Mile and 800 Strategy? (Read 791 times)

Congrats on the PR! May you have many more. Congrats also on the second place finish. Keep up the good work.

First congratulations on your running. If I was to offer you my advice and I ran many many races of those distances in my past I would say know your overall goal and run a consistant pace throughout. Many times starting out too fast can lead to heavy legs in the end. 1st lap will more then likely be the fastest 3rd lap the slowest and the other 2 just grooven. Make them as consistant as possible.

Heh, thanks. FWIW, I like anybody with that kind of spirit running around the Shelby Park lake around mile 23 at CMM!

The fourth quarter cannot be put into words.

True, but a pretty good strategy to get you started is: run on the edge of death.

The 800 is unique, because it is the only "distance" race in which you run fastest by positive splitting. You go out hard, and you hang on for the second lap. If you try to negative split, you won't be able to accelerate much, if at all, in the second lap. I also think that the 800 is one race in which it's best NOT to listen to your body. In a 3-5k, you're paying careful attention to how you're feeling, so you can spend your energy at just the right rate. In an 800, you're pushing so hard that you would inevitably slow down and/or freak out if you were to think about how you feel too much. Instead just think the most bloodthirsty, competitive thoughts that you can. I agree with the previous poster about the third 200. People drop the pace here and lose races. Obviously you can't go quite flat out when you're tired and you still have a lap to go, but if you stop pushing, you're going to slow down a lot more than you realize. Don't worry about tactics yet. You're still going to be chipping off a lot of time when you run. When your times start to level off, and when you're facing competition that runs almost the same speed as you, then it's time to think about tactics. For now, just worry about running fast. As far as the mile goes, you need to worry about splits. 6:16 would be 94 seconds/lap or 47 seconds/200. Learn what that pace feel like. Run some 200s at pace, with a super-easy walk/jog recovery. At the gun, push hard for 8-10 seconds to get out, then settle into the pace that you've taught yourself. Don't wear a watch, but have someone call out your splits. If you're off, then don't make up for it, just try to get back on pace. Settle in behind someone if you can, but stay alert, because most people slow down during the mile. You'll have to make a move while you're tired. When you pass someone, do it hard, so they don't even bother to put up a fight. Ultimately, there will come a time in the race when you need to make a choice, depending on who you're with: do I pass the person who's not as strong as me, even though it will hurt to do so? Do I hang onto the person who's faster than me, even though I don't think I can make it? When I was more of an 800/1500 guy, I would always kick from 130, because I had the wheels to open up a quick gap. Now that I'm a 5k guy, I usually push from 600 or 500 to go, and hang on for the rest of the race. Try both strategies. The long kick usually gives you a better finish time, but sometimes your competition hangs with you and beats you in the stretch. The short kick is better for winning, but not as good for running fast times. When you're tying up at the end of a race, concentrate on driving your arms, forcing your legs to keep up. Imagine the ground is covered in hot coals, and you need to pick up your feet as soon as they land. Congrats on being a middle distance runner. It's the most intense discipline in our sport. I've always thought it feels like jumping out of a plane. I know people say that ultra runners are crazy, but I honestly don't think anyone's as crazy as 800/1500 runners. Have fun with it.

Heh, thanks. FWIW, I like anybody with that kind of spirit running around the Shelby Park lake around mile 23 at CMM!

I will be abck there again in a few weeks. I am trying to go sub 3:15 with hopes for a 3:10 or better. Will all depend on the weather. Hope it is like last year minus a few degrees temperature. I heard rumor of a course change but have not seen it on their site yet?

Thanks. I am thinking if we don't hear anything by the first of April then it may not happen this year. I love the course and if I can truck through miles 17-20 then I will be money for a solid finish.