Jack Daniels' VDOT Running Calculator | Run SMART Project

Efficiency is whatever scores. I always started slow on the 3 mile run. The jackrabbits were going to smoke me anyway, so why run their race? The wannabe jackrabbits find this out the hard way, when their side is splitting because they took off too fast. I'd count strides and try to do x number of strides on inhale and exhale. It took my mind off the distance long enough to catch my stride. From that point on it's autopilot. Gradually stepping out and lengthening strides for the second mile and then kick it for the last mile. That's when I'd pass all the wannabes until the finish. 18 minutes maxes out the run and I'd usually come in around 18 and some change until age crept up on me and I'd run around 20. Many would already be on their way to the barracks. The 14 to 16 minute bubbas just did it naturally. I just knew that I couldn't run their race, and wouldn't even try. Some did try and were in for a lot of misery.