Let's Talk Marathon Strategy and Experiences

[tdellaringa]

I posted on my blog about how Cale and I were talking about pulling in a race (or even in practice) and how you can overdo it to your own detriment. This prompted some questions from Cor and I thought this would actually make a really good discussion.

Let me just say up front, I'm no expert - I've only raced 3 races, a 10 miler and two marathons. I have participated in probably 30+ outdoor practices with my team, much of which is basically simulated racing skating - that's where I'm coming from. So I look forward to comments from those of you who are much more experienced than I.

So having said that, here are some things I've noticed/experienced to start the ball rolling.

• Your first marathon is a unique and awesome experience. Don't worry about anything in that first race but having a good time. See what it's like to skate in pacelines during a race, notice the ebb and flow of what is going on with the race dynamics and whoop when you cross the finish line.
• As per my post, don't be intimidated - or make the mistake of pulling too hard when you're up front. You don't have to "keep up the pace". If you overdo it up front, you may find yourself off the pack quickly. Pull at a pace that is good for you. I'm not saying you want to intentionally dog it, but you aren't bound to pull at any certain speed.
• Don't skate solo. It's the worse thing you can do because you're working too hard. Avoid it as much as possible. This can be tricky in your first race or two, knowing what speed and type of group to jump in with, especially if you're pack skating experience is limited. Always remember you're doing 20% less work in a paceline.
• Don't get dehydrated - hydrate before the race and grab water at stations during the race.
• Learn by observing - watch other packs, especially experienced ones if you can.
• Ah, the "Greg Major" rule - check your skates before you go out! You don't want to have a wheel or a frame fly off at a crucial (or any other) moment in the race. Just ask the Major!
• Find ways to rest. Downhill, obviously. But there are times when you can lean on your thighs, coast for a moment - take a few deep breaths, even little rests can add up and help you out.

That's about all I can think of right now.

[panch0]

*set up a fast pace to shed those that can't hang on.
*asses who is in the lead pack... how many teams, how many skaters without teams.
*if you are a lone skater and other teams are fighting for leads or attacking each other... suck wheel and watch until you can see what direction the race takes.
* if you are in a team... battle it with other teams.
*if you are in a break... only pull your share of work and NO more.
* if you are sprinter... wait for the sprint... if you are not a sprinter... attack before the sprint

simple!

[tdellaringa]

I think you mean assess... As for setting a fast pace - I would say that only applies to certain advanced or pro skaters, but not for the average skater for the most part.

I'd be interested to hear how many teams discuss team tactics before the race, or have team strategies. Other than being aware of who is in the race and what to expect from them. I haven't been privy to any such conversation on Rainbo, but then I would not be in any pro or veteran packs, so it wouldn't really concern me - so possibly those skaters do discuss options (maybe Greg will weigh in there).

[The Major]

Cale and I discuss strategy all the time. I say I'm going to kick his ass and he says he's going to kick mine.

Actually, in the vet group we talk about it. Because there isn't too much team racing, team tactics don't come into play that often. At some of the midwest races we do try to workout some plans and try to figure out how the race is going to go. We try to help each other out during the race but it' usually every man for himself when it comes to the finish.

Tom, I think your overall assessment is right on the money. Very good advice for the less or inexperienced skaters.

As for Panch0, he knows more about racing than any other person who doesn't race. Actually his advice does apply to more advance skaters to some degree. Panch0 come from cycling and the tatics are pretty much the same. One day we'll see the Great Blue Smurf at a race that's not in Brian Piccolo Park.

[tdellaringa]

Originally Posted by The Major

Cale and I discuss strategy all the time. I say I'm going to kick his ass and he says he's going to kick mine.

LOL - yeah, I think I've actually heard that one!

We try to help each other out during the race but it's usually every man for himself when it comes to the finish.

That's kind of what I figured.

Panch0 come from cycling and the tactics are pretty much the same. One day we'll see the Great Blue Smurf at a race that's not in Brian Piccolo Park.

Yeah Panch0! Come out to Chicago!

Actually, my sister and her husband are pretty serious cyclists. I believe they have both raced as Cat 1's and my sister has been to the Olympic camp in Colorado. We always talk strategy when we get together, and I always comment on how similar the two sports are in many ways. I've been to a few of their races, and it's always fun to watch.

I recently purchased the 1999 Tour de France DVD - Lance's first win and watched the whole thing, it was really cool. You can draw a lot of comparisons to what goes on in their races with ours. (Although the TDF itself is obviously unique).

I have to say the biggest piece of advice is to really have fun - I find the races a total blast, regardless of how I finish.

[online inline]

• be ready for a sprint off the starting line. If you are not, your race may be over in 30 seconds.
• "Twenty-six miles and it can be lost in a second"
• A race is usually several races in one. Be prepared to adjust your race strategy at the drop of a hat. The unexpected will happen. Expect it.
• If you find yourself off of the pack and skating solo, don't panic. Keep your head and develop a strategy. Save something for for when you may need it later.
• Don't leave anything on the table - if you have energy left when you cross the line, you did somehting wrong.
• Spend some time after a race figuring what you learned, what you need to work on, what you will most definitely do differently next time.
• Racing a pack race is not about who's the fastest. If you think it is, you will be very frustrated and perhaps bitter. It has a lot to do with strategy and playing the field, but being fast doesn't hurt, either.

[oferyko]

this is a nice thread.
1. listen - listening to the other racers around i very impotrtant. a tired skater wi breath more heavily. that would b a good time to pass him.
2. watch - always look ahead, you don't want to drag behind the "slow one" in the pack when the paceline is picking up speed.

and most of all: a race can be also enjoyable, so have FUN.

[tdellaringa]

Your point about listening and paying attention reminds me of something I've been caught on both in races and in practices. It probably happens a lot more in beginner and mid to advanced packs rather than with veterans and pros.

What happens is the person in front of you tires out and begins to fall off - some space opens between him and the skater in front of him. Is he going to fall off completely or catch up?

If he is really going to fall off, he may waver for a bit, fall a bit more behind and then pull out of the paceline - leaving you with a gap to bridge. That may suck big time for you, especially because it can end up being a sizeable gap - say 10-15 feet, that you are going to have to hoof it to close. Meanwhile, if the group in front notices this (and there may be other skaters behind me as well) they may break to lose the whole back of the pack at that moment.

So don't feel like you can't pull out and pass a skater like that who seems like they are in trouble, but you have to listen and watch to see the signs of that happening. Also, don't feel like you have to let a weaker skater in line in front of you if you think they won't keep up and cause you to get gapped.

I had this happen at practice once. A skater that I knew often labors to keep up with a certain group for longer periods wanted to cut in. Because this was practice, I let that skater in. Sure enough, a few minutes later that skater began to fall off and then just died... leaving me a gap of like 15 feet. Because this was a fast pack, I could not bridge the gap.

Had that been a race, I would have not let that person in front of me. No rule says you have to. Granted, if you don't know a skater you may not know that about a person until it's too late. But if you are paying attention the whole time, and realize that particular skater has been really laboring to stay with that group, you'd be fully in your rights to shut the door, IMO.

[j_nolesfan]

Great thread guys! Thanks for starting it Tom.

I've only skated Disney which probably is one of the more unique marathons and probably won't ever happen again unfortunately. One thing I did notice is that you have to be willing to jump packs at any time. If I felt that a pack wasn't going quite as fast as I'd like, I would latch onto the next pack that passed by.

Next, if you're in the second position and the leader is pulling sufficiently, it's not your responsibility to relieve him of his leading duties. It's his responsiblity to pull out and give up the lead. Since I'd never skated a marathon in race conditions before Disney, I realized after the race that I'd left a little on the table and could have probably skated a little faster in the beginning.

Keep your eyes in front of you as much as possible. I avoided two people who fell in front of me only because I saw it when it started to happen. A nasty fall can end your day.

Finally, never lose focus. A lot of the time, the people who you're avoiding when the fall happens are people who lost their focus just for a second an had a bad set-down of their skate or didn't notice some obstacle in their path.

Keep the good advice coming.

Jeff

[BWI-Sheldon]

Originally Posted by j_nolesfan

.....Keep your eyes in front of you as much as possible. I avoided two people who fell in front of me only because I saw it when it started to happen. A nasty fall can end your day......

Was that at around mile 23?

[j_nolesfan]

Originally Posted by BWI-Sheldon

Was that at around mile 23?

Sheldon, I'm not sure of the mile count but one was in EPCOT, I'm pretty sure it was Germany. The other was on the infamous boardwalk. That's probably more like mile 18-20. The guy fell for like a whole week! I had to skate to my right until I was outside the course markers to get around him. I felt bad and it was obviously a loss of focus. It sure recentered my focus.

Jeff

[BWI-Sheldon]

Ok than that wasn't me. I fell and took out one other person, and the third got around us, so I was thinking....

[tdellaringa]

Originally Posted by j_nolesfan

...The guy fell for like a whole week! ...

ROTFL, oh man the more I picture this the more I get the giggles... you can almost hear the 'whoah...whoah...wHOAH!!!"

That's mean making fun of people who fall. I should go to the penalty box and feel shame.

Getting back on subject however, one thing that I think is often necessary equipment is a decent pair of glasses. And speaking of vision - you don't want a pair of glasses that impairs your peripheral vision in any way, so that you might miss something until it's too late... (like a guy next to you falling for about a week...)

Nor do you want glasses too dark - you gotta be able to see well in a race. They should also be 100% UV protective. You'd be surprised how much the sun can reflect off the pavement on a very sunny day, it can be almost blinding.

[Jim White]

You also want glasses that don't fog.

[Knight_Rider13]

This will be my first year for marathons...very informative thread.

[online inline]

KnightRider, if you want advice on your first marathon, or on your first few marathons, it's a bit different than the advice here, which is geared more to Advanced skaters.

For you first marathon, do a few trial runs first, several weeks and months before the event, so you have some idea of a sustainable pace you can muster. Maybe you know how to skate in a paceline, and if you don't, don't worry about it, there's many skaters, probably most, that don't skate in pacelines. Make provisions for water. Gear yourself to finish, first and foremost, then try to pace yourself so you have something left at the finish. but not so much that you feel you could have gone harder in the event.

Frankly, it all matters to how you approach the event. Is it a race or a roll? Rest assured that the more you do, the more natural it becomes. And it is a lot of fun, whether you are out for good times and/or competing.