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Sarah E.
Sarah E. Sendmail

Pace...

asked about 1 year ago | Report

I'm having problems finding 'my pace' and increasing it. I've been a runner on/off most of my life but took 8 years off for kids...I've just started (March) getting serious about training, running races after taking the winter off.
I purchased a Nike Sensor and have it connected to my ipod which has been helpful until I just discovered that the mileage was off (by a half mile or more) and consequently so was the pace I thought I was running. If I thought I was running a 8.3 pace, it was probably more like 9.0!
How can I get over my plateau and back in to having a faster and more consistent pace? I've been trying intervals and fartleks. I thought I was doing tempo runs...which may have been more like what I would consider now and 'easy' run.
I'm beginning to get frustrated with running! Do I need a running partner to 'keep pace' with... How long should I expect to train until I can get back to a 8 - 8.3 pace?

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4 answers

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  • Bryce H.
    Bryce H. Sendmail

    I used the Nike before and got tired of fighting it even going to the track to calibrate it. The problem with Nike it is rated on your pace so distances will varies. I finally broke down and got a Garmin.

    To get faster try some hill repeats, intervals, fartleks and so on at least one time a week A training partner will help if they are faster than you which makes you push a little harder.

    Other than that just have fun and it will come

    answered about 1 year ago |Report

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  • Kris B.
    Kris B. Sendmail

    I used to get frustrated about improving my pace, did all the right things according to the plans - intervals, tempos, hills - but it took a while to pay off. Then I got burnt out after my first half marathon, ran really light & really slow for a couple of months ... and set a PR for a 5k. Go figure. Stick with your plan, listen to your body, and it will pay off!

    answered about 1 year ago |Report

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  • Ryan
    Ryan Sendmail

    If you're just starting out after a long time off (and I'd say 8 years is a long time), toss any pace expectations out the window and just run consistent, easy miles for a good long time. Like, months. It's a conservative approach, but in the beginning it is the best one until you get to know your body and how it'll react to the stresses running will place on it and your body improves its ability to recover. When you are starting out, there is a huge window of improvement available simply by consistently running 3x per week.

    Second, get a HR monitor with a GPS - much more accurate for distances. Also, getting a HR monitor will help keep you honest with what 'easy' means. As your fitness improves, your sense of what is easy will change, and it's very easy to overdo it on what are supposed to be easy runs.
    Alternatively, map out a few courses near where you live that are known distances (use something like gmap-pedometer.com). That way if you finish a 4 mile loop in 40 minutes, you know you are at 10 min/miles. Cheaper than a GPS until you get to the point where you can justify the investment.

    A running partner can be helpful, but it can also be a negative - people tend to push themselves harder when running with others. That has it's place, but in the beginning, I tend to think it causes more harm than good.

    answered about 1 year ago |Report

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  • Chris K.
    Chris K. Sendmail

    For me concentrating on maintaining my heart rate and running on trails leads to better times on the pavement. But I'm sure there are training programs that might get you to where you want to go. Good luck with it. Chris Kelley - Framingham.

    answered about 1 year ago |Report

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