Timing a finishing kick

[OakLeaf]

This is one thing I really feel lost on.

How do you know when to take the brakes off and pick up the pace? When to turn on the afterburners? If I put on a really strong kick, does that mean I saved too much and could've run the earlier splits faster?

[jessmarimba]

Some people say you've saved too much, I guess.

I usually find the strength to sprint at the end only if someone is chasing me down. If I can sprint without that motivation, I probably could've used the energy earlier.

But then again, sprinting uses different muscles, so you may've had the overall energy to run for the finish but not the ability to increase your normal pace due to muscle fatigue. I've read some articles advising sprinting, rather than walking, when you are starting to feel tired and "plodding" during an endurance race, just to use a different muscle set. I can't mentally make myself do it though

[OakLeaf]

A couple of good articles here, although neither of them really addresses timing.

You're not only using different muscles, you're using a different balance of energy systems, which I knew.

Maybe another one of those things you only learn by doing.

[limewave]

I don't think the ability to sprint/go hard at the end has to do with not working hard enough the rest of the race but about having enough fuel/nutrition in you to power that last burst of energy. IMHO.

I also think its one of those things that comes from training and race experience. The more you race and try different strategies, the more you are going to learn about your bodies capabilities. Pacing and pushing yourself will become instinctive.

More specifically: For that last kick to the finish line, I can't imagine going for more than 400 meters. A 400 meter sprint is pretty darn long. But I would start picking up the pace then and then really kick it in high gear the last 200 to 150 meters

[GLC1968]

I also think its one of those things that comes from training and race experience. The more you race and try different strategies, the more you are going to learn about your bodies capabilities. Pacing and pushing yourself will become instinctive.

This.

We talked about this in my cycling class last year - that everyone has *something* left at the end (due to the different energy system situation) and it's a matter of experience to know 1) how much YOU have and 2) when to use it. Even when I feel like I'm utterly spent, I remind myself that there is always something left for that final push, so I call it up and throw it out there. I clearly haven't quite got it down though because once I ran out of that extra burst before I hit the finish line! Most of the time though, I do feel like I had more in me.

I think for me, it's about a 20-25 second interval, regardless of what I'm doing or how far that gets me. After 25 seconds, I'm out of steam. If I only go for 15 seconds, I feel like I could have pushed harder. Knowing how far I can get in those 20 - 25 seconds is the hard part though. And of course, this is assuming that I've paced the rest of the race correctly and oftentimes, I don't. I usually have more in me at the end even before calling on those reserves, so it's really hard for me to gauge. I'm learning though!