There really isn't a run that I don't start off by saying to myself I'm going to maintain absolutely nothing faster than, say, an 8:30/mile pace (pace depends on distance, obviously). And there really isn't a run that'll I'll be a half mile into when I'll peek at my Garmin and see that I've actually taken off at a spritely 7:50/mile pace.
Then I'll overcompensate and run at something like a 9:10/mile pace to get myself back to the 8:30 pace, but when I finally get to that average pace a couple miles later I'll have been running so slowly that I'll feel too strong and too good. So my pace will slowly but surely creep back down to 8:20 or 8:15/mile and then BOOM I hit 7 or 8 miles, crash and find myself shuffling to the end of my run and finishing with an 8:50/mile -- or worse -- average pace. Something like that happening never seems to fail. Or always seems to succeed, depending on point of view.
This isn't me, but it could be me at the end of any of my longer runs.
After four years of running you'd think I'd have a grasp on how to handle my longest runs, but the truth is I have a theoretical grasp only. I've never been able to take a run plan in my head and put it into effect out on the road. Ever.
I hate trolling for comments, but most of the advice I find on a topic such as this come from elite/pro runners who have all of their runs micromanaged to the most finite detail for them (for the most part... the "self-coached" runners generally just think more mileage solves all problems), so I ask you, the internet: What strategies do you use to start and maintain and nice even pace over the course of an entire long run?
P.S. For trolling for comments I'm sure my punishment will be to have no one comment. That's ok because it's what I get.
I wrote a really long and really helpful comment. But then Blogger ate it. And I'm not going to type it all again, even for you. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteI've always been really good at pacing myself, but I'm not sure what the key to that is. Probably because I'm just super slow. Ha!
ReplyDeleteAt least with races, part of the problem is everyone's ego is engaged at the start. We can all get carried away with wanting to be at the front of the pack or at least just ahead of the guy ahead of you once the gun goes off. Maybe let go of ego at the beginning of the run and you might have a better chance of maintaining the pace you want.
Tillerman: I'm just glad you left a comment and didn't leave me looking like the only thing worse than a comment whore: a comment whore who can't get any comments! (FYI, I've gotten into the habit of copying longer comments before I post them, just in case. Blogger is free after all, and you do get what you pay for...)
ReplyDeletezapmama: If it's not a chip-timed race I'd tend to agree, but for me at least if I have a chip on my shoe I really don't care where I start or finish in a race, or who's around me (at least until the last mile or so). Also, I've been accused of not having enough of an ego, if you can believe that.
But I'm hoping I can hammer this out now during training so I can let go of whatever ego I do have on race day!
Shorter version of what Blogger ate...
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem going too fast at the start of a race because
a) I never warm up
b) I always start at the back with the fat girls.
My problem is usually between 60% and 80% of the way through the race, when I am feeling strong and get psyched about passing people in front of me. Especially all those fat girls.
Of course I go way too fast for a few miles and then have to slow down to a snail's pace for the final 20% of the race... and watch all the fat girls overtake me again.