As a former 100m and 200m sprinter in my school days I do rather enjoy having a bit of a burst of speed at the end of a run.
Lately I've been doing this in Parkrun and also as part of the club league races I do and I've been toying with my approach to this in terms of what distance to go from. Generally with Parkrun I'll wait until the last 100m before stretching out, but with the club league races, where points are on offer dependent on your finishing position, I might go from further out if there's the opportunity to pick off some places. Often these type of races, mostly being cross country, will end on a downhill slope and so it's possible to pick up a decent burst of speed. Last week, as an example, it was a gentle slope down and going out from 300m I was surprised at how I could maintain my sprint and actually pick up speed to pip someone on the line.
But I've also noticed a difference in attitude depending on the the circumstances. In Parkrun if I attempt to sprint past someone and they speed up I'm inclined to not push on just happy to concentrate on my finishing time. However if someone I've previously overtaken tries to come past me I will put in a bit more of a burst to try and stay ahead.
In a club league race I am probably a bit more focused and it is trying my hardest to pick up as many places as possible. It's a fantastic feeling to pip someone on the line, but equally it's very annoying to be pipped.
Does anyone else have any tactics for races?
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The other consideration I've been toying with is whether, when trying for a particular time, the better tactical option is to run ever so slightly under the required pace until the last 200-300m and then sprint from there. So hold something back in the hope that the sprint will ultimately bring me inside the time. I tend to think I can make up more time in that short a distance than I would lose, say, over a 5K.
I also think I've got natural speed over a short distance which gives me an advantage in a competitive race like a league run.
To be able to get below my PB for 5K (23:45) I need to run sub 7:37 min/mile. To maintain that as a speed throughout the run is a challenge, but if I were to run at just under 8 for the first two miles, then 7:30 for the third and look to then run the last 200/300 at 5 or even 4 I think I may make up what I would have lost on the first two.
All a theory though.