Pacing yourself during a race is an absolute necessity if you want to accomplish your goal and finish strong.  As an ultra-marathon trail runner, I know that pacing myself and keeping a consistent rhythm throughout the race will lead to better results.

Pacing is hard, however.  At the beginning of a race we feel strong and confident, and it is not until the middle stages and later that we begin to pay the price of our over confidence.  At an ultra earlier this year, I made the mistake of starting too fast, simply because the terrain was flat at the start and I felt good.  But as the day went on, the temperatures rose, and the terrain began to climb.  I paid the price of my over zealous starting pace – so much so, that I almost DNFd (Did Not Finish).

The power of pacing is true in other facets of life as well.  When tackling a tougher than usual project at school, raising three kids all under the age of four, or slugging away through a challenging launch with your team at work, you have to pace yourself.

I make the mistake of not pacing myself all the time.  It takes a regular reminder for me to slow down, get back on pace and focus on finishing strong.  Momentary brilliance that leads to burnout may feel good in the moment, but will ultimately end in less than spectacular results.

How are you pacing yourself today?