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Looking at your Reading splits you were closer to 5mph than 4mph for first 12 miles as hr climbs from 150's upto max of 180. This includes the biggest climb too by looks of profile, tho hr max is after then. There's then big drop off in pace and hr.
The starting speed looks promising for you, as your endurance improves that will indeed knock hours off. For now maybe hold the effort back earlier so it's a steadier sustained pace for longer? Should still allow you some leaway for hitting the cutoffs and be quicker overall?
rhb-
When I saw I was over 17obpm around 20k mark I made the decision to drop off and walk from that point.
I wasted a lot of time at the 23km checkpoint (was chatting to the volunteers and took a relaxed toilet break in the fancy office block they were using as their base),
then I stopped again at 26km to sit down and apply sunscreen because of the roasting sun,
so of course at 29km a thunderstorm rolled in and I had to stop to unpack my waterproof jacket,
at third checkpoint at 36km I again stopped to chat to the checkpoint volunteers and dawdled while refilling my bottles. deciding not to remove rain jacket even though sun was out again fully and no clouds.
by 38km was over heating so stopped to take off jacket and have a sly piss.
of course as i'd taken my jacket off at 40km it started pissing down again with rain clouds from out of nowhere, so another stop to put it back on (and it stayed on beyond that even though it got roasting hot again at the end).
I then started trying to push the pace again a little but ran into the really bad mud conditions I mentioned from 42km-45km which dropped my pace massively and took a lot more effort to make progress in general.
i think on the flat thames path I wont redline my HR so much so planning on trying to stick to 12min/mile 5mph for first 20k (checkpoint 1) then walk run next 10k to try and maintain about 13:30min/mile avg for next 10, then power walk final 16k and try to keep it as close to 15:00min/mile as poss running where I feel capable.
HatBeard
Now signed on for The Richmond Ultra leg of The Thames Challenge this Sunday (28 Miles).
Cutoff is based on 15min/mile so will have to shift myself a tiny bit faster than Reading (avg 15:49) but I think on a super flat course like this I can power my way through ok.