March 30, 2008 Running in races differs from running alone or in small groups The Capitol 10K is this morning, and thousands of runners will enjoy the event. I read that there are still 40 runners who have done all of the races. That means they have been running for 31 years or more. That is quite an accomplishment to run for that long; and to run the same race in that time is even more of a select group. With all of the races coming up on the calendar in the next few months, many beginning runners might fall into a few mistakes and find that running in a race is different than running along the streets for exercise. The runners who enter for the sole purpose of just finishing the distance things usually are okay. They start at the back and watch all the speedy elite runners sprint down the road. One major problem that some runners - even some experienced runners - find themselves doing is running too fast at the beginning of the race. This is very easy to do when everyone around you is running fast, and you try to keep up with the traffic. Since you are fresh, it is not that difficult to keep up with them for a mile or so. The problem is that many of these runners will keep up that pace, or even start to go a little faster as they get closer to the finish line. If you are not used to this pace, things start to fall apart. Breathing becomes labored; legs seem to weigh more and do not seem to move as gracefully as they did earlier; the body seems to have no energy to run, and the temptation to walk if almost overpowering. Think of running once around the track as fast as you can, and then being told that you still have to run four more times around the track before you finish. A good gauge for going out in the beginning too fast is that every minute you run under your normal pace will be added onto the last portion of the race. This also applies to the distance that you run fast. If you run fast for one mile in the beginning, you will run much slower the last mile of the race. This rule will follow a runner whether they run a 5K, a 10K or even a marathon. I still remember training runners for a marathon; and there were always a few who thought we were running too slow at the beginning, and they would leave the group to run faster. Then, as the group ran past them at mile 20, while they were sitting on a curb we would politely ask them how they were doing and ask if they wanted to join the group again. Not many of them took us up on the offer, and they came in many minutes behind the group. It is important to know your pace and how fast you can run comfortably for a distance. The temptation to run fast with the starting group is hard to resist; but if you know your pace and what your limits are, stick to them. These are just lessons learned over the years. My first race was the first Capitol 10K; and I sprinted the first part and was lucky to finish under the time limit to get a shirt. The first miles were around 6:30 or so; and when you finish in a time of 54 minutes, you can imagine what the last miles were like. When I entered my first 5K, I figured that, since it was one-half the distance of a 10K, I could run it much faster. I ran fast for a mile, and almost didn’t finish the last mile. Runners will notice that, when they run a 10K race, the time they run past the 5K mark is very close to what they would run if the race was only a 5K. I have talked with runners after a marathon; and many of them were only a few minutes slower at the 10K mark than they were in a regular race. It helps to measure off a mile distance where you run, and then keep a record of how long it takes you to cover that distance. Do this several times and get an average pace that feels comfortable for you. This is the time you should strive to run in a race. If you have energy and feel good near the end of the race, then you can run faster and make that last mile the fast mile. Better to run the last mile fast and look good at the finish than to run the first mile fast and stagger or walk across the finish line. Dr. Maurice Johnson - better known around San Marcos as “Moe” - is a professor in the Department of Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance at Texas State University - San Marcos. Moe has been a fixture in the San Marcos running community - both as a runner and race organizer - since way back when Moby Dick was a minnow. His column on running and fitness appears each Sunday in the Sports section of the San Marcos Daily Record. • Recent “Running With Moe” Columns • Home • About the Club • Current News • Club Runs • Places To Run • TX Running Clubs • Running Links • Useful Stuff Upcoming Races • Race Results • Country Roads 10K & Kids Run • ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon • “Running With Moe” Contact Us!