I heard from my runner friend that getting committed pacers for a marathon is a challenging task. What he sadly discovered was that the pacers did not closely adhere to the race pace they pledged towards. Instead, they went faster and attempted to improve their personal best (PB) times.
This is not acceptable when sponsors provide you with race attire and you violate the agreement. Being a pacer is a generous process, and your role is to motivate those intending to earn a PB through your leadership. By sticking closely to race pace, the incumbent PB holder will follow your pace. At no time should a pacer deviate from his prescribed timing, be it 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, or 6:00. You stick to the plan, so that others may stick to theirs. There is a chain of influence that exists and results from the collective decision. When we follow the runners with their helium-filled balloons, we are making an unofficial contract: lead and we will follow, as you are the assigned expert.
We do not expect pacers who go too hard, too soon, and ‘hit the wall’. As a result, they compromise the runners’ timings.
How do you think that affects your reliability? How responsible were you when you departed from your original course of action? As my runner friend lamented: ‘Where can you find reliable pacers?’ His reputation may be affected as he recommended those runners last year, and who disappointed him.
Race, or pace – you decide. There are no two ways about this, when you commit. Stop running away from your commitments.
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