Going out quickly in the first part of a race, what is the real cost?

I recently ran an 8 mile cross country race. It was a brutally hilly 3 lap course and I started out characteristically quickly, keen to get a good position. During the second lap I was gleefully overtaking other runners in short bursts. By the third lap, my form had crumbled, I was being over taken … Continue reading Going out quickly in the first part of a race, what is the real cost?