Getting Better at Pace Control

Runners care mostly about 3 variables—distance, time, and pace.  Sure, you can monitor heart-rate too, but I think that's unnecessary so long as you've tuned into your own body.  Distance and time are easy to measure—just plot the run on a map and bring a stopwatch.  Pace isn't so easy to measure.  If you have GPS watch, it can tell you your pace, but I don't have a GPS watch (nor do I want one, and I'll explain why in this post).  You can also run on a measured course and calculate your pace, but that requires both a measured course and the ability to do arithmetic in your carbohydrate-deprived brain.

It's tough to set a goal pace and stick with it.  I think one of my biggest problems in training for last year's marathon was a poor grasp on pace.  Hal's plan would say to run slow on the long runs, but I didn't really know what that meant as a first-time marathoner.  So, my pace on those long runs would be all over the place.  I'd start with 10 min miles and finish barely able to maintain a walking pace.  When marathon day came, I faltered at mile 18 because my long training runs weren't done properly—they were too fast at the start and horribly inconsistent.

My 20 mile run this morning got me thinking a bit more about pace.  This was the 2nd 20 mile run of my training program.  For each of these 20 milers, Hal provides some guidance on how pace them.  Here is what he said for today's run regarding pace:

Two weeks ago, I suggested that you run conservatively: 90 seconds or more slower than race pace. Depending on how you feel, you might want to consider doing this long run slightly faster: 60 seconds or more slower than race pace. Or, finish the workout at a slightly faster pace than you began.

 My marathon goal pace is 8'36" per mile.  So, 90 seconds slower than that would be 10'06" per mile, and 60 seconds slower would be 9'36" per mile.  Here's how I ran these runs:

1st 20 mile run (8/14/2010): 9'50"/mile
2nd 20 mile run (8/28/2010): 9'34"/mile


Are the paces exactly where they should be?  No, but today's run was really close.  I consider the first one to be within the margin of error.  I ran each of these runs on the same route, and didn't have any distance measurements beyond the first mile.  This was all done with me being able to sense my pace and then modifying my speed accordingly.

I've noticed this same thing for my speedwork too.  Hal wants be to run the 800s at 5k pace, and I can hit that pace almost exactly for each and every repeat.  So, it's clear that I've gotten better at controlling my pace, but how have I done that?

If you want to learn how to control your pace, you need to put away the GPS.  Not permanently, but pace control is all about learning the rhythms of your own body, and having a watch beep at you when you're going too fast or too slow isn't going to teach anything other than listening to beeps.  You want to be able to get to a point where you can look at your stride and your breathing and be able to say "this feels too fast/slow, I need to change my speed".  So much of this comes down to experience, but there are some strategic things one can do to improve their sense of pace.

1. Run a "pace run".  This one seems like a no-brainer, and it is.  Learn to run at your target pace by running that pace mile after mile.  I do these as part of my training and they require a measured course.  This doesn't have to mean a track (but you can use a track)—I do mine on Summit Avenue.  There are stoplights every ½ mile, so it's very easy for me to check my pace at these intervals.  My first few pace runs were all over the place, but now I'm getting very good at running these at marathon pace.  In fact, I did a pace control test last week where I ran one mile slow on purpose (to simulate a water stop in a race, for instance), then brought myself back to marathon pace, and then did one mile slightly faster to make up for the lost time.
2. Learn your limits.  It's tough to run a specified pace when all your plan says is "comfortable", or "easy", or "fast".  Incorporating speedwork can help you learn what your upper limit is, and conversely, doing some very slow recovery runs can help you figure out your lower limit.  When you figure out what these are, it's easier to pick something in-between, and fine-tune your pace from there.
3. Race!  Learn your race pace.  If you're anything like me, you probably can't do your fastest times while training.  There's something about pinning a bib on and lining up with other runners that just pushes you to go faster than you would have thought you could.  Getting a 5k, 10k, or Pikermi time makes it much easier to understand what it means when you're told to run 800s at a 5k pace, or a tempo at 10k pace.
4. Listen to your body.  When I run, I check myself by rating myself on a scale of 1 to 10.  A 5 would be an easy, conversational pace.  I should be able to hold a conversation with ease at a 5.  (Considering I generally run alone, I try to avoid actually having the conversation, but sometimes it's unavoidable…)  I would call a 10 my race pace at distances of 5k or shorter, and other paces fall somewhere in-between.  I do my long runs at a 6 or 7, and my marathon pace is a 7 or 8.

Those are my thoughts on pace control.  It's invaluable to have a good sense of pace when your racing, particularly if you want to negative split your race, or hold an even pace for a marathon.  GPS watches can break, but your own sense of pace is always working.