2 Mile race or time trial

As a distance runner myself(5k-10k), a time trial would be something I would enjoy. I know a lot of coaches discourage racing in practice, but a 2 mile is the perfect distance for a 5k-10k guy for speed, and an 800/1500 guy for endurance, at least that's how I feel.

Besides just doing a straight time trial, you could always try a race simulation workout like:

Break the 3k up into 400-800m segments

The 400-800m reps are at race pace and then have about 200-400m of "float" before the next rep begins. Float doesn't mean very easy, but it shouldn't be exhausting either.

Also, you could try telling them to run 2 miles easy and then to push it for a mile or two with everything they have left.

should i provide them with an incentive to run well. For instance, the winner gets a bottle of gatorade or something. I just want something to get there competitiveness going.

their*

Instead of an incentive to the winner, give everyone a goal (either time or something you want to see them try). Then after the workout, give them some critique on what you saw and are thinking. I did this Tuesday with my team, and they are still talking about it today.

1) Tell them they are doing a 1 mile time trial.

2) Invite them to wear their spikes.

3) Offer a PS2 or XboX for first place.

4) Get tricky and put up a sign just before the finish that reads:

4 MORE LAPS!!!!

5) Offer Barrett Duhl appearance fee and a season's supply of EPO spiked Red Bull so he can become the420miler

race work wrote:

Besides just doing a straight time trial, you could always try a race simulation workout like:

Break the 3k up into 400-800m segments

The 400-800m reps are at race pace and then have about 200-400m of "float" before the next rep begins. Float doesn't mean very easy, but it shouldn't be exhausting either.

I love these types of workouts. One of my fav's is 3 miles In/Outs at 3K/Marathon Pace, rotating every 400M.

Prizes like that are fun. A coach of mine in high school used to give ice cream gift certificates... it definitely ramped up the intensity if that's what you're trying to do.

I think the time trial would be fun.

It won't wear them out. When I was in high school, we had a time trial two days before every meet that was the same distance as our races (during cross country; I had different coaches for track). This was how my coach decided who to take to the varsity meets. The only weeks we did not have a time trial were for district, regionals, and state.

No offense, but today is a little late to be planning workouts for this week(end). A 3K/2 mile test effort, if you can get kids to run it properly, is an excellent way to approximate VO2max and then set training parameters. Like every thing else, has to fit into the the larger scheme.

If you have not planned preceding and subsequent workouts in anticipation of a time trial then don't just drop one in there arbitrarily. Have a plan of at least a full week's worth or training and workouts. Athletes will buy into and benefit more from that more than some prize for winning a time trial.

You must be joking! (TxRunnergirl, not the coach who started the thread) That's a terrible plan your coach used, a time trial 2 days before every "real" race. The better method is to rotate in the top JVs from last week's results into the 6th and 7th varsity slots, and see who "sticks" and earns a shot at the districts, et al.Not only does time trialling weekly, at the race distance, no less, rob you of the effort you'll need when it counts in the real race, but it also reinforces a pecking order so that runners slot themselves into an order among teammates instead of racing up to the level of the competition. Furthermore, it just has them practicing running their usual race pace, if not a bit slower, instead of breaking the race into shorter distances that they can practice at their goal pace, or somewhat faster than what they have been doing. This is one of the most basic principles in training, running distances shorter than the full race at your goal pace or faster, self-evident without even beginning to discuss the physiology of training.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

It won't wear them out. When I was in high school, we had a time trial two days before every meet that was the same distance as our races (during cross country; I had different coaches for track). This was how my coach decided who to take to the varsity meets. The only weeks we did not have a time trial were for district, regionals, and state.