How to Set Your Running Pace
Posted by Keri on March 26, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Guest post: uglyfinish.com
Keri Cawthorne from Iron Mountain Movement has shared her advice with us on how to set your running pace. Apply the following tips to your long distance training to make your last mile your fastest one.
How to Set Your running Pace
When it comes to setting your running pace for distance training, keep your pace realistic. Select a pace that is comfortable to run at, it shouldn’t be a struggle to maintain and even if you run alone, you should be able to maintain a conversation. Your pace should change depending on the distance that you are running as well as the type of training that you are doing.
Save your speed training for your shorter distances or track work. Speed training is just as important as logging distance mileage; if you want to run faster, you need to train faster. Speed training should only be done after a comprehensive warm-up, and should be followed by a complete cool-down as well as stretch. You shouldn’t feel like you need to spend the rest of the day on the couch after a speed session, but you should feel like you have had a good workout.
Incorporate interval training to improve your cardio into one of your weekly runs by adding hills. Focus on shortening your stride and keeping your heart rate consistent as you climb so that you save something for the other side of the hill.
When it comes to tracking your mileage and pace, invest in a good watch with gps as well as heart rate capabilities. And if you don’t want to break the bank, check out many of the apps available for your smartphone.