What racing strategies have worked for you?

1 Mile

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5K

• Try taking the first mile faster than your goal pace.  Details here: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/printer/1,7124,s6-238-244-259-11738-0,00.html

• Spareribs on warming up for a 5K (from the 30-June-2007 daily thread): 

You have sufficient endurance, given your mileage, your core body workouts and the longer races you have run, to warm up thoroughly for a fiveK by running the entire course beforehand. And based on what you said above regarding how long it takes you to warm up in your daily run, you should seriously consider longer warm-ups for races. Different people have different needs. I am familiar with the longer warm-up because I also need a longer one, and am used to it.

 

Here are some quick tips if you do this:

 

1. Incorporate strides during the final half mile.

 

2. Try to warm up so you finish very close to the start time of the race. Then change clothes or shoes if you need to, and take a drink or whatever else you need to do.

 

3. Once you have warmed up, keep moving. A rookie mistake is to finish your warmup early, then go sit in the car for 30 minutes to keep warm. You know just about how long it will take you to jog the fiveK, so plan to finish the warm up and get ready to run, then keep moving until the gun. That is why you see the best runners doing strides at the start.

 

You will be amazed at how fresh, and "into" the race you will feel during the first mile. Give it a try and let us know how it works out. Spareribs

10K

• Bob Glover: The middle miles are critical.  http://nyrr.org/resources/training/10K_strategy.asp

Half Marathon

• Bob Glover: The first 10 miles are for pacing, the final 5K for racing.  His strategy is detailed here: http://www.nyrr.org/resources/training/half_marathon_strategy.asp

Marathon

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50K and Beyond

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