Pacing and a few tips to avoid embarrassment

I believe our blog has 2 loyal readers, and one of those readers asked for some ideas on pacing and I wanted to defer to someone who knew much more than I did, so I have pasted an article from Runner's world written by Jeff Galloway. It provides an easy suggestion to begin establishing the right pace for your goals (below). But first, I wanted to offer a few suggestions.

A few tips to avoid embarrassment

1.  Know what you are running.  There is no such thing as a 5K marathon. Please don't ever say that! A marathon is 26.2 miles; a half marathon is 13.1 miles. Save those words for their proper place. A 5k or a 10k is a lot to be proud of!  Just call them by their proper names.

2.  Never wear the shiny new shirt you received for registering on race day (You earn the right to wear that shirt AFTER finishing the race!). And, never let anyone wearing a race day shirt pass you on the course! The same can be said of children - don't let a child pass you on the course (now THAT'S embarrassing!).

3.  Speaking of what to wear, jean shorts are not acceptable running attire. In fact, they're not really acceptable attire for any event that I can think of - except may one sponsored by Nascar.

4.  When people line up for the start of the race, please don't start at the front if you will be finishing near the back (or vice versa). It just makes life difficult for everyone.

5.  During a race there may come a time that you need to walk or tie your shoe. Please don't bend over in the middle of the road to do this! One, that kind of behavior stops the flow of foot traffic and could cause you harm if a runner were to rear-end you. Two, no one wants to see your rear-end in that particular position.

6.  At a water stop, stay to the outside if you don't need water. Again, avoiding a pile-up on the road is key!

7.  When you finish your water, please look behind you before tossing it over your shoulder. The same goes for any mid race snot rockets. Also...if it's cold outside, beware of the pavement near water stops. Water will freeze on the ground making it slippery and dangerous!

8.  Water is a good idea, but you aren't leaving civilization. Therefore, I think that a camelback containing several gallons of H2O is a little overkill.

9.  The music in your headphones doesn't need to be so loud that other people can hear it. I get that Jock Jams may inspire you to run faster and longer, but there are other people in the world  who have heard "Get Ready for This" and "Whoomp (There It Is)" one too many times.

10.  In many local races, timing will be completed by pulling the strip off the bottom of your race bib.  Never, Never, Never pass someone in the shoot after crossing the finish line.  

11.  Most importantly: Never write a check for a purchase in the express line at the grocery store.  This kind of activity will not only anger any runners behind you. It will also elicit the same response for any other rational humans.  


When you run within your limits, every workout can be a pleasure. But start even a few seconds per mile too fast, and misery awaits: excess fatigue, loss of motivation, or even injury. That's why it's so important to know what pace is right for you. Happily, by doing a simple "magic mile" time trial, you can find the best speed for your runs, then set realistic goals and keep running—enjoyably—forever. 

Run One Mile Hard Go to a track and jog an easy lap or two for a warmup. Walk for three to four minutes. Then time yourself running four laps, which is about one mile. Don't run all out; just push a little faster than you usually do. Record your time. By running on a track—which is flat and provides the most accurate measurement of distance—you'll get a solid indication of your top speed. You can use it as a benchmark to determine what pace is appropriate for your current fitness level on daily runs. Do the time trial every two weeks or so; try to beat your previous time, and track your progress. 

Slow Down Every Day On your daily runs, aim to run two to three minutes slower per mile than your magic mile time. So if you do your magic mile in 10 minutes, aim to keep your pace around 12 to 13 minutes per mile on daily runs. At the perfect pace, you should feel comfortable and relaxed—like you can finish a sentence without having to catch your breath. If you're huffing and puffing, ease off. Don't worry about going too slow. 

Set Race Goals Signed up for a race? Use the magic mile to set realistic goals for different distances. Add 33 seconds to your mile time to determine a pace for a 5-K. Multiply your mile time by 1.15 for a 10-K, 1.2 for a half-marathon, and 1.3 to predict your marathon potential. (See "Time Trial," below.) 

Get Used To It At a race, you'll get the best results if you try to maintain a steady pace from start to finish. Here's how to practice: Once a week, try to run your goal race pace for a half to three-quarters of a mile. Each quarter mile, check your pace and adjust if you need to. Each week, run a little farther at your goal pace until you're running one-third to one-half of the race distance. 


Time Trial

If you can run one mile in 10 minutes, here's your pace for other distances. 

Distance: 5-k 
Pace per mile: 10:33 

Distance: 10-k 
Pace per mile: 11:30 

Distance: half-marathon 
Pace per mile: 12:00 

Distance: Marathon 
Pace per mile: 13:00 

(Article from Runner's World by Jeff Galloway)