Sub 10 minute two-mile (Read 3948 times)

69 probably is just right for the first lap, because most of that extra speed was (I assume) in the first 100-200. Actually, it's most efficient to go faster for the first 100, because you're using primarily your phosphagen system (what sprinters use), so you can move quickly right at the start without paying a big price. That system only lasts 10 seconds or so. The other reason to start hard is to get out of trouble. This is a high school 3200, not a time trial. If he goes out on perfect 75 pace, then he's going to have to keep really sharp and continue passing people the whole time, which takes a lot of energy. In reality, he'd move up through the field in the second mile, get contact with someone, sit on him for a while, and then realize that he just dropped an 80. It's hard to keep track of your speed in the second half of the race. This actually happened to me not too long ago. I was trying to run 70 second pace for a 3k, and everyone blasted from the start. I slowly worked my way up, and finally got on the shoulder of the 2nd place guy. For the first time all race, I had someone to run with, and I was thinking, "boy, this is easier when you're not doing it alone." Well, it turns out it's also easier when you drop from 70 second pace to 78! My one secret for running PRs on the track (as opposed to beating specific opponents), is to kick suicidally early. If you kick at 100 to go, you'll by flying when you cross the line, which is fun, but you won't improve your time that much. Try kicking at 600 or 700 to go. When you do it right, you're slowing down when you hit the line, but you're still going faster than your average race pace. It really hurts, and it takes guts. It's not something I have the heart to try every time. I usually save it for when I know that I'm on PR pace going into the last 800.

It cracks me up to see old threads like this get dug up.  I get to read semi-intelligent things I posted back when I cared.