How do you manage your running pace?
Wiltord1982
Posts: 312 Member
Hi everyone. This is the third summer I'm consistently running. Last summer, I focused on half-marathons, I'm now focusing on 10k. Here's my question. How do you manage your race when you want to get your best time? Some people tend to start strong and finish slower, while others adopt a steady pace throughout. I'm looking for new approaches to beat my times.
I'm more of the first type I'd say. When I consider my best races, I see I start fast and slow down in the last kilometers:
This season's best 10k (55:22, 2015-04-06):
1- 5:04 min/km
2- 5:15 min/km
3- 5:22 min/km
4- 5:36 min/km
5- 5:41 min/km
6- 5:48 min/km
7- 5:52 min/km
8- 5:43 min/km
9- 5:48 min/km
10- 5:11 min/km (final sprint ^_^)
Average pace: 5:32 min/km
And it was more or less the same for my all-time PR (48:14, 2014-06-09):
1- 4:38 min/km
2- 4:37 min/km
3- 4:29 min/km
4- 4:48 min/km
5- 4:49 min/km
6- 4:48 min/km
7- 4:47 min/km
8- 5:00 min/km
9- 4:52 min/km
10- 4:19 min/km
Average pace: 4:42 min/km
Thanks for the input!
I'm more of the first type I'd say. When I consider my best races, I see I start fast and slow down in the last kilometers:
This season's best 10k (55:22, 2015-04-06):
1- 5:04 min/km
2- 5:15 min/km
3- 5:22 min/km
4- 5:36 min/km
5- 5:41 min/km
6- 5:48 min/km
7- 5:52 min/km
8- 5:43 min/km
9- 5:48 min/km
10- 5:11 min/km (final sprint ^_^)
Average pace: 5:32 min/km
And it was more or less the same for my all-time PR (48:14, 2014-06-09):
1- 4:38 min/km
2- 4:37 min/km
3- 4:29 min/km
4- 4:48 min/km
5- 4:49 min/km
6- 4:48 min/km
7- 4:47 min/km
8- 5:00 min/km
9- 4:52 min/km
10- 4:19 min/km
Average pace: 4:42 min/km
Thanks for the input!
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Replies
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This is honestly something you just learn how to do over time. Consistent training and paying attention to your pace will get you there, but mostly just more time on your feet.
One thing you can do, however, is make a concious effort to slightly negative-split all of your endurance runs. So if you are just going out for, say, a 5 mile run, make sure the first 3 miles are at X pace and the last 2 are at 90% of X. Just a little bit faster. If you have to run just a little slower than you "feel like" for the first few miles, then so be it.0 -
I agree that its mostly just experience with the race distance. You have to just kind of feel where the right level of "suck" is at the beginning and not start out too hard.
If you kind of know how fast you should be racing a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.0 -
a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.
As a data-nerd triathlete, I don't think I could race properly without my GPS watch. I know it is a crutch, but that is how I roll. I know I would blow myself up entirely in a long race if I didn't have instant pace feedback from it.
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a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.
As a data-nerd triathlete, I don't think I could race properly without my GPS watch. I know it is a crutch, but that is how I roll. I know I would blow myself up entirely in a long race if I didn't have instant pace feedback from it.
I totally agree with that. It happened to me a few times that my GPS watch was dead and I didn't have it for running. It didn't feel the same, even though I knew my mileage.0 -
At this point I am experienced enough to know how to do it without the technology... but I would certainly not have an easy time of it if it's a longer race.0
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Ditto's to GPS/HRM Garmin.
I go more by HR, at the start, knowing that will hold me back enough from the excitement of going out too fast and suffering later.
But then with HR drift, I expect the same effort to lead to increased HR later, so either abandon it or just give myself a higher limit.
My last few that worked well I start out at bottom of tempo zone for about 1/4 the distance, top of tempo for 1/2, then allow up to LT line for last 1/4 with whatever I got left in me.
That allowed me to be calm going up hills, take advantage of coming down, and pace out nice on flats.0 -
As others have said, it comes with experience. Over time you get to know how much you can suffer and how long you can sustain it.
Personally, I find it easier to push myself nearer to my limits when the end is relatively near. So I spend the first little bit of a race getting into my rhythm, the middle section managing my effort, and the last stretch building up to max effort. It doesn't always work that way, but that's usually my plan.0 -
Newbie here just popping in to say I'm jealous. I range between 10 and 11 minutes a KM. I let Endomondo tell me what my pace is.0
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a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.
As a data-nerd triathlete, I don't think I could race properly without my GPS watch. I know it is a crutch, but that is how I roll. I know I would blow myself up entirely in a long race if I didn't have instant pace feedback from it.
Agreed. I've been doing more work based on RPE so I'm not so data/tech dependent... but mentally I like the perceived certainty that comes with the data.0 -
Wanted to add, positive splits from experience always make the time worse.
I believe because at the start prior to body slipping in to the normal fat:carb burn ratio it's going to use, going even faster than you should while burning more limited carbs just sets you up for bad results later in race when you gotta slow way down to compensate.
But calm at first to get in to that better fat:carb ratio leaves more carbs to use later, and negative splits always seems to show that in my case.0 -
a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.
As a data-nerd triathlete, I don't think I could race properly without my GPS watch. I know it is a crutch, but that is how I roll. I know I would blow myself up entirely in a long race if I didn't have instant pace feedback from it.
Same as you. I need my watch. I'm no stranger to the marathon + distances but just recently I completely screwed up a fun run 5k. Been reading all these articles about zen running without a watch. Go by feel they said. Listen to your body they said. Ignore your watch they said. It'll be an amazing experience and you will love it they said.
Looking at what I did after:
Mile 1: sub 6 min pace feeling good. I am so awesome. Look at me in the lead pack with all these local elites. Big time here I come.
Mile 2 early on: Oh God, when did my calves catch fire? Pace starts slowing up
Mile 2 - 3 : Please someone kill me now. WTF is happening...I'm walking during a 5k...who am I?
Mile 3.1: Fudge this crap, I love you Garmin, I'll never ignore you again....crawling back to truck.
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hahaha. I've been there a few times, even with the watch on.
Looking at what I did after:a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.
As a data-nerd triathlete, I don't think I could race properly without my GPS watch. I know it is a crutch, but that is how I roll. I know I would blow myself up entirely in a long race if I didn't have instant pace feedback from it.
Mile 1: sub 6 min pace feeling good. I am so awesome. Look at me in the lead pack with all these local elites. Big time here I come.
Mile 2 early on: Oh God, when did my calves catch fire? Pace starts slowing up
Mile 2 - 3 : Please someone kill me now. WTF is happening...I'm walking during a 5k...who am I?
Mile 3.1: Fudge this crap, I love you Garmin, I'll never ignore you again....crawling back to truck.
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I set pace with my breathing - set my breathing pace for what I know I can handle for the next X metres or whatever, and then match my stride cadence to it.
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a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.
As a data-nerd triathlete, I don't think I could race properly without my GPS watch. I know it is a crutch, but that is how I roll. I know I would blow myself up entirely in a long race if I didn't have instant pace feedback from it.
Same as you. I need my watch. I'm no stranger to the marathon + distances but just recently I completely screwed up a fun run 5k. Been reading all these articles about zen running without a watch. Go by feel they said. Listen to your body they said. Ignore your watch they said. It'll be an amazing experience and you will love it they said.
Looking at what I did after:
Mile 1: sub 6 min pace feeling good. I am so awesome. Look at me in the lead pack with all these local elites. Big time here I come.
Mile 2 early on: Oh God, when did my calves catch fire? Pace starts slowing up
Mile 2 - 3 : Please someone kill me now. WTF is happening...I'm walking during a 5k...who am I?
Mile 3.1: Fudge this crap, I love you Garmin, I'll never ignore you again....crawling back to truck.
Oh man, I totally feel you. I have a sprint tri coming up in a couple of months, so I looked up last year's results to confirm that I *will* finish at the bottom of my age group, no matter what I do. You could jack me up on EPO and HGH and Amphetamines and Crystal Meth and I'll still come in with the dragging tail.
Knowing this will help me resist trying something stupid like trying to hang "in the lead pack with all these local elites".
:drinker:
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a GPS watch is also helpful in keeping that initial surge in the right pace range.
As a data-nerd triathlete, I don't think I could race properly without my GPS watch. I know it is a crutch, but that is how I roll. I know I would blow myself up entirely in a long race if I didn't have instant pace feedback from it.
Same as you. I need my watch. I'm no stranger to the marathon + distances but just recently I completely screwed up a fun run 5k. Been reading all these articles about zen running without a watch. Go by feel they said. Listen to your body they said. Ignore your watch they said. It'll be an amazing experience and you will love it they said.
Looking at what I did after:
Mile 1: sub 6 min pace feeling good. I am so awesome. Look at me in the lead pack with all these local elites. Big time here I come.
Mile 2 early on: Oh God, when did my calves catch fire? Pace starts slowing up
Mile 2 - 3 : Please someone kill me now. WTF is happening...I'm walking during a 5k...who am I?
Mile 3.1: Fudge this crap, I love you Garmin, I'll never ignore you again....crawling back to truck.
Ha ha! I haven't done a 5k in a while but I think that's sort of how my last one went. I did the first mile around a 7:00 pace and ended up paying for it at the end.0 -
*Double Post0
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I think that really is every 5k regardless of whether or not you pace it. I am doing one in a couple weeks with the intention of hitting 17:00. I am sure I will go out at the goal pace on the first mile, but I am certain it will all come apart at the half way point as 5ks always do...0
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I think that really is every 5k regardless of whether or not you pace it. I am doing one in a couple weeks with the intention of hitting 17:00. I am sure I will go out at the goal pace on the first mile, but I am certain it will all come apart at the half way point as 5ks always do...
Ha, is there any other way to pace a 5k? I thought it was just "go out as fast as you can and try to hold on". I think my last 5k I went out at a 5:43 pace for the first mile and thought "oh. Oh no. That isn't good". And it wasn't. But then I'd rather run a 50k than a 5k.
OP I agree with the others. Race management is something you learn over time. Ideally, You'd start off strong, try to calm down and stabilize the middle of the race, then try to pick it up for the end.0 -
Not a racer myself, but have done research on professional racing programs looking for one to use as a training program. They were all consistent with the idea that you start out slow, and speed up as you go. How you designate your splits (increase speed every mile, every 1/4 of the distance, etc) differed. But not the basic concept.
Can't advise on how to do it on a training run, unfortunately. Seems I do that naturally for almost all of my outdoor runs (indoor I don't keep track of laps, just time, so can't tell). Probably just the psychological difference between running away from home, and running for home in my case.0 -
ThickMcRunFast wrote: »I think that really is every 5k regardless of whether or not you pace it. I am doing one in a couple weeks with the intention of hitting 17:00. I am sure I will go out at the goal pace on the first mile, but I am certain it will all come apart at the half way point as 5ks always do...
Ha, is there any other way to pace a 5k? I thought it was just "go out as fast as you can and try to hold on". I think my last 5k I went out at a 5:43 pace for the first mile and thought "oh. Oh no. That isn't good". And it wasn't. But then I'd rather run a 50k than a 5k.
OP I agree with the others. Race management is something you learn over time. Ideally, You'd start off strong, try to calm down and stabilize the middle of the race, then try to pick it up for the end.
Agreed 100% on the long distance... I hate 5ks. I wouldn't be running in it except my coach wants me to set a new PR.0 -
Y’all are hardcore. I haven’t done a long run in a while, but I never set my pace based on anything other than my level of comfort. If anything, I get a bit lazy on my 5k runs (been doing them about 4 times/week). It takes me about 28 minutes and the pace is comfortable enough that I can push myself to keep going when I feel fatigued/pain. I usually start fast, then slow down a bit as I realize that I’m not invincible, and I comfortably speed up towards the end as I get acclimated.
Really tempted by these fancy watches though
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Y’all are hardcore. I haven’t done a long run in a while, but I never set my pace based on anything other than my level of comfort. If anything, I get a bit lazy on my 5k runs (been doing them about 4 times/week). It takes me about 28 minutes and the pace is comfortable enough that I can push myself to keep going when I feel fatigued/pain. I usually start fast, then slow down a bit as I realize that I’m not invincible, and I comfortably speed up towards the end as I get acclimated.
Really tempted by these fancy watches though .
I think people are mostly talking about actual races rather than training runs. Generally, training runs are done at a much slower pace and any running that is done at 5K race pace is usually in the form of intervals. Very rarely, if ever, do most people just bust it all out for a training run.
As for the fancy watches, if you get one, you will never want to run without one 0 -
lporter229 wrote: »Y’all are hardcore. I haven’t done a long run in a while, but I never set my pace based on anything other than my level of comfort. If anything, I get a bit lazy on my 5k runs (been doing them about 4 times/week). It takes me about 28 minutes and the pace is comfortable enough that I can push myself to keep going when I feel fatigued/pain. I usually start fast, then slow down a bit as I realize that I’m not invincible, and I comfortably speed up towards the end as I get acclimated.
Really tempted by these fancy watches though .
I think people are mostly talking about actual races rather than training runs. Generally, training runs are done at a much slower pace and any running that is done at 5K race pace is usually in the form of intervals. Very rarely, if ever, do most people just bust it all out for a training run.
As for the fancy watches, if you get one, you will never want to run without one
Of course, that makes sense. I haven’t done a race in ages, and when I did, I didn’t know what I was doing (it was just a charity 5k thing). It’s informative to see how people dedicated to running go about it, though. Not to derail the thread, but if you have recommendations for those watches, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’ve done some research into them and wrist HRMs are tricky. 0 -
ThickMcRunFast wrote: »I think that really is every 5k regardless of whether or not you pace it. I am doing one in a couple weeks with the intention of hitting 17:00. I am sure I will go out at the goal pace on the first mile, but I am certain it will all come apart at the half way point as 5ks always do...
Ha, is there any other way to pace a 5k? I thought it was just "go out as fast as you can and try to hold on". I think my last 5k I went out at a 5:43 pace for the first mile and thought "oh. Oh no. That isn't good". And it wasn't. But then I'd rather run a 50k than a 5k.
OP I agree with the others. Race management is something you learn over time. Ideally, You'd start off strong, try to calm down and stabilize the middle of the race, then try to pick it up for the end.
Agreed 100% on the long distance... I hate 5ks. I wouldn't be running in it except my coach wants me to set a new PR.
I feel that. Its the same reason I'm running a 10k this weekend. I hate hate HATE that distance, but coach wants me to get comfortable mentally with running fast again before marathon training starts. Sigh.
Anyway, yes we are talking racing and not training. My regular 'easy run' pace is more between 8:10 and 9:30 miles, and I run the majority of my miles in that range. I will run at different paces based on what the point of the workout is. Some stuff is done at a 6 minute pace, some at 6:30, some at 7 etc. I have a Garmin FR610 for road stuff and a Fenix for long-distance trail running, and I love them both. I honestly might get the 610 again over the 620, if only because the 620 has a bunch of swimming features that I don't really need. If the 610 had a longer battery life, I'd use it for all my runs.0 -
You're right, it is interesting to see the different perspective of those dedicated to running. I have been running for years, but did not get serious about race times and such until a few years ago. I would never have understood the rationale behind somebody finding it easier to race a marathon over a 5K. Now, not only do I get it, I completely agree.
There are several threads under the long distance runners group dedicated to GPS watch info. I personally have had 3 Garmin Forerunners and probably will never try anything else. I find the 220 model to be the one that will give you the best bang for the buck if you are using it solely for running. It has all of the basics that you will need. My husband has the 620, and it's nice, but I just don't think it's worth the extra $. If you are on a very tight budget, the Forerunner 10 will give you the info you need on pace, distance etc, but I'm pretty sure it does not have a HRM option. Sorry that I can't offer you any info on any other devices, I've just been a loyal Garmin user for too long. Hope this helps though.0 -
Thanks very much for the info, to both of you. And again, sorry to butt in - you’re all definitely in another league. I love running but never got as serious about it because of back/knee problems that doctors just prescribed painkillers for, and that recently went away (or at least improved) as I started strength training (go figure). But anyway, you’ve inspired me to look into this further, so thank you!0
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It might sound silly, but ever since I gave myself mental "permission" to walk a handful of steps as needed during a race, I've set PRs for 5K, 10K, and 10 mile distances. I inevitably go out too fast, raise my heart rate too high, and need to take a tiny breather after the first couple miles. I find my finish times are slower when I don't take the breaks, so even though it's probably not the best strategy, it seems to work for me. I do use a Garmin Forerunner, but I can generally guesstimate my pace based on my perceived level of exertion.0
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Thanks very much for the info, to both of you. And again, sorry to butt in - you’re all definitely in another league. I love running but never got as serious about it because of back/knee problems that doctors just prescribed painkillers for, and that recently went away (or at least improved) as I started strength training (go figure). But anyway, you’ve inspired me to look into this further, so thank you!
LOl, just to set the record straight, I'm not in that league either. I am lucky if I can achieve a 6 min/mile pace, let alone sustain it. At any rate, that's the great thing about running. It's such a personal thing. My marathon pace may be a minute or two slower than the next guy's, but that doesn't mean we can't chat about things and learn from one another. We are all in it with the same goal, to achieve our own personal best. I am glad to hear that you are getting the running bug. I strongly encourage anyone interested to check out the long distance runners group. Lots of good info and experience there! Good luck to you.
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