It doesn’t
matter if you are heading into your first race or you are a seasoned racing
veteran, having a pacing strategy is very important to being successful. If you don’t go into a race with a plan, your
adrenaline will often times make you feel like you can run way faster than you
should, causing you to run out of steam half way through your race. I ran across another great article from
Cometitor.com that talks about three different pacing strategies and when you
should use them.
Even Splits
If you are
newer to running, you typically are not sure what you are capable of running,
so one of the better strategies for you is to run even splits. This is where you would run at a single pace
for the whole race. In your first few
races, it is more important to understand how your body will react during a
race than to try and do too much. That typically results in burning out
mid-race or getting injured. This
strategy can also be useful for seasoned runners who are running marathons or
ultra-marathons, where you keep a consistent pace for a long period of time
that is sustainable.
“Hold On For Dear Life”
This
approach is best utilized on races of 10k or shorter. If you have been training hard and are hungry
for a PR, you might consider this approach.
You would start out faster than your goal pace and “hold on for dear
life” as the race progresses and you start to struggle. Going into a race with this approach, keep in
mind that it will get tough and you might need to muster every bit of strength
to make it to the end.
This
approach typically would entail running 5-15 seconds faster per mile than your goal
pace for the first 4 miles of a 10k. You
would try to keep that faster pace if you feel good at that point. If you are struggling, do your best to slow
down as little as possible. For a 5k,
you would start 10-15 seconds faster per mile than your goal pace and
reevaluate after the first 2 miles. In a
5k, if you are feeling good, maintain that faster pace and try to step it up at
the finish.
Negative Splits
One of the
best ways to get a PR, weather you are a beginner or an elite athlete is to run
a negative split race. This is where you
run the second half of the race at a faster pace than the first half of the
race. This is great for races ranging
from one mile to half marathon distances.
You would start off the same way as an even split race, but speed up in
the last 10-15% of the race, with a strong finish in the last .25 mile. If you struggle at the end of a race, start
off a little slower than your goal pace and pick it up part way through. One reason why this approach is so effective
is that you can save some of your energy for the end of the race. If you start out too fast, you will burn
through all of your available carbs before you can finish.
One great
tool that could help with keeping a negative split are pace bands. They will
tell you what your pace for each mile should be based on your goal. You can add pictures or inspirational words
as well. Check out Races2Remember where
you can get 3 bands for $7.50. Not a bad
deal and it will help you stay on track.
Going into a
race with a plan is the best recipe for success. I want to thank Competitor.com
(click herefor their article) for the great information and hope that you will find this
information helpful in obtaining a new PR.
Let me know what race strategy you typically utilize and how it is
working.
Pictures:
(1) http://photos2.demandstudios.com/DM-Resize/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/228/173/159302282_XS.jpg?w=1200&h=630&crop_min=1&keep_ratio=1
(2) http://www.races2remember.com/PaceBands.php?sh=1&
Data Reference:
http://running.competitor.com/2015/04/training/3-pacing-strategies-to-pr-your-next-race_126544
