Run Smarter, Race Better

Expert running advice for marathoners and distance runners. Training tips, race strategy guides, nutrition planning, and more from TrainPace.

• How to Build a Training Plan for Your Goal Race (Without Guessing) — A periodized marathon training plan isn't magic — it's a structured progression through base building, development, sharpening, and taper. Here's exactly how to build one around your life.
• How to Pace a Marathon: The Complete Strategy Guide — Most marathons are lost in the first 10km, not the last. Here's exactly how to pace from start to finish — including splits, effort, and what to do when it gets hard.
• What is VDOT? The Running Metric That Changes How You Train — VDOT is a single number that describes your current running fitness — and unlocks scientifically correct training paces for every zone from easy to interval. Here's how it works and why it matters.
• I Ran the Same Time as Last Year — And It Was a Completely Different Race — BMO Vancouver Half 2026 race report. 2:06 twice, two completely different runners. Why the clock is lying — and what the heat cost me.
• Understanding VDOT and Training Paces: A Complete Guide — Learn how VDOT works, why it matters for your training, and how to use pace zones effectively. This is the system that helped me drop 55 minutes off my half marathon.
• Marathon Fueling: Everything You Need to Know — From carb loading to race-day nutrition, here's how to fuel properly. I learned this the hard way—10 gels and 2 clunky bottles my first race.
• How Elevation Affects Your Race Strategy — Hills can make or break your race. I analyzed the BMO course km by km before my PR—here's how to do the same for yours.
• First Half or Marathon? What I Wish I Knew — I went from not being able to run 6 laps in gym class to finishing a half marathon. Here's what I learned the hard way.
• Recovery Strategies That Actually Work — I dealt with nagging knee pain from skipping strength training. Here's what I learned about recovery the hard way.
• Tempo Runs: The Workout That Made Me Faster — One speed workout per week was part of my 24-week plan. Here's how tempo runs work and why they're non-negotiable.
• How to Choose the Right Running Shoes — Cut through the marketing hype. Here's what actually matters when selecting running shoes—from someone who's logged plenty of kilometers in Vancouver rain.
• Half Marathon Pacing: How I Ran 55 Minutes Faster — The half marathon rewards smart pacing. Here's the exact strategy that took me from 3:01 to 2:06 at BMO Vancouver.
• Strength Training for Runners: What I Should Have Done — I skipped strength training and got knee pain. Learn from my mistake. Here's the essential guide—no gym required.
• How to Taper Without Losing Your Mind — The taper feels wrong—less running when race day is coming? Here's how to reduce volume while staying sharp.
• Why Easy Runs Feel Too Slow Until They Finally Click — I used to turn every easy run into a sneaky workout. Once I stopped doing that, my hard days got better and my legs stopped feeling cooked all week.
• What I Do the Day After a Hard Workout — I used to treat the day after a workout like a test of toughness. Now I treat it like part of the workout itself, and my training weeks go a lot smoother.
• How to Pace a 5K Without Blowing Up at the 2K Mark — The 5K is short enough to trick you into bad decisions and long enough to make you pay for them. This is the pacing approach I trust when I want a strong finish.
• Winter Running on Dark, Wet Mornings — Some of my most consistent weeks happened in lousy weather. This is how I keep winter runs from turning into skipped runs or miserable slogs.
• How I Built Mileage Without Breaking Down — More mileage helped me improve, but only when I stopped treating volume like something to force. This is the approach that kept me healthy enough to stay consistent.
• The Long Run Mistakes That Cost Me Confidence — My long runs got a lot better once I stopped turning them into awkward races. A few small changes gave me better fitness and a much calmer head going into race day.
• What I Eat Before Early Morning Runs — I don't need a full brunch before dawn, but I do need a plan. This is what I eat before different kinds of morning runs and what I avoid.
• Race Morning Nerves: What Actually Helps Me — I still get nervous before races. The difference now is that I don't confuse nerves with a bad sign. Here’s what helps me settle down and race well anyway.
• Form Cues I Use When My Legs Start Falling Apart — I don't think about form much when I'm fresh. I do think about it late in long runs and races, when a couple simple cues can keep everything from getting sloppy.
• Running Cadence: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Improve It — I spent two years running at 155 steps per minute and wondering why my legs felt heavy. Here's what I learned about cadence, the 180 myth, and how small changes in stride rate made a real difference.
• Running in the Rain Without Making It Miserable — Rainy runs don’t have to be heroic and they don’t have to be awful. A few practical habits made them way easier for me to handle.
• Carb Loading: What Actually Works (and What Makes It Worse) — Carb loading before a marathon isn't about eating a massive pasta dinner the night before. Done wrong, it causes GI distress on race day. Done right, it can add miles to your glycogen stores.
• How to Run Your First 5K: From Zero to Race Day in 8 Weeks — A first 5K is more achievable than it looks from the couch. You don't need to be fit to start — you just need to start. Here's exactly how to go from walking to running your first 5K in 8 weeks.
• VO2max Intervals: The Workout That Makes You Faster (If You Can Handle It) — Interval training at VO2max pace is the single most effective workout for improving your aerobic ceiling. It's also the most demanding. Here's how to do it without destroying yourself.
• 10K Race Strategy: How to Run a PR Without Going Out Too Fast — The 10K is the most punishing distance for pacing mistakes. Too fast in the first 3K and the last 4K become a survival march. Here's the strategy that works.
• How to Break Through a Running Plateau — You've been running consistently for months and your times have stopped improving. This is a plateau — and it has specific, fixable causes. Here's how to find them.
• Overtraining: The Signs I Ignored (Until I Burned Out) — Overtraining doesn't announce itself. It creeps up through weeks of feeling slightly off — sluggish runs, disrupted sleep, irritability — until one day you can't run at all.