Forums >General Running>At what point do you up your pace?
Proboscis Colossus
I know I shouldn't train faster than my current fitness level, and I shouldn't race faster than I've trained.
So...at what point does one start to go faster?
"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people
I know I shouldn't train faster than my current fitness level, and I shouldn't race faster than I've trained. So...at what point does one start to go faster?
I thought the point of a race is to run as fast you can.
Rules are made to be broken.
There was a point in my life when I ran. Now, I just run.
We are always running for the thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill, searching for the thrill of it
Umm... No. Race as fast as you can! (Use your training as a guide to tell you what you're capable of, but race day was made to push that limit, bro)!
- Joe
We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.
Arrh. those be more guidelines than actual rules, when you're feeling good, just let it rip every once in a while.
Know thyself.
If you're going by pace, then I think you're supposed to do a race to plug another value into calculator to get new fitness level. (or at least this is the impression I've gotten from other posts)
Running Wizard programs slightly decrease pace (go faster) each week with no tests as your fitness presumably improves.
If you're going by effort / intensity / heart rate / whatever, then your pace will get faster for the same level of effort as you improve - assuming same training conditions.
If you're racing a race, then let it all hang out at effort appropriate for expected duration of race. It's a race!
and I shouldn't race faster than I've trained.
No, you absolutely should race faster than you've trained. Whenever possible.
Runners run
Thanks for the replies.
When I say, "you shouldn't race faster than you've trained," I mean for pacing purposes (the marathon is the distance I'm talking about). I've "let it all hang out" during the front half of a marathon before...and then had to drag it behind me for the second half.
Thanks for the replies. When I say, "you shouldn't race faster than you've trained," I mean for pacing purposes (the marathon is the distance I'm talking about). I've "let it all hang out" during the front half of a marathon before...and then had to drag it behind me for the second half.
That's why I said "at effort appropriate for expected duration of race"
Actually, I passed a few people yesterday who must've thought a 10k was closer to about 7-8k.
I've "let it all hang out" during the front half of a marathon before...and then had to drag it behind me for the second half.
You've gone out too fast in a marathon and suffered like an animal in the later miles? Sounds familiar.
It just takes experience with training and racing the marathon to learn how to find that fine line between leaving time on the table and crashing and burning. Hey if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
Why is it sideways?
Not sure about the OP's original question, but I just ran across this article by Bill Bowerman from 1971. It's pretty cool to read through and see that the basics of distance training are still the same. Also, you should definitely open the magazine in "View this Issue" for some great photos of the Oregon runners and some general 1971 cool stuff.
Interesting remarks in there on foot strike.
Thanks.
But see, that's what I'm worried about...I don't want to lessen my chances of a PR by training too slow. So should I stick like glue to the paces that my current 3:31 full/1:40 half would prescribe? Or could I safely bump it up to maybe a 3:25 or even 3:20 levels, to prepare myself for that pace on race day? Doesn't seem too unreasonable to think I might be able to shave that much off for my next one.
My approach in training is really to train as hard as my body (and sometimes mind/spirit) will allow.
So, I would say as a generally inviolable principle: if you feel like your training is not hard enough, then train harder. <---by the way, isn't this just plain old common sense?
Thanks. But see, that's what I'm worried about...I don't want to lessen my chances of a PR by training too slow. So should I stick like glue to the paces that my current 3:31 full/1:40 half would prescribe? Or could I safely bump it up to maybe a 3:25 or even 3:20 levels, to prepare myself for that pace on race day? Doesn't seem too unreasonable to think I might be able to shave that much off for my next one.
I would never stick like glue to paces calculated from some past race. I would (and do) train based on my current fitness, going primarily by effort.
Okay, that clarifies a bit. I had thought that you derived your "current fitness level" from recent race times.