What Is The Ideal Marathon Pace For You?

When you’re thinking about running your own marathon, the aim of the game is to simply complete the race, ideally without stopping. It’s a long distance endurance event which requires a great deal of stamina that can keep you going for the entire 26.2 miles, so your marathon pace is a very important factor.

You’ll be able to select your marathon running speed from a very early stage, although this pace will increase as your fitness improves. There are 2 main ways that you can select and then maintain the speed that you run at. They are as follows: -

#1  Using the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) scale.

The RPE scale is a way of measuring the effort you are putting in to a particular activity. It’s a measure from 1 to 10 of the level of difficulty you are experiencing because of the speed you are running at or the effort you are putting in.

It works like this, the harder you are working, then the higher the score will be, so if you’re feeling very tired and have to stop, this would equate to a 10 on the RPE scale, because you could do no more, you were at your limit at that time.

Using the RPE scale to set your own marathon pace, you need to be working at or around 6 out of 10. This means you are running at a level of intensity which is just above average, you’re sweating slightly, but can comfortably hold a conversation. Remember the speed you run at over long distances should be slow and steady without any bursts of speed as these are a drain on your energy reserves.

#2  Monitoring your pace.

In order to monitor the actual pace you’re running at you will need a GPS wrist watch system or an advanced pedometer that is able to give you readings of distances and also your speed per mile. Over a series of runs you’ll be able to assess which is a comfortable running pace for you and a time per mile which is good for you to maintain. This now becomes your marathon pace.

As you become fitter, the speed you run at will obviously increase slightly, so both of these techniques can be adjusted.

When it comes to race day, you can simply aim to keep your marathon pace within your usual comfort zone which ensures you don’t get carried away with the atmosphere and burn up too much energy at the start. Keeping your speed within these parameters should ensure that you have the stamina to keep going all the way.

Do You Need A Marathon Coach?

If you’re thinking of running a marathon but don’t really know what to do in terms of how much training to do, when to do it, when to take rest days or how hard it should feel, then you might  benefit from hiring the services of a marathon coach?

These days many people seek the advice of experts when they have a goal or objective in mind. An expert’s guidance can save you many hours of wasted time and get to your goal much quicker.

Golf, tennis, cricket, badminton and swimming coaches are just some of the huge range of professionals you can hire to speed up your progress and ensure you stay on track.

Running a marathon is no different. Here are some of the benefits you can expect to see if you decide to employ the services of a marathon coach: -

Motivation

Any good experienced marathon coach will make sure that you stay motivated and make steady and consistent progress. Another positive effect is that whenever you arrange to meet someone for whatever reason there will always be a far greater reason for you attend, be on time, work harder or in some cases simply turn up in the first place.

Knowledge

Without knowing how to do something, you will waste endless hours trying to figure it out for yourself. Running a marathon isn’t simply a case of just endless miles. Modern marathon training incorporates many advanced training techniques which reduce the amount of time you need to spend training thereby placing much less stress on the joints and nervous system. Perhaps the biggest benefit to using these techniques is that you will increase the rate of your progress much faster.

Injury Prevention

Any quality personal trainer or marathon coach will be able to spot the signs of over training or the potential risk of injury, By letting your coach know the way your body feels throughout your training you can be sure that you aren’t overdoing it and avoid potential injuries.

Progression

Perhaps the biggest reason many runners give up before they make any real progress is the lack of seeing any visible results. A coach will always be monitoring your rate of progress and making sure that your fitness is progressing so you continue to improve at the fastest rate possible.

Working one on one with a marathon coach isn’t something that everyone would enjoy, but you do need the experience that they have. Alternatively if you do like the idea of working with a marathon coach but can’t afford to pay upwards of $50.00 per workout, why not seek out the knowledge of an expert online. In my own book ‘Marathon Training For Beginners.’ I teach you all you need to know about marathon training and running a marathon. It is one of the most effective marathon training schedules for beginners available on the internet, ideal for anyone that wants to learn how to successfully run a marathon in the shortest possible time. Click here to find out more.