3 Tips for Racing a Mile from Elite Miler Heather Kampf
It all starts with one mile! Heather Kampf is a decorated runner for Team USA MN and the defending TC 1 Mile champion. Recently, we sat down for a video chat to talk all things running, goal-setting pointers, plus tips for racing a mile.
About Heather Kampf
Heather runs and trains with Team USA MN, the Minnesota-based elite distance training program. She is also sponsored by Asics and Nuun Hydration. Heather also works part time at Mill City Running, a fantastic running specialty shop in Minneapolis.
Heather holds numerous records and accolades. Heather was a nine-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, where she was the highest decorated Gopher women’s track athlete. She was also the 2016 USATF 1 Mile Road Champion and is the defending TC 1 Mile Champion.
Heather is also incredibly positive, as you’ll see in the recording. Every time we talk, she has a way of seeing the bright side of any situation.
Related: A Racing Season in Review: Heather Kampf
What You’ll Hear in the Video
Heather and I discuss her training and workouts, especially for the mile race, plus she shares a few tips for racing the mile. Unfortunately, we also ran into a few technical difficulties during our recording. What you, the viewer, will miss is when we talked about her work with a sports psychologist. It was fascinating to hear how she has visualizations for every part of her race. Including the positive best case scenario she is hoping for, and what to do if something goes wrong. This may be the topic of a future conversation, so stay tuned!
3 Tips to Race 1 Mile from Elite Miler Heather Kampf
1. Pick a goal time about a minute faster than your average 10k or half mile time.
Remember you’re only running one mile vs. three (in a 5K) or 6 (in a 10K).
2. Do 400m repeats at mile goal pace in training.
“Quarters are just long enough to be hard, but short enough that you can run a few repeats and survive,” says Heather.
3. Split the race into 1/4’s.
Heather says the race is going to go by really fast, so splitting it up into quarters can help you plan.
“Your splits should be pretty even. You should feel like you’re running faster in the second half to maintain your pace.”
“I like to try and negative split the last quarter,” says Heather.
Race a Mile at the TC 1 Mile
Your chance to race a mile is coming to Minneapolis on May 11th (Heather is the reigning champ!) Test your fitness, put it all on the line, and gut it out for one mile. Learn more and register here.
Related: 10 Things You Should Know About the TC 1 Mile, How Fast Can You Run a Mile?
