I found this really cool pace calculator online at the Santa Clarita Runners website. Click on the link above to check it out! Basically you can enter a race time and it can be anything from your PR to your goal to simply the last [or only] race you've done and it will calculate all sorts of estimated race paces and training paces for you. I like this one because it doesn't just multiply your 5k pace by 10 to get your marathon pace because really, how many of us could actually hold that pace?? This one also takes into consideration your given "talent" and effort put into training when making its calculations. Mine are as follows:
So, I used my 5k split from the last triathlon I did since I haven't done a 5k by itself since my X-Country days in High School...
Time Entered:
23:23 for 5k which is equal to 7:31 min/mile pace and 7.97 mph [for all you treadmill runners out there]
Even though some training should go more by how a pace feels rather than the time itself, it is really helpful to have an idea of time if you tend to let the clock rule your workout. With that said, don't beat yourself up for not having the training run of your life and don't hold yourself back if you feel great and want to run fast either! Unfortunately, I've struggled with this one...
Training Paces:
Easy-----------9:33 min/mile
Tempo--------7:58 min/mile
VO2 Max-----7:11 min/mile
Speed---------6:39 min/mile
Long Run-----9:33-10:47 min/mile
Marathon-----8:24 [Marathon Pace??]
Equivalent Race Times [Potential Based]:
800m-------------3:02
1500m------------6:17
1 mile-----------6:48 [exactly the same as in 8th Grade I might add and exactly
a minute slower than my PR from High School]
3000m------------13:30
2 mile-----------14:35
5k---------------23:23 [the time I entered]
10k--------------48:44 [a time I would be quite happy with actually]
10 mile----------1:20:32
13.1 miles-------1:47:24 [1/2 marathon]
26.2 miles-------3:48:15 [Marathon!]
As you can see, I can be very calculating while I'm training which has its pros and cons. Good in that I can keep meticulous track of my progress. Bad because I "think" too much. Some of my best races were run without my watch. No watch means having to run based on how you are feeling and I was feeling good! Therefore, I ran faster than anticipated. This is definitely a technique I'll use once in a while for training runs and definitely during races.
With that said though, I'd still like to give these paces a try in my training runs though. I'd really like to reach my goal of... [drum-roll please]...a perfectly manageable {with hard work and consistency of course] < 50 min
