It may sound quite simple but, especially for early attempts at longer distances, deciding how fast or slow to run can be a bit tricky. Especially if you consider that adjusting your pace, by just a few seconds, can mean minutes to your goal time; and starting too fast can completely wreck your entire run. For a distance runner pace is everything.
I remember the first time I went jogging with my wife. At that particular time, she was better and more comfortable at a pace that was slightly faster than me, though I was better at distances, she would out-pace me every time. Because our training pace was different we couldn’t run together until I got faster. The point is you need to run at a pace that is right for you. The trick is choosing the right speed.
Generally speaking you should accomplish your longer runs with a pace that places you with the preferred finish time for whatever occasion you are training for. Determine your goal time and work backward from there. I really don’t suggest working on speed and distance concurrently. Distinguish these in to a pair of routines. Speed work can be a different animal and it is trained for in a different method as compared with endurance; and it also presents your regimen some change which will keep it from getting old.
I don’t like talking to anyone when I run, but I do sing to myself sometime. There is another generally held rule to help you gauge your speed. If you can’t speak a few sentences comfortably, chances are your running too hard. It will look funny if you don’t have a friend with you so be prepared to get honked at. If you get winded speaking then scale back your running until you can comfortably talk.
Don’t be afraid to take walk breaks if you are working on a goal time. It may be easier to phase these out than step up in speed. Experiment with both methods and use what works.
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