Coburg Half-Marathon Preview

Run in the Country is well named. The course is almost entirely on rural roads around Coburg. It's flat, with long straight stretches.

This 13.1-mile race is our team event this Sunday, with a 7:00 start from Coburg's city park (where it also finishes). You can pick up your packet there that morning.

Expect a warm day, with starting temperature in the 60s, rising into the 70s by the end. Bring a drink (to supplement those provided by the event). I'll deliver it at about the halfway point.

If you're not running at Coburg, I can suggest an alternate distance and course.

WEEK 9 LESSON: YOUR STRATEGY

Question: What is the best way to pace myself during the half-marathon?

Answer: Even if you’ve done everything right in training, you can cancel all that good with as little as one wrong move on race day. The first and worst bad move is to bolt from the starting line far faster than your training pace. Crowd hysteria and your own raging nervous system conspire to send you into the race as if fired from a cannon. Try to work against the forces of the crowd and your natural desires. Pull back the mental reins at a time when the voices inside are shouting, “Faster!” Be cautious in your early pacing, erring on the side of too-slow rather than too-fast. Hold something in reserve for the late miles. This is where you reward yourself for your early caution, by passing instead of being passed. Being the passer rather than the passee is a lot more fun.