To Optimize Every Workout, Don’t Track the Same Stats. This Coach Explains the Pacing Metrics That Matter Most.

Imagine this scenario: You’re 20 seconds into a hard 400-meter lap on the track when your watch flashes a live pace 15 seconds per mile slower than your target. You surge to fix it. A few seconds later, the reading shows you’re now going 10 seconds faster than your goal, so you back off. By the end of the rep, you have spent more energy reacting to your screen than actually settling into the intended effort.Sound familiar? Ultramarathon runner and USA Triathlon-certified coach Nick Farr, owner of P3 Fitness, calls this the “yo-yo runner” problem.On most watches, current/live pace is based on recent GPS data, so it can lag behind rapid changes in speed. GPS interruptions from trees, buildings, tight turns, and other obstacles can make the number jump even more, and if you rely too much on it—especially during fast reps—your running starts to look similarly jumpy, which can result in a workout designed for one purpose taking on a completely different identity and failing to lead to the gains you’re looking to achieve.“Live pace is a great reference point, but it should only be one of the data points that we use to make effective pacing decisions,” Farr says.Instead of using live pace for every workout you do, prioritize the feedback that tells you whether the rep is unfolding as planned, which is not always simply how fast you’re running.Depending on the session, you might use elapsed time, average pace across a full interval, or just the effort level you’re putting out. Farr’s approach matches those cues to the purpose of the workout, whether you’re building speed, stacking threshold work, or holding a steady aerobic effort over a long run.Here’s how to choose the right pacing cue for each workout in your arsenal so they can deliver the precise dose of stress they’re designed to provide while preserving the recovery you need to keep training strong.What Pacing Metrics Actually MeasureBefore we dive any deeper, it’s important to differentiate between the pace fields that appear on your watch. They may all read minutes per mile, but each one measures a different slice of the run. Mistakenly using the wrong one can leave you chasing a number that isn’t completely accurate, takes too long to calibrate to be useful for a quicker interval, or plainly not the best way to measure your output.Current pace is your watch’s estimate of your speed right now. It can prove helpful during a sustained effort, Farr says, but GPS delay and signal interruptions can make it slow to respond or erratic during quick changes of pace.Lap pace averages your speed over the interval or lap you’re currently running. It’s similar to current pace, and takes a little time to settle in, but gives you a steadier read on whether longer reps are tracking toward your goal.Overall average pace reflects the entire run (or race). It is less useful for managing a short interval, but it becomes valuable when the goal is to assess the cumulative effort of a steady run, long run, or race.Now that you know what each of these fields actually measures, you can select the one that gives you the clearest feedback for the work in front of you, not just the default one that appeared on the first screen of your watch the day you powered it on. “The best metric is really dependent on what we’re trying to accomplish in that run,” Farr says.For Short Speed Reps, Use Elapsed TimeFor 30- to 90-second reps, especially on a track, Farr wants runners to treat the watch primarily as a stopwatch.“Time and distance never lie,” Farr says. And in this case, the track provides the distance and the watch provides the time.For example, during a 400-meter repeat, Farr suggests you check your elapsed time every 100 or 200 meters, and compare it to your target pace. These fixed checkpoints offer a more trustworthy pacing reference than a live GPS pace reading on a tight oval, he says. For example, if your 400-meter rep target is two minutes, you should pass the 100-meter mark (the straightaway) at 30 seconds, the 200-meter mark (½ lap) at 60 seconds, and the 300-meter mark at 90 seconds, before crossing the line right on time.The same principle works on roads and trails, too. Use elapsed time, distance, and landmarks to see whether you are on track. On a two-minute quarter-mile rep, reaching roughly 0.12 to 0.13 miles around the one-minute mark tells you that you’re pacing correctly.Farr also encourages runners to estimate how hard they are working on a 1 to 10 scale for rate of perceived exertion (RPE), with 10 equaling all-out effort. “If pace is the outcome and effort’s the input,” Farr says, “it’s important to pay attention to that effort piece.”For Longer Intervals and Tempo Work, Rely on Lap PaceOnce an interval lasts long enough for lap pace to stabilize—think 800-meter reps, mile repeats, cruise intervals, and longer tempo segments—it becomes a more useful pacing guide, Farr explains.Lap pace shows how each interval is progressing as a whole, rather than reacting to every short-term fluctuation. You can use it to make a measured adjustment while keeping the effort controlled. If you are slightly off your target pace midway through a rep, a modest pickup may help bring your average pace closer to your goal, Farr says.RPE still matters, though. As mentioned above, external factors can change the effort required to run a particular pace, making your perception of your own effort as important as your lap pace.On Long Runs, Pay Attention to Your Overall Average PaceFor a steady long run, overall average pace becomes more useful because the goal is managing the cumulative load of the run, not so much individual peaks and valleys.In addition to average pace, Farr suggests using lap time in your long runs, but not the mile-by-mile auto-laps that come standard on most watch setups. Manually creating a few half-mile or mile splits in the late stages of your long run can reveal a late fade that the overall average might hide, while still allowing average pace to preserve a broader view of the run as a whole.This is also when to let terrain shape your pace. “Maintain the same effort, not the same pace,” Kai Ng, a New York City-based RRCA- and USATF-certified run coach, previously told Runner’s World. In other words, let your pace slow on climbs and quicken on descents when the goal is a consistent aerobic effort.Set Up Your Watch Before You Start RunningFarr’s best piece of advice to runners: A new watch does not arrive with a screen that automatically fits your training. Take a few minutes to build one that makes the useful information easy to find when you need it.Farr’s basic setup includes current pace, lap time, lap distance, and lap pace on his main screen, with heart rate on a second page. That gives him a simple foundation for most workouts. If he is running an interval session, he can hit the lap button at the start of each rep—or have his laps programmed into his watch beforehand—and immediately get a fresh set of data. On a regular easy run, leaving the lap alone preserves the total time, distance, and average pace for the full effort.Create your own screens around the workouts you do most often. For track intervals, put lap time and lap distance where you can see them immediately. For longer intervals and tempo work, add lap pace. For long runs, surface overall average pace and a recent lap pace. On easy days, consider a stripped-down screen with time, distance, and heart rate—no pace data at all. Then practice switching screens and using the lap button on easy runs, when there is little pressure to nail a perfect split.As you move through workouts over the next few weeks, use the above metrics to check your effort, then notice what that effort feels like. This combination can sharpen your sense of pace one rep, interval, and long run at a time. Eventually, your watch becomes a tool for confirming what you already feel, rather than a screen that dictates how you run.When to Ditch Your Watch AltogetherEasy RunsEasy runs offer a case where most watch metrics should take a back seat to how you’re feeling. Farr encourages his athletes to get away from the screen as much as possible on easy runs, even covering the watch face when they need help breaking the habit of glancing down every few steps.Use breathing rate, heart rate (yes, it’s okay to use your watch for this one—as long as you’re not locked in on your wrist to see every single fluctuation in real time), and subjective effort to keep these runs easy. Most coaches recommend keeping these runs at a 3 or 4 out of 10 RPE.External factors like heat, humidity, and elevation can all make a familiar pace more demanding, so chasing a pace number can inadvertently turn a recovery day into a harder workout if you’re not carefully paying attention to your effort level.StridesStrides are short accelerations, often lasting just 15 to 30 seconds. They usually end before live pace can catch up or lap pace can become meaningful.Farr recommends using RPE as the primary guide. Each stride rep should feel fast and powerful—aiming for a 7 to 9 RPE—while remaining controlled. It’s not an all-out sprint. Focus on relaxed shoulders, quick turnover, and smooth mechanics.Matt Rudisill is an Associate Service Editor who has been with Runner's World since 2025. A Nittany Lion through-and-through, Matt graduated from Penn State in 2022 with a degree in journalism and worked in communications for the university's athletic department for three years as the main contact and photographer for its nationally-ranked cross country and track & field teams. Matt was also heavily involved in communications efforts for Penn State football, men's basketball, and women's gymnastics. In his role with Runner's World, Matt has interviewed Olympians, world champions, and countless experts in the field to create service content that helps runners of all ages and experience levels train smarter and race faster. When he’s not out jogging, Matt can be found tweeting bad takes about the Phillies or watching movies.