There are two ways to go faster – take longer or faster strides. Changes in stride length are largely dictated by fitness, strength, and flexibility. However, you can increase your speed by increasing you stride rate without a big increase in fitness.
At 8:00/mile pace, taking 80 strides/minute (spm, left-right = one stride), you will take 640 strides (1,280 steps) in a mile, 4’ 1.5” per step. With just a small increase to 82spm, without a change in stride length, you will cover a mile in 7:48. That’s 1:13 faster for a 10km, over 5 min faster for a marathon. Who wouldn’t take that?
One of the most visible differences between elites and most other runners is their stride rates. Elite runners do ~90spm in marathons, faster in shorter races, and increase their stride rate when kicking. The average runner may only have a stride rate in the low 80s, and it may not vary much with speed or distance.
A faster stride rate not only makes you run faster, but it is more efficient. The biggest difference between 80spm and 90spm is how much time your feet are on the ground. The more time on the ground, the more momentum you lose actually slowing yourself down. You are absorbing more of the ground impact in your muscles, joints, and shoes rather than transferring that force into forward movement.
Counting
The first thing to do is to count your strides while you run. The purpose is to do two things. First, find out where you are. Second, the simple act of counting will make you more aware of your stride rate, and tend to make you start to stride faster.
Count for a minute or two. Do it a few times during your runs, and at different types of runs. Note how your stride rate differs over pace, terrain, and fatigue. Also note how different stride rates feel. Most newer running watches count strides for you making this easy. Log these counts as your base rate, then track your progress over time.
Many of you may have heard that 90/180spm is an ideal stride rate. Wrong. There is no one ideal rate for all runners. That’s like saying there is an ideal way to sing regardless of whether you are a baritone or soprano. We have different muscle types, joint alignment, flexibility, etc. If you are significantly below 90/180, training to increase your tempo is something you would probably benefit from. If your stride rate is already fast, there are other things that may be better to work on. Regardless, think about improving incrementally rather than hitting a specific number.
Striders
Add Striders to your training, focusing on stride rate. For those who don’t know what Striders are, it’s a series of short sprints. Many group track workouts incorporate Striders into their warm-ups. They’ll sprint the straights, and jog the curves. You don’t need a track to do this. All you need is a fairly flat and smooth area, where you sprint for 20-40 strides, and jog for 30-60 strides (same distance, about 50% more strides).
Gradually build your speed for the first half (50m on the track), carry that speed to the finish, then gradually slow down. The focus shouldn’t be on how fast you can stride rather how fast you can. Keep your stride short and quick. Imagine running on hot coals so that you want to lift your feet as soon as they hit the ground. Does that mean making your stride shorter? It’s not about shortening your stride, but on how quickly you can stride off after landing. What will happen is that when you start your sprint, your stride may be shorter, but as you speed up your stride, your stride will naturally lengthen.
You can also do striders at the end of easier, shorter runs, as well as in the middle (part) of your longer runs.
Striders are a great warm-up before a speed workout or race. After the easy jog part of your warm-up, a minute or two before the start of intervals, a few minutes before the start of a race (especially shorter/higher effort races), do a series of striders (4-8, depending on weather and how hard you are going to run).
Don’t reach with your stride. Let me repeat that. DON’T REACH!
Stairs
Running stairs can force you into a quicker stride. Bleachers/stadiums, office buildings, and for those of you in the Denver area, Red Rocks Amphitheatre are good places to run stairs. At Red Rocks (the side stairs, not the bleachers), I can easily take 2 or 3 stairs per step. However, I usually choose to take only one per step, forcing me into a short, quick, and light stride. If you don’t have access to stairs, you can get the same effect on a smooth, steep hill, but you have to consciously force yourself to take quick strides like running on hot coals.
Hills, up and down
Running hills, both up and down, tends to magnify flaws in your form, making them easier to feel and work on. Running uphill, the time your foot spends on the ground exaggerates the loss of momentum. Downhill, it exaggerates the pounding and braking.
Uphill: Find a fairly steep hill, not too technical, that you can run and maintain decent form). Start by running in place, with short, quick strides (sort of like a running start), lean forward, skip and/or stutter step, then start moving forward. The skip/stutter step gets you into a quick, stride mode. Stride as quickly as you can, a little more than is comfortable (like striders). Exaggerate your arm swing, focusing a little more in the backwards swing of the arm. Drive your knees up and forward. Run until your form and rhythm starts to break, usually around 20 seconds.
Downhill: It can be easier to get a fast stride rate going downhill. Find a gradual, smooth downhill grade where you don’t have to worry about footing or braking. Lean forward, bending at your ankles, not your waist. As you start to fall, start striding. Start slowly and gradually pick up the pace. Focus on lifting your feet as soon as they touch the ground (like running on hot coals). Let gravity do the work moving you forward. Keep your feet moving to keep from falling over.
More Spring in your Stride
When your feet hit the ground, your feet and calves absorb some of the force, then should return it like a spring to propel you forward. You can improve your springiness by practicing dynamic, spring-like exercises.
Jumping rope is a great exercise for this. You have to spring up quickly off the balls of your feet. You don’t have to actually jump rope. Simply hopping in place is good.
You can do something similar with a stair, or other stable, fairly low platform. Stand on the lowest stair. Hop down, then quickly hop back up. Don’t let your heels touch the ground, and spring up as soon as your feet hit the ground at the bottom.
Another drill, on stairs or a curb, is to start with one foot up on the stair/curb and one down. Quickly, alternate feet up and down, switching as soon as you land.
Listen to the Music
For some, running to the beat can help their stride rate. I don’t listen to music when I run, so I can’t speak from personal experience, but I know many of you do. You can program your own tunes. Note the beat of those tunes, and load music with a slightly faster beat than your base spm. You can also buy music programmed for specific beat rates. A metronome might help too, when running on a treadmill.
Ultras
It can be hard to maintain a high stride rate in ultras, especially when hiking. This is still worth working on. The less time you spend on the ground, the more efficient you will be. When the hill is steep and long, when you’re tired, it’s turnover, not power, that keeps my momentum going. Training a higher tempo will make relatively faster ultra spm seem easier.
Personal Experience
In the 1980s, when I was mainly doing triathlons, I used to do 80spm regardless of whether I was running at a 5:30 or 8:30 pace. I was so consistent that I could accurately time my runs by counting my strides – 400 strides and I’d be within a second or two of 5 minutes.
I started working on my stride rate many years ago. I regularly do striders and uphill sprints. When doing striders and hill sprints, I focus more on leg turnover than speed. When doing intervals, the focus is equal. Now, I do ~100spm on 30-second hill sprints and striders, close to 90 for a 5km, high 80s for a ½-marathon. It’s still a work in progress.
Changing your stride rate doesn’t happen over night. But it can happen over time, with practice.
Striding faster will make you a faster and more efficient runner, without requiring you to get a lot fitter. It takes time and practice, but the ability to increase your stride rate is important for all runners. Start practicing. I’m counting on you.
Do you look forward to tapering or fear it? “What is supposed to be a relaxing time to rest and recover … [can be] a time of intense anxiety,” writes Stephanie Kinnon in an article titled “The Terror of Tapering.”
Tapering can be stressful. Many questions may be running through your mind.
Should I taper?
Will I lose my fitness if I back off?
Have I trained enough?
Can I squeeze in one more interval session or long run?
When should I start my taper?
How much should I run and how hard?
Pause. Take a few deep breaths. Relax.
Yes, you should taper for a big race. A “big” race is one you want to do well in whether that’s ¼-mile or 100.
Training is a repeated process of stress followed by recovery and build. When you train, you stress your body. Your body responds to the stress by building back stronger if you don’t overstress it and give it time to recover. In the midst of training, you don’t fully recover. You want to recover enough to continue training at the level you need to continue to build your fitness.
For a big race, you want more of a recovery. That doesn’t mean complete rest. It means doing enough to keep your body’s systems primed to race while but allowing your body a greater recovery. No, you will not lose any significant fitness. I’ll get into how below. For now, don’t underestimate the value of fresh legs.
No, you probably shouldn’t try to squeeze in one last hard workout close to a big race.
The question “Have I done enough?” doesn’t really matter late in the game. You’ve done what you’ve done. Adaptation to new stress, new training stimulus takes weeks. It’s the repeated exposure to that stimulus throughout training that matters. Thus, a single extra workout will not add much, but that extra workout could lead to illness, injury, or fatigue on race day. If you think you’ve prepared well, trust your training. If you think you’ve fallen short, modify your goals. It’s too late to fix it.
Don’t add anything new to your training. New means harder and longer as well as different. I like to count back 6-8 weeks from my target race. That’s when I want to be at my peak training level, my longest run and/or hardest speed/hill session. That doesn’t mean I start my taper then. I’ll repeat those hard sessions the last few weeks leading into my taper, but won’t increase them.
Minimize weights and resistance training. The goal of tapering is to have fresh muscles at the start. You’ve done the work. Let your body absorb it.
Tapering is as much art as science. It’s as individual to the person as it is the event. Rather than giving you a specific recipe, here are some guidelines to follow.
Maintain the same schedule if you can. Your body becomes used to rhythms. If you’ve been running 5 days/week, keep running those same 5 days.
Cut back on volume. In general, race week should be < 50% of total volume. If you’re doing a 3-week taper off of 60 miles/week, the final three weeks might be 45, 35, 25. Do so by shortening your runs rather than skipping one. If not sure, err on the side of less rather than more.
Maintain the intensity with caveats. Keep doing your speedwork but shorten the number or repetitions. In general, you don’t need to do them any faster than race pace/effort during taper. If you’re training for a marathon and been doing your speed sessions faster than marathon race pace (MRP), slow them down to MRP. If you’re training for an ultra, I would continue to do striders (You’re not? You should); ~30 seconds with a focus on leg turnover not speed, short, quick strides. Striders are good during the taper for all distance.
The week of, only do easy/recovery runs with some striders and perhaps a short tempo at race pace/effort; e.g., a couple of miles at marathon race pace for a marathon, 5 minutes or so at 5k pace for a 5k.
How long should you taper?
5k – 10k: 1 week.
½-Marathon: 2 weeks.
Marathon: 3 weeks.
50 – 100mi: 3-4 weeks.
These are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Listen to your body. In general, err on the side of too little than too much. Any fitness loss from tapering will be nominal and more than offset by having a rested body. It’s better to go into a big race a bit undertrained than 1% overtrained, with well rested legs rather than a depleted body.
Knowing the physiology doesn’t necessarily ease the anxiety. Your taper needs to address the mind as well as the body. If you’re anxious and feel the need to do more, it’s OK to add an extra short/easy run or a set of striders. Something short and fast, like striders, can be good at alleviating nerves. Just remember to keep it short and not too hard. If you/your legs feel like they want to run more and fast, that’s good. Do just enough to ease the mind so that you’ll have that feeling at the start line.
Food: As you cut back on training, you might want to cut back on eating, but only a bit. You don’t want to gain weight, but you also don’t want to go hungry. For those who count calories, the calories you burn are not just what you use in training, but also in recovery and basic daily functioning. Your metabolism should already be fairly high from training into the taper. The best way to cut back during tapering is to cut out/back on junk food and snacks, and perhaps slightly smaller portions at meals. Keep the more nutritious foods and less of the empty calories. Indulge after.
Sleep is important in training in general as well as in tapering. Sleep is where your body does most of its repairing and strengthening. Sleep as well as you can to let your body get ready to race. Sleeping well the night before can be challenging for many. If you sleep well in the days prior, you don’t have to worry as much about the night before.
Should you race prior to your “A” race? That depends. A shorter, training “B” race can be a good test of your training and good way to practice for the “A” race. You can try your shoes, nutrition, hydration, pacing, night before, breakfast day of, etc.
If you want to do a “B” race, you can do a mini-taper and recovery. Back off for a few days, perhaps a week leading into the race. Use that week as a down week; most good training plans will include a down/recovery week every few weeks. Use the race as a hard workout, not necessarily all out. Then, take a few easy days after the race. Elites might be able to race a hard ½-marathon 3-6 weeks before a marathon. That doesn’t mean the rest of us can. Note that Kipchoge didn’t race prior to his record breaking Berlin marathon (I think his last race was in March).
Tapering is my second favorite part of training. Training can be wearing both physically and psychologically. I see tapering as a reward for a long stretch of training. It’s a time to rest my body and relax my mind. I realize not everyone thinks like I do. Know that there’s very little you can do to help at this point but a lot you can do to put all that effort to waste. All I can say is trust in your training, trust in yourself. Take all that work you’ve done and make sure it’s ready to use on race day.
Train smart. Have fun. Smile. See you on the trails (and roads).
Pacing in ultras is easy – start out slow, then fade. Just kidding.
Proper pacing is important. Going out too fast or too slow can ruin your (very long) day. However, there’s a lot of room in the middle. You don’t have to be perfect.
Leadville Buckle
Don’t follow pacing charts. Just because a pacing chart says that if you want to finish in 27 hours, you should be at AS2 in 4 hours, doesn’t mean that’s right for you. In general, such pacing charts are an average of what people do run not what they should run. And, they’re an average. There is a wide range of variation around that average. The further from the finish, the greater that variance.
At best, pacing charts can tell you about what finishing time you may have at any given point along a course. Note that if you’re pushing cut-offs early on, it’s likely you’ll be in trouble later. This will vary by race.
Success in ultras is largely about minimizing muscle damage early and managing it later. Much of muscle damage in running comes from eccentric contractions. Eccentric contractions are when your muscles are working when lengthening. Muscles are stronger when shortening. When you do an arm curl, the bulge is from your bicep shortening. When you let the weight down, that’s an eccentric contraction; the bicep is working, controlling the descent while lengthening.
The two muscle groups taking the most eccentric strain are the quads and calves. They help stabilize your body as you land. When you run, your quads undergo eccentric stress when you land – they stabilize your lower body as your knee bends. Your calves work while lengthening as your heel comes down after landing. These muscles work concentrically as you push off. The soreness you feel walking down stairs, after a big race, is from the eccentric damage.
Concentric strain is caused when you push off on your stride. They are more of a strain when climbing and going faster. While you should be aware of this, the greater focus should be on eccentric strain.
The other side of stride is biomechanic efficiency. Biomechanic efficiency is how much of the energy from each stride is carried forward vs lost into the ground and muscles. In general, the faster you go, the more energy is carried forward stride to stride. Of course, faster also increases metabolic (fuel) demands and eccentric strain.
In general, slower is less damaging. However, there is a running (walking is less damaging than running) pace below which your stride can be more damaging. Also, slower is biomechanically inefficient. That shuffle, where you slide your foot forward into the ground as you land and where your foot spends a lot of time on the ground, is inefficient. The key is in finding the right balance between biomechanic efficiency, muscle strain, and metabolic demands.
Start as fast as possible with an efficient, minimally damaging stride, or as slow as necessary to maintain a fairly efficient stride while minimizing muscle strain. Walk when you need to in order to minimize strain, not just because others are walking. Run when you can; it’s faster than walking.
I realize this is vague, but I can’t give you a specific pace. This is something you have to experiment with in your training. This means something going to fast or to slow in training. You don’t learn your boundaries until you push beyond them.
Back to pacing charts – they may get you in the ballpark, but they shouldn’t drive how you race. Learn to run by feel. This takes practice and you’re likely to get it wrong sometime, but you’ll be better off in the long run (pun intended). Of course, if you’re struggling to make cut-offs, then you’ll have to go as fast as necessary to hit them.
This is a guide for those pacing the Leadville Trail 100 Run. Although primarily for pacers, the information is valuable to crew and runners too.
This was originally written in 2004 and has been revised a few times. This latest version is based on my experiences through the years including my most recent experience pacing in 2021, and more recent changes in the race. Use the Outline headings to navigate the different sections. Please send me feedback, comments, suggestions for improvement, critiques, etc., and/or comment on this blog.
I’ve paced and crewed the LT100 Run > 10 times, raced twice with top-20, sub-23hr finishes, and have coached several runners. I’ve worked with runners from all parts of the pack: a perennial top 5 finisher, 25-27 hour finishers, and some who have dropped. I have also crewed at the LT100 mountain bike race. I know the race well and gladly share my insights including some things I don’t think you’ll find elsewhere.
Before we start:
Rule #1: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST! You can’t help, and may even hurt your runner’s chances if you end up struggling. Make sure that you have enough food, fluids, the proper clothing, lights, extra batteries, etc. At Leadville, you need to be prepared for varied terrain, rapidly changing weather, and to be out there longer than expected. I’ll talk more about gear in part 3, later.
Rule #2: It’s their race/experience. You are there to be of service to the runner. Put your own ego and personal agendas aside for a few hours to accommodate whatever needs and wishes they have.
Use the Outline headings to navigate the different sections. Please send me feedback, comments, suggestions for improvement, critiques, etc., or comment on this blog.
Pacing Basics: What is pacing? Why pacers? Should/can you pace?
How To and Pacing Strategies.
Pacing Gear.
Crew and Aid Stations.
. Tip: Don’t change at Halfpipe. Change at Pipeline or Outward Bound instead.
Finding a pacer, or runner to pace. It’s possible even on race day.
What is pacing? Briefly, pacing is accompanying a runner during the race. A pacer is part friend, coach, psychologist, nutritionist, and mule (see below). A good pacer can play a big part in a runner’s success, sometimes even determining whether or not a runner even finishes. Ultra running is as much a psychological challenge as it is a physical one. A pacer can do a lot to help a runner through the rough spots.
Muling refers to carrying gear for the racer. At Leadville, unlike most other ultras, muling is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. This can mean carrying food, water, clothing, lights, and batteries. I’ll talk about what and how to carry stuff in the Gear section.
Should you pace? Yes. If you or a friend are still on the fence about pacing, jump in. Pacing is a fun and motivating. You’ll feel their joys and triumphs, their pain and struggles. It can be an extremely powerful experience to be out there with “ordinary” people doing amazing things.
Pacing is also a great way to learn about Leadville and ultras. If you’re thinking about getting into ultras, this is a great way to learn, from the inside, about the course, race tactics, managing crew and pacers, gear, nutrition, the mental challenge, etc.
Can you pace? Almost anyone can. You don’t have to be an ultra runner. You don’t have to be that fast. You don’t even have to be a “runner.” Most racers will be doing a lot more walking than running over the last 50 miles. Even when they do run, it won’t be that fast.
Pacing legs are as short as 4 or as long as 50 miles. You don’t have to be able to go that far. Even if you do end up going longer than you’re used to, you’ll probably be going a lot slower than you’re used to going on your long runs. So, as long as you are taking in fuel and fluids, you may be surprised at how easy it is to go far. My first ultras were done pacing at Leadville.
A good, strong, hiker can make a great pacer. Most of the racers will be walking most of the last 50 miles. If you can hike for several hours, at night, at 10,000’+, you can pace many of the runners in the field, especially over the mountain passes where they’ll likely be walking anyway. I have a friend, who couldn’t run a 60 minute 10k but is a strong hiker, and has paced successfully several times.
There’s more to pacing than just tagging along. In this section, I will give you tips to help you get the most out of your runner, and get the most out of your pacing experience, and how to deal with a struggling runner.
How to Pace
Where/how to run.
Hand-offs.
Talking vs. Silence.
Dealing with a Struggling Racer.
Injured Runner.
Getting Dropped
Everyone has different preferences about where they want you, what they want you to carry, how much they want you to talk, etc. Let the runner dictate the routine and the relationship. If you know your runner/pacer, talk about these things ahead of time. If you’re meeting each other on race day, check with their crew and use the start of your time together to figure out a routine. Regardless of what you may have worked out, be prepared to change. The runner will likely go through different emotional and physical states during the race. Each situation may require a different routine.
Where to run? Some runners like their pacers in front of them, some behind, some alongside. When I’m racing, on a single-track trail, I usually like to be in front with my pacer behind. I like to see the terrain; the unobstructed sight helps me go faster. This is especially true on the steep climbs and descents. Others prefer their pacer in front because it gives them the psychological feeling of being pulled along. If they like to chat, they may want you alongside where the trail is wide enough.
When running behind, you’ll want to stay far enough back so that you have clear view of the trail (you don’t want to be staring at their heels or back the whole way), yet close enough that you can hear them talk, and quickly scoot up to hand them a water bottle, etc. When running in front, look back periodically to maintain a fairly steady gap.
When pacing alongside, I’ll always try to give the runner the inside on curves. This has me crossing from side to side, behind the runner, as the trail curves.
This may change at night. While I generally want my pacer behind me during the day, at night, on rocky single-track (e.g., the Colo Trail from Hagerman Rd down to Mayqueen), I like having the pacer in front. They can pick the better line through the rocks so I don’t have to think about it. And, the extra light in front helps illuminate the trail (light from behind can cast a shadow). There are a few very short sections that are extremely rocky. There, it may help for the pacer to go through first, then turn and shine their lights down on the rocks as the runner traverses them. See more on lights below.
When handing stuff, I use a relay baton style hand off. They’ll tell me what they want. When I have it ready, I’ll move closer and tell the runner to hold out his/her hand. This allows both of you to keep moving while you’re exchanging gear.
To talk or not to talk? That depends on the runner. I’ve seen runners and pacers chatting for hours. Others like to stay stoic and focused. Even then, it’s still a good idea to check in with them periodically and see how they’re feeling. Remind them to eat and drink if necessary, but don’t nag. I’ll ask, “Do you want some water?” for example, and let them decide whether to take it or not. If it’s been a while since they’ve taken fuel or fluids, I might be more firm in my question; e.g., “Hey, it’s been 30 minutes since you last had anything. I think you should have a gel and water soon.” They may ask you to remind them to take an electrolyte tablet at a specific time interval, for example.
Everyone struggles at some point in an ultra. Success at ultras can largely depend on how you deal with the low points. A pacer can help a runner get through those times. However, lifting the spirits of a struggling runner can be a difficult task. There are no simple tricks. Everyone deals with the struggles differently and responds to different tactics. As a pacer, be prepared to try different things and see how the runner responds. Have a few stories or jokes ready. Mental struggles are often caused by physical struggles so make sure they eat and drink. Mental struggles can then negatively impact their running.
Try to keep them moving. Each step gets them that much closer to the finish. Look for and point out milestones and positives; e.g., “good effort on that last hill.” Touching their back or shoulder can help. You’re not allowed to push them, but often a light touch can improve their energy. You can play games with them to keep them moving, such as running to the next tree. One time, I had to negotiate with my runner. We agreed on having him run for 30 seconds (on the flats), with a minute of walking. I tricked him, and had him run for a minute at a time. Even someone feeling strong may need some reminders to run the flat and downhill sections. Remind them to keep their leg speed up. Short, quick strides are usually more efficient and faster than long, slow strides, especially when they’re tired.
No matter how much they are hurting, if it doesn’t hurt any less when they slow down, they might as well go fast (relatively). The sooner they finish, the sooner the pain will stop.
There’s a rare incident that your runner will get hurt between aid stations (AS). If that happens, you first need to make sure your runner is safe, then get word to the nearest AS. In most cases, you should stay with your runner. Chances are, another runner/pacer will be along soon. Tell them your runner’s name and number and ask them to get the word to the AS crew. Some pacers are EMTs and are willing to help the runner. In that case, it may be better to let them stay with the runner and have you run to the nearest AS. Don’t administer medical assistance yourself if you are not qualified to do so. If you are a pacer and come across a lone, injured runner, be prepared to leave your healthy runner to get to the nearest AS as quickly as possible. The nearest AS may be behind you.
In 1999, a friend of mine was pacing someone up the Powerline. His runner became hypothermic. They laid down along the trail and the pacer spooned with the runner to help keep him warm. A pacer, who’s and EMT, came along with his runner. The EMT stopped, while his runner kept going to get word to the AS. They got the runner moving again. He regained his energy and finished strongly.
Occasionally, a runner will drop a pacer (i.e., the pacer can’t keep up). It’s not the responsibility of the runner to wait for the pacer. If, as a pacer, you find yourself struggling to keep up, let the runner know and to tell them to go ahead without you. If you’re the runner, and you find your pacer is repeatedly falling behind, you need to ask them if they’re OK. As long as they’re not injured, if they’re holding you up, it’s OK to go ahead on your own. Even if the pacer is slightly injured, if they are well enough to get to the nearest AS on their own and have enough food, clothing, etc., it may be OK to leave them. Remember rule #1 of pacing – TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST!
Pacing Gear
3. Pacing Gear
Pacing is different than doing a training run. First, think in terms of time, not mileage. Runners take 2-4 hours between most aid stations (AS). However, a struggling runner might take a lot longer. Be prepared for the worst, both time and weather.
Second, you will likely be going slower than on a training run. Going slower is not necessarily easier. If you haven’t done much hiking, slow running, or power hiking on steep trails, you may be using untrained muscles. You will also be generating less body heat than you may be used too. Thus, you may need more food and clothing than you expect.
Also, the weather in the mountains can change rapidly. Even if it’s sunny when you start, it could turn cold and wet before you get to the next AS. Almost every year, I see people heading towards Hope Pass without a warm shirt or jacket when it’s sunny. And, almost every year, it becomes cold and wet over Hope Pass.
Carry more than enough food, fluids, clothing, etc. to get you to the next AS. Going back to my rule #1, make sure you take care of yourself first. If you struggle, you can’t help your runner. If you are going to “mule” for your runner, carry their food and gear, you’ll also need room for that. I race light, but pace heavy.
How do you carry all of that gear? When I’m pacing, I like to carry a medium size mountain biking type hydration pack. Since you’re carrying for two, I prefer something with more storage than a typical running vest/pack. Try to carry as much as possible for your runner, as much as they’re comfortable offloading. Some prefer to keep their pack/vest on them.
I also like wearing a bike shirt when I’m pacing. I can use the pockets for smaller items that I’ll need to get more quickly and frequently (e.g., gels, gloves).
I try to carry as much of my runner’s stuff as possible. I may use a one or two bottle hip pack for his/her bottles, in addition. I’ve even carried a 3rd bottle in my hand. One year, I carried my runners CamelBak and handed her the tube whenever she wanted a drink. Don’t be afraid to load yourself to make it easier and lighter for your runner. Remember, you’re there for them.
Practice tying clothing around your waist. This can include shirts, jackets and pants. One year, my runner was very cold and left Fish Hatchery wearing a lot of extra layers. He started shedding them as we started climbing Powerline. At one point, I had a long sleeve shirt, fleece pullover, rain jacket, and rain pants tied around my waist, in addition to my pack. Towards the top, it was snowing and he became cold. I ended up giving all of it back to him to wear.
There’s a helpful technique for tying jackets: 1)pull the zipper almost all the way down; 2)take your arms out and tie the sleeves around your waist; 3)pull the zipper up as much as you can; 4)tuck the sleeves inside and roll the jacket up under the zipper. This helps keep the jacket tight and from flapping around.
You might want to carry a small, first aid kit: band-aids, moleskin, Ibuprofen, space blanket, etc. Check with the runner. Carry a watch. It’ll help you judge the distance, and keep track of how often both of you are eating/drinking.
Lights – Carry a light, even if you expect to finish pacing in daylight. Things can happen on the course, and you may be out longer than you think. Carry extra batteries, know where they are and how to change them on the run. Light technology has improved greatly in recent years and the prices have come down greatly, so there’s no reason not to have a bright light or two. Get a light that’s designed more for running, or at least fast hiking. I recommend at least 200 lumens. Lights for use around camp may not be bright enough for moving briskly along the trail. Two lights are often better than one. Put the brighter light in your hand or on your pack belt and the less bright one on your head. Two lights give better vision because different angles overcome shadows created by a single light. Having the brighter light down low keeps the glare away from your eyes. This improved contrast makes depth perception better on rocky trails. A second light also lets you shine the light on the trail in front of the runner on a particularly rocky section, while you can still use the headlamp for yourself. While a hand light is not as easy to carry, a simple handle, even one made out of duct tape, lets you keep the light in your hand while keeping your fingers free to grab things out of packs or pockets. Hand lights are usually cheaper than headlights.
When approaching others, point your light down or too the side, away from their eyes.
Crew and Aid Stations (AS)
A pacer can help save the runner a lot of time at AS. A lot of middle and back-of-the-pack runners say that a few minutes here and there don’t matter, but all that AS time adds up. Even just 5 min in each AS means almost an hour of not moving forward. Most of the leaders won’t spend more than 10-15 minutes in all the AS for the entire race. If you’re flirting with the cut-off times (30) or the big buckle (25), those AS minutes become even more important.
Crew and pacers should be ready to react quickly to change. Many runners make plans ahead of time, but things can change during the race. In both of my races, I had prepared detailed plans for my crew. However, self-inflicted stomach problems meant that I had to improvise.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Help your racer first, then be prepared to take care of your own needs. You can always take some extra time for yourself, then catch up to them on the trail. I’ll talk about dealing with crew and aid stations in the next part.
As you’re coming into an AS, you should find out what the runner wants (e.g., food, drink, clothing). Then, just before the AS, you might want to run ahead. If you’re using a crew, find them, tell them what the runner wants, then go back and help guide the runner to the crew. If the runner is using drop bags, run ahead and get the bag from the AS crew, pull out the gear they want, get the food they want, and have it ready for them when they come into the AS. If you’re changing pacers, pass on any vital information (e.g., how the runner is feeling and what they want on the trail) and gear to the new pacer.
Some crews and pacers have use walkie-talkies. Texting and tweeting have become more popular. However, with sketchy coverage, I prefer radios. Because of weak signals, a text update might not be received until much after it was sent. So, if you do text, use the time of day; e.g., “ETA 7:30pm” instead of “20 minutes.”
Most of the time, the runner is better off continuing to move rather than stopping and sitting at AS. Try to get them in-and-out of the AS as quickly as possible. This is especially true late at night, when it’s cold. Your body stops generating heat when you stop moving. Runners can easily become cold and start shivering. Shivering uses up a lot of energy, and it can take a lot of extra time to warm up enough to be able to start moving again. I have seen way too many runners come into OB at night feeling fine, sit down to eat, start shivering within a minute, then end up having to having to lay in a warm sleeping bag for up to an hour. A runner can save time by eating and changing clothes while on the move instead of sitting. Focus your efforts on the runner first. You can hang back to fill their bottles/bladder, grab clothing form crew or drop bags, get what you need, then catch up to them on the trail. The runner doesn’t need to, and shouldn’t wait for you.
If you’re continuing to pace through the next section, you’ll probably need to refuel. If your runner has a crew, arrange to have them carry your gear and food in their vehicle. Pack it neatly and compactly, and so that it’s easily accessible. Ask them to have it out for you at the next AS, if possible. However, it’s your responsibility to take care of yourself. Their priority should be on the racer.
As a pacer, you can also use the AS supplies. The AS will be stocked with the typical ultra fare: water, sports drink, gels, hot soup (e.g., Ramen noodle, potato, chicken), fruit (e.g., bananas, oranges), PB&J sandwiches, chips, pretzels, fig bars, brownies, etc. I’ll discuss how to be quick and efficient in the AS below.
Pacing Legs
Tip: Don’t Change at Half Pipe. Change at Pipeline or Outward Bound instead.
Winfiled to Twin Lakes (TL)
TL to Pipeline or Outward Bound (OB) – NOT HALFPIPE
OB to Mayqueen (MQ)
MQ to the Finish
Winfield –TL
This is my favorite section to pace. There are great views, both from the summit towards town, and behind you, to the south, as you are climbing. Everyone goes over the top in daylight, so you can enjoy the views. It’s also the earliest pacing section, so your runner will be relatively fresh and more likely in good spirits.
Pacers were not allowed on this section in 2021 and it’s not clear whether this will be allowed again in the future. While this can make it harder for the runners, it also significantly cuts down on crowding as this is the one section with a lot of 2-way traffic.
After crossing the creeks, you’re about ½ – ¾ mi from the AS. The trail curves right, E. This might be a good place to leave the runner and go ahead to find the crew. If they don’t have a crew, stay with them to the AS.
TL – Pipeline or OB
This section has the best flow. After the initial climb out of TL, much of it is gently rolling, not very technical, and runnable (if you are able). This is also the section that seems to do in a lot of runners. Maybe that’s because of the time of day or the accumulated mileage. However, if you haven’t managed your fuel, fluids and efforts well, this is where it seems to bite you. Also, Halfpipe seems to be the toughest cut-off time to make on the way back. If you make the cutoff there, they seem to be a bit easier to hit the rest of the way.
DON’T SWITCH PACERS AT HALFPIPE (HP). Crew vehicles are not allowed on the road past Pipeline. Continue another ~2mi to on to Pipeline or another 3mi to OB.
The section from Pipeline to OB is a good short pacing section for someone who wants a little taste of Leadville but is not able to do a longer section. It’s ~3mi and flat.
OB –MQ
This takes you up the infamous powerline, the last big hill of the course. The powerline is a long and seemingly never ending climb. It stair steps up which can make you think you’re almost at the top many times. That can be demoralizing. Also, if your runner is cold and energy lags, it can be hard to move fast enough to stay warm. It’s important to keep them moving and keep their spirits up as much as possible. There’s usually an unofficial but quite extensive aid station at the top.
From the top, you’ll be able to see the lights at MQ. If you’re using 2-way radios, this is a good place to check in with your crew. Cell coverage is very spotty here.
From the top, it’s down a jeep road. After a while, you’ll make a hairpin right turn onto the 2wd Hagerman Rd. It’s almost exactly 1-mi from there to the turn onto the Colorado Trail. This stretch is on a rocky, single-track. You’ll cross a few bridges on the way down. The last one takes you to a dirt lot and then the paved road. It’s about ¼ mi down the road to the aid station
MQ – Finish Bringing someone home can be the most fun and inspiring part of pacing. The trail around the lake is fun to run, especially in daylight, but most runners will be coming through there at night, and most will be walking.
Head down the road for ~½mi, then onto the trail around the lake. This first part is a true single track, rolling and a bit rocky in spots but not overly technical. After the Tabor boat ramp, the trail becomes mostly flat, smooth, and open. This is a good place to stretch out your stride if you have the legs. If you’re coming through this stretch at night, pay attention to the glow sticks marking the trail. You run by several campgrounds, and it’s easy to get drawn off the trail, away from the lake, by campground lights.
The end of the Turquoise Lake Trail, where you cross the road, can be another good place to meet your crew, unofficially. Although it’s not an official crew station, race management is aware that people crew there and condone it (at least they have historically). You cross the road, go down a steep and technical section, then go left on a dirt road. You can also meet people along this road up to the Sugar Loafin’ campground.
From there it’s up the paved road, across the creek and RR tracks, then right onto a dirt road. Note: the coldest part of the course often is where the road crosses the creek, just before the RR tracks, because the cold air settles along the creek. About 1mi along the RR tracks, go left up a short, steep hill. You are now on the “Boulevard.” It’s ~3.5mi from there. Once you crest the steep climb at the start, the road is wide and smooth, and the grade fairly moderate. If it’s raining, it’ll be muddy and a bit slick. You’ll see a streetlight at the end of the dirt road. Don’t get too excited yet. The light is still almost 1 mi away. The road bends left ~80 yards before you reach the pavement. This is 1mi from the finish.
Once you hit the pavement, give it all you’ve got for the uphill finish. You can have all of your pacers and crew meet you at the bottom of 6th, and escort you up to the finish. At the crest of the hill, ~½ mi to go, look for a volunteer on the right side of the street. He/she will ask for your number, then radio ahead to the finish so that they can announce your impending arrival. It’s another 2 blocks down, then 3 blocks up to the finish.
Finding a runner/pacer
It’s not too late to find a runner/pacer, even on race day. There are several web sites that are good for finding pacers.
There are several good places to look for pacers besides Leadville pages including:
Finding a pacer on race day. You can pick up someone to pace at the AS. If you’re looking to pace, show up at an AS ready to go. Make a point to look like you’re ready to go – wear running clothes, carry a pack, have your lights with you. Let waiting crew and AS staff know that you’re looking to pace. As you see runners coming in alone, ask them if they want/need a pacer. Be and look eager but don’t pester. Sometimes a runner will ask the AS crew if they know of any pacers. Announce your presence loudly and make yourself very visible. If you’re a crew, ask around before your runner arrives. If you’re a runner without a crew, ask as you come into an AS. I’ve picked up runners to pace this way twice at Fish Hatchery (now Outward Bound) – once by being ready to go when a runner came in asking if anyone wanted to pace, and another when a runner’s parents talked their son into having me help him. Both times were great experiences for both of us.
Your best bet is with runners in the middle to back of the pack. Most of the top runners already have pacers. Don’t be too picky. Pacing runners of different abilities offers different experience, and a chance to see the race from different angles, but all can be very enjoyable and rewarding. I’ve paced runners from the top 5 to back of the pack.
The best places to find a runner/pacer are at Twin Lakes (TL) and Outward Bound (OB) on the return. It’s hard to find someone at Mayqueen, although you may find someone who recently finished pacing there and is looking to do more, to run back to town rather than taking a ride.
It’s not too hard to get a ride to an AS, or back to your car after the race. Often, you can hitch a ride from town, near the start/finish, out to one of the AS, or from OB to TL. You may find crew/friends in town after the start. You can also make announcements at one of the restaurants in town, along Harrison (Main St), where friends and other pacers will eat before heading out. Most crews are friendly and helpful. You just have to ask.
Leadville, most ultras, can be a very fun and rewarding experience. Pacing (and crewing) is a great way to experience the race without doing it yourself. It’s a great way to give back to the community. Being out on the trails with racers, in the middle of the night, is a great way to learn about ultras.
If you want to get faster, you have to train fast. Speed training also brings improved stride power and efficiency, and metabolic (energy) performance. That will help you whether you’re racing 1-mile or 100-miles.
Relax. Speed training doesn’t mean you have to run on a track or do highly structured workouts. Speed workouts can be done almost anywhere, and there are many ways to get it done that can be fun. You don’t have to do the “best” workouts. If you don’t like them, you’re less likely to do them. It’s better to find ways that you will do. Consistency is more important that perfection.
Running Track
Should you do speed training if you’re running 100-miles? YES. A more powerful and efficient stride will translate to a better stride even at a slow, ultra pace. The improved metabolic efficiency will enable you to run faster and longer at an easy, ultra effort.
Speed training can increase the risk of injury. So, especially if you haven’t done speed training, or not in a while, I’ll start off with some cautions/advice.
Develop a good running base before going fast. This can mean weeks or months of mostly low intensity running. A good base builds muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness to be able to handle high intensity training.
Always warm up well before going fast. Warming up means jogging, starting slowly, to gradually loosen up and literally warm up your muscles and joints. The colder it is, the longer you’ve been sitting/idle, the older you are, and the faster (relative to you) you’ll be going, the longer you’ll need to warmup. Warmup can be anywhere from 5 – 20 minutes.
Add some mobility exercise to increase your range of motion:
Leg swings – With one arm on something like a lamppost for balance, swing each leg side-to-side and forward-and-back. 10-20 times.
Calf dips/raises – Standing with the ball of your foot on a curb or stair, drop your heels down and raise them up above your toes. 10-20 times.
Butt kickers – Run forward, not too fast, short stride. Exaggerate your back kick so your heels hit your butt, or a close as you can within the range of your flexibility.
High knees – Run forward, not too fast, short stride. Exaggerate your knee lift in front to your chest level, if possible. Skipping is a great way of doing this.
Skipping.
Lateral slide – In a slight squat, shuffle laterally in each direction. You can cross your legs in front and behind as you do this, called grapevine or carioca.
Single leg squats (no weight needed).
Focus more on stride rate than absolute running speed. DON’T reach with your stride. Keep your stride under you rather than out front. Pretend you’re running on hot coals to keep your stride quick and light.
Think more about effort than speed. These are not races. Do the work properly and the speed will come.
Build into the speed. Don’t blast out at max like you’re running the 100m Olympic finals. I like to take a few skips before I start, then build to full speed over a few strides.
Run the fast stuff uphill. It’s hard to overstride on hills. Also, there’s less pounding uphill. Legendary runner Frank Shorter once said “hills are speedwork in disguise.”
Try to maintain the same speed through a set of intervals. The first one should feel relatively easy and the last one fairly hard.
These are not races. You should not be setting PRs in a workout. Leave a little on the table. Go a little less than all out, and stop when you think you still have one more in you.
Here are some minimally structured workouts that can be done almost anywhere.
Pickups: This means picking up the speed for a bit during a run. Go hard for short time, perhaps 15-30 seconds. It can be easier to count strides than look at your watch; the equivalent is about 25-50 strides (left-right = 1 stride). Run easy for a while until you catch your breath, then repeat. Do a few of these a couple of times/week.
Fartlek is Swedish for speed play. In the middle of a run, go fast for a while, then easy for a while. You can use landmarks to guide you. For example, go hard for 3 lampposts, easy for 2. If you’re on trails, use short uphills to go hard, and flats/downhills to go easy, or go hard for a switchback or two, then easy for the same. The point is to play with it, have fun with it. Make it as structured or loose as you want.
To start, don’t worry about how much time you spend running fast or how you do it. Spending some time at speed – getting your legs turning over faster and your heart/lungs working harder – is better than none. Get your body and mind used to running fast before you add more structure, volume, and intensity.
Here’s a guide when you are ready for more structure. This is just a guide, not a prescription. First, some explanations and terminology:
A speed workout consists of several elements.
Work interval – the length (time or distance) of the hard effort.
Rest interval – the length of the recovery/easy between work intervals.
Speed/effort – how fast and/or hard of each interval.
Volume – total amount of work intervals.
When people tell me they ran 400s in xx, for example, that raises several questions. The first is why – what are they trying to improve, what are they training for. The next questions are what was the rest interval and the total volume. You can tweak each element of the intervals to stress different systems of your body differently.
W:R – work to rest ratio, how much rest you take relative to the hard effort. This is in terms of time, not distance. Rest can mean easy jogging or walking around. 1:1 means the same rest and work; e.g., 3:00 hard, 3:00 easy. 1:2, e.g., 30 seconds hard, 1 minute easy; 5:1 means, e.g., 20 min hard, 4 minutes easy. In general, the longer the W, the bigger the W:R ratio. 3:00/3:00 means 3:00 hard, 3:00 easy.
“On the x:xx” means starting each new work interval on a specific time. E.g., 400s on the 3:30 means that if you run a 400 in 2:00, your rest (either walk or jog) would be 1:30.
Repeats – A specific type of interval often given as a number of repeats. E.g., 6×800 means 6 repeats of 800m hard with the appropriate rest interval between each repeat.
Sets – Sometimes a workout can be multiple sets, or groups of intervals. E.g., 3x 4×400 with 60-second rest between repeats and 3:00 rest between sets means: 4 repeats of 400s with 60-second rest, take a 3:00 rest, then repeat the “set” of 4×400 twice more with 3:00 rest between sets.
LT – Lactic Threshold (LT) is what legendary coach Jack Daniels calls “comfortably hard,” or about the effort you would use in a 1-hour race. Lactic is both a byproduct of metabolism and a fuel source, not the evil many have portrayed. You don’t need to know this precisely. Close enough is good enough. Even if you have determined this via testing, understand that your so-called precise LT is going to vary because of things like fitness, stress, hydration, weather, and terrain.
I will switch back-and-forth between time and distance. When I talk about distance, I’ll generally refer to them in terms of a track. Most tracks are 400 meters (m) around. 1-mile is 1609.344m, a little more than 4-laps, but I use 1-mile and 1600m interchangeably. Distances are often a proxy for time on the work part. In general, I prefer time based intervals, especially for the rest. Too much or too little rest can change the effectiveness of the workout. Time based enforces discipline whereas you can be lazy and take to long if your rest is by distance.
Short Sprints The main goal of these are to develop a fast and powerful stride. You have to teach your body to run fast before it can race fast.
Such short, powerful efforts can be risky. I don’t recommend these for inexperienced runners and those returning from injury. Start with striders instead. Also, do these on hill to reduce the risk.
Striders – about 30-seconds hard with a near full recovery. W:R 1:2+ Striders are often done on a track where you sprint the straights (gradually build for the first half), then jog the curves. Do this 3-5 times. If you are going to be doing a hard workout, this is a great drill to do as the final part of warmup. It’s also good to do these at the end of an otherwise easy-moderate run.
Hill Sprints – Striders, but on hills. Go hard until your legs start to tighten up and your stride slows, then just a couple of strides more while maintaining form and stride rate. This typically occurs at about 30-seconds. Pushing past where your form and stride rate starts to break down is not helpful. Choose a hill that’s fairly steep but runnable (not too steep or rocky), if possible. I typically walk/jog down.
Embedded striders/pickups: As part of a longer run, do 3-5 striders/pickups every ~30 minutes. On trails, you can do this around the terrain where you go fast on flats, uphills and relatively smooth terrain, then easy on downhills and technical terrain.
Alactic Sprints – Very short, high output efforts utilizing the ATP and phosphocreatine stored in your muscles without using stored glycogen or fat. These sprints should be 6-10 seconds max, the amount of energy stored in your muscles. You need 1:00-1:30 between such high efforts to allow your muscles to replace the fuel used. W:R 1:6-10. This is not recommended for beginners.
Medium intervals VO2Max intervals: 3-5 minutes hard at ~15-20 minute race effort. Beginners can start at 2-minutes hard, advanced runners up to 6-minutes. W:R 1:1 – 2:1; e.g., 3:00 hard, 3:00 easy; 4:00 hard, 2:00 easy. In general, keep the hard volume at 10-15 minutes for beginners (e.g., 4x 3:00/3:00), 20-25 minutes for most (e.g., 6x 4:00/4:00), 30-40 for advanced (e.g., 2x 3x 6:00/3:00 with 5:00 rest between sets).
Cruise Intervals: 10-20 minutes hard at LT. W:R 3-6:1; e.g., 12:00 hard, 3:00 easy. These are great for ½-full marathon training.
Steady efforts Tempo: Longer runs at a steady effort. This might be a single, 30-45min (plus a warmup and cooldown) effort, at LT or MRP.
Progression: Longer runs that start easy, then increase in effort. These get you used to running at race effort when you’re tired. If you’re training for a marathon, this might be 1-hr at MRP + 2:00/mi. Then, over the next hour, 15-min each progressively faster at MRP + 1:30/mi, MRP +1:00/mi, MRP + 0:30, MRP.
You can be creative with structured workouts to add variety to make them more fun. For example
Ladder: A workout that increases, then decreases in distance; climbs up and down the ladder. For example: 200 – 400 – 600 – 800 – 600 – 400 – 200. In terms of time (minutes), this might be 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1.
Pyramid: A workout that decreases in distance but increases in sets. For example: 1×1600, 2×800, 4×400.
Partner 400s: One person runs a lap while the other rests, then switch.
What about ultras? For those, I recommend the short and hill sprints, and VO2Max intervals. The sprints build power and efficiency that translate well to ultras. VO2Max builds aerobic capacity which help you go faster at lower efforts. There’s not much need for LT intervals as you shouldn’t be stressing your lactic system much in ultras. However, they’re OK to do instead of VO2Max. High intensity workouts should be done fairly early in the training cycle for an ultra. Striders and hill sprints can be continued until the final taper.
If nothing else, just spend some time going faster and don’t worry too much about how you do it, as long as you don’t go too hard or too much. Variety makes you faster. Variety keeps the running fresh and fun.
Train smart. Have fun. Smile. See you on the trails (and roads). Run Uphill Racing
Runuphill Racing 