross the start. In 1997 I took 12 minutes to cross the start line :¬)
The_Saint Apr 2012 4:24pm, 30 Apr 2012 5,299 posts	0 The_Saint Yes I thought the way I wrote 12 then 16 could look as if they were multiplying. It may be 20 by next time. Tell you what, I'll find out what the analysis was looking for in terms of places they can afford to set aside from the total entry.