Pace groups

[pensgirl10]

Have you ever run with a pace group? I hate to be tied down in any way, don't wear a watch and have never been timed other than in races. Although I sometimes check the time at mile markers to make sure I'm on track. The thought of running at someone else's pace drives me crazy!

On the other hand, in December I'm running a marathon with a time limit 20:45 faster than my first marathon. I'm almost positive it won't be a problem....but it would be nice to be positive.

So...have you ever run with a pace group or pacer, did you stay with them or break away, was it a good experience?

 

[jmasgat]

I haven't run with a pace group---like you, I do my own thing. What I have done though is keep track of the 2 pace groups that bracket the time I am interested in. I will let the faster one go on ahead, but keep the slower one behind me.

I think there are good pacers (those who run an even pace) and bad ones (those that are not consistent mile-to-mile).

Hope someone can give you some actual feedback.

Maura

 

[FFigawi]

I've run with several pace groups and only had one bad experience. I liked the fact that I had someone else making sure my watch was giving me the right pace to hit my time goal, and loved that I had lots of other people around to run and talk with. If you're after a certain goal time that's faster than you've done before, I think they can be really useful. If you're running a race just for fun and to look around, I don't think you really need to use them.

 

[stitchfan18]

I ran with a pace group for the first half of my first marathon. It was a really small race, so I stayed with them for 13 miles just to enjoy the company. Unfortunately having trained using intervals, I crashed after running for 13 miles without my walk breaks. It was really helpful to keep my on track with my pace though. It was nice to not have to think about it myself, or constantly be checking my watch to see how my pace was doing. I have done what Maura suggested before when I was working to break my 1/2 marathon PR, and it worked very well.

 

[windwalker]

Sometimes I pace new walkers for their first marathon, try to keep them going under 15 min per mile so they gain a minute per mile on the pace requirement. That way if they have trouble later on they can still make it even though they are going slower than the required 16 min per mile.

This year I'm going to be doing a 12 to 13 min per mile pace for the marathon and hopefully about 11 to 12 min per mile for the half.

Dave

 

[jmasgat]

One other comment....If you don't run consistent mile to mile splits, say, within around 10 seconds of one another, then I think a pace group might be helpful.

I have found over time that I tend to run fairly even mile splits. Of course, unless I look at my Garmin I don't know what the actual split time is (!), but at least my body has figured out how to keep a fairly consistent pace.

Maura

 

[fashionista311]

I'm debating use a pace group for my fall marathon - I like the idea of having company - but I'm not so sure. It scares me a bit to put my fate in someone else's hands....and I've heard some horror stories on Runner's World from bad pace groups.

But I'm doing a marathon relay (first 4 legs = 20 miles) as a final training run...and I think I will hop in with a pace group for that. I'm nervous that I will get caught up in the crowd and go faster than what my long run pace should be and I think sticking with a pace group will help keep me conservative. Want it save it for the real deal...not the dress rehearsal!

 

[FFigawi]

I'm debating use a pace group for my fall marathon - I like the idea of having company - but I'm not so sure. It scares me a bit to put my fate in someone else's hands....and I've heard some horror stories on Runner's World from bad pace groups.

I think the quality of the pace group depends on the quality of the race. Large, well-run races like Disney, Chicago, Marine Corps, etc., usually use the Clif Bar pace teams. They do a fantastic job and will get you to the line within 2 minutes of the goal time. Their pacers run their pace race at ~1 min/mile slower than their typical race, meaning they don't have to push themselves to the limit to hit their time.

Other races (I'm looking at you, Houston) will use as pacers people who have run their race 10 times or more, meaning you don't always get someone who is experienced at pacing or is easily able to hit the goal time. Those are the pace groups you need to be leery of, but for the races using the Clif pacers, you can't ask for anything better.

 

[hungrygreenhippo]

I ran with a pacer for a half marathon once and got a then PR. It was a relatively small race so for about the first 8 miles are so it was just me, the pacer, and another guy. Then he broke ahead and the pacer stuck with me. It was nice to have someone to talk to at times, and then sometimes I'd just enjoy having silent company. Because it was just the few of us, she wasn't that stringent about staying on pace so we actually finished about 7 minutes ahead of time.

I enjoyed that experience, but I've run about 18 halves since then and haven't used a pacer again. Mainly because my goals usually don't line up with the pace times, but also there's been a couple times where I've been running near a large pace group and found them rather obnoxious. But perhaps it would be different if I was part of the group and not just running near them.

I'm thinking about trying a pace group for my first marathon in November. I'm traveling solo for a destination race so it would be nice to have some company and maybe meet someone who would celebrate my achievement with me at the finish line.

 

[pensgirl10]

You've all been very helpful! Hungrygreenhippo, I too will be alone and that's another thing to consider. I ran my marathon in Pittsburgh where the half and full are together until mile 11 so I had my running partner up till then. I was full of vim and vigor and would have been fine alone up till then....but there were several times later in the race when I could have used some encouragement.

I remember passing one pace group and, yeah, they were a bit annoying but also seemed to be having fun. They got the last laugh though because they finished in front of me. I never saw them pass. It must have been later in the race when I was stretching (i.e. pretending to stretch while trying not to collapse in a blubbering heap) at the side of the road.

I have a half coming up and am going to aim for a pace a little faster than I need for the marathon. If that goes well, I'll run the marathon on my own. If not, I'll look up a pace group. I have a little experience now, this is a nice flat course, and if I am swept there is no excuse other than I was stupid. LOL

 

[riggins]

I ran with a pace group for a half in February and really liked it. It was my 4th half and I'd never used a pacer before but wanted to check it out. Before the race started, the pacer said "If you pass me before mile 5, I'll pass you by mile 10." By mile 2-3, I was feeling good and thought I could go a little faster, so I got up ahead of the group, but I couldn't shake his words. So I slowed down enough that I could still hear him telling jokes and the group laughing behind me. I was sooooooo glad I did that. By mile 10, I was so beat that I was doing all I could to keep up with the pace group!! I set a PR and had a great race. I'd like to try it again, but I'm worried that at Disney the pace groups will be so large that it might be a pain to run with them.