It’s the final 400 meters in the biggest race of the year. You can see the finish line ahead and the clock counting away the seconds. Your personal best time is within reach, but you’ll need to dig deep, ignore the searing pain in your quadriceps, and commit to one last surge. Your arms feel numb and heavy as you gulp for air in rapid breaths. The clock will not slow down. Will you? 

At first glance, you might think you need superhuman courage to mount a strong finishing kick when faced with these painful barriers. But how a runner reacts in moments like these has more to do with experience than with courage.

The more familiar you become with the sensations of extreme exertion that come in the final parts of a race, the less scary they become. You must practice this feeling well before race day if you are going to perform at your highest level when it matters most. 

Here are three tips to help you develop a winning kick:

1.  Select a specific distance: The type of exertion it takes to run the last 200 meters of an 800-meter race is very different than the last mile of a marathon. Select a specific race and the length of the kick you are trying to develop. 

2.  Simulate the finish: You do not need to run the entire race distance to simulate what it will feel like during the finishing kick. Run a shorter distance at a faster pace to simulate the fatigue you will have when it is time to kick. Then, focus on running hard to the end.  For an 800-meter race, this might mean running an all-out 400 meters and then pushing through the last 200. To practice the last mile of a 10K, run 3 miles at 20 seconds per mile faster than your 10K pace, followed by a hard mile.

3.  Reflect and repeat: While the memory of the workout is fresh, reflect on your finishing effort. What did it feel like? How long did it take to recover? What did you learn about yourself and what you can handle? Could you go even harder next time? If time allows before your big race, schedule two or three of these sessions to really improve your performance.

Here is a real example of the above tips:

Olympian Kara Goucher’s coach wanted her to practice the pace and exertion it will take to contend over the last four miles in the Olympic Marathon next month in London. Last week, at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in Duluth, Minnesota, Kara ran the first 9 miles at a quick pace but waited until the 9-mile mark to really push hard. Her 2 miles, from 9 to 11, averaged 5:15 per mile and she ran her last 2 miles with an average 5:08. Her simulated finish gave her confidence in her ability to compete in the last stages of the race. Her reflection? She can go even harder!

Consider this new scenario, once you’ve practiced your finishing kick:

There are 200 meters to go now as the relentless clock continues to count down the time between you and that new PR. But you are equally relentless; you have been here before. You have practiced for this moment. You are not afraid. You burst across the line and stumble around on wobbly legs. The new PR feels great but knowing you had the courage and strength to finish that fast feels even better.  

What innovations and improvements to your training have helped you reach a new PR?

—Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano, Running Reporters

Running the Edge co-authors Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano became instant friends while running together at the University of Colorado. After college, Adam went on to have a very successful professional career that garnered eight national championships and an Olympic berth; Tim became a psychology teacher and high school coach in three different countries. They write about their passion for running on their blog, Run The Edge and on Facebook.

It’s hardly shocking that elite runners place career ambitions above all else. The dedication and hard work required to capture an Olympic gold medal or win the Boston Marathon is enormous and any interruption can threaten the dream.

Even so, a growing number of elite runners — including Kara Goucher, Doc Patton, and Paula Radcliffe — are proving that it’s possible to balance a tough training schedule with a family. In fact, some say that having a baby has actually helped them achieve better balance.

A MOM’S STORY: KARA GOUCHER

“After running in the World Championships in 2009 I knew that I was ready to start a family,” says Goucher, 33, a former NCAA outdoor champion in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters; a bronze-medal winner for the 10,000 meters at the 2007 World Championships; and one of America’s top female marathoners (she finished fifth at the 2011 Boston Marathon).

Goucher, who reduced her mileage and gained weight in order to get pregnant, admits that it was a strange time. “I couldn’t fully train but I also wasn’t pregnant and I didn’t know if and when that would happen,” she says. Yet she vowed to keep things in perspective while essentially writing off the 2010 season. “There was a lot I still wanted to accomplish but I also understood that a family would provide a richer and more satisfying life overall.” In January 2010, Koucher received news that she was expecting and in September gave birth to Colton Mirko Goucher.

The experience has altered her outlook — and created new priorities. “I have the same running goals — I haven’t lost my competitive drive — but I don’t live or die on how my last workout went or how I performed in a race,” she explains. Goucher’s husband, Adam, also an elite runner, shares with childcare responsibilities. Nevertheless, “I don’t have the luxury of putting my feet up and resting the way I used to,” adds Kara. Meshing her running and family life is now a priority. “Some of the proudest and most exciting moments in my life have been doing victory laps and talking to fans. I want Colt to be there with me for the journey. I want to share the thrill with him.”

Kara’s Advice for Fellow Parents Who Are Runners: “Be 100 percent focused on what you are doing. When I’m out training I’m completely focused on that. And when I’m with Colt, I’m 100 percent focused on him. That way I’m being the best I can be at both mothering and running. One isn’t taking away from the other.”

A DAD’S STORY: DARVIS “DOC” PATTON

The tale is much the same for “Doc” Patton, 34, U.S. Champion and World silver medalist over 200 meters in 2003, and a member of the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team, which captured a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2009, his daughter’s due date coincided with the USA Track and Field Championships. He decided to attend the birth, if it came down to a choice.

As it turned out, Dakota was born a couple of weeks early. But Patton continues to take parenting seriously. “I didn’t have a father around when I was growing up and I am dedicated to being there for her.” In fact, he drives Dakota to and from daycare and shares in childcare duties. When he’s away he talks to her over Skype and makes it a point to blow kisses to her when the TV cameras are focused on him. Patton also wore her birth bracelet the entire season after her birth.

Parenthood has changed his perspective too. “I’m not as consumed by running. I don’t obsess over training, results and competitors the way I used to. At a certain point, you realize that there are a lot more important things than winning or losing,” he says. “When I hear her scream, ‘Daddy, daddy, daddy,’ it puts my entire life into perspective.”

Doc’s Advice for Fellow Parents Who Are Runners:: “The best way to balance running and family life is to give it your all and then let it go. Running is part of life. It isn’t life. In other words, leave your disappointments and frustrations on the track when you take off your spikes.”

How do you fit in training and racing as a mom or dad? Any tips or advice to share with the Innovation for Endurance community about how you strike a balance so neither your family life nor your running suffer?

 —Sam Greengard, Runner’s World Reporter

Photos courtesy of Kara Goucher (top); and Doc Patton (bottom)