2K Start Pace

skelly1 · Post by **skelly1** » February 21st, 2008, 9:00 pm

I have my final winter 2K this coming Saturday and face an unusually high level of uncertainty. I can hit my target split after say 3 or 4 strokes. But the average split is well below my race pace because of the time lost accelerating the flywheel. The only way to push the average split down quickly is to lower the instantaneous splits which results in period sub race pace splits. How do you guys deal with this problem? At my last 2K in Cincinnati I simply ignored my average split and concentrated on the instantaneous split which resulted in a sub PB effort. Any 11th hour insights will be most appreciated.

I've read all the Mike Caviston material I can find but cannot seem to answer my own question.

2K - 7:31.7
MLWT 48

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » February 21st, 2008, 9:13 pm

If your target pace is, say, 1:45.0 (7min 2K)

So, 800m @ 1:46.0, 600m @ 1:45.0, 400m @ 1:44.0 and 200m @ 1:43.0 gets 1:45.0 as an average for a 7min 2K.

That's, generally, 800m @ race_pace+1, 600@race_pace, 400@ race_pace-1, 200@ race_pace-2.

Pick a target time you think you can acheieve, divide by 4 (to get 500m splits) and feed it into that formula.

skelly1 · Post by **skelly1** » February 21st, 2008, 9:35 pm

Thanks much. I have a general sense of the overall pacing strategy but it is the opening few hundred meters that leave me most confused. At what point does the average split begin to converge with the instantaneous split is my question? Do you fight hard for a quick convergence or settle into race pace and let time averaging slowly bring down the average split? In my last race (2 weeks ago) I was very anxious to see my average pace hover almost unchanged. I wasn’t sure whether to drop my splits or to suffer whatever fate my slower pace would dish out.

Andy Nield · Post by **Andy Nield** » February 22nd, 2008, 6:00 am

Push out 5-8 hard strokes, then settle on your split, the average will then be slightly faster than what you are pushing...

Don't do more than 8 hard strokes at the start before settling on your split.

No doubt you will find various arguments for doing some fast strokes and not doing some fast strokes at the start so do what you think will work best for you.