I think the mile is the hardest to do an all out solo effort and get close to PR times. Racing always makes the first 3 laps manageable, and you can produce a good final lap. Time-trials it is really hard to kick it in for a good time. You can grind out good 5000m or 10000 if you have one of those days where you just get after it, and get on a roll.
Depends on the runner. For me the shorter, the easier to go 100%. However I'm a lot better at the mile than the 800, so it's always more fun to do a mile time trial.
Probably mile/1500. Maybe its a personal thing, but I simply cannot run a time trial over 1500 or the mile anywhere near my PB. 800, sure, just get out hard and hang on, 5k and up might be difficult, but as long as you know what your splits are gonna be you can get it done.
Rudisha ran 1:40.91 leading the whole way. In no other event (800 and upwards) is it possible to run a WR from the front the whole way.
true brit wrote:
Probably mile/1500. Maybe its a personal thing, but I simply cannot run a time trial over 1500 or the mile anywhere near my PB. 800, sure, just get out hard and hang on, 5k and up might be difficult, but as long as you know what your splits are gonna be you can get it done.
Rudisha ran 1:40.91 leading the whole way. In no other event (800 and upwards) is it possible to run a WR from the front the whole way.
I agree that a mile/1600 is the best distance to really test yourself in a time trial as a middle distance runner. It's tough to really simulate a race while running a solo time trial longer than 800 meters, but the mile/1600 is a great guage to measure where you are in your fitness level. The tendency to lag on that third lap is really tough, but if you're able to push through that it'll be really good for you mentally. While I also used to do solo 2-mile time trials, it was always so harder to push myself to a really fast time by myself. Now, if you ran your time trial WITH another runner as your rabbit, that would be ideal.
There HAVE been world records set where the winner basically ran a time trial--Kenenisa Bekele's 12:37 world record 5K is a good example since he ran so much of it by himself, but having rabbits for the early stage, as well as the adrenaline and the excitement of the crowd, was much more conducive to a fast tun than anything you could simulate in your own time trial.
The mile.
I ran a solo 4:36 on the track years ago. My PR at the time was 4:31.
The last lap was endless.
If you are within ten seconds of your race PR in practice, you are underperforming in races.
Balian wrote:
The mile.
I ran a solo 4:36 on the track years ago. My PR at the time was 4:31.
The last lap was endless.
I ran a 4:41 1600 with atrocious pacing, doubling back from a 3200 earlier in the meet. That was a PR for me, and it was at the end of my senior year. I never got a chance to race a 1600 fresh when I was at my peak, so after the season, I did a time trial on my own, hoping to hit at least 4:35 before I graduated. I ran 4:42. You're right, it's really hard.
true brit wrote:
In no other event (800 and upwards) is it possible to run a WR from the front the whole way.
That's not true at all. Several people have run PRs from the front the whole way. Maybe it is hard but it is certainly not impossible.
Fascinating question. Let me use myself as an example to see.
200m Race PR 23.9; so
lo practice PR 25.5
400 Race PR 51.9; solo PR hmmm, 55 or so I think
600 race PR 1:25 (indoor); solo practice PR 1:33 (outdoor)
800 race PR 1:56; solo PR 2:11 (HUGE DIFFERENCE!)
1200 race PR 3:18; solo PR 3:30
Mile PR 4:38; solo PR 4:56
5K race 16:47; solo 3-mile 17:21 (so maybe 17:50 after conversion)
5-mile 29:50; solo 30:26 (good solo effort here once)
10K 36:40; solo 6-mile PR 38:30 (so maybe 39:45 after conversion).
I guess 800m was the biggest variance. Not sure though as the trend is not linear by distance.
for me, the 200 and 400 I can solo something all out in practice that is fairly close to my pr. 800/mile forget about it, I think the mid-distance events are the hardest because to really get after it you have to hurt so bad halfway through and still push. I need the race adrenaline and competition to get through that. 3k and up it gets easier I think, but I don't think many people run an all out distance race in practice.
400 mile ultra marathon
10k
Agreed.I can come nowhere near my 800 and 1500 race times in trials. The difference is very noticeable on the last lap - I can't really kick in a TT.
Mossback wrote:
If you are within ten seconds of your race PR in practice, you are underperforming in races.
Balian wrote:The mile.
I ran a solo 4:36 on the track years ago. My PR at the time was 4:31.
The last lap was endless.
Mossback wrote:
Balian wrote:The mile.
I ran a solo 4:36 on the track years ago. My PR at the time was 4:31.
The last lap was endless.
If you are within ten seconds of your race PR in practice, you are underperforming in races.
Daniel Komen opened up a workout of 1600, 1200, 800, 400, 3 min rest with a 3:53 1600. Then he went on to finish the workout. He had a lifetime mile PR of 3:46.