{"id":41461,"date":"2026-04-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bagn.no\/?p=41461"},"modified":"2026-10-28T10:45:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T10:45:04","slug":"train-by-landmarks-not-by-the-mile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/?p=41461","title":{"rendered":"Train by landmarks, not by the mile"},"content":{"rendered":"

A familiar route can make a run feel easier to manage. Instead of watching the clock every few minutes, you can focus on the next bridge, gate or turn, then decide how you feel when you reach it. This approach works well in training for a race because it turns an abstract target into a series of small, practical decisions.<\/p>\n

For a race such as the marlow 10k<\/a>, that habit can help you pace with more care. The aim is not to memorise every metre of the course. It is to practise noticing how your effort changes across different sections, so you can respond sensibly when the route rises, bends or opens up.<\/p>\n

Landmark-based running also offers a useful alternative to checking pace on a watch. GPS readings can fluctuate under trees or near buildings, and a number on a screen does not tell you how your legs feel. A physical point on the route gives you a clear moment to take stock.<\/p>\n

Give each section a job<\/h2>\n

Choose a route with several obvious markers and divide it into manageable stretches. A short loop around a park might run from the entrance to a footbridge, then along the lake to a bench and back towards the car park. On a longer route, use road crossings, changes in surface or a particular row of houses.<\/p>\n

Assign each stretch a simple purpose. You might keep the first section relaxed, settle into a steady rhythm on the next, then finish with a little more intent if you still feel comfortable. The point is to set a broad plan, not to force a precise speed onto every piece of ground.<\/p>\n

Use effort as your guide<\/h2>\n

Before a landmark, ask yourself a straightforward question: could I hold this effort for another few minutes? A conversational pace should leave room for short sentences. A moderate effort may make talking harder, while a short faster section should feel controlled rather than frantic.<\/p>\n

These checks help you spot problems early. If your breathing has become strained well before the halfway point, ease off. If you reach the next marker feeling relaxed, you can maintain the pace or make a small increase. That adjustment is more useful than chasing a watch reading that may be inaccurate.<\/p>\n

Make practice routes specific<\/h2>\n

You do not need to copy a race route exactly. Instead, look for features that ask similar questions of your body. A steady incline can prepare you to keep effort even on a climb. A narrow path can teach you to stay patient when you cannot pass. A stretch exposed to wind can remind you that pace may change even when effort does not.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Pick landmarks you can identify clearly, even when you are tired.<\/li>\n
  • Keep the first section gentle enough to settle your breathing.<\/li>\n
  • Use hills to practise steady effort instead of trying to hold the same speed.<\/li>\n
  • Notice how your stride changes on grass, pavement and gravel.<\/li>\n
  • Finish by recording which sections felt comfortable and which need more practice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Repeat a route now and then, but avoid turning every run into a test. On one outing, focus on an easy rhythm. On another, add a few quicker stretches between landmarks. A familiar course makes it easier to compare how you feel, while a change of direction or weather keeps the session from becoming mechanical.<\/p>\n

    Carry the method into race day<\/h2>\n

    Before an event, choose a handful of reference points from the route information or a course map. Keep the list short. Trying to monitor too many details can distract you from the people around you and from your own effort.<\/p>\n

    At each point, check posture, breathing and concentration. If you feel settled, continue with your plan. If fatigue arrives earlier than expected, shorten your stride slightly and let your pace ease until you regain control. A landmark is a prompt to assess the situation, not a command to speed up.<\/p>\n

    After the race, those same points can help you review what happened. Perhaps you pushed too hard before a hill, or waited until the final stretch to use the energy you had saved. That is useful information for the next training block. Over time, running by landmarks builds a practical sense of pacing that remains available even when your watch is not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A familiar route can make a run feel easier to manage. Instead of watching the clock every few minutes, you can focus on the next bridge, gate or turn, then decide how you feel when you reach it. This approach works well in training for a race because it turns an abstract target into a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-saposten"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41462,"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41461\/revisions\/41462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bagn.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}