D-Day - 2 Race Strategy

From the Coach:

From: jill-parker Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:48 PM To: Andrew Opala Subject: Re: Rockin and Rollin I'm glad you're feeling better and your spirits are flying high!! That's the confidence I love to see! Do NOT go gun-ho at the start and use up all your glycogen by 3K and have nothing left in the tank. I can't even tell you how many races I've killed, especially 5Ks, because I thought I could maintain an insane pace for 3 miles. So don't repeat my past mistakes! I didn't see a profile map for the course - is it relatively flat? I think a good race strategy is to start out in front - I don't care how many people there are, I don't want you stuck in the back wasting time and energy and adding mileage weaving around people. Start a few rows back and hang out off to the side. Let's aim for 5:53 for the first couple Ks. Don't obsess over the time and your watch; just get your pace where it needs to be and then take a deep breath, relax, and let your legs and lungs go. Think about all the good things in your life: the fresh air filling your lungs; how fortunate you are to be running (when others can't);....anything but how easy or difficult it is. At 3k, ask yourself how you're feeling and if you feel great pick up the pace slightly - repeat strategy for 4k. At 4.5k, you just give the race whatever your legs, lungs and guts have and you race it down to the finish line in a grand sub-30 finish, smiling big and bright! Plase remember to eat well, hydrate a lot! No refined sugar from now til race day, nothing fried and very low fat. Carb up the last couple days. Questions??!??! I know it's inside you buddy, now it's time to shine! -- Jill Certified AFAA Personal Trainer and RRCA Running Coach Check out: http://runwithjill.blogspot.com/

I went on MapMyRun and tried to get an elevation map and it looks relatively flat.  Total variation of 5 meters or about 15 feet.  That could easily be error in the terrain data and it could be flat as a pancake.