Runners pacing themselves to keep their breath

    Runners need to pace themselves to keep from losing their energy. According to firefighterscarity.org, pacing yourself is so important because it allows you to continue physical activity without being hampered by pain and/or fatigue.  

     Many students pace themselves in separate ways. Some use the motion of their body, or they focus on their breathing, and some try to keep up with someone who has a faster time than them.  

      Junior Finley Lavin says when she was younger, she used to do races, but she runs a lot more in high school. She says about pacing, “I think it is just more mental, so just being able to not tell yourself to stop and just keep going.” 

   She says, “pacing does help me because I have asthma, so I have to pace myself and focus on my breathing, but it also just helps me in my mind, trying to keep that positive mind set while running. 

    Sophomore James Ortt has been running for two to three years. He says the way he paces himself is by using his watch that tells you exactly what your pace is. Ortt has other ways of pacing himself. As Lavin said, “it is more of a mental thing.” He says, “mentally it helps you not get into a bad pace, but it also helps the running go by faster.” 

     Ortt says, “most of the time I am in my head and trying to use other parts of my body like my arms to sort of make a rhythm so I can stay along with my breathing.” 

      Junior Aiden Freeland had his first year of track but has been running for a while due to soccer. He never learned to pace himself until this year. He says, “My way of doing that is typically I pick the person who has a faster time than me and stay with them and at the end of the race I try to pass them.” He says, “pacing really does help me, but mainly with my P.R [personal record].”  

     Ortt also unknowingly agreed with what Freelance said. He says, “if I am racing with a group of people, I use them to get a rough idea of where I need to be every so many 100 yards.”