800 meter help

 
This all just depends on training, your health, your body maturing, etc there are so many different factors that go into this. No one can predict what you are going to run. for example a few years ago a soph ran a 152 or so but the never improved from that point so its just depends on you. And a 3 second drop is a decent improve and is not unheard of.
 
You should expect to drop a few seconds every year with maturity and training. If you ran a 1:57 last year I would expect to see you run a 1:55 at least if not faster.
 
Distance

I have never really been a distance person I am more of a speed guy but is it important for me to get miles or some distance work in this year?
 
I have never really been a distance person I am more of a speed guy but is it important for me to get miles or some distance work in this year?

I myself am an 800 runner and I was also more of a speed guy but it is important to get your base miles in and that is what i used the winter season for very little speed work and long steady state runs.
 
If you want to run the 800 faster its important how you race during the season. You better be on the 4x4 every week......you better run the 1600 hard at least 2 times during the season.

I would also run the 200 in a good ammount.....teaches you to be aggressive and doesnt burn you up since its not a long race.

It really doesnt matter how fast you are running right now. You need to be working on endurance, power and strength. Spped doesnt need to come till May.

I would be in the weightroom at least 2 days a week if not 3. Core work at least 3 days a week.


In regards to running....you need one good hill workout a week (on a day that you arent lifting the legs), you need to do a workout to improve your lactate threshold and the rest of your week can be easier days with strides afterward.
 
In regards to running....you need one good hill workout a week (on a day that you arent lifting the legs), you need to do a workout to improve your lactate threshold and the rest of your week can be easier days with strides afterward.

Also on that hill workout, find a hill that's long and not necessarily steep.
Something 800m's or longer. While on a downhill portion of the hillworkout, let the legs go....not sprinting all out "out of control" but close.....stay in control (good running form) but focus on turnover for about 100 meters.

Old school Eastern block ideas. Training the muscles to go faster then normal flat ground. Supposed to help with turnover.
 
Yes I do run on every 4x4 i have split only about a 49.7 last year, ran it most of the time, I will run it every week this year...I lift weights and do core about 3 times a week.. Now I'm focused on indoors, and should i be trying to pr during indoors or what? should I be running the mile indoors or more 400
 
Now I'm focused on indoors, and should i be trying to pr during indoors or what? should I be running the mile indoors or more 400
I say no to the pr indoors. Indoors= who cares. Focus on outdoors.
As for running either the 400m or the mile indoors.....I say run both.
Like said, you are preparing for the 800m outdoors.
 
If you ran a 49.7 split in the 400 and you only ran a 1:57 you have serious issues with your base and you should focus on that. I am also an 800m runner and I have a PR in the 400 of 49.8 and ran a 1:53 open 800. All base it sounds like from you. For training it really is what works for you. I did 400 repeats all out about twice a week and usually did around 6 of the 400's a day. Do what works but I would look into increasing the mileage and the repeats.
 
If your injury prone at all, I'd avoid the hills. My best 800's came after I realized the hills were the reason for all of my injuries. Also, I liked 200 repeats quite a bit..
 
I ran 200's because o a minor injury that did not allow me to run more than 200 meters. I did that only this past season when I lost a month and a half because of this injury and when I became healthy I only did 400's and ladders with 400 800 1200 1600 and then back down the ladder. I dropped considerable time quickly.
 
Yes I do run on every 4x4 i have split only about a 49.7 last year, ran it most of the time, I will run it every week this year...I lift weights and do core about 3 times a week.. Now I'm focused on indoors, and should i be trying to pr during indoors or what? should I be running the mile indoors or more 400

The good news is that you have enough strength and speed to go sub 50 in the 400. That lets you know you have the ability to go 1:52 and you are doing something right with your training and I'm not sure I'd look to change too much. Talk to your coach and see if he/she has a plan. It might be your natural progression and getting bigger and stronger as a high school boy.

As usual, it seems everyone thinks it's all about your training, but what are you doing race strategy wise? It would be interesting to know how you run your races and what level of competition you run throughout the year/season. The difference between a 1:57 and a 1:54 could just be that one more year of maturity and/or tweaking how you race, your mental toughness or your training or a combination.

The question is not "how do I run a 1:54 when my PR has been a 1:57." The question should be, "How do I win all my 800m races?" What combination of training and racing and tactics and rest and nutrition...etc will it take? You might have trained properly to run a 1:54 last year and it might all be how you actually ran your race.

Are you a 4:30 1600m runner? Have you raced that race? I disagree with cc609 here a little. I never ran a 200m race in my life. I ran too many 200's in practice than I can count, but I ran the 1600 nearly every meet. The 1600 teaches you more about racing than a 200 and I would prefer my 800 runners to race more 1600's. You have to relax. You have to counter others moves. You have to run with other competitors all around you that are also countering your moves. A 200m race teaches you nothing. 0ne 200 does not give you speed or strength. 20 of them in practice will.

My two cents.
 
The good news is that you have enough strength and speed to go sub 50 in the 400. That lets you know you have the ability to go 1:52 and you are doing something right with your training and I'm not sure I'd look to change too much. Talk to your coach and see if he/she has a plan. It might be your natural progression and getting bigger and stronger as a high school boy.

As usual, it seems everyone thinks it's all about your training, but what are you doing race strategy wise? It would be interesting to know how you run your races and what level of competition you run throughout the year/season. The difference between a 1:57 and a 1:54 could just be that one more year of maturity and/or tweaking how you race, your mental toughness or your training or a combination.

The question is not "how do I run a 1:54 when my PR has been a 1:57." The question should be, "How do I win all my 800m races?" What combination of training and racing and tactics and rest and nutrition...etc will it take? You might have trained properly to run a 1:54 last year and it might all be how you actually ran your race.

Are you a 4:30 1600m runner? Have you raced that race? I disagree with cc609 here a little. I never ran a 200m race in my life. I ran too many 200's in practice than I can count, but I ran the 1600 nearly every meet. The 1600 teaches you more about racing than a 200 and I would prefer my 800 runners to race more 1600's. You have to relax. You have to counter others moves. You have to run with other competitors all around you that are also countering your moves. A 200m race teaches you nothing. 0ne 200 does not give you speed or strength. 20 of them in practice will.

My two cents.

200's work the 400 down. THe faster the 400, the quicker you can come through the lap in the 800 in. Just like the 1600 works the 2nd lap of the 800 when you need the endurance.
 
I still disagree. The 800 has a rhythm and the 200 does not. The ability to come through the first 400 fast is important, but the ability to come through relaxed and in good position to run a fast second lap is the key. Running a few all out 200m races doesn't help with that. That is where training comes in.
 
Must agree with psycho on the idea of running 200m races. I can't see that much is learned from a 200m race that will apply in a meaningful way to a top-flight 800m race.
 
one year 3 out of 4 of my 4x8 ran the 4x2. both were regional qualifiers. the 4x4 was a state qualifier
 
What i found was one of the hardest and most beneficial workouts is a combination of 200's and 300's with 60 sec recovery in between.
 
I still disagree. The 800 has a rhythm and the 200 does not. The ability to come through the first 400 fast is important, but the ability to come through relaxed and in good position to run a fast second lap is the key. Running a few all out 200m races doesn't help with that. That is where training comes in.

Agree with psycho here. The 1600 will teach him control pacing and racing. The 200m is, IMHO, meaningless for an 800 guy at a track meet. Sounds to me like he needs a better base (this will help with the little injuries also, just ramp up slow) and lactate work.
 
The 200m are great for training, but NOT in a race.

There always seem to be different opinions on training. The key is to be open to the possibilities that work best for you, or the particular athlete that you see in front of you.

I can think of two pretty fair world class coaches - one with at least 6 olympic medalists I know of (a pair in the 800) and a 1:44 guy to his credit, and another with 2 medalists (and a 1:58 girl also) - who would toss a couple of low key 200 races at the half-milers during their preparation. So it's not like ccrunner609 is pulling this from thin air - there are some "OK" coaches out there who think this might occasionally a place as well. It's just another option in your arsenal of tricks, which may or may not have value in your situation. Remember, there are lot's of roads to Rome - and one size has NEVER fit all, particularly when it comes to the 800.
 
My thoughts: Base, Base, Base and more base traininig to maximize your cardio contribution. Sprints at the end of the base run. Some high end lactate training, would start with 5 min base followed by 5min lactate and alternate 3 cycles working toward 5. Should be running at least 30 miles per week right now IMO.
 
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