Pacer Support Guide · Part 12 of 33
Pacing Without Using a Watch
Watches fail. Every pacer must be able to hold target pace by feel and verify it against the official course markers — here’s how to train it.
Marcel Lennartz
2 min read
Watches fail: batteries run flat, screens freeze and GPS signals drift under bridges and between tall buildings. A pacer who can only pace by watching the screen is one technical problem away from failing the mission. Every pacer must therefore be able to hold target pace by feel, and to verify it using the official course markers.
Know what your target pace feels like#
- Breathing: at pacing effort you should be able to speak in full sentences. If you can only manage a few words, you are running too fast – or the pace is too close to your own limit (see the pacing buffer).
- Rhythm: your cadence and stride length at target pace become familiar with practice (see cadence consistency). A change in rhythm is often the first sign of a change in pace.
- Effort: learn the difference between the effort of your warm-up pace, your target pace and your negative-split pace.
Use the course markers#
Official kilometre markers are placed on the measured course and are more reliable than GPS distance. At each marker, compare your elapsed time with the planned cumulative time. To do this you must know your time per kilometre and be able to multiply it quickly – for example, at 6:03 min/km you should pass 10 km at 1:00:30 and 20 km at 2:01:00.
Training drills#
| Drill | How | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Blind kilometre | Cover the watch screen (sleeve, tape or a time-of-day screen) and run 1 km at target pace. Check the lap time afterwards. | Within ±5 s/km; progress to 2–3 blind kilometres |
| Track 400 m | On a 400 m track, run laps at target pace without looking at the watch. Example: 6:03 min/km = 2:25 per 400 m. | Each lap within ±2 seconds |
| Marker check | On a route with known distance markers, predict your split at each marker before looking at the watch. | Prediction within ±5 seconds |
| Pace switch | Alternate between warm-up pace, target pace and negative-split pace by feel only. | Recognise each pace without the watch |