Run Pace Guidance
Know exactly what pace to aim for on each run
One of the quickest ways to improve your run performance is to structure your workouts, learning to run at different paces. Every session should have a purpose and focus. At our North Endurance run sessions and throughout our training plans, beyond target race paces, the specific run paces we generally refer to are EASY pace, STEADY STATE pace, TEMPO pace, INTERVAL pace, and REPETITION pace.
EASY:
The key pace for most runners and triathletes to train at, yet the pace we generally avoid or overcook. It's a comfortable, conversational pace and your HR should stay low in Z1-Z2. When running at this pace and level of effort, the heart muscle is strengthened, muscles receive increased blood supplies, increase their ability to process oxygen delivered through the cardiovascular system, and typically our body utilises fat as a fuel.
STEADY STATE (MARATHON PACE):
This Steady State pace is used to help prepare runners for the demands of a long hard marathon race. It's also a very useful pace for triathletes, especially training for a 70.3 triathlon with HR typically around Z3.
TEMPO / THRESHOLD PACE:
This represents the fastest pace you can realistically sustain for around one hour. This type of training challenges your ability to tolerate and clear lactate, typically with a HR around Z4
INTERVAL PACE:
This is your pace at VO2max - the pace that forces your muscles to use the amount of oxygen they can per minute. We usually use it for reps of 1-4 minutes, typically with HR rising to Z5.
REPETITION PACE:
Repetition pace is typically used for short, intense bursts of effort which require anaerobic efforts. Typically, efforts at this pace will be unsustainable beyond one minute and are used to develop speed, power, and running economy.
Planning sessions around these specific paces, we aim to get the optimum result from the least possible training stress. Working beyond these paces won’t give you an advantage, but simply increase your fatigue and reduce your ability to complete your next session.
Run Pace Calculator
The calculator is driven by Jack's Daniels world-famous running formulas and allows you to quickly calculate the appropriate training paces for various workouts necessary to help you reach your goals. The calculator also provides equivalent race performances.
Instructions
Find your goal race pace - Select distance and input your goal time
Find out how fast you should train based on a recent performance
a. Select distance and input your time from a recent race
b. Click the “Training Paces” tab to learn how fast you should be running different workouts
c. Click on the workout types for an explanation