usually I warm up for 20 minutes for a 5:40 tempo run to make sure I won't get injured. but then when I try to catch a train that I'm late for (happens at least twice a week) I'm running around that 5:40 pace or faster without even thinking about it, sometimes as much as a quarter mile.
do you take it easy if you suddenly need to run to avoid injury?
When I was running from the police, I felt like I always found a couple extra gears. Happened several times as a teenager, and I always was able to pull away from them triumphantly.
Real life situations like that help you find your potential.
I once ran a .53 mile straight away at my house in 2:25 because my friends and I were running away from metro police. I saw my watch it was 3:21.36 pm when I came through at the finish it was 3:24.01. My best 800 at the time was 2:21(its 2:01 now)
not holding back. as long as it's not sub 4 pace, it's not gonna injure anything.
The first term of my freshman year of college I showed up to the wrong room for a final exam. The correct room was 1k away and I got there in under three minutes without breaking a sweat, I was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and a I wasn't even wearing running shoes.
I onc had to run for my life I to traffic down Sukhomvit Blvd. in Bangkok after I dropped a bottle of bear on the sidewalk Buddhas birthday. It was an accident but some lady and fits took offense and started kicking so I blocked the ladies kick and dropped her on her head. She was surprised and me too. The. Somebody got me good on my knee and I had to sprint into traffic because in Bangkok they will kill you. My knee WA sore for weeks and I'm pretty sure I laid down a 52 second quarter. I was very luck.