ABSTRACT
The importance of the ability of the athlete to voluntarily control pace is indicated by studies in which subjects are asked to perform at a given workload. The traditional interpretation of race pacing holds that the athlete self-selects pace by means of an integration between peripheral sensory feedback and the distance of the race. During the race, the central governor monitors pace in relation to physiological cues to assess the appropriateness of its previously selected pace in respect to the distance yet to be covered. In that cognitive model, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) is considered as the athlete's feelings reflecting the level of the physiological markers of fatigue, and these sensations are used by the athlete to set pace in accordance with the race distance. A competitor in an endurance athletic event has the option of choosing among several patterns of pace during the race.
