Below is a common conversation I’ll have about cardio and pacing for the test. Enjoy!
John Smith: Hey Marc, I just ran my POPAT test for the first time, and I failed. Miserably. I play sports competitively, like soccer, hockey, and basketball, but none of that prepared me for the test. I thought my cardio was good enough, but apparently not. How do I improve my cardio so I can pass my test?
Marc: Hey John, that’s a good question. If you don’t mind me asking, what was your final time, and what were your lap splits?
JS: Hey Marc, thanks for getting back to me so quick! Well, I got over 5 minutes, 5:05 to be exact. When I got to the machine, I was just gassed. There was nothing left in the tank and I had to take several seconds to catch my breath and make sure I kept the weight up all the time.
My lap times started at 19, then 22, then 24, 28, 28, and finally something over 30 seconds. I don’t know exactly cause I was so exhausted by the end. I couldn’t believe how tough that test was. You make it look so easy!
M: Lol, I joke that I’m the worst example to watch. It’s like watching an Olympic swimmer do the butterfly, those guys make it look easy too but it’s anything but.
Looking at your times, it’s not a cardio problem you have. It’s a pacing problem. You started way too fast, and it bit you in the ass.
You mentioned you play sports competitively, and I’m assuming you’re competing at a high level. Which indicates that you have a good base of cardio fitness. Again, I’m assuming, you can correct me if I’m wrong.
I bet that if you ran the test again tomorrow, and you slowed down your pace from the beginning, you will pass your test.
JS: But if I slow my pace, won’t I run out of time to complete the push/pull machine? I’m not the strongest person, and I need all the time in the world to get through the machine. That’s why I’m running the course fast.
M: And how’d that work for you?
JD: Touche
M: I totally get your logic: “If I run the course as fast, I’ll have more time for the machine and vault”. Yes, you’ll have more time for the machine and vault, but what isn’t taken into account is the amount of energy it takes to run very fast. You will have more time to complete the machine, but you won’t have the energy. And if you don’t have the energy, you ultimately slow down at the machine, losing whatever time you gained on the course.
In fact, you will lose more time on the machine and vault trying to catch your breath from all the hard work on the course.
You need to slow your roll from the get go and be as consistent in your laps as possible. I suggest no more than a 2 second difference between your fastest lap and slowest lap. Doesn’t matter what your fitness level is, that rule of thumb holds true for everyone. As fast as I’m able to run through the course, that’s not my fastest speed.
JS: Really? You could’ve fooled me.
M: I’m serious. I even demonstrated the difference between “sprinting” and “pacing”, which you can check here: A Tale of Two PARE’s. Granted, this was for the PARE test, but it holds true with the POPAT too.
When I “sprinted”, I was 17 seconds slower overall compared to pacing.
There was a Redliner who did the same thing. She was nearly 1 minute faster overall when she paced herself compared to sprinting. Time and time again, when people run consistent laps, they have much more energy leftover for the rest of the test.
It’s not about running the course as fast as possible. It’s about running the course as fast as possible AND still have energy remaining for the remainder of the POPAT. This means slowing your pace to what feels like a Sunday jog.
When it comes to running the laps, it’s not about how much time you can save, it’s about how much energy you can conserve.
JS: Well, I gotta say Marc, that makes total sense. I’m gonna slow down my pace next time and I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the advice Marc!
M: You’re very welcome!
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