Pacing your Running

Wow!  When I chose "pacing" as a topic to explore for Running & Reading Long I didn't think it would be as tough as it has been to find basic information.  What I was looking for was how to figure out my pace as I'm running without using any fancy GPS watches.  What I found was:

• Lots of reviews of GPS watches
• Suggestions to be aware of your breathing and how your muscles feel and adjust your pace according to that
• A lot of suggestions for how to pace the various race distances to maximize your energy and get the best results

While interesting, none of these things really help me figure out what pace I need to aim for to run my 5K in under 30 minutes in August.

Based on the information I did read, and what I've figured out on my own.  My understanding is that pacing is really about how fast (or slow) you run each kilometer during your run.  And a "split" is the time at each kilometer mark.  Or if your in the US - for each mile.  I did find a very neat calculator, that I have found useful for calculating splits at Cool Running.

Calculating splits for a tempo run is pretty straight forward, and easy to manually monitor if you use a stop watch, your heart rate monitor, or the clock while on the treadmill.  During a race, you can manually monitor your splits as long as there are kilometer markers.

Things get trickier if you're running on your own outside.  This takes a bit more thought and preparation.  I haven't tried this yet, but I think I'd have to plan my run and then use a mapping program to figure out where each kilometer mark would be.
Running on a track would help alleviate this issue, but I barely like running the same route twice let alone in circles on a track!

So for my 5K in under 30 minutes, if I run at the same speed for the entire race my splits would have to look like this:

        Kilometer 1 - 6:00

        Kilometer 2 - 12:00

        Kilometer 3 - 18:00

        Kilometer 4 - 24:00

        Kilometer 5 - 30:00

My goal for next week's runs, will obviously be to try and reach these splits for one of my runs.  First I need to actually track where I'm starting!
Closer to the actual race I'll have to figure out a plan - should I go out slower and speed up, or go out faster in case I slow down at the end?

Running Update

How is my running going?

Well, I've stuck to my plan with the tempo runs.  This week I have one hill run and one Fartlek run to complete, which I'm sure I will.

I ran outside on Sunday again, which I've discovered I really enjoy.  However, I defnitely can't run the same path twice.  I wear my Ipod and check out the scenery, but it's not as distracting as being able to read the latest issue of Women's Health and look up at the TVs.

Even with the warmer weather, the outside runs have been great.  Luckily I live in a city with a lot of community trails and parks that make great running destinations.

Next week I start the 5K training plan, which will definitely help me focus on getting my running in under the 30 minutes.

Taking Little Chances

I was in my Google Reader today, and one of the blogs mentioned doing things that are out of character, and suggested that doing this makes you grow as a person.  This wasn't really the point of the post, but it's what stuck with me and got me thinking about how I live my life.

I have two main "beliefs" when it comes to how I live my life.

1. Life is about choices, and the choices you make should make you happy.  Even things you can't control (like illness, or other people) still have an element of choice because you choose how you deal (or don't) with the situation or person.
2. Life is about experiences, not the things we own.  Whether it's an experience you have by yourself (like reading a great book, wandering around a market, or travelling), or with your family or friends.  Experiences are the things you remember at the end of the day/month/year/life.

I think these two things go hand-in-hand.  We definitely choose what experiences we have, and the decisions we make every moment, every day have an impact on our happiness.  This is part of the reason I feel so strongly about supporting organizations like Children's Wish Foundation, and supporting my friend's in everything they choose to do in their life (as long as it doesn't harm them or others).

So far, the choices I've made and the experiences I've had have generally been pretty safe.  Things that I was comfortable doing and didn't push me too much out of my comfort zone.  I decided that this year that had to change a bit, and my new years resolutions reflect this.  I'm not one of the people that make resolutions, and a month later forget about them.  I didn't concsiously set out to add resolutions that would force me to do things that were out of character, and make me grow as a person, but that has been the result.

Two of my resolutions definitely fit in to the doing things that are out of character and my life is more interesting because of it.

The first is to be open to every date invitation, whether it's a guy from an on-line dating site, a guy I meet somewhere, or a set up by a friend.  (There was on caveat to this - If I had the "gut feel" that the guy was a creep or dangerous I would definitely say no).  So far being open to all date requests has gone well.  I'm still single, but I've met a few good guys this way, and did enjoy the time I dated the "heart guy".  I've definitely learned a couple things about what I like/don't like/want/don't want.  And new things about myself as well.

The second is to try at least one new thing every month that gets me out of the house.  This is the "doing something out of character" a bit more than accepting all date offers.  This one requires a bit more thought and planning, and I've managed to do a couple things on my bucket list too.  By doing things I wouldn't normally do, like riding a camel in the Sahara, and going to see the Harlem Globetrotters on my own, training and running in a 5K, I've had some great experiences.  I've become more comfortable with doing things that I never thought I'd do, and more comfortable with doing things on my own.  I've also picked up new hobbies (Hello Running!). 

A side benefit to doing new things every month, is that it helps with dating.  Not that I've met any guys doing any of these things, but I have a few new stories to share on dates.  Plus, I'm always excited about the next thing I'm going to do and I think that comes across in conversations with guys, my friends, and family.

I would highly recommend trying small things, taking little chances, every month.  It makes life a little more exciting.

I like doing something out of character once a month.  It isn't too often that I'm uncomfortable all the time, but it's often enough that I feel like I am growing as a person and my life is richer because of it.