I find for myself that distance runs and tempos are a good way to help out that second mile. Sometimes you have to think about the 3200 as a two mile run rather than 8 400s. Also a workout that may help alot would be a 3 mile pace run which is 12 laps with a pace of 90 seconds a lap. This is kinda slow, so if you feel that you can do the 3 miles without slowing down past 90 per lap, you could always try doing it at 85. Really, there is nothing wrong with being below the pace, but if you ever fall more than 15 seconds over, take a break and start again once the next 90 second window comes. (i.e. You are running and 20 seconds behind the pace. Step off of the track and wait 70 seconds. At this next 90 second window, you start the next lap.) But if this happens, don't stop at 12 laps, but rather at the 18 minute mark as long as you ran the whole workout as hard as you can. This workout helps alot. You could even run this as a 4 mile pace if you wished. Same guide as the 3, just longer.

Another thing you could do to help out if you are mainly a 3200 guy (not running 800s or 1600s extremely great to focus on them), you could run on a 5k course. 1000 meter repeats around 3.15 to 3.45 This is also a good workout I found that could help me.

Umm, I am also going to suggest running 3 to 4 mile fartleks. I guess that a time in the mid 18s and low 25s for the 3 and 4 mile runs respectively if not faster! With strengthening your last mile, distance and especially quality is a big factor. Put what you have to on your scheduled days and pour it on as hard as you can, but make sure to rest on those rest days. I hope this is somewhat helpful. ~Kyle

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With so many hopes, dreams, and goals, how can one stay focused?

krypie is right, you need to get the distance & tempo runs in. try to alter the tempo of your runs so that you begin easy, and gradually pick it up. also get in some long intervals on the track, like anything 800 and up. and try to focus on keeping the pace fairly even, and juicing it up slightly at the end. stuff like this is great for boosting endurance, and it will get you used to running faster as the race progresses.
sounds like you definitly have the potential to run faster. could be something mental, the 3200 is a very tough mental race. just gotta take things one lap at a time, and stay focused. try to let the pack pull you along at the beginning, and just pick them off one by one. the nice thing about the 3200 is you have a lotta time to play around with people like that and test the field.

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LHS CROSS COUNTRY RULES!!!
GO AFRICAN ALLIANCE

PROUD TO BE A KRAZY KENYAN

quote:<HR>Originally posted by the kenyan:
krypie is right, you need to get the distance & tempo runs in. try to alter the tempo of your runs so that you begin easy, and gradually pick it up. also get in some long intervals on the track, like anything 800 and up. and try to focus on keeping the pace fairly even, and juicing it up slightly at the end. stuff like this is great for boosting endurance, and it will get you used to running faster as the race progresses.
sounds like you definitly have the potential to run faster. could be something mental, the 3200 is a very tough mental race. just gotta take things one lap at a time, and stay focused. try to let the pack pull you along at the beginning, and just pick them off one by one. the nice thing about the 3200 is you have a lotta time to play around with people like that and test the field.

<HR>

My coach makes me run the 3200 but doesn't usually give me those kind of workouts. he's always tring to work on my speed because i naturally don't have alot of it being a long distance runner. every once in a while he will give me one the workouts you mentioned but not on a regular basis. he saves those for xc season.

If you want to run faster, you have to run faster in practice. Say you run a 5:30 mile, when you run 400reps with 100m rest, try for 85-87. And once in a while for a practice, just do a warm-up, two mile all out, and then cooldown and see how you did.

How many events do you run in a meet? If you run more than one event, sometimes other events get sacraficed. I run the 800, 1600, and 3200. Besides putting in and increasing the weekly mileage, one workout that helped me in all three events was doing ladders. I go 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400, 200. I run the first part a little faster than my 3200 race pace to try to get a gain, then on my way down, I run the 800 faster than my 1600 meter pace, then the 400 faster than my 800 pace ect. The ladder seriously seemed to help me achive gains. You can throw all this trash out in a race though, this just helps get in shape for it. The main goal of a race, in my theory, is to beat as many people as possible, not run a good time. I ran ALL my best times when I didn't listen to the timer, and I ran specifically to beat people.

MadXC

I can guess from your post that you are a male. I have noticed that girls races will string out much faster as the girls settle into their own race paces, whereas boys races will hang together until people get shelled off the back of the pack and die.

My general advice for guys is to try to get a better feeling for their own race pace. If they go out slow in a track race, there will be tons of guys coming back that they can snatch.

My advice for girls is generally to get a little more aggressive. If you are always trying to run your pace, you may not ever have the big breakout performance that you want. I coached the #8 female runner in the nation one year and she would almost never deviate from her race pace. When she finally did, it was in the Golden West Invitational and she dropped from 10:40 to 10:30 for 3200 meters. At that point, she was running for the win in a big race against the IN, NY, and IN state champions. She got away from her normal pace and ran a huge PR and ended up 2nd.

Dash.

It sound to me like the first strategy might work for you. It is way easier to cruise by people that are dying in the 2nd mile than it is to be dying in the last mile and have people cruising by you.

Also, don't forget that you were running indoors for the first time. Indoor races are usually a little slower. Finally, it could have just been a bad race. If you have done your training and are ready to race, then your times will reflect that eventually.