Pmoax wrote:
Given the 48 point 400m, 152 800m (not as good), and 27 min 8k, clearly to move forward in the 800m you need to get stronger. I think at a basic level you need to be able to run 15minutes for 3 miles to run under 1:50 given your 400m speed.
Getting better aerobically is going to be about patience and persistence...it just takes time steeping yourself in consistent mileage, medium paced intervals, and tempos. read this thread and you will get all the base work specifics that you are looking for.
I think the Clyde Hart approach will get you a little faster (my suspicion is that you didnt have many people pushing you in college and your beating the XC runners during intervals tells me there was too much rest involved) but will have limits unless you are a 46 guy moving up.
.
Right on the money w/the lack of someone to chase in workouts (at least for the short stuff) and looking back, I do think I would have benefit from shorter recoveries. My senior year I think I was set up for going sub 1:50 (I had split 1:51 on a relay during indoors), but ended my season after foolishly doing a 40x200 workout in 26-28s. Had my recoveries been 30 seconds instead of 90-120, I wouldn't have done nearly so many, wouldn't have developed severe plantar fasciitis, and would've got a lot more out of the session.
I guess I know what I need to do. Right now for the foreseeable future I'm planning gradually working up to 70 miles per week, w/ 1 tempo and 1 800/1000 meter repeat session, plus some short speed stuff once a week to start building that back up (either 3-4 200s with plenty of recovery or some short, less than 20 sec hill repeats).
15:00 for 3 miles would definitely have me at an endurance level I've never been at before (15:00 3mile = 25:43 8k), but it might allow me to move up and try out the mile too. My coach tried that once, the theory being sub 50 speed isn't that great in an 800, but its not quite as common in the 1500 (at least in the level I was at, lol). I just never developed the strength necessary for it.