You’ve been training. You know what your body is capable of and you line up to start the race, pumped and ready to go. You’ve got this!

Sometimes something crazy happens between the Start and the Finish Line. Things don’t go as planned. You don’t run as fast as you know you can, or as fast as you were practicing. What the Heck???

Recently I had my first bad 5K experience. I raced my slowest 5K ever (even slower than the first 5K I ever did!) I was not a happy camper when I crossed that finish line. I felt like it was one of the hardest races I had ever run, and I didn’t have the finish time to show for it. 

Having had time to reflect, there were a few things I did wrong that were controllable, and a few things that were outside of my control. 

Here are some things that might be throwing off your race pace. 

Why is this on my list of things I did wrong? 

It changed my pacing and decreased my awareness of how hard my body was working. I have a GPS Running watch, and when I uploaded the workout my pacing was all over the place. I was fluctuating my pace up to 2:30 difference during each mile of the run. I basically turned the run into an interval workout. The music was loud enough that I couldn’t hear my breathing, and it was harder to gauge my effort. 

2. Paying to Much Attention to Your Watch: 

Every time I looked at my watch I was going “to fast.” As a result I kept slowing down. My watch was telling me my “right now” time, not average pace. This contributed to my interval-style race, which exhausted me much more than pacing at a continuous effort that I could maintain. 

I have my watch set to tell me my mile pace, so even though I was going “to fast” every time I glanced at my watch, when I saw my average at each mile it was slower than my goal. Which led to me speeding up again. 

3. Weather: 

This one is outside of your control, but it does affect your race pace. The hotter the race the more you will be affected. 

Ideal running temperature is 50 degrees. At this temp your race pace will not be changed. 

Example for an 8 min/mile runner:

50 degrees: Average Pace 8 min/mile. 0% change.

60 degrees: Pace Increases to 8:12 min/mile. 2-3% change. 

70 degrees: 8:31 min/mile. 6-7% change. 

80 degrees: 9:06 min/mile. 12-15% change. 

85 degrees: 9:30 min/mile. 18-20% change. 

The race was hot, sunny and humid. Whenever I got a little bit of shade it felt heavenly. I didn’t want to drink any water, but I wanted to dump a cup on myself to cool off. However, when I ran by the water station they had already handed off all their cups, and I didn’t want to stop and wait for one. 

Check out this article on Running in Hot Weather. 

4. Running Tired: 

My glutes were sore from some of my Bender Fitness workouts. I rarely ever get sore from working out because my body has adjured to the types of challenges I give it. I also put in some great runs the week of the race. 

For the best race results you want to taper your training 1-2 weeks before your race so your body is fresh and ready to put in a great effort. You allow your body to recover from the fatigue of all your hard work, and you will be ready to run a great race. 

The good news about running a bad 5K? They have them every weekend! So you can always redeem yourself at your next race (after a proper recovery!) 

I wanted to practice my pacing for my next race so I hopped on the treadmill and did a 5K. I selected a challenging, but sustainable pace. It was a pace where I knew I could go harder/faster. 

The result? 22:46 minute 5K. Compared to the 24:40 I raced a few days earlier, I felt redeemed. My fitness hadn’t suffered. It was just a bad race day. Whatever your running goals are. Don’t let one bad day undermine all of your hard work. Keep training, and keep showing up. Your consistency pays off. 

In case you were wondering how Jesse did…

He came home with another medal. He wasn’t done running there. He ran another 5 miles immediately after the race. I listened to my body, recovered, and took advantage of the free massage offered at the end of the race. 

As a bonus, Hill Sprints are an incredibly effective tool for increasing your body’s ability to burn fat.

If you run, chances are that you want to improve your running speed. You have to run faster to get faster. However, heading out at a full out sprint can increase your chances of injury. The best way to improve running speed while reducing your chance of injury is to incorporate hill sprints.

Why are hill sprints safer than sprinting on a flat surface? The increased angle of the hill decreases your risk of injuring your body, and forces you to slow down a bit while working at the same effort as you would going full out on a flat surface.

You have to build up the strength and musculature to support running at faster paces. Hill Sprints build muscle, and they will help your body handle hills much more efficiently during races.

Sprinting and intervals are two of the best methods for burning fat. When you combine these two ingredients and add hills to the mix you increase the metabolic benefit, resulting in a workout that can have a big impact on your body composition.

Getting Started:

You should always be warmed up before doing hill sprints. You can do this via running drills, or by completing an easy paced run prior to sprinting.

Be sure to rest and recover in between each hill sprint. As you become more advanced you can decrease recovery time.

When first starting out be sure to rest fully. This can be done by walking or slowly jogging back downhill to your starting point. If you need additional rest between reps take it.

*During Hill Sprints your goal is to try and reach the same point/distance during each sprint. Hill sprints can be done outdoors or an a treadmill with an incline setting.

Always finish a Hill Sprint workout with a Cool Down.

Hill Sprints can be completed safely 1-2X per week, with at least 2-3 days in between sessions. Make them a regular part of your training routine. 

If you are completing these exercises 1X per week extend the training cycle to 8 weeks and complete the workouts below (Week 1: Day 1, Week 2: Day 2, etc). 

Day 1: Complete 2 10-second hill sprints.

Day 2: Complete 4 10-second hill sprints.

To measure gains in speed/strength pay attention to the distance covered and the amount of time spent in recovery. If recovery time is shorter, and/or the distance you cover in each interval is longer you are still making gains.

The theory of specificity training states that to become better at a sport you must train in that particular sport/skill. Runners train by running, swimmers train by swimming, bikers train by cycling. 

So why cross train?

Research has shown that cross training improves oxygen use and running economy. 

Improved Running Economy means that you can run faster over a given distance, or maintain a specific pace for a longer period of time. Go faster, go longer, and use oxygen more efficiently: I don’t know any runners who would turn that down. 

Additionally, cross training can correct muscular imbalances caused by training for a specific sport, help prevent injury and improve strength and endurance. If you sustain a running related injury, cross training can help you maintain your fitness as you let your body heal. 

If your primary training focus is Running:

If you are training for a specific running event you can complete cross training three times per week. You can avoid overtraining by reducing your weekly mileage by 25-30%, and replacing it with cross training (Runners World: Cross Training). 

Runner’s World recommends keeping your heart rate at or above 70% of your maximum heart rate during cross training. This means you should be sweating and working during your cross training workouts. 

As with a regular running program, be alert for signs of overtraining (listed below). 

Jesse’s primary focus is running, and he cross trains 2-3X per week with BenderFitness workouts. This month we are also implementing a stretching program to help improve his flexibility. Flexibility is important for runners because it helps maintain proper biomechanics and protect your knees, hips and joints.  

If your primary focus is Fitness:

If you run/race because you enjoy it, and you workout to stay fit, you can cross train between 3-5X per week and run 3-6X per week. Pay attention to the overall volume of your training. Workouts should last 60-75 minutes maximum (with the exception being long run days), including both running and cross training. 

For example, if I am doing a 15 Minute HIIT workout and a 30 minute run I will repeat the HIIT 1-2X to keep my total workout time to 60 minutes (30 minutes HIIT, 30 Minutes Running). I do not run and cross train every day. Some days I do running only, and other days I solely cross train. 

The key here is making sure you are alert for the signs of overtraining (which are listed below), and making sure you take at least 1-2 full rest days per week. Including a yoga day will also benefit your overall health and running ability. 

Each person handles training differently and it is imperative to listen to your body. Over-training will not benefit you, it will injure you. 

Signs of Over-Training

1. Elevated Resting Heart Rate. Take your heart rate in the morning before you get out of bed. Do this over the course of several days, and figure out the average. If you notice an increase in your resting heart rate it is a sign that you need to ease off and take a rest. 

2. Increased Fatigue: If you are completing the same types or runs/workouts and noticing that your effort is much higher and you aren’t performing to the same level it’s a sign of overtraining. 

-For example: I repeated an interval run 2 weeks in a row. The second week I felt that I was working much harder, buy my average pace was nearly a minute slower than the week before. It was time for a rest break.

3. Injuries/Illness: If you notice your self getting injured or sick more often it can be due to overtraining without allowing your body enough rest. 

4. Extensive Muscle Soreness: If you are sore for more than 72 hours take time off and allow your body to heal. Muscles tear during your workout, and re-build (increasing strength and endurance) when you rest them. If you repeatedly tear the muscle without allowing it to re-build you will not achieve optimal results from your workout. 

*These are just a few of the signs of over-training. Pay attention to how you are feeling, and don’t feel guilty if you need to take a day off. Training does not benefit you if it comes at the cost of your health. 

Article:

Improving Running Economy Through Strength Training.