Harriers Pioneer 8K

The Harriers Pioneer 8K is around the corner, whether you’re ready or not. Here’s the sweet thing, though: it’s only 8K and it’s the first race of the series. Why not experiment with your strategy a bit?

That said, I’m by no means an expert to talk about racing strategies, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have non-expert opinions. If you decide to give my strategy a try, just know that it’s at your own peril, and you’ve got to be willing to take a bit of a risk.

Step 1: what would be the longest possible time for you to be out on the course? For argument’s sake, let’s say it’s 40 or 50 minutes.

Step 2: think about how deep can you go for 40 minutes. Whatever you think the answer is, turn it up a notch. You can dig deeper than you think you can. And this is the race to prove it.

Step 3: execute the plan. Dig deep, and then even deeper. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. If you run with a watch, try to keep your average 5 sec/km faster than what you would do in your boldest dream. If you pace yourself based on your heart rate…well, go as high as you know you can go without it being unsafe.

Step 4: let me know after the race how it went! I would love to hear. It might go fantastic, or maybe you blow up. Either way, you will be able to take this race experience into the race at Cobble Hill and develop your own non-expert race strategies.

I look forward to seeing a collection of anxious race faces on Sunday. It’s going to be a fantastic series.

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