Chapter 7:
Knowing what a realistic pace for a given run is can indicate the right Run Walk Run® strategy. The Magic Mile (MM) can set the pace. This simple cognitive strategy can keep you from setting unrealistic goals and then training too hard. As you do the math you will know current capabilities and how much improvement may be possible during a season. The Run Walk Run® strategies are directly linked to the pace per mile.
I’ve used a number of different evaluation tools over my 50+ years of running. The MM has been the most accurate reality check in setting a safe pace and then a Run Walk Run® strategy for all workouts. It will also provide guidance as to when a goal change might be productive. To ensure continued injury-free running enjoyment, you need to know current potential in order to set the right Run Walk Run® strategy for various paces. Without the MM, most runners usually set an unrealistic goal, which leads to overtraining and frustration.
NOTE: Beginners should follow the suggestions in the Off the Couch chapter in this book.
How to do the MM
These one-mile time trials are listed on the schedules in my books. They are usually run about every 2-3 weeks. Only one MM is done each day it is assigned.
Go to a track, or other accurately measured course. One mile is 4 laps around a standard track (1600 meters).
Warm up by walking for 5 minutes, then use a Run Walk Run® strategy that is more conservative than you will use in your MM. If you plan to use a 3-minute run/1-minute walk in the MM, then the warm-up ratio would be run a minute and walk a minute, or 30 seconds/30 seconds. Then, for 5-10 minutes, jog at an easy pace, with walk breaks as desired.
Do 4 acceleration gliders. These are listed in the Drills chapter.
Walk for 2-3 minutes.
On your first MM, don’t run all-out from the start—just run a normal pace for 3 laps and then pick it up a little. Be sure to record your time, and try to remember and record the time of each lap
Try to run faster on each successive MM. Run fast—for you—for 4 laps. It is your choice to either use walk breaks or not during the MM (most of my runners who report times from non-stop vs. Run Walk Run®, usually run faster with some form of a walk break in the MM).
A school track is the best venue. Don’t use a treadmill because they tend to be notoriously unreliable, and often tell you that you ran farther or faster than you really did.
If using a GPS device to measure the mile, use a flat, safe course and measure the same mile several times. Mark the beginning and end based upon the results of 3-4 measurements. Then measure the quarter-mile segments. It’s best to use the same segment for each MM.
On each successive MM, adjust pace in order to run a faster time. Never sprint.
Cool down by jogging and walking gently for 10 minutes and then walking for 5-10 minutes.
Use the formula below to see what time is predicted during a season.
Then use the results to set a realistic pace for the long runs.
The pace for each run will indicate the appropriate Run Walk Run® strategy—noted in the next chapter.
Adjust pacing during each quarter mile to help with improvement.
A good formula for success is to keep a consistent pace for the first 3 quarters with a slightly faster last lap.
You may run the rest of the miles scheduled for that day at any pace or Run Walk Run® strategy.
Note: Remember that you are only running one MM each day it is scheduled.
On the first MM, run gently for three laps and pick up the pace a bit on the last. Try to remember the time of each quarter mile (one lap around a track is close enough to a quarter mile if you run in the middle of the first lane). On each successive MM afterward, run the first lap slightly slower than you think you can average. Take a short walk break at the quarter mile, half mile, or even eighth mile marks. If you aren’t huffing and puffing, you can pick up the pace a bit on the second lap. If you are huffing after the first lap, then just hold your pace on lap two—or reduce it slightly.
Walk breaks during a MM? Many runners find that they run faster when they insert a 15-30-second walk break every half lap or every lap or at least at the half mile. At the end of lap 3, the walk break is optional. It is OK to be breathing hard on the last lap. If you are slowing down on the last lap, start a little slower on the next MM. When you finish, you should feel like you couldn’t run more than about half a lap at that pace. You may find that you don’t need many (or any) walk breaks during the MM—experiment and adjust.
Don’t Sprint!
The first one should be only slightly faster than you normally run. With each successive MM, pick up the pace and try to beat your previous best time. By the fourth MM, you should be running fairly close to your potential.
Most of the runners I’ve coached who have tried both non-stop running and Run Walk Run® have reported faster times when walk breaks were inserted in some form. Try it both ways.
Galloway’s Performance Predictor
Run your MM time trial (4 laps around the track or 1,600 meters).
Convert the MM time to minutes and hundredths of a minute (9:33 MM is 9.55).
Compute your current potential mile pace for the race of your choice by using the formula below.
Compute the pace of long runs by adding 2 minutes to the potential marathon pace.
Do the training necessary to prepare for the goal of your choice.
5K—add 33 seconds to the best current MM
10K—multiply by 1.15
Half Marathon—multiply by 1.2
Marathon—multiply by 1.3
5K potential pace per mile: 10 + 33 seconds = 10:33 per mile
10K potential per mile pace: multiply 10 x 1.15 = 11:30 per mile
Half marathon potential per mile pace: multiply 10 x 1.2 = 12 min/mi
Marathon potential per mile pace: Multiply 10 x 1.3 = 13 min/mi
Long run training pace: add 2 minutes per mile = 15 minutes per mile
Note: Slow down the long runs and long races by 30 sec/mile for every 5°F increase above 60°F (20 sec/km for every 2°C above 14°C).
Metric runners: multiply the mile pace by .62 to determine pace per kilometer
Note: The potential that is determined by the computations assumes that you will be running about all-out effort in your goal race, that you did all of the training in my time goal programs, and that conditions were perfect on race day. Because conditions are not usually perfect it is best to add a few seconds per mile to what the MM predicts on a perfect day, for at least the first few miles of your goal race.
I strongly recommend that first-time runners in any race should not attempt a time goal. Use the MM to determine your long run pace (adding 2 minutes to the MM time multiplied by 1.3). During the race itself, I recommend running the first two-thirds of the race at your training pace. During the last third you may run as you wish.
I have no problem at the beginning of a training season allowing my e-coach athletes, who’ve run one or more races at a certain distance, to choose a goal time that is faster than that predicted by the initial MM in the same race. As you do the speed training, the long runs and your form drills, most runners improve…but how much? In my experience this leap-of-faith goal should not exceed 3-5% improvement in a 6-month training program.
Run the MM
Use the formula above to predict your current potential per mile pace in your goal race
Choose the amount of improvement during the training program (3-5%)
Example: “leap of faith” improvement in a half marathon
Half-Marathon Pre-test prediction | 3% Improvement | 5% Improvement |
1:20 | 2:12 | 4:00 |
1:40 | 3:00 | 5:00 |
2:00 | 3:36 | 6:00 |
2:30 | 4:30 | 7:30 |
3:00 | 5:24 | 9:00 |
(Over a 4-6 month training program)
The key to goal setting is keeping your ego in check. From my experience, I have found that a 3% improvement is realistic. This means that if your half-marathon time is predicted to be 3:00, then it is realistic to assume you could lower it by five and a half minutes if you do the speed training and the long runs as noted on my training schedules in my books. The maximum improvement, which is less likely, is a more aggressive 5% or 9 minutes off a three-hour half marathon.
In both of these situations, however, everything must come together to produce the predicted result. Even runners who shoot for a 3% improvement and do all the training as described, achieve their goal slightly more than 50% of the time during a racing season. The more aggressive performances usually result in success about 20% of the time. There are many factors that determine a time goal in any race that are outside of your control: weather, terrain, infection, etc.
The prediction from the MM assumes that you have done all of the training for the goal (e.g., long runs and speed workouts), the weather is ideal, the course is not hilly, and that you don’t have to weave around runners very much—or swing wide around too many turns.
Note: Crowded races force you to run longer than race distance—usually about half a mile in a half marathon and one mile additional in a marathon.
Follow the same format as listed in the pre-test above.
By doing this as noted, you will learn how to pace yourself.
Hint: It’s better to start a bit more slowly than you think you can run.
Walk breaks will be helpful for most runners. Read the section in this book for suggested ratios.
Note whether you are speeding up or slowing down at the end, and adjust in the next MM.
If you are not making progress then look for reasons and take action.
Reasons why you may not be improving:
You’re overtrained, and tired—if so, reduce your training, or take an extra rest day.
You may have chosen a goal that is too ambitious for your current ability.
You may have missed some of your workouts, or not been as regular with your training as needed.
The temperature may have been above 60°F (14°C). Temperatures above 60°F will cause a slowdown (the longer the race, the more time added).
You ran the first or second lap too fast.
Time-goal runners: Take your fastest MM and use Galloway’s Performance Predictor above. It is recommended that you run the first third of your goal race a few seconds per mile slower than the pace predicted by the MM.
To-finish runners should run the first two-thirds of the race at training pace and then speed up if desired.
If the MMs are predicting a time that is slower than the goal you’ve been training for, go with the time predicted by the MM.