Should you always run the first few meters fast for momentum?

No. Do strides before your time trial.

You should start your 3k time trials at 0kms and proceed as fast as possible until 3kms. Do what you want after that, if you feel like continuing slowly to 5kms.

It's literally cheating if you don't start at 0kms. No head starts hehe

Bad Wigins wrote:

You should start your 3k time trials at 0kms and proceed as fast as possible until 3kms. Do what you want after that, if you feel like continuing slowly to 5kms.

Shouldn't you also load up with some Crystal Meth first? Or am I doing it wrong?

Me and Brad Wigins are being witty btw. I guess the best races I've done are where I went out harder. Normally I feel weak at the start though, and a get a bad start, and end up with a crap race. It is rare when I actually literally feel good at the start, and go out strong. I need to get into the habit of forcing myself out agressively. Pick a point in the distance, maybe 100m past the start line, and aim to run as hard as possible to that point, then you will be aloud to ease down. I really have to start doing this myself. And then stick to the person who is nearest you at that point. I have a habit of letting everyone ahead though. I hate the way I run most of the time.

Yes. I think there's some truth in this.

Same as if you head off on an easy pace and try switching it up after a few miles. Always feels harder than if you'd gone off at the higher pace.

Hobby Jogger Idiot wrote:

I noticed recently when hobby jogging time trialling in the park with my Garmin watch, I end up running a faster time if I begin almost sprinting the first few meters and slow down. It feels like the momentum makes me run the same pace a little easier. For example, if I start a 3K time trial at 4kms and then slow to 5kms, the 5kms pace seems easier than if I just started at 5kms. Is this because of momentum and is this why runners always go out quickly (and not just to establish position) in races?

How did those other runners get your watch?

None of us can speak to the reason other runners do what they do, but an aggressive start off of the line generally does more good than harm. First off, it does help to establish position. Secondly, the first 10 to 20 seconds or so of a race are "free" from an energy systems perspective - that first burst uses ATP, which is not the primary energy source in distance races. You can get a nice burst at the start burning ATP and not draw on your aerobic or LT systems at all, then settle into your pace. Essentially, over the first 100m or so, you can get a little bit of a head start without costing yourself later in the race. That being said, we are talking about a second or two of save time, so it isn't going to be a game changer, but it is nice to know that the initial burst to establish position (or for the psychological benefit of making race pace feel more comfortable in your case) isn't going to hurt your overall performance.

Hobby Jogger Idiot wrote:

I noticed recently when hobby jogging time trialling in the park with my Garmin watch, I end up running a faster time if I begin almost sprinting the first few meters and slow down. It feels like the momentum makes me run the same pace a little easier. For example, if I start a 3K time trial at 4kms and then slow to 5kms, the 5kms pace seems easier than if I just started at 5kms. Is this because of momentum and is this why runners always go out quickly (and not just to establish position) in races?

There is actually a physiological reason you should run your first 6 seconds at a dead sprint. As an endurance runner you immediately use up your stores of phosphocreatine ATP (energy system) and if you don't do this sprint, those stores lie untouched. In my experience it is very difficult to hold back to 6 seconds so you have to control that. Risky to use it in say, a mile race, because if you don't slow down into aerobic ATP zone you will be into your glycolytic stores and then you'll be hit by a truck at about 600m with pain from the acidic environment. Practice it a lot before using in a race.

This is why Kawauchi-san Yuki got off to the start he did at Boston :)

Save it for the last meter, then sprint.