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How do you know your best race distance?.

  • 11-04-2009 9:51am
    #1
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭


    Was just thinking about this on my run this morning. How much planning do people give to what race distance would be best for them or do you jsut go out and race what ever distance you like. ie You could have 4h marathon runners who would be better over 400m etc

    In the past as a junior I would have just run ever event from 200 - 3k on the track and finally decided that 800/1500 were my best distances, but did ok over XC also.

    Now i'm not sure which distance I would get the best out of myself, I would expect that it will be somewhere in the 3k-5k range now mainly due to a lack of speed.

    So Q is how did you pick your race distance, or do you just run the distances that you like?


Comments

  • #2
    Woddle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,492 ✭✭✭Woddle


    Jack Daniels (I think) mentions plotting your race times on his chart and most of us should see our race results over all the distances as a staright line and those that see it curve up are better at the shorter stuff and those that see it curve down are better at longer races. I'm wonder could you adapt the Mcmillan calculator to do sth similar :confused:


  • #3
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    Woddle wrote: »
    Jack Daniels (I think) mentions plotting your race times on his chart and most of us should see our race results over all the distances as a staright line and those that see it curve up are better at the shorter stuff and those that see it curve down are better at longer races. I'm wonder could you adapt the Mcmillan calculator to do sth similar :confused:

    Did you use this yourself when deciding on running marathons?


  • #4
    RacoonQueen
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    I don't like shorter distances...although they say 'mesomorphs' are more adapted to sprinting so I probably would be a better sprinter. Feck that though I like marathons. :pac:


  • #5
    Woddle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,492 ✭✭✭Woddle


    shels4ever wrote: »
    Did you use this yourself when deciding on running marathons?

    No but when I put my pbs into a chart it clearly curves up after 5k. Not using my own training as an example (because I have been marathon training but my 5k race during this time was my best race)but I'm sure specificity of training would also be a factor.


  • #6
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    Woddle wrote: »
    No but when I put my pbs into a chart it clearly curves up after 5k. Not using my own training as an example (because I have been marathon training but my 5k race during this time was my best race)but I'm sure specificity of training would also be a factor.
    Yes specific training would be a factor i'm sure, also I'd say some info on LT levels maybe a factor...

    You should run some track in the summer to see how you get on ;)


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  • #7
    thirstywork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 466 ✭✭thirstywork


    what if your pb's are from differnt years ie you run 800m when 16 and 10k whn 29.surely the graph will be pointless depending on what your fitness was at the time.
    I know my best time is over 5k but yet my 10k time wouldn;t compare.
    I knew a guy years ago who always ran longer distances on the track ie 3k-10k(with little success.anyway one season he decided to race an 800m and realised he was one of the best for his age in the country.
    When you looked at this guy he looked a 5k/10k guy cause he was tall and lean with very ittle muscle mass.lesson learned :never judge a runner by his build....


  • #8
    RoyMcC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭RoyMcC


    Interesting question. My McMillan calculator times are remarkably accurate from 1 mile up to half marathon, so I'm equally crap at all distances. (It does however insist that I've got a 4-hour marathon in me, which is where I start to disbelieve it).

    However, racing against 11-year olds at Irishtown on club nights I feel as if I long ago missed my chance of glory at the 100 yard dash :)


  • #9
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    thirstywork wrote: »
    what if your pb's are from differnt years ie you run 800m when 16 and 10k whn 29.surely the graph will be pointless depending on what your fitness was at the time.
    I know my best time is over 5k but yet my 10k time wouldn;t compare.
    I knew a guy years ago who always ran longer distances on the track ie 3k-10k(with little success.anyway one season he decided to race an 800m and realised he was one of the best for his age in the country.
    When you looked at this guy he looked a 5k/10k guy cause he was tall and lean with very ittle muscle mass.lesson learned :never judge a runner by his build....

    Yep i think it shuld be your current times that you use from that, if i put my pb's into that it will have me on the track this summer which i think maybe a step too far at the moment. But you never know..


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