HOW DO I PACE MYSELF? 3 TIPS & THE IDEAL SESSION

One of the most common training goals that come in on our program enquiries is “I want to learn how to pace myself”. A very understandable goal as a runner, because being able to pace ourselves means that we are going to feel more comfortable and confident each time we go for a run.

This could be aiming to enjoy an easy pace when going for a jog or not going too fast at the start of a time trial or race.Here are a few tips we give to runners who start a Run Rabbit program.

Building Your Range of Paces
Adding some faster running to your weekly running schedule will help make the slower running feel easier. If you want to be able to pace yourself, that means you need to be able to practice running at a range of paces.
Being able to run at a very comfortable, slow pace is important, but if you’re someone who has always just jogged, you’ll be amazed the impact that some interval or fartlek running will have.
I don’t prescribe ‘sprints’ for distance runners, but alternating some moderate or solid paced running with easy jogging (eg.1 minute moderate, 1 minute easy X5) is a good start. Keep in mind, you only need to do this faster paced running 1 - 2 times per week, especially if you’re new to it. 

Running to effort and using an RPE Talk Test is another great way to manage your pace.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Now that you have the ability to physically alter your pace during a run, it’s time to practice, practice, practice.

Setting a pacing goal each time you go for a run will really help.
For your easy jogs, this could be aiming to run each km at exactly the same pace or the second half of the run slightly faster than the first. For interval sessions it could be running each interval at exactly the same pace or for each interval to get slightly faster than the previous.

Patience
The single biggest principle of managing pace is patience. Make sure the start of your runs feel too easy and if they’re not, slow down.
If you’re feeling pretty tired at the halfway point of a run, then you’re going to be in a bit of trouble.

Session Suggestions
I’ve been a runner for 20 years and still actively practice pacing. My favourite session and one I give to most Run Rabbit runners (even beginners), is a progression run. This is when you aim to gradually increase your pace as the run progresses.

Option 1: Jog out along a path turn and aim to get back to the start quicker.
This could be 15 minutes out and 14 minutes to get back.

Option 2: Complete a warm up jog, then, aim to run each km quicker than the previous.
This could be a 2km slow jog at 5:30/km then a 4km progression (5:20, 5:15, 5:10, 5:05).

For me, there is nothing more satisfying than finishing a progression run and seeing a neat, gradually increasing bar graph of your km splits.

It takes patience, practice and a range of paces.

PS. Here’s the progression run I’m most proud of and fyi, they don’t all look like this.