First - background. Started running in April 2018 with no previous history of running. Got to 10k with regular running until I just stopped last December. No reason. Getting back to it and currently jeffing - 4min/1min give or take. As you can see I start off too keen but don’t seem to have any concept of pace when I’m out there (despite a Garmin!). Happy enough with progress as Garmin thinks I’m in my 30s! 🤷♀️ Hoped it would be better today tbf but it was hotter than it looked!
Any suggestions to control pace?: First... - Bridge to 10K
Any suggestions to control pace?
I have a habit of starting off too quickly, too. I suspect most people have.
You start off with a lot of energy, then as you continue that initial burst disappears.
The usual tip is to take shorter steps.
I'll often start a short run much faster than I will a longer run. There's something about knowing you've got to continue running for an hour or more that subconsciously forces you to slow down.
Thanks I’ll try shorter steps. I looked at my last 10k though and it was almost exactly twice as long as my 5ks. Time I mean - not distance!! 🤣 Maybe I’m just a plodder. Not sure I’ve ever had negative splits on any distance. A work in progress. Good to have an aim in mind.
Absolutely. I’m allergic to inclines!!
There are a couple of things that may help you reduce your pace .One might be to reduce your stride length and increase your cadence .
The other of course would be to ensure you are running at a conversational pace !
I tend to use both these methods especially if I'm going out on a longer run
Thank you. My cadence was 152-173. What would you suggest? I always run alone but doubt the conversation but - and yes I know it’s recommended but still haven’t cracked it!
Optimal cadence is generally considered to be somewhere around 180 strides per minute. "170 and higher is ideal, but 'ideal' is slightly different for each person," I also run alone but still talk to myself to check I'm at a conversational pace 😁
How do you measure your cadence? I have apple health and Strava.
I have a Garmin and it’s one of the statistics recorded on each run. It assumes a certain stride length although you can measure your own to make it more accurate. I don’t use the ones you mention so not sure if it’s something you can find there. Sorry I’m not more help
Thank you for the help. Seems my cadence might be quite close considering I was jeffing! Just need to check my breathing. Heart rate was 90% zone 4 so maybe should reduce that too! Despite all that if felt not too bad.
I know not everyone gets on with it but Heart Rate is a good way to pace yourself. It helps keep the effort steady no matter what the terrain. Try a couple of runs at zone 2 it may give you an idea of what an easy pace feels like. It’s likely to be slower than you expect and to increase gradually as you gain fitness
After three years my easy z2 pace is now what my fast pace was when I started.
Lots of other good advice here, hope you find something that works for you and helps you enjoy your running.
I like to set myself a target pace. So if I was going for a nice easy run I’d pick a 7 min/km pace. I also have selected average running pace in settings for my Garmin watch. Then as I start off I run for about 2-3 minutes, and then i check my watch. If I’m too fast I slow down and monitor my watch until I am close to an average pace of 7 min/km.
So just select average pace and it will help you to better manage your pace
Wow, that’s amazing! No where near your pace.
If you listen to music I find that choosing a playlist with a slightly slower BPM to match a slower cadence can help to focus the mind.
I use iSmoothRun on my Apple Watch. It will run on an iPhone too. It has a function called a Ghost Companion, who runs at a set pace. You get regular updates on how far your ghost is ahead or behind. Alternatively you can set a preferred pace and be told if you’re going too fast or slow.Both take a bit of getting used to. I use the preferred pace and set it to remind me every minute, along with heart rate and cadence. You very quickly get accustomed to that pace.
Great post, great topic and interesting information. Nice to read thanks. Can’t add anything useful myself but it’s really interesting
I often gleam snippets here that I didn’t know I even needed! Glad to have helped
Hi Sybil, I find that music affects my pace so when I do a long run I listen to Chariots of Fire, or Rumer albums . For 5k it’s faster music to keep my pace up. If you google you can find recommendations for different paces. For info, my current 5k is around 33 min and 10k is 78 mins.