Have you ever gone out HARD in a race then crashed & started slowing down? It’s super painful right? Not only physically but it’s hard on the ego! Starting a race FAST then slowing down is called “positive splits”. We often find that the opposite approach of starting slower and finishing faster allows for athletes to push harder at the end of the race & gain confidence resulting in faster times! This type of approach to starting SLOWER and finishing FASTER is called NEGATIVE SPLITS 💪
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WHY DOES IT WORK?
👉 Mentally, negative splitting makes staying optimistic throughout a race a bit more effortless. It’s a great feeling to look down at your watch and see your mile splits getting faster and faster as you go along. If you can mentally stay in it, your body is much more likely to oblige to the demands you are placing on it!
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👉 Physiologically, negative splitting shields your body from producing too much lactate at the beginning of the race, which will help you sustain your pace for the race’s duration. When your body is clearing the lactic acid as quickly as it’s making it, your muscles can continue to contract optimally, thus allowing you to run to your potential!
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HOW DO YOU PRACTICE IT?
👉 In training, you should implement progression runs and fast finish long runs to practice what it feels like to speed up as you go along. These types of workouts can teach your body (and mind!) how to hold back in the beginning and switch to the next gear later on. For all easy runs, you should make it a point to start at an easier pace and gradually get faster (while still staying within your easy pace range)
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👉 Not sure how or when to practice negative splits? We can help! Start a FREE seven-day trial today by heading to the link in our bio.
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