WORKOUT
Why most runners lose speed the moment the pace changes
– with Jurgens Grobler
EVERY RUNNER KNOWS THE FEELING.
You settle into rhythm. Breathing smooth. Stride controlled. Everything finally starts clicking.
Then someone changes the pace.
Suddenly your breathing spikes, your stride feels awkward, your legs tighten, and within seconds it feels like you’ ve gone from“ comfortable” to“ survival mode”.
What’ s interesting is this usually has very little to do with fitness.
Most runners don’ t struggle because they’ re unfit. They struggle because they can’ t reorganise movement fast enough. And that’ s a completely different skill.
THE PROBLEM WITH MOST RUNNING TRAINING
Most runners train one speed.
Easy runs. Tempo pace. Long runs. Intervals with controlled recovery.
Everything is predictable. But racing isn’ t predictable.
A hill changes the effort. A corner disrupts rhythm. Someone attacks. A group accelerates. A Hyrox station destroys your breathing before the next run.
Real performance happens during transitions.
The athletes who perform best are not always the fittest. Often, they’ re simply the ones who can change pace without falling apart mechanically.
That’ s reactive running.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS DURING A SURGE?
Most people think running faster means:
• pushing harder
• taking bigger strides
• simply trying harder
But the body experiences pace changes very differently. The moment speed changes, your body has to rapidly reorganise:
• posture
• foot strike
• cadence
• stiffness
• arm swing
• breathing rhythm
• force application
And it has to happen instantly. That’ s why pace changes expose weak mechanics so quickly. The body briefly loses rhythm during acceleration. Efficient runners recover rhythm almost immediately.
Inefficient runners waste massive amounts of energy trying to“ find” their running pattern again. That energy leak is often what destroys races.
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