How to find out your training pace?
There are tools and apps to help us to find out our training pace. For example: Mcmillan Running Calculator or Jack Daniels' VDOT Running Calculator. But I prefer to do my own calculation so that I can have the full control to customize it. This is how it can be done.
First, we will need 1 of our recent race time. Any race between 5km to 21.1km can be taken as the benchmark. Race shorter or longer than this range is not recommended as they will yield not so accurate result. If you do not have a race then it's recommended to do a time trial.
Say for example:
Your 10km race time is 50 minutes. What will be your training pace for Marathon?
Here are the steps:
1. Remember this formula
T2 = T1 x (D2 ÷ D1)1.07
P2 = T1 x (D2 ÷ D1)1.07 ÷ D2
Where,
T1 is the time achieved for D1.
T2 is the time predicted for D2.
D1 is the distance over which the initial time is achieved.
D2 is the distance for which the time is to be predicted.
P1 is the pace achieved for D1.
P2 is the pace predicted for D2.
2. Find out your Marathon pace.
Marathon race pace
= 50 min x (42.2km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 42.2km
= 50 min x 4.6675 ÷ 42.2km
= 233.37 min ÷ 42.2km
= 5.53 min/km
= 5:32/km
Your Marathon race pace is 5:32/km, race time is 3:53:00
3. Find out your interval pace.
Jack Daniels said interval pace is between your 3km~5km race pace.
3km race pace
= 50 min x (3km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 3km
= 4:35/km
5km race pace
= 50 min x (5km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 5km
= 4:46/km
Your interval pace is between 4:35/km to 4:46/km
4. Find out your tempo pace.
Jack Daniels said tempo pace is between your 10km~21.1km race pace.
10km race pace = 5:00/km
21.1km race pace
= 50 min x (21.1km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 21.1km
= 5:16/km
Your tempo pace is between 5:00/km to 5:16/km
5. Find out your easy pace.
Easy pace
= Marathon pace x (1.07 ~ 1.145)
= 5:32/km x (1.07 ~ 1.145)
= 5:55 ~ 6:20/km
Your easy pace is between 5:55/km to 6:20/km
6. Find out your recovery pace.
Recovery pace
= Easy pace x 1.07
= 6:20/km x 1.07
= 6:46/km
Your recovery pace is below 6:46/km
Conclusion.
Putting everything together. If your 10km race time is 50 minutes then your training pace will be as follows:
Recovery pace: 6:46/km
Easy pace: 5:55/km ~ 6:20/km
Marathon pace: 5:32/km
Tempo pace: 5:00/km ~ 5:16/km
Interval pace: 4:35/km ~ 4:46/km
Advanced
WARNING: Enter this section with caution. You might feel dizzy, hate me or maybe hate running. :)
1. The value of 1.07 given for the exponent is different for everyone.
You will have to experience and adjust the exponent value yourself. If you are a sprinter type of runner, then it's maybe somewhere around 1.09~1.10. If you are a gifted endurance runner, then it's maybe 1.05~1.06. For more details, check Pete Riegel for details.
2. Tempo pace for different distance should be different.
Using 10km to 21.1km race pace for tempo pace is quite vague. Jack Daniels said elite should use pace close to 21.1km, for slower runner we should use 10km so what are the correct tempo run distance and pace? It also stated that the runner should be able to sustain this pace for up to 60 minutes during racing so we can say that tempo pace should be the pace that you can run for exactly 1 hour and we use this pace to run for 20 minutes.
i. find out your 60 min race pace.
P2 = T2 ÷ (T2 ÷ T1 x D11.07)(1 ÷ 1.07)
Where,
T1 is the time achieved for D1.
T2 is the time to run which is 60 min.
D1 is the distance over which the initial time is achieved.
P2 is the pace predicted for T2.
60 min race pace
= 60 min ÷ (60 min ÷ 50 min x 10km1.07)(1 ÷ 1.07)
= 60 min ÷ (1.2 x 11.749km)0.9346
= 60 min ÷ 11.85km
= 5:03/km
Your optimal tempo pace is 5:03/km and you should use this pace to run 20 minutes which is about 4km
ii. find out your tempo pace that you can run for 20 to 40 minutes.
Based on 3.96km in 20 minutes, we find out the pace for the tempo distance that you can finish between 20 to 40 minutes. If you are a faster runner, you can do longer distance within 40 minutes.
P2 = T1 x (D2 ÷ D1)1.07 ÷ D2
With the above formula we can find out your tempo pace for different distance:
4km at 5:03/km (20:13)
5km at 5:08/km (25:40)
6km at 5:12/km (31:12)
7km at 5:15/km (36:48)
3. Interval pace for different distance should be different.
To be more accurate, interval pace should be the pace that can be sustained for up to 12 minutes during racing.
i. find out your 12 min race pace.
12 min race pace
= 12 min ÷ (12 min ÷ 50 min x 10km1.07)(1 ÷ 1.07)
= 12 min ÷ (0.24 x 11.749km)0.9346
= 12 min ÷ 2.6348km
= 4:33/km
ii. find out the run time of other interval distance.
Optimal intervals are 3 to 5 minutes long at this pace so the distance that you can cover with 4:33/km in 3 to 5 minutes should be around 660m to 1100m.
660m in 3:00
800m in 3:38
1000m in 4:33
1100m in 5:00
Conclusion.
If your 10km race time is 50 minutes, this will be your ideal training pace:
Recovery pace: 6:46/km
Easy pace: 5:55/km ~ 6:20/km
Marathon pace: 5:32/km
Tempo pace:
4km at 5:03/km (20:13)
5km at 5:08/km (25:40)
6km at 5:12/km (31:12)
7km at 5:15/km (36:48)
Interval time:
660m in 3:00
800m in 3:38
1000m in 4:33
1100m in 5:00
First, we will need 1 of our recent race time. Any race between 5km to 21.1km can be taken as the benchmark. Race shorter or longer than this range is not recommended as they will yield not so accurate result. If you do not have a race then it's recommended to do a time trial.
Say for example:
Your 10km race time is 50 minutes. What will be your training pace for Marathon?
Here are the steps:
1. Remember this formula
T2 = T1 x (D2 ÷ D1)1.07
P2 = T1 x (D2 ÷ D1)1.07 ÷ D2
Where,
T1 is the time achieved for D1.
T2 is the time predicted for D2.
D1 is the distance over which the initial time is achieved.
D2 is the distance for which the time is to be predicted.
P1 is the pace achieved for D1.
P2 is the pace predicted for D2.
2. Find out your Marathon pace.
Marathon race pace
= 50 min x (42.2km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 42.2km
= 50 min x 4.6675 ÷ 42.2km
= 233.37 min ÷ 42.2km
= 5.53 min/km
= 5:32/km
Your Marathon race pace is 5:32/km, race time is 3:53:00
3. Find out your interval pace.
Jack Daniels said interval pace is between your 3km~5km race pace.
3km race pace
= 50 min x (3km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 3km
= 4:35/km
5km race pace
= 50 min x (5km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 5km
= 4:46/km
Your interval pace is between 4:35/km to 4:46/km
4. Find out your tempo pace.
Jack Daniels said tempo pace is between your 10km~21.1km race pace.
10km race pace = 5:00/km
21.1km race pace
= 50 min x (21.1km ÷ 10km)1.07 ÷ 21.1km
= 5:16/km
Your tempo pace is between 5:00/km to 5:16/km
5. Find out your easy pace.
Easy pace
= Marathon pace x (1.07 ~ 1.145)
= 5:32/km x (1.07 ~ 1.145)
= 5:55 ~ 6:20/km
Your easy pace is between 5:55/km to 6:20/km
6. Find out your recovery pace.
Recovery pace
= Easy pace x 1.07
= 6:20/km x 1.07
= 6:46/km
Your recovery pace is below 6:46/km
Conclusion.
Putting everything together. If your 10km race time is 50 minutes then your training pace will be as follows:
Recovery pace: 6:46/km
Easy pace: 5:55/km ~ 6:20/km
Marathon pace: 5:32/km
Tempo pace: 5:00/km ~ 5:16/km
Interval pace: 4:35/km ~ 4:46/km
Advanced
WARNING: Enter this section with caution. You might feel dizzy, hate me or maybe hate running. :)
1. The value of 1.07 given for the exponent is different for everyone.
You will have to experience and adjust the exponent value yourself. If you are a sprinter type of runner, then it's maybe somewhere around 1.09~1.10. If you are a gifted endurance runner, then it's maybe 1.05~1.06. For more details, check Pete Riegel for details.
2. Tempo pace for different distance should be different.
Using 10km to 21.1km race pace for tempo pace is quite vague. Jack Daniels said elite should use pace close to 21.1km, for slower runner we should use 10km so what are the correct tempo run distance and pace? It also stated that the runner should be able to sustain this pace for up to 60 minutes during racing so we can say that tempo pace should be the pace that you can run for exactly 1 hour and we use this pace to run for 20 minutes.
i. find out your 60 min race pace.
P2 = T2 ÷ (T2 ÷ T1 x D11.07)(1 ÷ 1.07)
Where,
T1 is the time achieved for D1.
T2 is the time to run which is 60 min.
D1 is the distance over which the initial time is achieved.
P2 is the pace predicted for T2.
60 min race pace
= 60 min ÷ (60 min ÷ 50 min x 10km1.07)(1 ÷ 1.07)
= 60 min ÷ (1.2 x 11.749km)0.9346
= 60 min ÷ 11.85km
= 5:03/km
Your optimal tempo pace is 5:03/km and you should use this pace to run 20 minutes which is about 4km
ii. find out your tempo pace that you can run for 20 to 40 minutes.
Based on 3.96km in 20 minutes, we find out the pace for the tempo distance that you can finish between 20 to 40 minutes. If you are a faster runner, you can do longer distance within 40 minutes.
P2 = T1 x (D2 ÷ D1)1.07 ÷ D2
With the above formula we can find out your tempo pace for different distance:
4km at 5:03/km (20:13)
5km at 5:08/km (25:40)
6km at 5:12/km (31:12)
7km at 5:15/km (36:48)
3. Interval pace for different distance should be different.
To be more accurate, interval pace should be the pace that can be sustained for up to 12 minutes during racing.
i. find out your 12 min race pace.
12 min race pace
= 12 min ÷ (12 min ÷ 50 min x 10km1.07)(1 ÷ 1.07)
= 12 min ÷ (0.24 x 11.749km)0.9346
= 12 min ÷ 2.6348km
= 4:33/km
ii. find out the run time of other interval distance.
Optimal intervals are 3 to 5 minutes long at this pace so the distance that you can cover with 4:33/km in 3 to 5 minutes should be around 660m to 1100m.
660m in 3:00
800m in 3:38
1000m in 4:33
1100m in 5:00
Conclusion.
If your 10km race time is 50 minutes, this will be your ideal training pace:
Recovery pace: 6:46/km
Easy pace: 5:55/km ~ 6:20/km
Marathon pace: 5:32/km
Tempo pace:
4km at 5:03/km (20:13)
5km at 5:08/km (25:40)
6km at 5:12/km (31:12)
7km at 5:15/km (36:48)
Interval time:
660m in 3:00
800m in 3:38
1000m in 4:33
1100m in 5:00
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