What Pace???

spaceylou

So I'm still fairly new to running and am mainly concerned with building my fitness at the moment but at the same time, I know, if you keep doing the same stuff your body gets used to it so you don't require the same effort and so if want to keep improving fitness you need to adapt schedule etc....anyway with this in mind I am following a 10km race schedule I found online...but I've no idea what pace I should be aiming at for different runs.

And in a few weeks time the schedule has me doing hills at 5 - 10km race pace but sure I've really no clue what that is!!

Oh and I do have a garmin gadget thingy so I do have something to measure what I'm doing (although I'm not 100% sure how to use all the functions :rolleyes:).

At the moment, I am going out, trying not to kill myself in the first 10mins so i have something left for the rest and while I do keep going all the time regardless of how far I'm meant to be going that day although I do sometimes have to talk myself into it on longer runs if ya get me.

So after all that - my question is, what pace should I try and achieve, and how do I know what is a 'good' pace???

RoyMcC

You're in exactly the same place as most of us when we were new to running. And most of us, I'd guess, ran too fast at first and wondered why we weren't improving.

Of course you have no idea what your race pace is at present. You need to train without the pressure of keeping up a pace. Try an alternative schedule such as http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?SP=&v=3&UAN=76

There is no such thing as a 'good' pace! I guess the guys/girls on this forum run at paces ranging from 5 min/miles to maybe 13 min/miles. And if I'm running a single mile I might sneak inside 7 minutes, but more like 9 min/miling over 10k. But generally you ought not be comparing yourself with anyone else.

By starting off slowly you'll find a pace you're happy with. Then, as you get fitter, you can maybe up it a gear or two. Whatever you do, don't push so hard you stop enjoying your running. The world record attempt can wait.

spaceylou

thanks for the advice Roy and while I do see what your saying about not getting hung up on focuses on staying at a certain pace or whatever I would like to have a better clue then I currently do. Even from the point of view that I don't wanta think I'm doing really well and then enter a race and finish about an hour after everyone else - not aiming to be first either of course - i not crazy :rolleyes:

I just checked garmin thingy and it seems that most of the time my average per km is 5.50....(except tonight, when I got lost and had to stop a few times to try and get my bearings)....so in theory without getting hung up on constantly counting etc should I try to maintain this pace and possibly improve upon it for the days I am doing a short run and then the days I am going a bit further maybe keep the pace at that or even a bit slower and work on the building stamina aspect of it?

Don't want to get all technical and stuff but at the same time I might as well get the most out of what I am doing.

RoyMcC

That's 5 min 50 sec per km (not 5.5 mins, which would be 5 min 30 sec)? OK so you're running at something between 9-10 min/miles which is where a lot of beginners will be. If maintained for 10k that would put you maybe 2/3 of the way back in a big race.

Yes, you're thinking along the right lines. If your schedule calls for a shorter run then try to step up a gear and go faster than your normal pace. A little speed session can be quite exilherating and will get your legs (and lungs) used to faster turnover. But most of the time you need to be building your aerobic base by running slowly and steadily, and gradually inreasing your miles. Within these steady runs you can maybe put in a quicker mile - for example the final mile when you can collapse in your front door after it

And enter a race sometime soon - you'll love it and it will show you exactly where you're at.

Oh, the Garmin thingy has a 'stop' button for when you get lost or have to stop to cross roads and stuff :pac:

spaceylou

haha :pac: how blonde did i sound in my last post? I do know of the stop button but was running slowly to look down roads and lanes etc as i was crossing them and stopping for a few seconds here and there, so i didnt bother...and i know that time would mean 5mins 50 secs...hahaha :pac:

But seriously thanks for the tips.....

spurscormac

Under the assumption that you're based in Dublin, I'm afraid I can't help out on the race situation there.

Down west, www.athenryac.com have a great website with loads of races listed. It might not contain all the Dublin ones, but has most of the main races here in Ireland & most of the big races around the world listed, marathons, etc.

I joined my local clun here in Galway city this year, after two years of intermittent training & races and found its great.
I used to hate training on my own, harder to maintain pace, and easier to lose motivation. No such worries with organised sessions.

Have a look around for whoever your local club are, they'll have people running at all levels.

spaceylou

thanks spurscormac but unfortunately I move around alot, (at the moment I'm in Belgium) so not really in a position to join a club...will look into the races though, as I am in Ireland fairly regularily - its my base! Have my stuff spread between a few different friends and my mums - but that is a whole other story!