How to pace yourself when trail or ultra running to nail your goals and finish with a flourish
- It is easy to ‘fly and die’, by setting out at a pace that feels great but is too fast to sustain
- There are simple ways to incorporate pacing into your training so you are prepared for your race day
Pacing yourself during a trail or ultra race is easier said than done.
The day you have been training for is finally here, and you’re buzzing off the atmosphere at the start line. You set off like a bolting horse and think to yourself, “Wow, I could hold this pace forever” – except you cannot.
The quick start does not make up for the inevitable slow end when you pay for you poor pacing and your time is way slower.
But there are ways you can practise pacing so you are not leaving it to luck on the day.
Do the maths
Work out a goal for the trail race then do the maths to work out what that means for pacing. You can then break down the course so you know you should be arriving at the first check point at a certain time, or a particular land mark.
Then you can adjust your pacing during the race if you arrive at the place too soon or late.
Some runners go as far as creating spreadsheets so they know exactly what time they should be where. A correct pace does not have to be even throughout. Many people aim to have a negative split, where they get faster towards the end.
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Recce
It is all well and good knowing where you should be and when on paper, but getting out on the course and doing a recce is the best pace training you can do. This way, you will know on race day just how far until the next landmark.
Also, you will be able to adjust your plan if a section is steeper, flatter or more technical than you expected. Otherwise, on race day you may get frustrated as your plan does not fit the reality of your pace as the topography differs.
It will also give you a chance to create a more realistic aim overall. You may find that you have to change your race goals when you see the course. There are infinite benefits to getting out on the course and seeing it for yourself.
Talk to other runners
If you cannot get out on the course, the next best thing is speaking to other runners who have completed the race. If you do not have friends who have done the course, there are Facebook groups like “Trail and Ultra Running” where people are willing to share their advice. They will be able to warn you of deceptive hills and false summits, and give you tips of where you can make up time.
Enter other races
It is hard to recreate the feeling of a race day. If possible, you should enter other races as training. This way, you will get used to the adrenaline of the start line and get better at resisting it and sticking to your own plan. You will also get used to being overtaken, and better at resisting the urge to bite and re-overtake.
The danger of getting carried away with the atmosphere is that you could “fly and die”. The adrenaline will make you feel like you can go fast forever, but instead you will be very quick at the start and very, very slow at the end, with a slower time overall.
Watches and heart rate monitors
A host of running watches, like Garmin and Suunto, can tell you your pace and heart rate. Obviously, having your pace available is hugely beneficial. But make sure you are practising with the watch, because it can be quite mentally draining to have your pace staring you in the face the whole time.
Unlike a road race, where your pace will be similar from start to finish, trail races are hilly. Therefore, purely basing your overall speed on your minute-by-minute pace can be misleading. A more accurate measurement is your effort. Are you pushing yourself too hard up a hill? Your heart rate could be the answer.
Depending on the length of race, and your goals, different heart rates are suitable for different people. A sustainable heart rate for longer races is in your aerobic zone. A rough guide is 70 to 80 per cent of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age). So, if you are 30 years old, your aerobic zone is around 140 beats per minute.
If you are climbing a hill and your heart rate is spiking to 165 beats per minute, you know to slow your pace.
Practice makes perfect
There is nothing like training at your race pace. Your training programme should involve a range of paces and intensities but a large portion should be at race pace. If you can get out on the course and practise at race pace then even better.
You should also be flexible. As you train, you will get a better idea of how realistic your race pace is and be able to adjust your goals accordingly.
There are plenty of coaches out there or fellow runners willing to share advice about an appropriate pace for your experience, fitness and the course.
