To Pace or Not to Pace?

Welcome the latest debate in the running world, helped by the fact the IAAF just eradicated world records for women who ran in mixed races. Thankfully Paula Radcliffe still can lay claim to the record, though her "record" time is now two minutes slower than previous.

What about local races? Should runners be paced? Should men pace women? Should men pace men? Should marathons have pace groups?

Jury's still out, obviously, though let me offer two recent examples from my own personal running experience, just to ground the discussion a bit:

*In making a bid for a qualifying time for Boston Marathon 2012, I was offered by a couple of faster friends to help me through my qualifying race. (I'd wrestled this issue before, ultimately said that I wanted the race to be as pristine as possible).

*Earlier this year, I helped a friend (female) run the second part of a half marathon, part of training as she aimed for a full marathon.

The world marathon "record" set at Berlin involved Patrick Makau surrounded by pacers. Thousands of runners in New York this year will be part of organized pace groups. Obviously, even if you're paced, you still have to run the race, and I don't think that undermines the legitimacy of the time.

Fascinating debate over at Letsrun.com on the topic, btw.

I do think, however, that pacers interfere with the tactics of the actual race itself (though of course, if there are pacers, you build that into your strategy). It's one of the reasons why I love X/C and trail racing - time goes out the window, and it's all about what you can do against others on the race course.

My own personal decision about not wanting help was essentially selfish: Boston was one of my lifetime goals, and I wanted to do it on my own. There are several good reasons to have pacing, of course - that's why the options exist.

Something to wrestle with, I think. Appreciate any thoughts folk have. Happy trails, and stay dry this weekend.

P.S. Three posts today so far - at this rate, I'll surpass the September output momentarily! (Sarcasm on my writing failures duly noted).

P.P.S. Absolutely no idea what the women's 10K record is in Central Park. Will that be reset? (I'm guessing no, given the response of a lot of national running leaders.)

Headphones or Not?

I'm back in New York after a 4-hour trip from Boston, irritated by a pod-phone wearing driver on I-95 who braked unnecessarily several times (and punctuated by an adorable 2-year-old who has a predilection for puking when she's on long car trips), so put this in perspective:

Jim Gerweck at Running Times, in a recent issue, raised the issue of headphones and wearing them during races (given the popularity of the iPod). His main point: They aren't safe for the runner and those who are surrounding them.

I'm reading the letters to the editor in the November issue of Running Times (not online yet), both pro and con, and it's leading me to think that perhaps the issue isn't being taken seriously enough, despite the USATF "recommendation" banning them in races (a move that may be overturned).

Some races have banned, them, others have not. (Almost all local Brooklyn races, with a couple of notable exceptions, haven't made a statement, and NYRR hasn't taken a serious stand beyond a suggestion that they not be worn.)

It's one thing if you're running in Prospect Park or Central Park and you cut in front of a runner to get a cup of water and you don't hear them calling out a warning. That ranges between irritating and unsafe. It's another thing if you're running on a road where there are cars and you can't hear the horn.

I've been running for 25 years, and my hearing is one of the most important parts of my training, whether it be in a controlled environment (treadmill) or not. So please explain to me: How do you justify putting yourself at risk by running with headphones at a volume that you can't hear other things? And if you are racing and oblivious to other people, how do you put them at risk?

I'm more than happy to turn up the volume on my iPod when, oddly, I need to concentrate (I would have the music loud when studying at college at, today, at times when I really want to zone in, I love having the music in the background, which helps me focus). But I won't wear the iPod while running because a) I like hearing the background and b) I don't think it's safe - -I rely on all my senses while running on the roads. (Even smell, which is why I run near a certain coffee shop in Dumbo early in the AM).

I know my mind is made up, but that's not the point (and never is on this blog): What do you think?

Best Site for Olympic Coverage

I've been poking around for a bit, and consistently come back to this site: Let's Run will be the best place you'll find the commentary that will evaluate what's going on, even though you'll get sucked into the NBC site for video. They link both the news, which a lot of places do, but the message boards are invaluable: You may not agree with the comments, but they are filled with people who are seeking to attain the top. It's also a great place to understand the various debates (including the ongoing presence of drugs in this sport).

A reminder: US Olympic Trials start later this month and continue into July. Worth making time to watch.

Ongoing Running Debates

Among the many ongoing running debates is whether to shop locally and support your local running store (i.e. JackRabbit, Slope Sports et al) or go online, where you can generally get savings that beat anything from the store.

The problem/advantage that places like Road Runner Sports and National Running Center offer is that, for a yearly fee, you can get all sorts of cool stuff and special offers.

What you don't get is the special attention that running stores can offer, essential when you are looking at new kinds of running shoes, etc.

So, note the following order I placed with National Running Center today (enticed, I must say, with the offer of a free Frank Shorter running shirt). I'm a member, paying $30 a year to do so. With that, I get 10 percent off all orders as well as free UPS ground shipping.

-- A 24-pack of Vanilla Gu
-- 3 pairs of Coolmesh running socks
-- 1 pair of Hind Alpha running shorts
-- 1 Under Amour heat-gear running shirt (I have two UA hats and LOVE them)
-- 1 pair of Hind running tights
-- 1 Frank Shorter long-sleeve running shirt (which, as mentioned, was free with a $100 order)

Total cost, including shipping: $109 (and no, the colors weren't ugly - I had plenty of choices).

I probably saved at least $30 on comparable items, and I picked up most of the gear that I needed to get me through the winter. And still I feel vaguely guilty ....