3200m strategy. Fast or slow start?

I was going to troll you, but I was convinced otherwise. I think you should go out and run your own race, and attempt to come through at 4 55 to 4 58 with a slightly faster first lap. If others are there to push you that is even better.

Thanks - I've had trouble with strategy this whole season. I usually hit 1600m at 5:03 or 5:04... This is a huge invitational so the presence of others should really help that time. My team has pretty much been running duals lately so there are only like 8 3200m runners, and it can be kind of difficult running in a "no man's land."

Relax, tuck in, focus on getting a few minutes of relaxed fast running on the rail that is not too tiring, whether it's 4:55 or 5:02. Steel yourself to start putting on the pressure gradually, laps 5-6-7-8. Make a mental commitment to that second mile. Tell yourself the last 4 laps will be 70-80-90-100% effort. Have a word to help you keep focus. "Tempo" is a good word, remind yourself to keep up the stride rate, not over-stride and become inefficient. The goal is to be efficient, not muscle it until the last lap. Just focus on that relaxed state for first mile, no big moves. Just go with the flow.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

If you are running 5:03 for the first 1600 and 5:16 for the second, then you should not try to run the first 1600 faster.

My senior year I was running 10:20-10:25, usually with a 5:05-5:07 first mile. I had a bit of a breakthrough when I went 10:15 (5:10-5:05). Then three weeks later went 9:57 (5:01-4:56)

One more thing... I see you have a registered name, so you know an even pace with a fast finish is most effective, physiologically. Your best race would be every lap in 75, last lap in 71 with a fast last 200m. But we both know you'll go out in 71-72. Just resist that tendency a little, come through in about 73 maybe, then settle in and string 75-76 laps, keep your focus, don't drift in the second mile. Visualize Mo Farah, running relaxed, the fastest possible "jogging," save energy, and then wind it up for an accelerating last lap.

There used to be this line we used around here a lot: "I think you should go back and read what you wrote." In a really sincere way, I recommend this to you now. You seem to be saying that your options are run your own race, aiming for 5:00 at 1600m, or run someone else's pace just randomly hoping they pull you through 1600m in 5:00. It's not clear what you mean by "faster guys" but if you get to 1600m in 5:00 by running 72, 74, 74, with them and then an 80 on your own, you're probably not going to enjoy your last 4 laps.Do you know roughly how much faster these guys are? Will they be running 9:20 or 9:50? I agree with those who recommend that you take a shot at it by aiming for maybe 4:58--73, 75, 75, 75 would be ideal. They gut it out trying to stay on pace for three laps and give everything you've got left on the last one.

Caleb S. wrote:

I'm trying to decide wether I should:

a) start out with consistent ~75 second 400 splits until the 1600 mark, or

b) start out with faster guys and maintain their pace, hoping they hit 1600 at 5:00

Might I ask what invite you are going to?

The Golden Triangle Invitational

Yeah now thinking back on it it's probably best to go slower on the first mile. On lap 5 and 6 I'm going I really pick it up. I don't want to die out after 1600m.

I'm thinking the faster guys are running around 9:50 in my heat so they are a good sort of benchmark to follow during the race. I think it would be better though to hit 1600m at like 5:02 and start catching up to them at around lap 5- I don't want to risk burning out after 1600m.

Assuming you are running for time and not place. run even laps. If you are looking to run 10-10:10 then I would go out at 10 pace. 1:15, 1:15...... If you hold that 6 laps either you will have gone out a little too fast and still have a shot at a pr or you will set yourself up to go for 10. Let people come to you. I always tell my guys I dont care where you are at the end of lap 2. You may be last, but if you run smart the race will come back to you. Those who are close to you, who go out way to fast, you will be passing on laps 6 and 7. STEADY splits in the 3200 unless you are looking for a different race strategy, but sounds like you are only focused on time, which is fine.

Fast start, my school has won 6 straight track disrict titles in XC and track all because my coach came to our school 6 years ago. He was a runner and he always tells us to make sure we are ahead of the "crap", as our varsity runners call bad runners. He says the key is a good start. His wife, who just competed in the Boston marathon, says the same thing.

By the way, what's your name, you sound pretty good.

You can overthink this. I've seen a lot of kids go into a race with a plan in mind and then run terribly because something happened -- the weather was bad, the leaders went out really slow, etc.

The key will be what you feel like at 1600m. It won't matter all that much whether you are 4:55 or 5:05, but laps 5, 6, and 7 are the key to the race and you have to be in a position where you feel ready to be tough then. So, how you get to the mile mark matters a lot.

Pay attention to the splits for the first two laps and then stop listening to them and just race.

It is a race after all. The times come if you race well. So, get to the mile sensibly and then hopefully you are in a position to compete with some other kids. There are a lot of scenarios of what could happen in this race. Get to the 1600 on a reasonable pace in the most comfortable way possible, and then race your tail off from there.

You mentioned that you ran your pr of 10:19 going 5:03 the first 1600. How long ago was that? How do you know you are in substantially better shape now? Unless you have a run big prs at other distances lately, you will die even worse going out at 5:00 than you did starting with 5:03.

If you ran that 10:19 recently, you can probably knock some time off with a slight negative split. I would aim for 5:06-5:08 the first mile in that situation, even if you are running alone. You went out too fast when you ran 10:19, why repeat the same mistake?

The people above me gave you some solid advices.

But I feel like I should add some more:

1) As someone stated it's very likely that you end up running 71/72 the first lap. That's cool, as long as it isn't from 32-40 200m splits.

2) You should focus on RACING on your second mile regardless of your split the first 1600m, be it 4:50 or 5:10.

3) Last but not least the first mile should be done in the most eficient way possible. This means hugging the rail for the least distance possible and avoid unnecessary elbowing and such things. Of course you can't control that 100% but you can at least be smart and minimize it.

The best scenario would be to just tuck in and follow in last place and hope that the leaders run 4:55. If you feel like someone is dropping pace just pass him and don't look back.

However always be prepared for adversity. Good luck!

First off, do what your coach tells you.

If he hasn't got any advice, a good rule of thumb is to run the first half of a race at your current PR pace, in your case the first mile at 5:09. Then start dropping the hammer.

People who tell a 10:19 guy to run 9:50 pace for the first half are deluded.

So far Eradicator has the best answer. " If you are running 5:03 for the first 1600 and 5:16 for the second, then you should not try to run the first 1600 faster."

It should read, "and DYING to 5:16 for the second," but overall best so far.

I ran 10:20 as a sophomore running 5:00/5:20 after many 5:02/5:28 races. My teammate always ran 5:00/5:00 and was seldom beaten. As juniors, we continued to go out in 5:00. Once I ran 5:00/5:05 but that was it over almost 20 races indoors and out those two years. It seemed ok as I was finishing second almost all the time.

The last dual meet of junior year, the only competition was a freshman who had run 10:30. The other team was not very good but we had run through the 4 x 800 and 1600 for points so we went out in about 5:15 right behind the freshman. Unfortunately, this freshman was the younger brother of a multiple time state champ and he ran laps 5, 6 and 7 in 75s. At the bell, my teammate took off with the freshman on his heels and I went after them with everything I had. When we reached the finish, I had run the last lap in 60 for a PR of 10:00, my teammate ran the last lap in 65 for a 10:05 and the freshman had run a 70 and 10:10. In the big meets that year, I tried going out slower than 5:00. I never dared to go out as slow as 5:15, but starting at 5:07 and 5:09, I ran around 9:55.

If this is a big invite, honestly the best strategy for is to straight jog for the first 10 meters and make sure you are dead last off the line, this will avoid you going out too fast, 75 is a lot easier than it than it sounds for the 1st lap. Plus it also will avoid you getting tripped etc. If it goes out fast just make sure that you don't completely lose the front pack. If you know you are running 75's and can draft off of the leaders that are running 74's, than do that, but if the lead pack is clicking off 72's or faster I would let them go out, if they aren't that fast they will suffer the last 1200-800 and you will pass them, if they are that fast than the are simply better than you and you would be a fool to run that pace, and would be better off in no man's land pacing yourself or with 1 or 2 other guys. It also gives you the entire field to pick off, as every time you pass a guy, there is another guy to work towards, this helps you increase your effort level, as it will take more and more effort each lap to keep hitting 75, and each guy in front of you that you pass will make you pick it up. But seriously, my pr's from 3k, 3200, steeple, and 5k I was dead last for the 1st 200 meters. In my 5k PR, there were guys that ran over 17:30 and I ran 16:38, and I was dead last for the first 200. Give it a try. You can always close hard, but if you open hard, you run the risk of blowing up.