All the feels

Learning how your body reacts at different effort levels is a key running skill.

- By Cory Wharton-Malcolm

THE SKILL OF RUNNING by feel' isn't reserved for Olympians. We feel our effort level every time we run, though we might not pay much attention to it. But developing it will be of great benefit to you in the long term. It's why runners do race-pace runs. They want to get used to a pace, to know what their body does, what the leg turnover feels like, and how far they can push it before their body says nope. But you need to learn how your body reacts to different paces first. Here are a few pointers.

01 Gauge your breathing

A great way to start is to think about your breathing and how much it correlates to effort. I'd been running for a few years, but due to my lack of experience, I'd be gassed out before I hit halfway. It wasn't until I paid attention to my breathing that I began to get it right and set out at the right pace. As time passed, I got used to what my body did at certain paces. The fitter I got, the faster I could run and still speak comfortably.