When I run I can usually aproximately guess my pace within about 20-30 seconds based on my effort level. I've read that elite runners know their pace almost down to the second...how do they do this? Is it just from experience, or are there some methods you can use during workouts to learn how to do this? I don't expect to get it down so close, but even within 10 seconds would be good. I'm typically much more accurate on roads/flat terrain than on hilly trails.
stopwatch
There are many factors that your can judge how fast your moving. Experienced runners know more closely to the exact pace because of just having run more. Previous marks on familiar runs, stride length, breathing, treadmill data display, are all factors that can be taken into consideration. But it is important to remember that not all days should be viewed with your running watch. Pace on recovery days should be by feel. Somedays nine minute pace may seem hard and thats ok.
Get a garmin. Don't use it to pace yourself, but every so often try to guess your pace and then check it.
tommy2shoes wrote:
There are many factors that your can judge how fast your moving. Experienced runners know more closely to the exact pace because of just having run more. Previous marks on familiar runs, stride length, breathing, treadmill data display, are all factors that can be taken into consideration. But it is important to remember that not all days should be viewed with your running watch. Pace on recovery days should be by feel. Somedays nine minute pace may seem hard and thats ok.
WTF? Treadmill data, no stopwatch, 9 min/mile hard, etc.?? Yikes!
tommy2shoes wrote:
There are many factors that your can judge how fast your moving. Experienced runners know more closely to the exact pace because of just having run more. Previous marks on familiar runs, stride length, breathing, treadmill data display, are all factors that can be taken into consideration. But it is important to remember that not all days should be viewed with your running watch. Pace on recovery days should be by feel. Somedays nine minute pace may seem hard and thats ok.
This is all true. And like the other posters said, get a stop watch or a Garmin, and wear it during certain runs and play "guess your pace". It just takes experience and over time you should be getting better at it.
... Don't forget elite athletes probably train about 3x more than you do. So it's pretty natural that they would know more about their training pace on a daily basis since they are in fact running a lot more.
The biggest helpful tool though would have to be running on a treadmill or investing in a GPS watch that tells you your current pace. But like the above poster said, it's not the be all end all for each and every run. Don't antagonize yourself if you have a day where you are putting in effort and you're running a lot slower than you think that you should.
pnw ultrarunner wrote:
When I run I can usually aproximately guess my pace within about 20-30 seconds based on my effort level. I've read that elite runners know their pace almost down to the second...how do they do this? Is it just from experience, or are there some methods you can use during workouts to learn how to do this? I don't expect to get it down so close, but even within 10 seconds would be good. I'm typically much more accurate on roads/flat terrain than on hilly trails.
I totally disagree with the statement about elites knowing their pace. Just watch a race...between the pacers needed and their poor splits, and complaints after races about the pace being too slow, too eraditic, etc. Seems like if they know their pace they wouldn't have these excuses after races.
AdamLocked wrote:
The biggest helpful tool though would have to be running on a treadmill or investing in a GPS watch that tells you your current pace.
This is an unfortunate suggestion. Treadmills are notoriously in need of calibration. Using one of them to gauge pace will almost certainly throw you off. Similarly, GPS watches are not very good because their pace calculations change so often. Get a stopwatch.
I have a stopwatch (Suunto T6). I was thinking in terms of running when you don't know where the mileage markers are. It's pretty easy to know your pace on the track or when running a race with mile markers. I guess I'll chock it up to experience.
Most of the guys I trained with could estimate per mile pace of unmarked runs within 5 seconds. We did it through the experience of years and years of running timed intervals on the track. I know of no other way to get a sense of pace so deeply ingrained and would be suspicious of any claims of being able to do so with a gadget.
Lots of it is natural ability and rhythym. A guys I run/coach with is a music teacher, and I can ask him on any run, "what was that last mile?" And he'll be within 3 seconds either way when I check the watch. For others (like me) it's darned near impossible, even after 26 years.
letusrun wrote:
Similarly, GPS watches are not very good because their pace calculations change so often. Get a stopwatch.
You have to have it set to the right screen to get the correct reading. I have a screen on mine that says 'Average Pace for Current Mile', essentially this gives you a projected mile at whatever distance you currently are. This can also work for distances over or under a mile.
For example if I run the first 400m at 90 seconds, it will tell me on the screen "current mile pace - 6:00". So it can be used as a really great tool to know in the middle of a run to know how fast you are running at that point. GPS watches can also give you an average pace for all the distance that you've run.
You are correct though about the pace calculations changing often - if you use that 'Current Pace' setting. That's why you have to look at average pace for either the mile or the entire run to get something more accurate.
Either way it's still a GPS and your accuracy is dependent on the strength of the GPS signal as well. So you can never make too much of it other than to give you a better estimation than most methods.
In my old town, I wheeled out one mile that was a part of almost every one of my runs. I would check my pace on the that mile just to get an idea of what pace I was running.
Also, a lot of times a needed a few more minutes of running to get my mileage in, so I'd finish out the last 400-1600 on the HS track. This would give me a pretty good idea of pace.
Finally, I took the time to drive a few of my longer running routes and determine where each 2mi was.
By checking my pace on nearly every run over a few years, I now have a pretty good idea of what pace I'm running at any given time. I can almost always estimate within 10 seconds.
One thing about checking your pace, it's easy for a lot of runners to start racing themselves on their easy days. If you're not disciplined enough to run by feel and not care what the watch says, you're better off not checking your pace.
That's kind of my point; I'd like to be able to more closely guess my pace (more accurately than the 20-30 seconds I currently can) based on feel rather than having to use a GPS or accelerometer. I've found that people who rely on gadgets sometimes get to a point where they can't function without them.
So far the answer has been that it's based on experience, so I guess I'll just keep running and paying attention.
The best way is to do some of your runs around a track and practice hitting specified training and interval paces. It just takes time. As someone mentioned rhythm has a lot to do with it. Mixed-speed workouts can help identify pacing variations as well.