Tips for Finding the Right Pace for Your Runs

You may have already discovered your pace or you might be a new runner trying to find out what a pace is. Pace is staying at a steady rate during a run. It is a balance between pushing yourself but not pushing yourself to the point where your body has to slow down the run. Make sense? Basically, it is to run at a good rate without falling apart by the end of the race.

If you have already discovered your pace then you probably had a few trial and error runs. For me there were a lot of errors. I just could not set a pace for myself, I would always start out way too fast and be going really slow by the end of a race. Finally, I learned to pace myself with others around me and then to really push myself and pick up the pace towards the end.

Some people are able to find their pace without pacing themselves to the other runners around them. If you can do that, then use it. If you are like me and have to use other peoples, be sure that you do not get stuck at a pace that is slower than what you can really run. When you get to the end of the race you should not feel comfortable and you should not have any more gas left in the tank.

When you practice, work on finding your pace. Do not sprint and then slow up, start at a pace and keep it. Eventually you will have to slow up but for most of the race you should be able to hold the same pace.

Pacing is a difficult balance. Runners that are good at pacing are usually good runners. Once you find your pace, work at it. Do not become comfortable with it, because if you are comfortable with it, it means that you are not going fast enough and you should pick up your pace a bit.