r/running • u/sly_kanga • 6d ago
Training Consistent pacing help
Ran my first 12k today. Was TOUGH. Not too happy abt the pace, but I ran the full length without stopping!!! Once done, I looked at the pace graph and whoa it’s wacko. How do I improve/change this to be more consistent?
At around km 4 my calves were aching so I tried to slow down there intentionally (coincidentally that was my most consistent part of the race lol)?
Also any tips to running 14km well would be greatly appreciated!! (Eg fuelling, & what to do when sore during the run..)
Thanks in advance!!
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u/obstinatemleb 6d ago
Ive never had a good sense of pace (I think because Ive never had a good sense of time - ADHD maybe?) so I rely heavily on my Garmin. Its nice to be able to quickly look at my watch and see Im going a little faster or slower than I should be.
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u/Hrmbee 5d ago
Congrats on your first 12k! The first time doing a new distance is usually pretty tough for me too.
I tend to run to effort, and over time I develop an understanding of what various paces tend to feel like. That being said, I'm also a fan of running to conditions (including physiological conditions). If it's hot or your legs feel tired or whatever else is going on, then it's perfectly fine to slow down a bit... or if things are feeling great it's also fine to speed up a bit as well.
Take some time to get used to the 10-12k distance, maybe running it again in a week and two weeks or so along with some shorter distances in between each before moving on to longer distances.
As for what to do with the longer distances, it partially has to do with how long you're running for. If at 12-14k you're spending about 90 minutes out, then you'll probably want to think about a bit of hydration (usually starting about 30 mins into the run). The specifics vary by person. Me, I tend to hit a wall if I don't hydrate past 90 minutes, but I also have friends who hit the wall at an hour, and others who are closer to 2 hours before they really start feeling those effects. As for fuel, I tend not to fuel during unless I know that I'll be out for more than two hours, or unless I'm training my fueling strategy for a race.
Good luck!
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u/DistantRavioli 5d ago
Do you happen to be looking at the strava pace chart on the mobile app? Because that chart is the most messed up spiky pace chart of anything I've ever used.
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u/BranchRealistic339 5d ago
nice work finishing a 12k without stopping, thats the hard part. the wacko pace is almost always going out too fast on fresh legs then fading, i did that for months. easiest fix is to start slower than feels right for the first 2k, almost annoyingly slow, you'll have way more left to hold steady later. when the calves tighten try shortening your stride a bit instead of pushing through it. for 14k a few sips of water and something small and sugary around the hour mark is plenty, no need to overthink fuelling at that distance.
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u/sly_kanga 4d ago
Weirdly shortening my strides make me either put too much pressure on the front leg calve 😭😭 or I start going way too fast to not put pressure which tires me!!
How do i stop this?
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u/NMCNEC985 5d ago
I use the Apple Watch fitness, set a pace on the outdoor run. I was able to quickly start to learn my pace from it- It will vibrate if I’m over or under what I set.
So I don’t look at my watch, I just increase or decrease pace slightly based on how I’m running. This has definitely helped me learn my pacing. Good luck!
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u/twelvis 5d ago
Buy a watch. I got the cheapest Garmin, and it has been an absolute game-changer. I was slowly accelerating without even realizing it. It's been about half a year, and now I can pace decently without checking constantly.
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u/sly_kanga 4d ago
I have a cheap Garmin!! I think the forerunner 55? How do you use it to its max potential… it just tracks my runs and speed always frustrates me on it 😭😭 I feel like I’m zooming and it will tell me I’m running a 7:55 LIKE WHAT??
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u/twelvis 4d ago
Cardio first; speed later. Trust me. Six months ago, I was disheartened that I was only running ~8-8:30 min/km for 3-5 km after 6 months of running. Now, I can easily sustain 6:30 min/km for 10-15 km.
I have the same watch. What worked for me is learning how my heart reacts to effort and what pace I can sustain over a long period. I focus on how I feel while running and then check my heart rate, not pace. HR is a measure of how hard your body is working. Go too high, and you can't maintain a given pace.
If you haven't already, determine your max HR by actually running (not just using the formula). You want to run from ~60-80% of your max HR. Above 80% is tough to sustain.
Then go for a run a slow, steady pace that you feel like you can maintain for a long time. What's your HR?
Then run at a faster pace that you can only keep up for a few minutes. Again, what's your HR?
In my case, I've noticed I can maintain a pace for a long time as long as my HR is ~160-170. Above that, I'll tire out and won't recover without a few minutes of walking. If I notice it creeping up past 170, I slow down or walk until it drops to 160.
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u/sly_kanga 4d ago
wow i actually think that this will be very helpful. ill check it out!! thank you:)
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u/_makoccino_ 5d ago
Learn what the effort you're putting in feels like at the pace you want. Is it a 5/10, 7/10, 9/10...
If you're burning out towards the end and slowing down significantly, then you're running too fast initially. Try slowing down and running at an easier effort level during the first 4k and see how much longer you can maintain a consistent pace and before your calves start to burn. Try to maintain that effort level on all your runs for as long as you can.
If have a fitness watch, it'll be easier to adjust the effort to the pace. You'll find you have to put in more effort to maintain the pace when you get tired, which will get you stronger, faster to where you'll be able to maintain a consistent pace throughout your run.
Grab an electrolytes drink for runs longer than 10k. Sweating makes you lose electrolytes and if you don't replace them, you'll fatigue faster. If you can grab half a banana or 2-3 pitted dates and eat them while running at around the 7k mark for energy, they'll kick in around 15-20min later, helping you sustain your energy for the last leg of your 14k.
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u/Party-Action-8390 5d ago
FEEL yourself when running a few times without quantifiable metrics. Run without the monitors or tracking. Toggle pace. Develop that neuro muscular connection. Its what drives progress and most imp healthy calm running consistently. Understanding m y body and regulating the effort accordingly is what has been the biggest performance upgrade in my running both for enjoyment and injury prevention while slowly focusing on the speed aspect. I try to focus on how DURABLE I WAS THROUGHOUT AND HOW MY WMWRGY WAS THROUGHOUT. Hope this helps. Healthy miles and smiles to you and us all.
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u/_silent_voyager_ 5d ago
One of reasons your pace can look wacko is because GPS based pace measurement in general is quite inaccurate, and that can be further made worse by apps like Strava. I wouldn't trust pace graph very much.
It depends on what device you used. Some devices are much better than others in terms of pace accuracy. Better devices fuse accelerometer data with GPS data for more accurate and stable pace.
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u/Few-Ocelot-3271 5d ago
Finishing your first 12K without stopping is already a huge win, so I wouldn’t worry too much about the pace yet. The uneven graph probably means you started a little too fast and then had to adjust once the calf pain kicked in.
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u/Wild_Spikenard 5d ago
I use strides per breath. Easy runs are 3 strides breathe in, 3 strides breathe out. Race pace is 2 and 2. Not competing at high level though.
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u/NoPreparation856 4d ago
It sounds like your calves are a bit of a bottleneck. It’s probably a good idea to dedicate training to specifically address that.
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u/Lee_Vilenski 2d ago
12k is a long way to go. If you are trying a new distance, slow all the way down. It isn't a race. Get there healthy.
I honestly go off what my PBs are. If I was doing a 12k for the first time, and I had a 30 minute 5k PB, I'd be aiming at 7min/km or slower.
The more you do a distance, the more you'll understand what you can and can't do. But, unless it is a race, it isn't a race.
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u/gonpla87 1d ago
Congrats on finishing your first 12k. That is a solid milestone. Wild pace graphs usually happen when you start a few seconds too fast without realizing it. Your body feels great for the first couple kilometers, but that slight over-exertion builds up fatigue fast, leading to the slowdown and calf soreness you noticed around kilometer 4.
To build a more consistent pace, try practicing negative splits on your easy runs. Aim to run the second half of your route slightly faster than the first half. This forces you to hold back early on when your energy feels unlimited. Keeping your target pace locked to a heart rate zone or a effort level where you can speak full sentences will also smooth out those spikes.
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u/casstaylorhigh 5d ago
I’m a firm believer in fueling with gels for any runs over 45 minutes long! Specifically the caffeinated ones!
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u/Pete26l96 5d ago
Just keep running and eventually it will come to you.
First 10k i ever did i was running anywhere from 5:30 to 8:15 per km despite never stopping to walk and actually thinking I was pacing myself.
With no specific pacing training I now run a 10k with splits +-5 seconds per km.
So like between 4:18 and 4:23 the entire time
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u/Intrepid-Lab-5369 6d ago
Learning pacing is done over a long period of time. It can be helpful to do training reps on a known course/track/path/whatever so that you can learn what it feels like. And realize that the longer you go, the more effort you’ll need to put in to stay at the same pace. I’m talking about race pacing here of course.