Long roads make pacing a form of intelligence.

Over a short distance, speed is everything and pacing is a waste. Over a long one, pacing determines whether you arrive at all, and running the early miles at full effort is not commitment but a misreading of the distance. Knowing which race you are in is genuinely a form of intelligence.

Ask what the realistic timescale of your current effort is, then set an intensity you could hold for that long. If you could not sustain this year’s pace for five years, it is the pace that needs changing rather than your resolve.