You are there on the start line, the nerves and excitement are building the race start gun goes off and when you cross the start line the adrenaline of you (and most of the people around you!) is high so you end up speeding off too fast…
It’s a pretty popular story and it’s one that will likely end up with you regretting it later and slowing down in the latter stages of the race more than you sped up at the start. The reason for this is you raised your heart rate and energy / fuel burn rate too high too early and once that happens it’s very hard to get them back down.
So I propose an alternative! Starting those first 10 minutes of a longer race gently. It will enable you to finish strong, have a more enjoyable race and research shows it is the best strategy for a good time too!
So how can you avoid getting caught up in this sprint off the line?
Keeping yourself in your own calm bubble at the start and for those first 10 minutes can be a great help. Know that most of the people around you will be shooting off, let them go confident that you will see most of them later!
Having a pace “ceiling” in mind (or set on your watch) so you don’t go over it
Keeping awareness on your breathing and keeping it at a rate where you could still have a conversation and talk in sentences
This approach works really well as you are less likely to “hit the wall” (run out of energy before the end of the race). And it’s psychologically really positive as towards the end of the race you will be feeling stronger and even if you maintain your pace you’ll be overtaking plenty of other people!
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