For obvious reasons, there aren't any big meets where I live this year, there's only dual meets and 2 tri meets. I still want to PR but it's weird because there's not really many people to push/pull others like there would be in a normal season with bigger 10+ team meets. So how do I go about PRing in at least one of these meets?
If you put in the work, log the miles, push the hard sessions, keep it focused and consistent, you can get in shape to PR this year. Just look at the meets as opportunities for fast efforts, without a lot of traffic to get in your way.
You could always get a friend to pace you through the halfway mark and then fall off. My HS team would do this a lot whenever we’d dual scrub teams cause it’s extremely hard to run a fast 3200 and for some people 1600 alone.
If you want to pr you should be running for time and not place.
You are racing the clock and your previous best.
Figure out even split times that will get you to run a PR.
Presuming this is xc and your previous pr was on an easier flatter course.
Figure out even splits to run a pr.
Get a garmin watch and jog first half of course during warmup, Measure and note half mile points. If you live near the course measure whole course.
Use watch to run right at even split pace for first half of race
(Maybe even start a little slow and run slight negative splits with a strong finish.)
In smaller meets you do not have to start too fast to secure position. Lots of room to pass later.
Race the clock.
Relax just a half step behind the even pace clock for the first 30-50%
slowly but surely focus on catching and passing people over the last half. Most started too fast and will be running slower than even pace. Catch and pass as many as you can, each pass a small positive win.