My Pacing Strategy & How We Spent Our Day!

We all met up for a Memorial Day run together.  We brought out our most fierce running pose for the end of the run picture too.

Part of our run was on the paved river trail and part was running up on the dirt/rocks to the pipeline trail.

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Pretty sure our mountains are going to have snow until July.

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We finished up the run with 8.5 miles and about 550 ft of climbing.  We will do a short workout on Wednesday and the rest of the week will be all about easy/recovery miles before our race.

I brought out my Boston Launch 6s for the run!

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The middle of our day wasn’t too crazy… just chasing Skye around in the backyard.  I guess the sun finally coming out meant Skye needed to cool down by taking her shirt off.

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I got her to cuddle with me for approximately 6 seconds.

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For dinner we took Mer (my grandma) out for a burger.  Hamburgers are one of her favorite meals and yesterday was the perfect day to go together.

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Smashburger tater tots are some of my favorites.

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And then we hung out at home and waited for Andrew and Brooke to get home.

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Can’t wait to party today!

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The last (and only time) I raced a 10k was on the 4th of July back in 2013.  A good chunk of that race was on the trails so I’m not sure how I paced it but I do remember feeling like death at the end.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to pace my 10k on Saturday.   I’ve been wondering if for a 10k you should go out at race pace and just hold onto that until the finish or do you go out at a slower pace and get faster with each mile and have a really great negative split?

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I think I found my answer on Runners Connect with their calculator where you enter in your goal time (39:30 is my dream goal on Saturday) and then they give you splits to shoot for for each mile.  They also give you a detailed race strategy below the graph too (but if you are running a hilly course then you might want to switch things up).

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I’ve determined that my race strategy for Saturday is—> “You should focus on running a patient and conservative race over the first mile and then attacking the course for the last mile.”   It later goes on to say, “Every world record from the 1500 meters to the marathon has been set running negative splits-running the first half of the race slightly slower than the second half.  You should target a pace around 5-10 seconds per mile slower than your goal race pace the first 2 miles.”

The final mile:

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There is no better way than starting our June off (the race is 6/1) than with my legs wanting to fall off and my lungs exploding, I can’t wait.

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How have you paced a 10k in the past?  What about other races, do you go in with a pretty solid race plan or run more based off of effort?

-I don’t want to be looking at my watch often during the race so I think I’m going to go for the first two miles off of what I feel would be a little bit slower than how I want to finish the races.

Who has seen the new Aladin?  Let me know if you loved it or not….

Favorite place to get a burger?

Parents reading… what type of summer schedule do you set up for your kids?  I would love any links to great little plans!

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42 comments

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Im just hoping to finish my 10k in less than 45 minutes haha. I know that’s a pretty doable goal for me right now.

Summer at our house is a lot of playing, swimming and adventures. I can’t wait to take my kids out and about this summer.

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You are going to crush your goal Jenny! Just a little over three weeks wahoo! I can’t wait either, summer in utah is the best!

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I love that you took your grandma out for burgers. How fun! Today is our first day of summer. Friday was my kids’ last day. I am still trying to figure out the best summer plan for us. In the past I’ve done the structured week plans (Thinking Thursday, Fun Friday, etc), I’ve tried to do too much, had too much down time/not enough structure, etc. This year we’re going to try some chores (more than the school year but not too much), kids help make dinner once a week, reading through a kids’ version of the first chunk of the Old Testament, limited screen time, making sure we get outside everyday, and some required reading time. My kids are older than yours so I’m going to be doing all I can to fight the battle of the screens/video games.

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Okay, these ideas are just what I was looking for (thinking Thursday and fun Friday… I love that)! Also I’m going to use cooking dinner together once a week and the kids bible reading (I need to get a kids version)! Thank you and way to go on fighting that fight! I’m a big believer in what you are doing! Have a wonderful day Ali and thanks for your help!

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Love the synchronized “get set” pose :)
The only 10k course I remember doing (a couple of times, years ago) was a net downhill with a super-fast finish. Our running group advice was the same–start a bit slower than projected pace, then speed up. You really couldn’t help but sprint the downhill ending of that course! You’ll have an awesome return to 10k this weekend!
I didn’t see the movie, but I saw a video of a James Corden skit with Will Smith and other cast members performing songs from the movie (in full costume and props) in crosswalks during red lights. It was pretty funny!
I usually make burgers at home (boring), but I want to try Habit Burger and Shake Shack that recently opened near me. I think our last Smash Burger closed before I got myself there to try :(

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I need to find that skit ASAP and watch it! I love James Corden! Oh I love Habit burger! Oh I bet that final downhill sprint was awesome! Thanks so much Corey and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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10ks are my nemesis, but funny enough, I actually won the last two I’ve raced! I typically go out comfortably hard for a couple miles, and then try to pick it up to the end. I think a lot of folks start 10ks way too fast, so it’s fun picking those people off at the end. (I sound so cruel!)
We have a place up here called Bill Gray’s and it’s known for their cheeseburgers. We try to gone once a year for a burger, fries, and a shake. It’s definitely not health food, but wow is it delicious.
My little guy has been wanting to remove various articles of clothing lately too. He really likes pulling up his shirt to show us his bellybutton when he isn’t wearing a onesie. He has a fantastic belly, so I think it’s just the cutest.

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You have won the last two that you raced? Stacey, that is awesome! And on Saturday I will remember what you said about how fun it is to not go out too fast and catch them at the end! I need to try Bill Gray’s ASAP! Hahaha it really is the cutest! Have a beautiful day Stacey!

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running in utah always looks SO beautiful. hope you had a lovely memorial day

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Come visit and I’ll take you to go run in some of my favorite places! Thank you so much Nicole, I hope you did too!

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As you know my last 10K was 34 years ago. The only thing I remember is starting out with a 5:19 and then hanging on for dear life to finish at about 36:50.

For my next 10K in August my goal is to add 10 minutes to that and break 47 minutes. For my 5K’s I usually trust my body clock ( I don’t look at my watch) and run a fairly consistent pace anywhere between 6:44-7:11 depending on terrain. I am curious how my “body clock” will do with a 10K. I did run 6.2 miles yesterday on flat terrain and ran 7:37-7:50 per mile without looking at my watch even once. I’ll check out that race plan clock you posted, looks interesting. So, to answer your question, I guess my plan is just based off effort.

My wife wants to see Aladdin, but I despise movie theaters ,lol. I always seem to get the kid kicking my seat behind me, loud talkers nearby, etc…

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36:50…. oh that is a dream! That is sooo fast John! Starting with a 5:19, wow! I’m so excited for your comeback 10k and I love the idea of using your ‘body clock’! I think you are going to smash your goal based on your 6.2 yesterday! Hahah tell your wife to come with us;) Have a wonderful day John!

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Ha, it’s hard for me to believe I was once that fast! The year after that I had to start taking 500 level Aerospace Engineering classes and time for running went down as homework time went up. Lots of late nights studying. I never got into that kind of shape again!

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You should find a drive-in. I saw Aladdin at the drive in. No kicking kids!! Just a beautiful starry night.

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No worries, I already offered to go see Aladdin with my wife this Saturday morning. I don’t think there are any drive ins around here. I will also drag myself to the theater for the Star Wars movies, I have not missed one with my kids since Star Wars Episode I in 1999. Got to keep that tradition alive.

My mom used to take me, my 3 brothers, and whoever else wanted to tag along (friends, neighbor kids, etc..) to the drive in theater in our family station wagon when I was younger – this was back in the 1970’s in Kansas. Fond memories….

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My sister in law took my niece to see Aladdin and loved it. I’ve heard it starts off a little slow and then gets much better.

Favorite burger is a local hole in the wall. Second favorite is Five Guys!

Good luck on your race this weekend!

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Oh good to hear! Thanks so much Jennifer! I hope you get to go to Five Guys soon! Thanks so much and have a wonderful day!

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The scenery from your run looks amazing!

I always pace things by quarters – first quarter strong and smooth, build second and third quarter, whatever is left last quarter. I started this when I was a 200 swimmer in college and it seems to work ok at most distances? I think for road racing you kind of have to go by effort instead of pure pace because there are winds, hills, etc.

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I’ve put together a list of all the places we are going to eat and run (and where you can swim and bike;) for when you come visit Utah:) . Oh I LOVE that idea of taking it by the quarters… done and done. Thanks so much Victoria and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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I can’t wait to see the new Aladin! I’ve been wanting to break out the Disney classics (in my opinion) for my little boy. He just turned three and suddenly loves to sing. Sometimes I’ll sing him Disney songs before bed and the other day I hear him singing the “Part of Your World” song from Little Mermaid all by himself. Now I’m on a mission to watch all my favorite Disney movies with him.

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Oh that is SO fun and I love that you heard him singing that (Little Mermaid is my personal favorite). I love that you are doing this with him. Have a fabulous day Megan!

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https://youtu.be/5YQQHqwxYzs

I really liked this video of tips. Some are obvious, but it’s still good to hear-it’s almost like a little pep talk. Good luck on Saturday!

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Hi Janae, which model of Garmin do you have? It looks gorgeous! Any others that you recommend?
How wonderful you can train with the group of such lovely ladies! :)

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Hey!! I have the Garmin 935 and I absolutely love it! Andrew has the 230 and he really loves it too! Before this one I had the 225 and also loved that one but only upgraded because I needed a longer battery life for my ultra. Let me know if you end up getting a new one and what you choose! Have a beautiful day:)

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Thank you so much! I was looking at the watches earlier today and fell in love with Garmin 235 frost blue..it seems to be similar to your previous one so I have the feeling it’s a good choice :) :)

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Thank you so much! I was looking at watches earlier today and I fell in love with Garmin 235..it seems to be similar to your prevous watch so I bet it’s a good choice :)

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OH YAY!! Enjoy Damjana!!

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Your mountains are so pretty! I love that you can see the peaks and valleys; our mountains are so overgrown with luscious greenery that we don’t know where the summit is until we’re there and we have no idea where we started because of all the switchbacks. Not a bad problem to have i suppose! Ha!
I’ve only ever ran one successful 10k; somewhat following what the Runner’s Connect tool suggests with a slower start that gradually builds then all out in the end; it felt GREAT to pick people off that passed me in the first couple miles and to finish with a bang! You’re putting in the work – I have no doubt you’ll crush your goal!
We haven’t seen the new Aladdin movie but we saw a preview when we saw Detective Pikachu and it looked good! DP was a really good movie as well.
Favorite place to get a burger …. I can’t name one because I get cravings for specific tastes! Please tell me I’m not alone! Ha! Right now our favorite is Dick’s Burgers. Super simple and cheap and they hit the spot every single time. We went through a Red Mill (Oprah approved) phase a few years ago, Red Robbin, Monster Burger …. basically, we just like to eat!
This summer will be full of beach time, playground time, maybe a nerf camp, maybe soccer camp. We usually leave it open. For rainy days, I’ll probably use http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html to get fun ideas to entertain them if we’re stuck inside.
Since this isn’t long enough … (ha ha ha!!!), I tested out the ankle (on a trail run no less!) and so far so good!!!!! Looks like those 4 days off worked wonders! Oh, and those energy bites/balls I made … I haven’t been able to taste test them yet since my kids have eaten them all! They must be good since they are the pickiest eaters ever!
Have a great day!

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I am thrilled that your ankle was happy Jenny! This is huge and you were so smart to take time off. Hahaha that’s what happens at our house too with .
Bahaha that is definitely a wonderful problem but I know what you mean, I do love seeing those peaks and the rock too! I think that race plan that you used is the way to go! Knox wants to go to Detective Pikachu together soon so we will need to go see that asap! I fully agree with you on the cravings for different burgers thing and sometimes I just want to have one from our own BBQ too. Our bodies are telling us what they want haha.

THANK YOU x a million for sharing that link with me… my kids are going to have a blast with these! Thank you thank you.

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I am thrilled that your ankle was happy Jenny! This is huge and you were so smart to take time off. Hahaha that’s what happens at our house too with those power balls.
Bahaha that is definitely a wonderful problem but I know what you mean, I do love seeing those peaks and the rock too! I think that race plan that you used is the way to go! Knox wants to go to Detective Pikachu together soon so we will need to go see that asap! I fully agree with you on the cravings for different burgers thing and sometimes I just want to have one from our own BBQ too. Our bodies are telling us what they want haha.

THANK YOU x a million for sharing that link with me… my kids are going to have a blast with these! Thank you thank you.

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I have only raced one 10K and it was brutal! I pretty much did an all-out sprint the whole race, which was not a good strategy. Ha!

I know you have mentioned Runner’s Connect a couple of times so I was doing some exploring. Do you pay for a monthly membership? Do you feel it’s worth the money? I don’t have a coach, but would love one (just can’t spend that kind of money right now). But, at $20 a month, it seems like there is a lot of good stuff (nutrition, strength training, marathon workouts, etc.). Thoughts??

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Hey Kristen! I do not have a monthly membership! I wish I could better answer your question. I have read their articles for years and years and loved them! You can’t beat $20 a month either. Maybe try it out for a month or two?! Have a wonderful day!

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I love the 10K plan/advice! I am racing a 10K on June 8th for the first time in YEARS and have had a hard time coming up with a plan. I like the idea of running strong but slightly conservative and then crushing it the last mile (AKA not dying the last mile!!!)

Favorite burger place – if you ever come to Seattle again – Local Burger in Bellevue! YUMMY!!!! My only hang up is that they don’t have sweet potato fries – other than that it is the best!

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June 8th is coming up Deb, I am cheering for you! Let’s both use that race plan and get some PRs. I am coming to Seattle in September and I will absolutely be trying that burger. Thanks so much Deb and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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Your plan sounds legit!

I saw Aladdin yesterday and while they did change a few things, I really enjoyed it! Their characterization of both Princess Jasmine and Aladdin were unbelievable!

I’m not a huge burger person, but when I’m craving one, it’s usually In N Out or Whataburger (if we’re in TX).

My kids are older than yours, but we still schedule out their summer time :) And you can probably gather that we’re both teachers. Ha.
6-7am – they run xc practice with my team
7-8am – breakfast, chores, clean up
8-9am – reading + a short report on what they read
9-9:30am – homework :) We buy workbooks. This year we have 2 high schoolers, so I bought PSAT practice and 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (and a workbook to go with it).
9:30-11:30am – outside play, board games, etc.
11:30-12:30pm – make, eat, and clean up lunch
12:30-1:30pm – quiet play
1:30-2:30pm – video games
2:30-3:30pm – outside play
3:30-4:00pm – 2 pages of homework
4-5pm – reading
5pm – help make dinner and clean up

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So good to hear that Aladdin was awesome! Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your schedule. I love this! I used the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens with the workbook with my students when I taught high school, it is an incredible book. Thanks for sharing with me Marissa and I hope you have a beautiful day and that you all enjoy your summer vacation!

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Hey since you’re the brooks queen and you’re in launches….

I loved the launch or so I thought, but the toe is too narrow and is causing an issue for me. So my question is…what brooks shoe do you think is most similar to the launch? They all have medium width toe boxes except the launch!

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Hey Sara! That is a great question and bummer about the launch being too narrow! I personally would say the ricochet… they are a mix of the launch and the levitate and they are my favorite. I actually love them more than the launch. The offer a bit more energy return and comfort than the launch in my opinion but they still feel fast and springy like the launch to me. GOOD LUCK!

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Thanks so much for responding! That is actually the model I was going to try. Have a great night ?

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We just took our three kids (2, 6, 9) to see Aladdin and they all say two thumbs up! It is long, though- over two hours- and eventually I had to take our little guy out because he was over.it. and just walking up and down the aisle saying “Me cowboy! Heehaw!” Ha

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Not an answer to any of your questions =) but the picture above of your run along the trail by the aqua-ducting is reminiscent of the section of Los Gatos Creek Trail, after going past downtown Los Gatos/high school, transitioning over and up to the dam/St Joseph trail. Good memories!

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I know exactly what section you are talking about. So so beautiful! I hope your day is going great so far:)

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