A Smarter Way to Run

One valuable lesson that I learned from my first 100k (see last post), is that I am a much better runner when I pace myself.  Well, duh, you're probably thinking. It's true. I hadn't really committed myself to maintaining a steady pace over the course of my marathons once my schedule really picked up.  I had my Garmin set to alert me if I went faster than 8:30 min/mi, and if I went slower than 11:00 min/mi.  That seemed to work well, until it became annoying.  I cursed at my Garmin silently or aloud, telling it that I already knew that I was being slow.  Eventually, when I started running more than one marathon a month, I turned off that notification altogether.

I think my pride and ego took a hit when my finish times started to increase.  One of the reasons why I run is because I like how it feels when I'm running fast.  When all of my motions are in sync, my arms are swinging beautifully in time with my legs, and I feel like a running machine, I am happy.  I didn't want to lose that magic during my races.  Inevitably, I couldn't keep up with the volume of mileage and the pace at which I wanted to run.  My finish times went from a 4:30 average to a 5:00 average.  Throughout my runs, I would beat myself up for walking or running slower than I wanted to.  I would push myself hard for a half mile, and then pay for it on the second half by walking.  I would end up with an average pace that was a combination of near-sprinting and walking.  It made no sense. I noticed that even though I could enjoy a good, fast pace, I would still end up hurting because of the pressure and impact it was putting on my body.  I would end up with an overall slower time because of all of the intervals I was putting myself through.

When I ran my first double (back to back marathons), I was paced for the first half of the race by Halbert.  He helped me to really keep my pace on target so that I could conserve energy.  I distinctly remember by mile 17 that I felt like I hadn't started running yet.  I felt fresh, warmed up, and as if I could run all day.  At that point, I decided to finish up the race at a much faster pace.  I didn't feel burned out or injured.  I ended up with a negative split and an appreciation for how pacing can save my legs.

That double was in the first month of the year, well before I became tired and started to experience burnout.  As the races stacked up, I turned off the pacing parameter notifications on my watch, and continued to run/walk.  As the year and my races wound down, I began to get nervous about my 100k.  The Hoover Dam marathon was my last race before the 100k, and felt like I was dying.  My body was tired, and again, I was trying to run faster than I should.  I had three weeks to recover and decide upon a plan for my 100k.  I was extremely nervous and anxious due to the performance at my last race.

After voicing my concerns to Halbert and my friends, I decided that I should just run an easy pace, and focus on finishing.  I looked up some predictions for a finish time based on my past performances.  From there, I figured that an 11-12:00 min/mi pace would be best.  Halbert was a lifesaver in helping me to establish a good pace for the first lap.  I always tend to speed up if I'm feeling good.  He knows this, and helped to rein me in.  I was able to maintain an average pace of 12:22 throughout the race.  As I mentioned in my race report, I felt very energetic and strong during the race.  I was utterly shocked at how fresh I felt, even after the finish.

 

My performance made me a little mad at myself for running in such a foolish fashion in the past.  I equated running fast to being strong and having fun.  Now, I see that running at an even, controlled pace leaves me feeling much more energized and happy.  I feel like now I just need to actually train, and focus on improving my stride among other things, in order to really crush my first 100 miler.