What's Your Pace?

Welcome back to Unexpected Abundance! I hope you’ve been hitting the trails and enjoying the beautiful weather as the fall season is settling in. For today’s conversation, I wanted to talk about discovering your paces, and what that process has looked like for me. Like many, I had no idea what my paces were when I started running. I would try and run a fast pace every workout, run 5-8 miles a day, and have no rest in between. Yeah, not the smartest formula. Lucky for you guys, I’ve done all the dumb stuff you shouldn’t do when you’re a new runner.

If you’re a new runner, you’ll want to know your mile, 5k, and 10k pace. These paces will help you improve your speed and endurance during long runs. For example, when I have long tempo runs, I use 5k and 10k paces throughout the workout to extend how long I can hold these paces. Naturally, if I can hold these paces for longer distances, it’ll make holding a half or full marathon pace easier. Let’s break down each pace and what effort levels you should be using when finding your pace.

5k Pace

Fun fact, in 2022, the 5k race was the most common event, with more than 8.9 million participants in the United States alone. It’s a great race, especially for new runners who are breaking into the sport. If you’re a new runner, I highly recommend training for a 5k first to get into a rhythm with training and going through the race day experience. As for the distance, a 5k is a 3.1-mile run. It may seem like a daunting task to beginners, but as you train for it, you’ll notice it becomes easier and will become a standard training distance as you’re more experienced. For me, running a 5k is a great way to test your speed and see how long you can maintain a faster pace.

When I first started running, I’d read blogs that mentioned the average pace for my age group and would get really discouraged. Man, how am I supposed to keep a 9:30 minute pace when I can barely run half a mile? My suggestion is: don’t let that discourage you. Focus on YOUR effort and pace, and once you’re experienced and feel comfortable, then start to compare your numbers to average times for your age group. Running is a “marathon”, not a sprint. See what I did there?! No. Okay, moving on! When you’re setting your 5k pace, make sure you build up to it, because your baseline may be inaccurate if you’re physically not ready to run. Once you’re ready to go, I’d shoot for an 8/10 effort. I say an 8/10 effort because you should be able to maintain a faster pace, since the distance is shorter compared to a 10k or half marathon. Remember, it’s only 3.1 miles. Don’t be afraid to go a little faster and use more energy in your tank. Be mindful that it’s not an all-out sprint either, so preserve enough energy to run the 5k without being completely gassed to the point where you feel awful. It’s different for every runner, so the only way to see what your baseline is to get out there and run!

10k Pace

During my training for last year’s Malibu half marathon, I STRUGGLED mightily during the first 10k of the program. I lived in Anaheim at the time, and I thought that running by Disneyland would give me motivation to power through the run. It did not. At all. In fact, I was annoyed that people were inside the park having fun while I was suffering through the run. But one thing I learned when I first started running is that when your runs start to get longer, you should break them up into smaller distances/intervals. For example, a 10k is just two 5k runs. And since you’ve already run a 5k and built up to the 10k, it’s a mental win for you. You’ve already run a 5k, what’s another one going to do to you? Running is 90% mental and 10% physical, so when I repeated the workout the following week, it was a lot smoother for me. I focused on finishing one 5k at a time, and the run seemed easier and shorter. Try breaking up the run, and you’ll see your body start to loosen up and relax while on the run. The human body is capable of extraordinary things, so having a strong mindset will push you further into success.

For the 10k run, you’ll want to run it at around 6.5/10 or 7/10 effort. It’s natural to slow the pace down just a tiny bit, since it’s a longer distance, And guess what? By completing a 10k, you’re halfway done with a Half Marathon! Is it just me, or do you feel an urge to lace up your shoes and get out for a run? It may be just me.

Mile Pace

I always knew there was a reason why we had to run the mile in high school. To become a better marathon runner! All jokes aside, man did that suck when we were younger. Believe it or not, I love testing my mile pace. You’ll want to shoot for a 9/10 effort on these runs, and remember, it’s the fastest pace you can keep for a mile. Although you can run faster, you may not be able to maintain it for a whole mile, so keep that in mind when you’re testing it. If you’re a beginner, I would say this is the most important baseline to have. Although you run more than one mile in a race, being able to say you’ve improved your mile time is a HUGE win. I’ll say this throughout the posts, but we’re all about positive thinking here at Unexpected Abundance. You’re not going to get better with a negative mindset, especially when you’re starting out. Just know there will be good and bad days, but as long as you’re lacing up your shoes and continuing to run, you’ve already won the day.

Test your mile pace and re-test in about 2-3 months. Make sure to train in between and try different speed workouts and you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll improve. Since I’m not preparing for a race right now, I’m also going to re-test my paces at the end of year and will report back in with the results. For reference, I just tested my 5k pace on 10/05, and clocked in at 31:41, with an average pace of 10:13 per mile. I tested my mile pace back in August 2022, clocking in at 8:41. For my 10k, my fastest time was 1:09:01 on April 20th of this year, when I was prepping for the San Diego Half Marathon. I’ll re-test my mile and 10k paces to ensure my baselines are within the same time frame.

That does it for today’s conversation here at Unexpected Abundance. I can’t describe how grateful I am that you’re dropping by and taking time to read my posts. It brings me so much joy to write and share my experiences with the running community. I’m looking forward to our next conversation, but until then, stay healthy and enjoy the trails!