Running Pace: Understanding Instantaneous vs. Average Pace and When to Use Each

Should I use pace or average pace?

Choosing between instantaneous pace and average pace depends on your immediate training goals and the type of workout you're performing, with each metric offering distinct insights into your performance.

Understanding Pace: The Instantaneous Metric

Pace, often referred to as instantaneous or current pace, measures how fast you are moving at any given moment. It's typically displayed as minutes per mile or minutes per kilometer and updates in real-time on your GPS watch or fitness tracker.

• How it's Measured: GPS devices continuously sample your location and calculate your speed over very short, recent intervals (e.g., the last 1-5 seconds).
• Pros of Instantaneous Pace:
  • Real-time Feedback: Provides immediate data, allowing for quick adjustments to your effort.
  • Tactical Adjustments: Ideal for maintaining a specific pace during interval training, tempo runs, or when navigating varied terrain where you need to react to changes.
  • Interval Training: Essential for ensuring you hit precise work and rest segment paces.
  • Responsiveness: Shows how changes in effort (e.g., pushing harder, slowing down) immediately impact your speed.
• Cons of Instantaneous Pace:
  • Volatility: Can fluctuate wildly due to GPS signal variations, changes in terrain, or slight shifts in your stride, making it appear inconsistent even if your effort is steady.
  • Distraction: Constantly checking a rapidly changing number can be distracting and detract from focusing on effort or form.
  • Less Reflective of Overall Effort: A momentary fast or slow pace doesn't necessarily represent your sustained effort over a longer period.

Understanding Average Pace: The Overall Picture

Average pace calculates your overall speed from the start of your activity or a specific lap/segment to the current moment. It provides a smoothed-out view of your performance, less susceptible to the immediate fluctuations seen with instantaneous pace.

• How it's Calculated: Total time elapsed divided by total distance covered. For example, if you've run 3 miles in 24 minutes, your average pace is 8 minutes per mile.
• Pros of Average Pace:
  • Smoothed Data: Provides a more stable and reliable representation of your effort over a duration.
  • Reflective of Overall Performance: Excellent for evaluating the success of a training session or race against a target pace.
  • Race Strategy: Crucial for pacing long-distance events (e.g., marathons, half-marathons) where consistent effort is key.
  • Progress Tracking: Ideal for monitoring improvements over time, comparing performance on the same route or distance across different training days or weeks.
  • Reduced Stress: Lessens the pressure of hitting exact numbers moment-to-moment, allowing for a more intuitive approach to effort.
• Cons of Average Pace:
  • Lacks Real-time Granularity: Doesn't show the immediate impact of effort changes or provide specific feedback for short, intense bursts.
  • Doesn't Show Effort Fluctuations: A consistent average pace could mask significant variations in effort (e.g., starting fast, slowing down, then speeding up again).

When to Use Each: Strategic Application

The most effective use of pace metrics involves understanding your workout's objective.

Use Instantaneous Pace When:

• Performing Interval Training: To hit precise work and recovery paces (e.g., 400m repeats at 6:00/mile pace).
• Targeting Specific Segments: For short, intense efforts or when you need to maintain a very specific speed for a limited duration.
• Making Immediate Tactical Adjustments: Such as pushing harder up a hill or easing off during a downhill segment to conserve energy or prevent overexertion.
• Maintaining a Consistent Speed on Flat Terrain: If your goal is to hold a very steady pace for a short-to-medium duration.

Use Average Pace When:

• Executing Steady-State Workouts: For long runs, recovery runs, or sustained efforts where overall consistency is more important than momentary speed.
• Racing or Time Trials: To ensure you're on track to hit a goal time over a set distance, providing a more reliable indicator of your overall progress.
• Evaluating Overall Session Performance: For post-workout analysis to see if you met your session's intended pacing goal.
• Tracking Long-Term Progress: Comparing average paces over the same routes or distances across weeks and months is a powerful way to gauge fitness improvements.
• Beginner Training: To avoid the mental stress of constantly fluctuating numbers and encourage focusing on sustained effort.

The Synergistic Approach: Using Both Effectively

For many athletes, the optimal strategy involves using both metrics. Many GPS watches allow you to customize your display, showing both instantaneous and average pace.

• During a Workout: Glance at your instantaneous pace for immediate feedback and tactical adjustments, while keeping an eye on your average pace to ensure you're on track for your overall goal.
• Post-Workout Analysis: Reviewing both your average pace for the entire session and the instantaneous pace data (often visualized in graphs on fitness apps) can provide a comprehensive understanding of your performance, effort distribution, and areas for improvement. For example, a consistent average pace with highly variable instantaneous pace might indicate inconsistent effort or challenging terrain.

Factors Influencing Pace and Average Pace

Several factors can impact both your instantaneous and average pace:

• Terrain: Hills, trails, and uneven surfaces will naturally cause pace fluctuations.
• Weather Conditions: Strong winds (headwind or tailwind), heat, humidity, or cold can significantly affect your speed and perceived effort.
• Fatigue and Fitness Level: Your current state of fatigue and overall fitness will dictate your sustainable pace.
• Equipment: Footwear, clothing, and even the type of surface you're on can influence your efficiency.

Practical Tips for Implementation

1. Don't Obsess: While data is valuable, avoid becoming overly fixated on numbers, especially instantaneous pace fluctuations. Learn to trust your body's perceived exertion (RPE).
2. Customize Your Display: Set up your watch or app to show the metrics most relevant to your current workout goal. You might have different display settings for intervals versus long runs.
3. Review Data Post-Workout: Use the detailed data from your device or app to analyze your pace distribution, especially if you were targeting a specific average pace.
4. Understand GPS Limitations: Be aware that GPS accuracy can vary, especially in urban areas, dense forests, or tunnels, which can lead to artificial fluctuations in instantaneous pace.

Conclusion: Tailoring Your Metric Choice to Your Goals

Ultimately, the choice between instantaneous pace and average pace is not about one being inherently "better" than the other. It's about intelligently applying the right tool for the right job. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each metric, and how they relate to your specific training objectives, you can make more informed decisions during your workouts, optimize your performance, and effectively track your progress as an athlete.