Running the Right Pace
Adapted from: Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, by Hal Higdon
The simplest route to marathon success is to follow the so-called perfect pace, or Right Pace, that has the runner run at the same speed mile after mile for the full distance. Running the right pace can speed you to the finish line. For instance, to run a 3-hour marathon, you simply run 26 consecutive miles in 6:52. Robert Eslick, a coach from Nashville, Tennessee, claims, "All in all, I think it's no secret that even pacing works best."
Coach Tom Grogon of Cincinnati agrees: "I want my runners to run at relatively even pace. Given this, they should view those who bolt out early as foolish people whom they will catch at the end."
If you really enjoy catching people, you can even try running "reverse splits." This means that you run the second half of the race faster than the first half. The advantage of this approach is that at a time when most runners are slowing down, you will be speeding up. You'll pass others, rather than have others pass you, which can be stimulating mentally. You'll also probably suffer less post-race muscle soreness and fatigue, since running fast toward the end will permit you to retain your most efficient running form in the closing stages. In picking any pace strategy, it's a good idea to know what you're doing before approaching the starting line. Here are some tips for finding the right pace: 1.) Choose a realistic goal. 2.) Believe in your pace chart: check each mile, making no changes in the first 20 miles (no matter how "good" you feel). 3.) At 20 miles, if you feel good, go for it; if not, hang in there. 4.) If the course is especially hilly, be prepared to make the necessary adjustments. Weather conditions also can affect your pace times. 5.) Carry your pace chart with you. This allows you to know how close you are to pace at every point in the race. This is a good idea even if you are following a pace leader, such as with the Chicago Marathon Pacing Team. 6.) Meeting intermediate time goals gives the runner confidence and causes the miles to pass faster. You'll find it easier to run using a pre-determined pace.
One caveat concerning the pace charts on this Web site: They are designed under the assumption that the course is flat with zero wind. If the course is hilly (not a problem at Chicago), or the wind blows (sometimes a problem), you may need to make adjustments.
If the wind is blowing in your face on a point-to-point course, you can anticipate a slow time. A tailwind--which every runner hopes for when racing on a point-to-point course--will make you run faster, sometimes as much as several minutes on a given day. On a loop course (such as Chicago) where the wind may hit you from different directions at different times of the race, you may need to make mental adjustments mid-race to stay on pace. (The headwind miles will be slower; the tailwind miles faster. Your total time may not be affected, but your pace along the course may seem more erratic than it actually is.)
Temperature also can affect your pace. When race temperatures rise or fall much above or below your comfort level, you may need to throw your pace chart away. Or if you are planning to participate with the Chicago Pacing Team, it might be a good idea to move down to the next level. In other words, run slower than planned. If you had hoped to run 4:30, switch to the 4:40, or even 4:50 or 5:00, group. This is particularly true if your goal is mainly to finish the race, rather than finish in some pre-determined pace.
Any pace chart--no matter how well designed--can be a trap, a series of artificial numbers that can lure you into running faster than your capabilities on any specific day. Leading the 4:30 pace group at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 1997 and the 5:00 group in 1998, I caught numerous runners with lower numbers on their backs. These were runners who obviously had misjudged their own abilities, and had been unable to keep up with their pace leader. Please don't make that mistake! It's much more fun if you can finish with the group you start with.
While the Chicago Pacing Team can help get you to the finish line, the best pace-setting device inevitably becomes that in your own head. Experienced runners eventually know when to slow down and when to speed up. Experience thus becomes a major factor in marathon success as well as one of the fascinations of the race. Although ability and training certainly are major factors, the marathon definitely is a thinking man's (and woman's) race.