Ninety percent of this game is half-mental. – Yogi Berra
I never had much interest in NASCAR. Someone said NASCAR can be boiled down to four words: “Go fast. Turn left.” From what I could tell from intermittent glimpses at the TV, that was an accurate assessment. But then a NASCAR fan tried to explain what’s going on behind the scenes – the timing of pit stops, which maintenance to perform during each stop and the tradeoffs involved, the strategy of pacing oneself and managing the race well, how to make a move at the right time. Finally, I could understand the appeal. There’s a lot more to racing than keeping the gas pedal down for hundreds of laps.
Running races is very similar. To a non-runner, it might seem that racing is simply putting one foot in front of the other as fast as possible. However, as with NASCAR, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes, largely in the runner’s head. Prior to the race, the runner develops a race plan that includes prep before the race, getting there, the race itself, and recovery. Pacing is one of the most important elements of the plan. It’s also one of the hardest to master.
Cruise Control
As far as I understand, a race car can run at full speed until it runs out of gas or its engine overheats. The human body doesn’t work that way. We can only truly run at full speed for a short distance, perhaps 100-200 meters. That’s why the 100 meter dash is the shortest and most prestigious running event and the male winner is known as the World’s Fastest Man. Currently that man is Usain Bolt, who averaged 23.4 mph during his record-setting sprint. That’s insane. I can’t maintain that speed on my bike without a tailwind or a downhill slope.
However, past about 200 meters, the human body can’t maintain that speed. The longer the distance, the slower a runner’s best possible speed must be over that distance. So a runner has two choices:
- Run as fast as possible for as long as possible (max effort available at that moment, which declines over time)
- Run the fastest speed that is sustainable over the full distance
Option 2 is actually faster than Option 1. If a runner starts at full speed, he’ll run out of juice and slow down considerably in the latter part of the race, producing a slower overall time compared to a consistent, fast pace. The elite runners generally run a very consistent pace from lap to lap and mile to mile, like they’re on cruise control. Ideally, they may even get faster as the race progresses, an achievement known as negative splits, the sign of a disciplined runner.
However, if a runner starts too slowly, he can cost himself some time because he won’t be able to go fast enough toward the end to catch up to his ideal overall pace. For instance, suppose his target pace is 8:00 min/mile for a 6.2 mile race (just under 50 minutes total). He plays it safe and runs the first four miles at 9:00 min/mile. He’ll have to run the final 2.2 miles at 6:21 min/mile, a pace that he probably can’t sustain.
Racers need to leave something in the tank for the end of the race, but not so much that anything is left at the end if they want to achieve their best possible time. They need to burn their last bit of useful energy as they cross the finish line. It’s a delicate balancing act.
The Sweet Spot
To get there, when training for a race of a given distance, the runner must estimate how fast he can realistically go and what his target pace is for that particular race. That’s one reason runners log so many miles and try so many different speeds. Finding the sweet spot takes some trial and error. If he starts out too fast, even just a bit too fast rather than full speed, he’ll wear out before the race is over and slow down to well over his target pace, resulting in a disappointing finish. This is a common mistake that I still commit myself.
In addition to knowing his body, it helps to know about other factors that will affect his pace on race day:
- Course – Is it hilly or flat? Paved or trail? A flat, paved course is significantly faster than a hilly, dirt trail where footing is unpredictable.
- Weather – What will be the temperature when the race starts and ends? Cool weather is best for running. Above 65 degrees, the body becomes less efficient at cooling itself off. I slow down noticeably above 70-75 degrees compared to 40-50. Will it be windy? A headwind can slow the runner down more than a tailwind speeds him up. Will it rain? Wet courses require a slower pace due to the poor footing. No one wants to leave the race with a broken ankle.
- Other Racers – A popular, crowded race means more runners to dodge and a slower pace, especially at first before the runners spread out. Small races are best for setting personal best times.
- Aid Stations – Does he plan to stop for water, electrolyte drinks, and/or snacks? Or can he carry what he needs? Obviously, any stops increase the time. I try to carry my water and any gels with me so I don’t need to stop.
On top of all these factors, the excitement and adrenaline of race day works against runners in terms of pacing. When the starting horn sounds, and they finally get to begin the race for which they’ve been training over several weeks or even months, they feel like someone just opened the gates at Disney World. They don’t feel like being slow and methodical and disciplined. They want to MOVE. Even if they try to hold back, many of the other runners do not, especially in a large race. It’s like being caught in a flash flood, a massive surge of bodies pulling runners along whether they like it or not.
Pacing is tricky. I’m still working on it. In my race Saturday morning (Run for Cover 10K in McKinney), I started out a bit too fast, got tired, and slowed down in the final mile. I missed my goal by about 35 seconds. So I signed up for another 10K in two weeks, hoping to redeem myself. This time I’ll tweak my plan based on what I learned yesterday morning and in all my other races. I hope to force myself to slow down at first so that I can kick it up a notch in the second half. I’ll also push myself to give just a little bit more at the end so there’s nothing left in the tank.