I am a freshman collegiate runner and my first big 8k is next week. I have always considered myself to be a "slow twitch" type runner (PR's - 400 - 59, 800 - 2:07, mile - 4:29, 3k - 8:45). I have been doing relatively high mileage throughout the summer (85-95) which is a bit higher than I was doing last year, but nothing too out of the ordinary for me. My question is: how do I ensure that my legs feel sharp and ready to roll next weekend (the race is on Sunday)? Since I have not really been doing strides should I do those? If so, how many/how long/how frequently?
I truly believe I have the strength and stamina to do well in an 8k, I think I just need to position myself well in the first part of the race so that I don't spend the entire time playing catch up! So basically does anyone have any advice for doing this?