TAG | pacing
In order to improve my athletes performance I need to compare how they did, with how they are doing. It all comes down to distance and time. How fast can they run 10 miles, row a 5K, swim, bike, ski etc… The right tools are important, and they can’t be found at a health club or an outdoor boot camp.
Step 1 – Strength Training
If you want to improve your longevity in the sport, you must include weekly Olympic Strength Training. Barbell Deadlifts, Squats, and Lunges will keep your bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue strong and durable for years to come.
Olympic lifting is also a good stimulus for developing power. Lifting lighter weights at max velocity will quickly translate into faster mile times.
Step 2 – Mileage
Whatever your sport, you need a computer to track your real time splits. A GPS watch is highly recommended. It’s the most accurate, and doesn’t require calibration. We recommend The Garmin Forerunner, it’s relatively inexpensive and very durable. Their web software is amazing. You can track speed, distance, pace, heart rate, and elevation. All important data, necessary to measure your improvement.
Step 3 – Pacing
I’ve found the best tools for teaching pacing to beginners is pairing the Concept2 Rower with our RowPro Software. It gives me real time data on my athlete’s distance, speed, pace, and heart rate. It graphs your split times so I can see if you paced evenly, or cycle through pushing too hard and falling off. Mastering pacing will make a world of difference on race day.
Step – 4 Race Day
Your official race time is the ultimate indicator. If you perform well on race day, that says you did things right. Make sure not to blow months of hard work. Rest up and listen to your body in the weeks leading up to your race. Scale back your training, especially if you feel worn down, or developed pain.
boot camp · Health Club · pacing · Running · strength training · Training
Each athlete and event require different Pacing strategies. This post is merely a beginners guide to point you in the right direction.
Game Plan
Races longer than 75 seconds require a pacing strategy to be competitive. The longer the race, the more critical it becomes to learn your body’s capability. Going all out and holding on is not an option.
Metrics
For optimal pacing you need to know three things: Time, Distance, and Pace in real time. Become familiar with how hard you’re exerting yourself at a given pace and distance. A GPS enabled watch will give you your pace and distance in real time.
*Endurance athletes use a heart rate monitor when training for events lasting 100 minutes or more.
Finding your pace
Keep things simple whenever possible. In training for anything under an hour, do a dry run to find your average pace. If you’re training for a 10K, run the actual route if possible. The next time you run it, maintain your previous average pace.
As time goes on you will be able to increase overall speed, and learn how soon to sprint to the finish. Pacing is all about experimentation. Experience will give you the confidence to know where and when to go faster or slower. Novice athletes tend to go too fast early on, putting themselves deep in Oxygen debt, and ultimately hurting their overall time.
Heart Rate Training
You only have enough stored Glucose to blast you through the first two hours of a race. Longer races require metabolizing a greater percentage of fat for energy. The process of converting fat to energy is slower than converting glucose, so going further distances requires exercising at a lower heart rate.
By training at 65% to 70% of Max Heart Rate for longer periods of time your body will adapt and become more efficient at metabolizing fat for energy. A lactate threshold test at a local university will give you a more accurate heart rate goal for your event.
For more on Heart Rate Training Click Here
Negative Splits
Every world record set in the past 40 years (1600 Meters and longer) has been run at negative splits. Negative splits mean start out slow and accelerate through the race. Your first mile is the slowest, and your last mile is the fastest. Elite runners find that for every second you run too fast in your first mile you sacrifice 3 seconds at the end.
Coaching
Working with an experienced coach will save you time and prevent injuries. Qualified coaches have years of experience with hundreds of athletes. For a few hundred dollars you’ll save yourself months of trial and error, giving you that competitive edge over your competition.