Walk me through your 5K in a Sprint (Page 2)

After running a lot and consistently, I get to the point where I know my pace and HR pretty accurately without looking at my watch.  I'm close to that on the bike for HR and W after long training blocks.  Haven't gotten there on the swim entirely, but in a race I at least sense an impending blowup and can dial back for the race distance - but only learned after a couple sprint blow-ups years past...

This helps me a lot in being able to RACE rather than time trial.  In big races with multiple waves, it's less useful, but in smaller races the ability to tactically react to the situation is easier when you have a good sense of your pace/effort.

To the OP, my sprint pace is ballz out open 5k effort (but never hit that pace, for obvious reasons). Unlike Ben and many others, I don't often negative split.  I try to spin high cadence the last minute or two on the bike and that has helped come into the run with higher cadence and speed.  I usually have a slight positive split for the second half (although my last mile of a HM or quarter for a sprint are usually almost as fast as my first - with a little "belly" in the middle).

That pace varies with my fitness level, but the feeling of effort does not (cue LeMond quote here).

If I'm not "in race shape," though, I have much less an idea of HR/Pace for a given feeling of effort.  Only happens when I'm fit and at moderate volume or above...

Matt