January 17, 2024 - Pacing Versus Racing

This week I'll be pacing a half marathon in Vero Beach, Florida. Next week, I'll be pacing at the Miami Marathon. I enjoy pacing very much. In many respects, I enjoy pacing much more than I enjoy racing. Whether it's formal pacing like I'll be doing the next couple weeks, or acting as a pacer to a friend or stranger at an ultramarathon; I feel great satisfaction and reward in pacing. Far more than I do in the vast majority of races I run.

Oddly, I also feel stronger and better prepared when I pace than when I race. That's rarely a true statement. In just about every case I can think of, I would have been better prepared in almost any race than any pacing gig. Yet, on the day, pacing feels way easier than racing ever does. Yeah, some of this has to do with pacing generally being done at a pace that's much easier than I would race. That's true often, particularly in marathons and shorter. But not necessarily in ultramarathons. And even so, pacing feels easier.

I'm not sure what causes this. I think it's because the focus is off me and off how I'm feeling. I'm focused on helping the other person or people I'm with and not thinking about myself. I'm mechanically doing the things I need to in order to pace well, getting in the calories and liquids I need, but I'm not actively monitoring how I'm feeling physically and mentally like I would in a race. I check in on myself from time to time while pacing, but at a much lower frequency than when racing. I just make the assumption I'll be fine when I'm pacing. There's probably some learning to do in this realization. But maybe that's not it at all.

Whatever the reason, pacing races is where I get true joy out of running. I'm not sure I could totally give up racing and just pace, but I could get pretty close to that. I do think I still need some of carrots to chase, but they don't need to be very frequent. I calendar filled with opportunities to pace others and to go on journeys and adventures with others feels far more rewarding to me than piling one race on top of another.

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