How should I figure my per mile pace?

[cmrun78738]

Hello all,

I am a flatlander, and this is my first Ascent.  I am following the training schedule, and then some!  I qualified with a 1/2 marathon time of 2:07. I also have a Full marathon time of 4:57.   My PP Ascent finish time should be in the 5:30 range.

My question is:  How do I come up with a "per mile pace" taking into account the extra challenge of the the last three miles?  I also don't want to go out "too fast".

Thanks,

Maria

[Yoni Fridman]

You can't really do "per mile" with this race, each mile is so different.  But there's this wonderful tool:
http://skyrunner.com/pace.htm

Put in your estimated finish time, and it'll show you where you should be at various splits/landmarks along the way.  Note that these splits are accurate if you've done a lot of altitude training; otherwise, you'll start falling off the splits as you get higher, especially past treeline.

Given your description, I'd put in a finish time of maybe 4:45 or 5:00.  Keeping to those splits early will definitely help you not go out too fast.  Above treeline, you'll likely slow down and end up closer to 5:30... or if you've really trained well and run a good race without going out too fast, maybe you'll surprise yourself and stay close to 5:00.  Sounds like you're preparing for your first race better than most!

[Vomastic]

This year the PPA will have wave starts and you will be placed in a wave with other runners who have a similar qual time.  That is an important feature for first time PPA runners.  After the start, just kind of hang in your group and do not try to be at the front.  The first leg to Ruxton ave has a shallow slope and nearly everyone runs that leg.  (The time at the first check point is meaningless, you will be ahead).  The next leg starts off shallow but steepens significantly (10%) as you approach the Cog RR station.  At that time you should be walking.  After Hydro Street, the slope steepens to 15+% and you should be walking SLOWLY (~2.3 mph).  After the first aid station the trail narrows and becomes single file for the next several miles.  Resist the urge to pass even if you are feeling strong.  Just settle in and relax.  This part of the course is a series of north/south switchbacks and you will be exposed to the morning sun from the east.  If you are perspiring heavily or breathing hard to maintain the pace with the runner in front of you, that is not a good sign.

As Yoni mentioned, make yourself a pace card (see another post of mine).  It will give you a good idea of how you are doing.  Most flatlanders will complete the PPA in their marathon time + 30 minutes.  I would recommend a 5:30 pace.  You will probably be ahead of that pace until Barr Camp and then progressively loose more time above timberline.  It will also give you confidence that you are not in danger of missing the cutoff times.  Matt Carpenter stresses constant effort (slower on the steep sections and faster on the shallow parts).  In one of your previous posts, you mentioned running with a HR monitor.  That is a good thing for the PPA.  It will provide the feedback needed for constant effort.

The PPA is in some ways similar to a marathon.  The last 3 miles (above timberline) are similar to the last 6 miles of a marathon (hitting the wall?), except the PPA gets progressively more challenging with altitude.  Glance at the results of previous PPAs and compare  the times for the first 10.2 miles to A-Frame and last 3 miles to the top.  Some runners do quite well above timberline, while others struggle.

[Mark]

Last 2 posts are EXCELLENT advice! take this to heart and you will be fine cmrun.

[cmrun78738]

Thanks all for the info!  I live in Austin, Texas. Not much altitude around here, just and humidity.  I will arrive in Colorado Springs on Mon am the week of the event. I plan to get some easy hikes in while sightseeing.  Fingers and toes crossed for a good finish.

Thanks again,

Maria

[Seth Jayson]

It is really tough to figure a pace for this event, and I found heart rate (which I use in other hilly trail races) to be less useful here because the altitude changes everything.
The advice you find from the vets here works very well, in my experience, which is one effort, last year.

As I mention on other threads, I've put a pace card calculator up on the web to make for an easy, personalized wristband.

http://1drv.ms/1MsmS3X

Anyone reading this who happens to be on Windows Phone (low odds, I know) can find an app called RunRanger that lets you enter a marathon time and then enter in factors such as trail, climb, descent, and altitude, in order to get a rough idea of what to expect. I'd call that a shameless plug, since I wrote it, but since it's free, I don't gain anything anyway

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/run-ranger/9nblggh186c2

[cmrun78738]

thanks  for the pace card!