6 Tips for Running Alone in a Race

During the trench warfare of World War I, the ground between the opposing forces' trenches was known as no-man's land. In an area devoid of physical protection or aid, a soldier, exposed and cut off from his allies, was at extreme risk from his enemies. You will occasionally find yourself in a similar place when racing—alone, separated from your teammates or other runners, and vulnerable to attack from your competitors. When I ran the 1986 Bay to Breakers, I was among 110,000 participants, yet much of the time, I ran by myself. (It was the good kind of loneliness, admittedly, as I was leading and eventually won.) When you're solo and fighting gamely for every place, the following strategies will help you negotiate no-man's land and run your best race.

CHANGE GEARS:

If you've been dropped by a group you were trying to stick with, do not run blindly in chase mode or you risk blowing up. Shift out of the red zone, and run at the fastest pace you can comfortably manage.

SETTLE IN:

Assess the new pace: Are your muscles responding? Is your breathing manageable? Can you maintain your stride rate? If the answer is yes, lock into this pace for the duration of the race.

RECOVER:

Focus on relaxing your posture and synchronizing your breathing with your footfalls. Breathe in for two strides and out for two strides; this respiration rate indicates a pace that is strong but manageable. Reducing tension and stabilizing your breathing will allow you to recover, enabling you to better pick up the pace later on, charging after frontrunners, and fending off those behind you.

LOOK AHEAD:

Switch from defense to offense. Choose a target and make a concerted effort to close the gap. Be patient; trying to close the gap all at once can fatigue you all over again.

KEEP IT UP:

As you catch tired racers, avoid the urge to settle into their pace. Keep moving and congratulate yourself with every late-race pass.

LONE RANGER:

Maintain your pace by keeping your stride rate at 180 per minute.

Cruise Control

Threshold intervals ingrain toughness to go it alone

THE WORKOUT: 1000-meter cruise intervals with quick recovery

PACES: Warm up for 15 minutes, then run each interval 15 to 20 seconds per mile slower than 10K race pace. Jog for 60 seconds between each.

RUN IT: Start with five intervals. Add one per session until you reach eight to 10 repeats. Your times should be consistent—if they fall off, you're running too fast or doing too many.

HOW OFTEN: Once a week