The Race for a Pace

My pace sucks! I just can’t figure it out! I ran and walked 5.25 miles tonight, in very warm conditions, and just could not find a pace that worked. Everything seemed too fast in that I ran out of steam, starting out fairly strong and feeling good, but running out of stamina and feeling so hot towards the end.

This is two runs in a row where it just seemed like too much. Both of these were under very warm conditions. When I got back tonight, I was literally dripping with sweat. I took off my training shirt and put on a cotton tee, and within minutes, it was soaked.

I started off running nearly five minutes at a time and walking two. By the last 1.5 miles, I was walking about 3 or 4 and running 3 or 4. The route took me about 59 minutes, which is about an 11.25 minute mile pace for running and walking combined. This translates to just under a 2:30 half marathon, which is my goal. But there is no way I would have sustained this pace for a half marathon the way I felt tonight.

I just have no sense of how fast I run, or how slow. Clearly it is better than an 11 minute mile. But is it 10.5? 10? 9.5? 9? Faster? I have no idea. And what is the best pace for me to sustain it without getting out of breath and tired after 5 minutes? With my race in less than eight weeks, I should know all this. Maybe I should try some miles on a treadmill again where I can just run at a set pace and see how it feels. Clearly if I am to get serious about this, I need to figure this out, and probably ultimately buy a runners GPS receiver.

A few weeks ago, running and walking 4 miles seemed so easy at about a 10:30 pace overall. A week ago, my friend Kathy and I ran for about 55 minutes together, with just a few walk short breaks and a minute here or there to look at something interesting, or to figure out where we were going. But both times, I was with someone and the weather was about 15-20 degrees cooler. Running with someone always seems easier for me to match a pace, I guess because they know what they are doing and I just have to run along with them.

I am reading a book that I am really enjoying: “Born to Run.” But right now, I sure don’t feel born to run. I know I can do better, but I need to learn how to pace myself at a speed that is not too fast or too slow, but is just right.