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Magazine articles, blog posts, podcasts and even entire books have been devoted to the topic of proper pacing in marathon races. With all that advice circulating out there, you’d think that most runners would “get it” and properly parse their efforts over the course of 26.2 miles.

But the reality is, most of us don’t get it. We don’t do it. We start too fast, paying the price in the latter stages of the race. And then we talk about “hitting the wall.” If you’ve experienced the complete depletion of “the wall,” you know it is a very real experience and a very unpleasant place to be. Racing a marathon is extremely taxing. Starting out faster than your body can handle is a recipe for serious late-race discomfort.

Been there, done that. Many times. Too many times.

On our early-morning jogs, my running buddies and I have discussed proper pacing. We have done post mortems on our races, dissecting the mistakes we’ve made and figuring out ways to improve upon them. These pre-dawn sessions often produce lively and loud debate — much to the consternation of the sleepy neighborhoods through which we traverse.

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Today, I’m here to tell you that our buddy David Osterhoudt has figured it out. He has mastered the puzzle that is marathon pacing.

At the Miami Marathon earlier this winter, the 42-year-old Hyde Park resident ran a smartly paced race. Despite warm conditions with temperatures rising into the 70s, Osterhoudt surged to a strong finish in 3:34:09 (8:10 pace). He was 49th out of 400 in the competitive 40-44 age division. Most importantly, he got faster as the race progressed.   

Here are each of his 5-kilometer splits, in order: 28:48, 26:52, 24:04, 24:22, 24:34, 25:36, 24:16, 24:42. There’s no better feeling than getting stronger as the race goes on, surging past runners who started out too fast. Many times, Osterhoudt has been the one who has watched as other runners streamed past him in the latter stages of the race.

Not this time.

Traveling with his friends from the Middle-Aged Machines, a Poughkeepsie-based training group that often plans “destination” races, he enjoyed a nice mid-winter break in south Florida. The MAMs decided last summer that Miami would be their destination. After some predictable travel delays, the group escaped an icy rain storm and basked in the warmth of Miami in early February.

“After my aggressive trail season (in 2019), I continued running my usual weekly schedule,” Osterhoudt said. “With this marathon in warm weather, I was a bit concerned and training was consistent but low mileage (30-40 miles a week).”

He continued with his race report, via text: “Our trip down was a bit of a hassle, but with a great group of friends it was fun. I told my guys I would run comfortably for six miles and push a little late, but stay in control as temps reached upper 70s. I kept myself at a more than comfortable pace in mile 1 at a 9-minute mile. After 6, I slowly got into a groove and kept trucking at about 7:40 pace and never let off the gas. Mile 26 was a 7:28.

“This being my 10th marathon, (I realized) most races were paced wrong. Trail running has given me a new outlook. It’s not about nailing your pace early; the approach of being comfortable in the beginning of a long race is key to a strong finish, regardless if you get to your goal.’’

So, there you go. In a sea of information on how to properly pace a marathon, Osterhoudt figured it out while he was navigating the woods during his successful trail racing season. He applied his measured approach to trail racing and translated it very successfully onto the roads.

Sometimes, the best learning is in the doing. Learn from your mistakes and try not to make the same ones more than once. And if you are lucky enough, afterwards you can lounge on the hot beach with a cold drink, and soak in the satisfaction of a race well run. 

Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club member Pete Colaizzo, the track coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, writes on running every week in Players. He can be reached at runhed246@hotmail.com. For more club information, go to www.mhrrc.org

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