QT: It’s All About the Pace, ‘Bout the Pace, Not Distance!

Think back to the last long race that you ran.

Don’t worry, I’ll wait…

How did you feel after your race?

Were your quads barking at you? Were you pretty for a few days?

If so, what do you think caused the achiness after your race?

The distance, right?

Wrong

Post-Race Soreness is Almost Entirely Related to Your Pace

Last weekend, I ran my third Shits & Giggles 26.2.

What is that? It’s quite simple: it’s just me running my own marathon.

I grab the things I need for my run, and then I go. 26.2 miles later, I call it a day.

A funny thing happened after this S&G: I woke up on Sunday morning feeling fantastic.

And on Monday, I was feeling good enough for a couple of easy miles to start the week.

In all honesty, I felt better coming off of this 26.2 than I have the day after some good speed workouts in the past month.

And that got me thinking…

Maybe Bill Jones Was Right?

One of the quotes that I regularly share on Twitter is this little gem:

Remember it’s the pace that kills, never the distance.

Every time I share it, I always get at least one response trying to convince me otherwise.

So let me just say, once and for all, that distance does matter.

Pace, however, matters a whole lot more!

If you have never run more than a mile or two and you set out to do a marathon, you are going to be sore the next day.

It doesn’t matter how slow you run, you will be sore. Shoot, even if you walk the whole thing, you will be sore.

Why? Because your body hasn’t adapted to the demands of being on your feet for that amount of time.

But if you’re well trained? Pace is going to kill you way before the distance does.

There’s a Big Difference Between Running and Racing

While the above statement may seem pretty obvious, it’s something that a lot of runners still don’t fully grasp.

Shoot, a year ago I didn’t grasp it either!

Running a marathon at an easy pace, for someone that has been running consistently for awhile and has a good base of fitness, really isn’t that impressive.

Racing a marathon?

That’s how much of a difference the pace makes.

If you’re running at race pace, you are pushing your body and mind to the limits!

You can only do that for so long until you either break down or blow up.

But just running at an easy pace for 26.2 miles?

It’s an impressive number (I guess) but all it really takes is the determination to keep going and having 4-8 hours free in the day to make it happen.

Train Smarter by Controlling Your Pace

By know, you probably know I’m a fan of the 80/20 training philosophy.

But whether you want to go all in with 80/20 or follow a different style of training, the fact of the matter remains the same: you need to control your pace.

The difference between a long run and a race comes down to pace. 

Running 26.2 miles isn’t scary to me any longer.

You know what is scary? Running 26.2 miles at 7:15/BQ pace.

I know that I can handle the distance. But that pace? That might just kill me!

What is More Difficult for You: Pace or Distance?

Want to Support the Continued Growth & Production of the Show?

Check out the support page for ideas and suggestions of ways you can help me grow the show. And remember, not all support involves money. Some of the best ways you can show your support are 100% free.

Subscribe to the Show

Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs With podcast by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system. iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here. Android users click here. SoundCloud users click here.

Please Give Me Some Feedback!

Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.

Register for a Free Race Training Plan

Every month, I’m giving away a FREE training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.

Join The Tribe!

There’s always room for more members of the tribe! Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else. If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!