A negative-split is a race strategy where the second half of the race is performed faster than the first half.
It is easier said than done as most athletes tend to start too fast and hope for the best in the second half. The ideal race would be to run slightly slower in the first portion of the race, letting the muscles warm up and finishing with more speed in the tank.
How can we execute a negative-split at the City60?
You should aim for the second run leg to be faster than the first! You can attain this through the following strategies:
Know your pace.
You should know the pace that you are comfortable holding for length of each run leg of your race. If you have a Garmin watch it is easy to monitor. This will be useful to understand if you are starting too fast or slow.
Practice negative-split in training.
Aim to fit in a couple of run-bike-run sessions prior to the race. Ensure the two run distances are the same. Complete the first run at a speed slightly easier than race pace, and then aim to run slightly faster that this in the second run.
Don’t blow on the bike.
The key to successfully achieving a negative-split in the City60 is to save a little in the tank and not blow yourself up during the bike leg. It will feel a lot better to come home strong on the second run, than to go crazy on the bike and then shuffle your way home!
Aim to start slow and finish strong.
It is easy to get carried away in the race environment. The excitement of race day coupled with the adrenalin rush tends to push athletes to start faster than their target race pace.
If you find yourself going out faster than what you are capable of holding in training, you have started way too hard and need to dial it down. Learn to hold back and let the other runners go, knowing you will have more in the tank in the second half of the race to pass them all.