Online Tools » Sport & Games » Split times | en sv |
With this tool you can easily create a list of split times for a distance of your choice. Enter the finish time, average speed or pace that you want to have. You also got to specify the distance between split times, in miles or kilometres. If you want to have different distances between different split times you can enter multiple distances separated by spaces. The rest of this page talks mainly about running but the tool can of course be used to calculate split times for any sport.
When preparing for an important race it can be advantageous to think of a plan beforehand. The split times can then be used during the race to make sure you are sticking to that plan.
Before the split times can be calculated you need to first come up with a goal. It can be either in the form of a finish time, or a pace or speed that you want to keep during the whole race. For the planning to be meaningful the goal should be realistic and based on previous race results and on the feeling in training recently. It's perfectly possible to have multiple goals. A minimum goal, a realistic goal and a dream goal. Be careful when looking at the split times for your dream goal because there is a risk that you go out too hard in the beginning which makes you struggle later in the race.
You also need to decide where on the course the split times should be taken. One possibility is to take split times every mile or kilometre. Most races have at least some distance markers that you can look at during the race but the accuracy is not always perfect, not even on races with a verified total distance, so take these markers with a grain of salt. If the race has multiple laps on the same course it's often convenient to take split times each time you go out on a new lap. It's also possible to measure the distance to any point on the course using a map. Don't go overboard with the number of split times because it can be difficult to keep track of them all while running.
Memorise the split times that you're aiming for before the race start to avoid too much mental calculation during the race. If it's difficult to remember the split times it might be easier to write them on a body part such as the arm. It's also important to remember to carry a clock and start it when you hear the start signal. Don't panic if you notice that a split time is slower than what you had planned. It's better to make up for it slowly over a longer distance than to put in a burst in an attempt to make the next split on time. This assumes you still have enough energy. If you are late because you are too tired to keep up the pace it might be wise to re-evaluate the plan. Perhaps it is better to stay with the same pace, or even lower it somewhat.
Note that the tool on this page assumes that you are running with a constant speed when it calculates the split times. This is often a good strategy when the conditions are relatively even throughout the race. In reality the optimal running speed at a given time might be affected by terrain, surface, temperature, wind, etc. Often, it's also possible to have a higher speed at the end when you don't have to care about lactic acid building up in the muscles.