What makes you a better miler- running more 800/1600 or 1600/3200?

It's time you know of Herb Elliot.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1296296

And gather other info on him for your journey ahead.

This is also a great read.

http://racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=96

Just take some EPO and HGH and run more 400s.

You'll be sub four in no time.

it is generally easier to improve endurance than speed. think about it. you have a little more control over the mileage you run than how naturally fast you are...

We still need more information. Having reasonably matching 800 and 3200 times on 30-40 mpw could mean one of three things. 1. Your training currently balances speed and strength. 2. You are a speedster and train mostly strength. 3. You have natural strength but you train speed or race a lot.

Tell us more about your training.

800

Train for endurance and race for speed. Put in the mileage and push the aerobic threshold up. Race more 800s (4x800, 800, 4x400 is a great triple for milers) always keep the pure leg speed up (hurdle drills, a few flying 40s) during training but if I you can improve the 400/800 speed then with endurance training the mile speed will come.

In championship racing, at least at the college level, the 1500 is run more like a slower 1st 800-1000m then a flying 500-700m to finish. So if you can learn to race in the next gear then you will perform well at big meets.

If I were a betting man I'd always take the 800/1600 kid over the 1600/3200 kid. In track you generally move up. You take a guy that's OK at the 200m and move him up to the 400m, the struggling 400m guy goes to the 800m and it continues on up.

You sound talented, so you could bump up the miles but dont go crazy. I read a lot of the top kids and they typically talk about running between 45-60 miles in a week.

I don't think either one is better. Rather, I think you should consider what your speed reserve is. Speed reserve is the most important factor in winning mile races (obviously outside of the endurance to run the target pace first and foremost).

Speed reserve

I think we have a new term to go with leg speed velocity.

El G worked on his speed reserve to win in 2004, coming back on Lagat.

He didn't have enough speed reserve in 2000 as Ngeny passed him in the final straight.

I))&(D%&CXZ%E wrote:

We still need more information. Having reasonably matching 800 and 3200 times on 30-40 mpw could mean one of three things. 1. Your training currently balances speed and strength. 2. You are a speedster and train mostly strength. 3. You have natural strength but you train speed or race a lot.

Tell us more about your training.

I'm a high school senior. My best 4x4 split was somewhere in the 52's (definitely under 53) so hopefully that gives some indication of my raw speed. As for strength, most of my XC races were in the 15:40s and 15:50s.

In terms of training- in the offseason I run mostly just easy base mileage. Early season (february) I do stuff like fartleks and tempos, then move on (march) to thousands or 800's repeats, then move onto 600's and 400's (april), and now in the postseason (may) we aren't doing anything more than just quick 400's and 200's.

800. You are going to be needing that speed in tactical races. Speed kills.

I think your 800 is better than your 400 or your 1600. You could use some more miles.

the mile is not your best race, you are comparable in all three of those.

stay healthy, keep running, and work on your diet more.

* wrote:

Speed reserve

I think we have a new term to go with leg speed velocity.

El G worked on his speed reserve to win in 2004, coming back on Lagat.

He didn't have enough speed reserve in 2000 as Ngeny passed him in the final straight.

LOL yeah, can you just set your speed reserve on the side of the track and pick it up around lap #3?