From charlie@PAINED_EXPRESSIONquebec.demon.co.uk Mon Jul  6 11:14:12 EDT 1998
Article: 123570 of rec.running
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From: Charlie Williams 
Newsgroups: rec.running
Subject: 800m race (was: Middle Distance ROOLS OK!!!!)
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 1998 18:40:49 +0100
Organization: Fulchester Balloon Bursting Factory
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Had another partial success at 800m today. This event seems to be laden
with inumerable tactical errors waiting to be made. I seem to discover a
new one each time I race. Last time I raced my error was to go out too
fast - I went with the pack and went through in 64 - after aiming for
66.

Today, again I was put in a fast race (most 2:04-2:10, various other). 
This time I was not going to go with the pack if it meant suicide, so at
200m I was still with the pack, with some tailed off behind me already.
My watch read 31.5 - too fast. I began to relax a little, trying to
remember what 34.5 feels like from training. Clearly my memory is a
little skewed as I passed 400m in 68.5, making a 37s jog for the 2nd
200!

At this point the mistake was made, but I was not about to throw away
the race. Only one thing for it - negative splits! I dug my spikes in
and went for the guy (several metres) in front. He looked ok, but as I
closed on him he was not fighting, so I poised on his shoulder round the
bend and took him just before the home straight. From then on there's
only one tactic - move your arms as fast as they'll go!

Finished strong, beating my PB by 0.5s. Second lap was 68.2 by my
calculations - neg splits by a hair's breadth! I can now see that my
errors were:

1. Consciously relaxing for 2nd 200 after looking at stopwatch. I'm sure
I would have subconsciously slowed the right amount anyway. Fast starts
are normal, and indeed necessary.

2. Sitting on the guy's shoulder for a few strides before dropping him -
this slowed me to his pace, I should have gone for a quick kill as we
were inside the last 200. 

Now back to training for 3 weeks before trying to get it right again!
Short-recovery 200's here we come :-/

------------------------------------------------------------
Charlie Williams
 http://www.quebec.demon.co.uk/

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