Tips for a first-time pacer

uvox

Just been appointed as a pacer for a race (won't disclose). Excited!

Any tips or best practices from someone who's done it?

I assume it's straight forward and a question of keeping your time per km within a plus/minus n seconds, right? I plan to also run closer to pacers in my next couple of marathons and also practice with my designated co-pacer.

Oddly, I've never seen anyone practice this role with balloons, but there's always a first time!

Advice welcome!

tang1

Would you not tell us the race so we can avoid it?!

donnacha

uvox wrote: »

Just been appointed as a pacer for a race (won't disclose). Excited!

Any tips or best practices from someone who's done it?

I assume it's straight forward and a question of keeping your time per km within a plus/minus n seconds, right? I plan to also run closer to pacers in my next couple of marathons and also practice with my designated co-pacer.

Oddly, I've never seen anyone practice this role with balloons, but there's always a first time!

Advice welcome!

Lighten the load and attach balloons to your speaker.

Singer

uvox wrote: »

Just been appointed as a pacer for a race (won't disclose). Excited!

Any tips or best practices from someone who's done it?

I assume it's straight forward and a question of keeping your time per km within a plus/minus n seconds, right? I plan to also run closer to pacers in my next couple of marathons and also practice with my designated co-pacer.

Oddly, I've never seen anyone practice this role with balloons, but there's always a first time!

Advice welcome!

I have no experience of pacing, however I found this old thread fascinating, and given the respect that DCM pacers have, it's well worth reading:

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2055560148

Chivito550

uvox wrote: »

Just been appointed as a pacer for a race (won't disclose). Excited!

Any tips or best practices from someone who's done it?

I assume it's straight forward and a question of keeping your time per km within a plus/minus n seconds, right? I plan to also run closer to pacers in my next couple of marathons and also practice with my designated co-pacer.

Oddly, I've never seen anyone practice this role with balloons, but there's always a first time!

Advice welcome!

Avoid stopping for pushups after each mile and you'll be set!

Singer

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2055411238/75/#post62719974

This post from Krusty is enough to inspire anybody to be a pacer

uvox

tang1 wrote: »

Would you not tell us the race so we can avoid it?!

Little danger you'd make the qualifying time. Relax. #hatersgonnahate

Ruu

Tell them all the urban running exploits.

davedanon

uvox wrote: »

Little danger you'd make the qualifying time. Relax. #hatersgonnahate

This is uncivil. Besides, for all you know he's faster than you are.


Meanwhile, this pacing gig. Is it going to be disruptive?

Chivito550

uvox wrote: »

Little danger you'd make the qualifying time. Relax. #hatersgonnahate

Are you pacing the Fukuoka or Lake Biwa marathons or what?

TFBubendorfer

uvox wrote: »

Just been appointed as a pacer for a race (won't disclose). Excited!

Any tips or best practices from someone who's done it?

I assume it's straight forward and a question of keeping your time per km within a plus/minus n seconds, right? I plan to also run closer to pacers in my next couple of marathons and also practice with my designated co-pacer.

Oddly, I've never seen anyone practice this role with balloons, but there's always a first time!

Advice welcome!

It's not hard.

Get a pace band and at each mile check how close you are to pace. Adjust accordingly. Don't accelerate or slow down by big amounts, just small adjustments.

A GPS watch is very handy but keep in mind that you generally have to run about 4 or 5 seconds faster than what the watch says as they almost always measure long.

Let the pacees know how far you're ahead/behind pace.

The slower the band the more time you have to keep them entertained - you wouldn't expect a 3-hour pacer to keep telling stories but you might a 5-hour pacer.

Make sure you're fit enough to run the pace at a reasonably easy effort. It should be well below your race pace.

ger664

A bit more info might be nice.

Distance?
Time you are pacing?
Will you be paired with someone who has paced before?

I await your response.

dublin runner

Let me hazard a guess......The National Half Marathon?

Sounds like your type of race OP. Tough finish so keep that in mind when pacing.

average_runner

Also make sure you drop back and help the ones in your group that are struggling, plenty of encouragement etc.

sconhome

A lot depends on the course. Flat course nice and even a lumpy course you will need to 'smooth' the miles/km's a little a little faster on downhills and slower uphill but steady changes so people don't even notice the changes in pace but you stay on target overall.

GPS is handy but use the course markers and take a lap time at each marker so you know whether you are on or off schedule.

Chat if you can, advise on water points, toilets etc you should have homework done so you can be the 'tour guide'.

Bulmers74

uvox wrote: »

Little danger you'd make the qualifying time. Relax. #hatersgonnahate

Looking at Strava, Tang1 could pace you

davedanon

What's the qualifying time for the R&R then?

PaulieC

davedanon wrote: »

What's the qualifying time for the R&R then?

€45

Chivito550

Bulmers74 wrote: »

Looking at Strava, Tang1 could pace you

Depends if it is running he is referring to. 28 threads started in A/R since the beginning of February is an astounding pace that I don't think any of us could keep up with.

RayCun

It's been said before, but if there's a poster on the forum that annoys you, why not just ignore them? There's a button and everything :rolleyes:

No need to reply to every thread posted by an annoying person to let them - and everybody else reading the forum - know you think they're annoying.

(that's 'you' plural, not directed at any one person)

Maximus Alexander

RayCun wrote: »

It's been said before, but if there's a poster on the forum that annoys you, why not just ignore them? There's a button and everything :rolleyes:

No need to reply to every thread posted by an annoying person to let them - and everybody else reading the forum - know you think they're annoying.

(that's 'you' plural, not directed at any one person)

In fairness it's all great entertainment for us bystanders.

RayCun

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

In fairness it's all great entertainment for us bystanders.

You say great entertainment, I say pointless bickering. Tomayto, tomahto

tang1

Chivito550 wrote: »

Depends if it is running he is referring to. 28 threads started in A/R since the beginning of February is an astounding pace that I don't think any of us could keep up with.

Hit the nail on the head perfectly.

BeepBeep67

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

In fairness it's all great entertainment for us bystanders.

Did you mean to quote someone there?





















:pac:

BeepBeep67

Tips:
- Be very comfortable at the pace and distance you are planning to pace, 1 min per mile is a good rule of thumb.
- Research the course, know the elevation points, be reasonably familiar with aid stations, etc.
- Buddy up with an experienced pacer if it's your 1st time.
- 2 watches, 1 pace band.
- Give your pacees confidence that everything is fine, but only after the race has settled down.
- If you plan on gaining time on a downhill or easing off on an uphill, let know in advance where possible.
- Grab additional water at the aid stations and after the melee has died down check who missed their water.
- In longer races engage the spectators.
- Do it for the pacees, not the pacer.

Murph_D

Whatever about the OP, I'm learning a lot here.

BeepBeep67

Another important point.
Remember it's their race and their decision to push themselves or not, encourage but don't over encourage, you don't want to be responsible for someone pushing too hard and potentially doing themselves some harm.

Peterx

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Another important point.
Remember it's their race and their decision to push themselves or not, encourage but don't over encourage, you don't want to be responsible for someone pushing too hard and potentially doing themselves some harm.

That's a very good point. I ran as guide with a partially sighted athlete during the port tunnel 10k and very definitely over encouraged him. In fairness he said after he ran a very good time but maybe in those last hard 2k he was feeling more pressure than love for running

Gavlor

My 2cents?

Make sure your fellow pacers are capable, reliable, solid, unselfish, decent guys.

Nothing worse than being teamed up with a pair of spoofers.

Killerz

Why not try some pacing at a parkrun in the meantime - at St Annes for example, we have pacers on the last Saturday of each month. It's 5k, but would be a good practice run to trial over the next few months. Just dont screw up at St Annes

AuldManKing

Gavlor wrote: »

My 2cents?

Make sure your fellow pacers are capable, reliable, solid, unselfish, decent guys.

Nothing worse than being teamed up with a pair of spoofers.

:pac::pac::pac: