Negative Split Races
How is it possible to run my goal pace without falling apart in the middle of my race? Practice and learn how to run negative splits.
It's not easy to learn how to run a negative split race. It takes a great deal of practice in training and a lot of practice in racing. We all get taken up in the beginning of a race. It's so exciting and you just want to get out there and give it all you've got.
You think if you start out faster, I'll have extra time at the end when I get tired. Not true! If you start out too fast, even in a race that has a big down hill at the beginning like Buffalo Creek, Ikea, or especially the Boston Marathon, you'll pay for it later on. It's so important to know your pace going into a race and stucking to the numbers for the furst 6, 8 or 10 miles. How do you teach yourself to do this and train your body to stay in control? Through training runs, that's how.
Training runs that incorporate negative spilts will help runners plan to meet their race pace goal. If you want to run a 9 minute pace in the marathon and break 4 hours or 2 hours for the ½ marathon, then you don't want to make the mistake of starting the race at an 8:30 pace. Some people make the mistake of starting their race out at a faster pace thinking if they do this they will get ahaed of their pace and when they fall apart, they have time to spare. That's not the best way to think about pacing. Instead think about starting the race at 5 to 10 seconds slower than your race pace to let your body warm up a bit and then slowly moving up to your race pace until you are about ¾'s of the way through the race, then start to pick it up the last part by 15 to 20 seconds per mile and do negative splits.
A few seconds per mile can go a long way in helping you reach your goal.
Learn how to start out slower and pick it up later on in your race. This includes those of you training for a 5K up to an Ironman. It's all about strategy and running smart. It's also important for you to know what your pace is for different races. In order to run true negative splits, you must know your pace in every type of race you run and yes, your pace should be different for each distance.
A sample negative split workout for you to try....
10 minute warm-up
10 minutes at marathon pace
3 minute recovery jog
8 minutes at ½ marathon pace
3 minute recovery jog
6 minutes at 10K pace
2 minute recovery jog
4 minutes at 5K pace
2 minute recovery jog
2 minutes faster than 5K pace
10 minute cool down