I'm running the 4x8 tomorrow and I've never done this?

[HannahC]

okay so I'm running my first track meet tomorrow and I'm a lot of nervous. Our track team is okay and the other team is okay. I'm a distance runner, but I'm not one who can do an 18 minute 5k. I'm decent at like a 22 5k, not horrible right? well my coach chose me as the last leg for the 4x8 relay and I'm pretty much freaking out. I think I have the hand off down, it's not that hard seeing that I'm only grabbing it, but I don't know how fast I'm going to run this. I'm not a sprinter and I've never even ran an 800 timed. I can't say I'm very trained to do anything short like this. How the hell am I going to run this without embarrassing myself? And if my joints aren't screwed up after this (I have bad joints due to distance. go figure :/) I'm running the mile which is like another long sprint -_-

[shadowcat72193]

My high school track coach signed me up for the 4x8 without telling me until the day before and I had no clue how to run an 800, since I usually ran the mile as well. What another girl on the relay that had run it before told me was: "Run the first lap at the speed you run your mile, the second lap is where you put more speed into it. Whatever feels comfortable to you."

It helped me, and I hope it helps you too :)