Pacing, Pacing, Pacing, and yes, Pacing

Pacing is one of those topics that will never get old, because it's something that everyone forgets about. I've talked about it before, and I'll continue to do so. And today is no different.

This time I have some numbers to help illustrate, and underline, the importance of pacing. Take a look at the chart below:

This is from a Redliner who ran two practice POPAT tests one week apart. Take note of her lap times, the  time after 6 laps, her push/pull times, and her overall time.

You'll see after 6 laps, the times are nearly identical, with a slight 2 second edge to the first practice test. Now compare the two push/pull times: 23 for the pull on the first practice versus 19 on the second, and 32 seconds on the push for the first practice versus 25 on the second practice. That's an 11 second difference. In the end, she still improved her overall performance by 8 seconds.

She accomplished this by pacing herself. You look at her lap times from her first practice and you will see a large gap between her fastest and slowest lap times (8 seconds). Compare that to her second practice, where the gap is now 4 seconds. The time after 6 laps is slower (albeit only 2 seconds), but because she was more evenly paced, she had much more energy to tackle the machine.

Yes she lost time on the laps, but she gained more than enough of it back on the machine. The even pacing allowed her to attack the machine like she was still fresh.

If you struggle on the machine, running the 6 laps faster than you're capable of is the common but not smart strategy. You take away the energy you could have used for the machine. Instead be even keeled and go slow enough to still have the energy and the focus to pull and push as fast as you can. As demonstrated in the above chart, time was lost on the laps but was most definitely made up for on the machine.

Jumping the 3 Foot Vault for the PARE and POPAT test: The Arcing Method

For some people, when they see the 3 foot vault it looks intimidating. When you look at it you think, "How am I gonna get over that?" Or, "I hope I don't trip and fall smack on my face on the other side!" If you think of the latter, it will likely happen to you. Think positive!

For me, the obvious answer is to just jump and swing both legs over. But not everyone is like me, and I don't expect my clients jump that way (unless they already are).

Now both feet going over is often the quickest way to go over. But it requires a certain amount strength, power, and coordination. For some this can take time to develop, and if you're short on time you need another method that is still quick and doesn't require you crawling or climbing over awkwardly.

This is where the arcing method comes in. I've had one client call it the twirly method, but whatever name you give it, it does not require the same strength and power requirements as both feet swinging over.

In the arcing method, you still jump off one leg. The other goes over the bar first, and the jumping leg follows suit as it trails over the bar. You look like you're performing an arc as you go over, hence the arcing method.

To see the arcing method in action, and to get a quick tutorial on how to perform it, check out the latest video I released on YouTube:

This method is especially useful for those doing the POPAT test, as the POPAT only allows you to grab the bar with your hands only. And since you don't have the running approach for the POPAT like you do in the PARE, you don't have momentum to help you jump over with the two leg swing method.

Give this a go and see how it feels.

Descending the Stairs (PARE/POPAT)

The stairs isn't a make or break area of the obstacle course, but it can have an impact on how well you perform. When it comes to the test, the rules of the stairs are you must touch at least one step going up, the very top step, and at least one step going down. The more steps you can skip, the faster you will get through the obstacle.

Going up is pretty straightforward: skip however many steps you can, and if you can use the handrails to help guide your way up, use them. Where people may lose time is descending the stairs.

That's why I put together a quick video about descending the stairs, which you can check out here:

If there's one thing to take away after watching the video, it's that as you're coming off the stairs, you want to make it seamless and fluid, especially if you're skipping steps. Make the jump off the stairs a part of your stride and avoid landing with both feet. Doing so disrupts your stride, making you inefficient and using more energy than necessary.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.