For instance on the Boston course you’ve got a bit of an incline to tackle from 26.5k to 34k. It’s not much of a climb but it’s long and at a tough point in the race. So if you were planning on a 7:30 pace overall you might expect to run 10% slower (or 8:15) for that section.

You would hope to make up that time on downhill sections. That may well be different running than cycling though. For me the point in getting into detail on pace predictions is to avoid disappointment in the hard parts and to avoid over-stressing your body trying to make unrealistic intermediate targets.

Perhaps having projections for 5k sections of the race would make this easier. I may be becoming bossy and boring but I am interested in this stuff probably because it combines maths, sport and suffering into a particular kind of geekery. I am as ever in awe of your endeavour.

I haven’t tried embrocation, it sounds awesome. As in inspiring fear, that kind of awe! But it sounds powerful indeed.

Marci, You, Ruben (my other commenter on this thread) and I smoked more than most! The only thing I miss is the cigarettes!

Do you get course profiles before the races? I guess you could use MapMyRun to generate them if not and then you could take those into account with your schedule. 7:32 up that novel in waiting at mile10 could have been absorbed in the plan and saved you some worry perhaps. Maybe some of the folks passing you in the middle of the race were pushing in advance of the mile 10 hill?

Do you ever use embrocation to warm your legs? I used it quite often when cycling. The smell was awful but it helped to stay warm and the process of massaging it into your legs is a good way to check for tight spots. Just remember to wash your hands after application (and before wiping your eyes or going to the bathroom).

The advantage is that you can effectively judge your effort so it’s great for fitness tests and masochistic interval sessions. You don’t have as many bells and whistles as a treadmill but you can do a lot with gear ratios and cadence rates.

Glad to hear you’re finding ways to keep running.