June 27, 2024
Two Road Racing Tactics For Saving Time and Energy
Our job as intelligent human beings is to run our best race by strategically planning it. In this episode you'll learn two tactics with the potential to shave, not seconds, but minutes off your half or full marathon times. And they are useful...
Our job as intelligent human beings is to run our best race by strategically planning it.
In this episode you'll learn two tactics with the potential to shave, not seconds, but minutes off your half or full marathon times. And they are useful for shorter races too. There are no costs, no inconveniences, and they are perfectly legal.
#1. Almost No Carry Hydration
You can easily lose 15 seconds at a water stop by slowing down, stopping for a few seconds to drink the water, and then speeding up. That’s slow down, stop, walk or slow jog, gain control of the cup, and speed up. Try doing this when running with a pace group.
Consider carrying a small, refillable, 8 oz, disposable bottle of water. I know many people don't want to carry anything, but are you telling me that’s not worth saving two minutes or more during a marathon? Not only that, you’ll also avoid potential collisions or slipping on wet pavement by minimizing stops.
#2. Running The Tangents
The tangent is the shortest distance from one direction to the next direction change. Most runners probably do not know that races are measured by the tangents, the shortest possible distance within the designated route and boundaries.
Running the tangents is a simple as keeping an eye on the runners far ahead. If you see them disappearing left or right, that’s your signal to start moving toward that side of the road. You’ll sometimes need a couple of hundred yards to safely make your move in crowded races.
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