I ran my first negative split half-marathon recently and it was exhilarating to finish the race faster and stronger than I started. A negative split is a racing strategy that involves completing the second half of a race faster than the first half and is a key running technique for achieving a personal best.
Running a negative split is the opposite to what a lot of runners do, which is to bank time by running faster earlier on with the aim of building a cushion for later in the race. Banking time can be a risky strategy and can result in a crash, hitting the wall having used up all of your available energy stores.
Maybe I am stretching my running analogies too far but how different would your next project feel if you prepared and planned for a negative split?
I have experienced many projects where the team members are exhausted by the half-way point, so the second half turns into survival and a long drag to the finish. Reactions at the project end can turn to one of relief rather than elation which has a knock-on impact for the rest of their work and the next project.
Carrying forward a project PB and the feeling of finishing with the equivalent of a negative split would feel so much better.
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