{"id":54492,"date":"2016-12-06T07:15:08","date_gmt":"2016-12-06T12:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=54492"},"modified":"2020-10-05T16:19:46","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T20:19:46","slug":"running-pace-pacing-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-pace-pacing-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Expert Tips for Pacing Yourself on the Run"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"7
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why does running have to be so damn hard? You head out the door with a spring in your step but five minutes later, you\u2019re huffing and puffing<\/a> and ready to quit. Or maybe you check your watch<\/a> all the time, relying on it to tell you precisely how fast you\u2019re running and how many miles you have left to go. (Been there, done that!) One reason for your burning lungs? You have trouble pacing yourself. Here\u2019s your guide to learning how to set yourself at a challenging yet doable pace<\/a> on your next run.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/strong>: 20-Minute Treadmill HIIT Workout to Crush Calories<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Is Pacing So Difficult?<\/h2>\n

When you start your run, it can feel like your breathing rate<\/a> skyrockets after just a few steps. That\u2019s because your cardiovascular system<\/a>\u00a0isn\u2019t warmed up yet, says New York City-based running coach Jess Underhill of Race Pace Wellness<\/a>. \u201cWhen someone breathes heavily, it confuses them and they don\u2019t know how to regulate their breath,\u201d she says. \u201cThey either quit or think they aren\u2019t cut out for running<\/a>g, thinking they can\u2019t even make it down the block.\u201d<\/p>\n

Group fitness habits might be to blame, too. According to Underhill, our approach to spin<\/a> and HIIT classes<\/a> and AMRAPs (as many reps as possible) can influence the way we prepare ourselves for a run. \u201cIt\u2019s a different mindset. In classes, you go all out and push yourself to the extreme. You can\u2019t do that when you\u2019re just starting out running or else you won\u2019t go very far.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>3 Breathing Techniques for a More Effective Workout<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Ways to Learn to Pace Yourself<\/h3>\n

Whether you\u2019re a marathon maven<\/a> or a newbie seeking to cross your first finish line, pounding pavement at a consistent pace is not as intuitive as it may seem. Like any skill, you have to practice tuning into your body and learning how different paces feel.<\/p>\n

1. Slow down.
\n<\/strong>It may seem counterintuitive, but taking it down a few notches is the first step to getting a grip on your pace. \u201cLearning how to run at a truly easy intensity is one of the hardest things for people, whether they are just beginning to run or trying to run faster times<\/a>,\u201d says Caleb Masland<\/a>, a North Carolina-based USATF-certified running coach. \u201cStarting out too hard can quickly turn running into a frustrating versus a rewarding experience.\u201d Underhill advises her runners to start slower than you think. That way, you finish feeling like you could keep going. Another way check yourself? Run at a pace where you can easily carry on a conversation.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/strong>Check your breath.
\n<\/strong>Paying attention to your breath is one of the best ways to measure the pace, effort and intensity of your run, says Masland. Your breathing<\/a> shouldn\u2019t be labored. Think easy breaths in every three to four steps, and easy breaths out every three to four steps, he says. Also take note of your breathing changes \u2014 from uphills to downhills, or when you\u2019re running slower versus faster \u2014suggests Underhill. \u201cPay attention to your personal nuances and what those feel and sound like,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>A Runner\u2019s Guide to Speedwork<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Tune into your body.
\n<\/strong>Underhill recommends doing a full body check while you run. This includes your breathing rate, arm swing, stride length and hitting the ground. \u201cStart by listening to the sound of your feet<\/a>, then your breath and see what these sound and feel like at an easy pace,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen those change, your pace has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, this means you need to leave the headphones at home since jamming to your favorite tunes makes it difficult to pay attention to your breath and body. Plus, most people naturally speed up or slow down during the course of a song, Underhill explains.<\/p>\n

4. Don\u2019t be afraid to run-walk.
\n<\/strong>Instead of focusing on building overall running mileage, Masland says, \u201cThink in terms of increasing your total training time<\/a>.\u201d That may mean you start with a run-walk method so you can spend more time on your feet. \u201cThe reason for that is so you make sure your running stays in the aerobic intensity range. That will build your capacity to run longer in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Masland suggest walking for five minutes and running for one minute, repeating that cycle for 30 to 40 minutes, three times a week. The following week, increase the ratio so you\u2019re running two minutes and walking for three minutes. \u201cIf you take it nice and easy, your body will start to adapt,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Hey Runner, Are You Doing Strides?<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Try a prediction run \u2014 and repeat.
\n<\/strong>This is one trick Underhill likes to offer runners: Guess how long it will take you to run a mile (not your fastest mile!<\/a>) and then run at that pace. \u201cTune into all your body\u2019s cues that tell you how hard you\u2019re working and repeat,\u201d she says. \u201cKeep doing this over and over and try to hit the same effort each time,\u201d says Underhill.<\/p>\n

6. Let go of expectations.
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s no secret that we\u2019re a numbers-oriented and data-obsessed society. But instead of chasing your next PR, focus on the quality of your run. After all, how well you run is influenced by what\u2019s going on in your life, from stress to sleep to major life events. \u201cThese factors are going to impact how your feel when you run,\u201d she says. If you let go of your expectations, you can better tune into how your body feels and how to pace yourself.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>9 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Running<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Don\u2019t compare yourself.
\n<\/strong>While running groups<\/a> are a great way to get into running and motivate you, there\u2019s a danger in sticking with the crowd when you\u2019re learning how to pace yourself. \u201cIt\u2019s OK if you need to run less or run slower. Other runners in the group may have been running longer than you,\u201d Masland explains. If you follow the pack, you may end up running too fast or too many miles, which can lead to common running injuries. \u201cAt the end of the day, it only matters how you compare to yourself. The only person you\u2019re ultimately trying to do better than is yourself,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maxed out on your last run too soon? We\u2019ve all been there. These running tips and breathing techniques will help you improve your running pace (and maybe your race pace, too!).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":54495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[288,104,188,110,108,341,357,283],"class_list":["post-54492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-cardio","tag-goals","tag-heart-rate-training","tag-race","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running","tag-tracking"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}