Week 5: Pace proper
Run Pacing
The start is signaled, you take off enthusiastically amidst the loud cheers and deafening horns, trying to keep up with the quick pack. But a few hundred metres later, your stomach shuts down, your heart feels like it’s about to pop out of your gaping mouth and you struggle to complete the race if you manage to at all. Hands up if you’ve ever been in this scenario.
Many amateur runners do not put enough thought into how to pace a long run. This is not common only during races but whilst training as well. The key when it comes to pacing is being patient.
If your aim is to complete the race for now, the important thing is learning to run in even splits. That means the whole race is run in phases at a progressively increasing pace. This would eventually be the springboard towards improving your time in subsequent races.
The first thing to not do is to take off too hard. It’s fine to start off slightly slower than your average pace. Once you manage to find some space away from the jostling group – about 800m to 1km from the start - hit your goal speed for the first phase and stick to it for the next 15 to 20 minutes, for example.
Meanwhile, at the 5, 10 and 15 km mark, do a self assessment. Only if you are feeling strong should you build the pace at your planned pace-changing stages. However, this increase in pace should be gradual. Don’t try to keep increasing your pace for too long at a stretch as your body will struggle to keep up. The increase in pace should stretch across 30 seconds to a minute and once you reach your new desired pace, stick to it for the next 15 to 20 minutes.