First two mile (Read 944 times)

The 2 mile is a really tough race. You did well. What was tactically wrong with your race, in your opinion? What are you going to work on until next time so that you don't make the same mistakes again?

... If I had to hazard a guess, I imagine you went out too fast in the first lap and the first mile.

99% of the time this was the case for me. I'd go out at the maximum pace that I felt I could maintain for 2 miles, but in a competition environment I always ended up pushing a little harder without even realizing it... it is somewhat of an artform to stick to your pacing goals in a race. By the 4th lap of the first mile I'd need to start slowing the pace, IIRC, usually by 5 to 10 seconds per mile (when I was running 2 miles in the low 11s), and then I'd struggle through the last mile. From what I remember, the feeling I had during that last mile of most of my 2 mile races was almost always the same - my body felt fine with the exception of how hard I was breathing. Maybe I didn't have enough aerobic conditioning because other people I've talked to who've raced the 2 mile sometimes don't share the same perceptions, but I always felt like I was running as slow as a snail during that last mile, especially toward the end when everyone would turn on their finishing kicks, but I still did well. Even as my times improved the sensation remained the same. I bet the progression will be the same for you (you'll do well) if you put in the necessary effort and don't allow yourself to become discouraged by dissappointing races - use them as a learning experience.

Hey averagefrosh, I see your current mile PR is 5:05. Plugging that into various running calculators shows an equivalent two-mile time of around 10:50. Now this doesn't automatically mean you can run that time -- you have to be trained for it, but it's something to aim for. (and of course, as a freshman, your times are always in flux). So at your next race, aim to run the first mile around 5:25~5:30 (and make sure that first lap isn't too fast). Hold on to your pace for dear life in laps 5~7. And lay the hammer down on the last lap -- it should be your fastest lap. If you can do this, I'll bet you'll get under 11:00. Good Luck!

No, I am sure this was actually a 2 miler. I am aware there is a difference, and I even made the point to check with my coach.

The 2 mile to a high school runner is like the 5k to a college runner (10k is just dumb on the track) but when you are in good shape the nice thing is that it's really not too hard for about half of the race if you run it right, but it's all mental for the last 4-5 laps depending on how hard you went out. Usually when going for the win in a slow heat or a weak small meet it would be easy for 6 laps, then kick. But i would have to say 11:13 for a first ever 2 mile is really good. I would bet that if you keep it up you will easily be sub 10 before college.