Coach’s Corner: Race Execution – Discipline Over Emotion

As we head into the road season, there is one principle that consistently separates a solid run from a great one.

Run the pace you are trained for, not the pace you feel on the day.

Cooler conditions, race atmosphere, and a good warm up can make the early stages feel deceptively easy. That is exactly why so many runners go out too hard and pay for it later.

Your fitness sets your pace. If you have not trained at it consistently, race day is not where you suddenly discover it.

Good pacing is simple, but not easy to execute.

• The first one to two kilometres should feel controlled. It should feel almost too easy.

• The middle section is where you settle into rhythm and stay patient.

• The final third is where you lift. This is where good pacing allows you to race.

  
  

A simple rule of thumb is this. If you are passing people late, you have likely paced it well. If you are getting passed, you probably went out too hard.

Common mistakes show up every race. Going with a faster group just to see how it feels. Trying to bank time early. Letting the first downhill or a tailwind dictate your pace. Locking onto your watch instead of running to effort.

A well executed race often feels controlled at halfway, not heroic.

The goal is not to feel fast early. The goal is to still be racing strongly at the end.

Discipline early gives you options late.

Run happy and see you out there!