Breaking 1:52

i think it depends on what kind of training you currently do and how you can improve on your weak areas. for me, going from 155 to 151 took a lot of summer miles. i increased my long runs to 12-13 miles, once a week. i would cross train and ride my bike 25-30 miles. i basically tried to increase my endurance as much as possible b/c it was my weakest area.

you also need to get in a good race. you need to run smart and have people pushing you.

Really I am a pure 800m runner, I don't have the greatest endurance or the most blazing speed, but put it together well in a race.

Are you more of a speed or endurance type?

Thanks for your input.

Haha, yeah it will take a lot of endurance work. Also developing a great 400m race and a good 1600m is key.

How fast did you tend to do your summer mileage in?

Any suggestions for key sessions that help you get into the 1:52 zone?

I'll chime in here. It's not so much about pace as it is more fully developing aerobically. That's why the LR is recommended by so many. At any distance you want to stay running aerobically as long as possible. Do you have a solid strength program that you do? During base phase we do 3 sets of 10/11 different strength/stretch exercises 6 days a week. If you do them consistently, they will pay off.

Yeah, it depends on the type of runner you are. I was usually a 49 low 4x4 split runner and probably would have maxed out around 3:55 for 1500m (ran 4:00+ in my only attempt), but was able to run 1:49 a handful of times. All of which I was through the 600m in around 1:21.

I maxed out at 35mile weeks in the summer with about an 8 mile long run. Started doing longer interval and hill workouts (30-45sec effort on a steep hill) in the fall. You'll see tons of different advice on here. I didn't have exceptional speed or natural endurance. Didn't do many tempo runs… most everything was harder intervals on the track (or in the grass) 1000m and down (once fall started)

When trying to get into peak form would do a 500m 300m 200m at race pace. with plenty of rest in between. It was a lot of race pace stuff. Early in the spring it'd be 1k, and down ladders… later in the year would start at 600m for the longest rep.

As a pure 800m (as you say you are; as I think I was), you need to be able to get to 600m in at least 1:23 if you want to break 1:52, so the speed endurance stuff is key. You likely don't run the mileage to kick people down or really surge in the final 200m, so you really have to focus on the 3rd 200m. get to 600m and then hang on for dear life. That was my experience at least. First time I broke 1:50, I went out in 51.0 in 5th or 6th place… just hung on. When I'd hang back in races, I never had any significant juice. The best time to do work was early in the race.

Here are some sessions from 2 weeks out from conf. championships:

Monday: Workout:

500m (1:06), 4min jog recovery

2x200m (25.7, 26.0), 2min jog in between.

8min walk/jog rest

then (2x150m, 2x100m) = 90% effort

Wednesday workout:

(300, 200) x3. 2min between reps, 8min between sets.

41.1

26.0

41.2

26.1

40.5

26.5

The long rest was necessary to make sure you can do the intervals at a rate that your legs are going to feel during the race. The rest was active but certainly not 8min/mi pace or anything. It was a shuffle at best.

Anyways, best of luck.

I'm probably more inclined to the 1500 than the 400, but neither are as good as my 800.

Thanks for the advice those session look good.

Interestingly I've been doing some 200s' and 300's recently and hitting mid to low 26s and mid to higher 41s.

I'm racing a flat 400m next week so hopefully have an idea of my current speed. I haven't raced a 400 in a while but was hoping to break 51.

my summer runs would be around 645 for the long runs(12-13). it took me a lot of time to get there.i would start with 5-6 miles maybe 3-4 times a week and go at a decent tempo... then a day with 3-4 miles at jogging like 730s.

i built up to 60-70 MPW in the fall during XC. during the summer dont worry about pounding so many MPW.. focus on getting aerobically fit(cross training) and doing a few hard tempo runs here and there.

i eventually brought my time down from 156 to 151 in 1 year. then was stagnant at 150 for 1 year, then 148, then 147.

the biggest key for me to drop to 156-->151 was aerobic training in the offseason.

during track was a completely different beast.. i didnt do any long runs really(more than 7-8 miles) just hard intervals on track. also, dont get hurt. listen to your body and DONT force anything. i would take a day off here and there and just cross train or weight lift and was fortunate to stay healthy.

i forgot you are in track currently..you really need a good race with people to help you run that fast and you need confidence to hang with them when it starts to hurt..

i would weekly run tough track workouts--to the point you are almost as tired as after a race.. do like 600m/200mx3 with little rest to get more comfortable with the fatigue that comes with the 800m.

i like the 3x400m at mile pace or quicker with short rest then repeat for endurance on the track.

heres an example of my week during track when i was in 147 shape

monday: 7 miles(easy) then track 8x 200m, 2x200m @ 28, 2x200@26, 2x200 @25 2x200 @24s( last 4 reps with flats).. 200 m jog in between

tues: w/o: 500m-66, 400: 51.5, 300m:36.8( i believe this was full recovery--dont have it in my log sorry)

wed: 3 AM/6 PM

Thurs:5 miles, 4x150s on track, think in spikes

friday: 5 easy

Saturday: race, 149

sunday: 9 easy

total:48

this was mid season. obviously you arent in this shape yet but this is an example of the types of workouts we were doing. i recommend them with slower intervals. if you want more i have plenty

Yeah I live in the UK so summer track season starts soon, looking to run my best races in July/August.

Thanks for the sessions posted so far.

If you have anything from early season then that would be great!

starting from 6 months out we would do 8x200m or hills almost every monday after 5-7 mile run with the 200m progression as i stated earlier.

heres an example 5 months out

mon-6

>>>>> tues- 10X hills(about 45secs with jog down recovery)

>>>>> wed-5

>>>>> thurs-6

>>>>> fri-3 mi w/u 400-59, 200-29, 400-58, 200-28, 400-57, 200-28 4x200- 28 28 28 26(not sure of recovery... it wasnt full recovery but a decent amount)

>>>>> Sat-off

>>>>> sun-8

A1:52 half marathon is not that hard. Just do your 30 mpw and chill out with the special programs

The training is not different whether you are trying to run 1:39, 1:49 or 2:59. The only things that change are the pace and in some cases volume. These specifics aren't things you are going to get on here because nobody here knows enough specifics about you to make those prescriptions. Ask your coach.

The question is what does your week look like now?

At the moment I do roughly the following:

Monday: 8 miles + stretching and bodyweight circuit exercises

Tuesday: track session, at the moment this is fast (race pace or quicker) and short recovery. Sessions such as 300, 300, 200 x2 with 30-45s rest and 8-10 mins between sets.

Wednesday: 5 miles and weights or circuits again + stretches

Thursday: Fartlek or longer intervals generally on grass. 6*800m with 200 jog rest or something.

Friday: 5 miles and circuits or plyometric exercises + stretching.

Saturday: Fast track session such as 10 x 150m with decent recovery or short hills session.

Sunday: Tend to rest or cycle.

I coached a HS 1:49 guy - he was pretty fast but we decided on a plan to increase his speed. Very Simple - he did 10x100 full speed - w warm up - cool down doing first 2 in 3/4 or 7/8 speed. Didn't do for meet days. Results were very optimal

I dont think this is a bad schedule. There should always be a progression to the training and workouts. Think phases cause you dont want to spend to much time in the specific phase and cause yourself to suffer late in the season performance wise.

Here is the specific phase which was 5 weeks long for a sub-1:52 guy i coached before the taper. Basically looked like this.

Monday 20 wu/cd, wk 1 6x(300(200m jog)-200)(400m jog) wk 2 10x300(200m jog) wk 3 5x(400(200m jog)-200)(400m jog) wk 4 10x300(200m jog) wk 5 5x(400(200m jog)-200)(400m jog) Usually did 8x100 after. Note: in the past the intervals were longer but i tried slightly shorter this year but same volume.

Wednesday 20 wu/cd, 4 mile tempo plus 6x200(200m jog) alternating with crusie intervals so 800s(like you have above) or 1000s or 1200s with 1-2min rest or 200m jog plus 6x200(200m jog)

Friday Meet alternate 400/200/4x4 and 800/200/4x4 each meet. Never ran mile just focused on 800 even though he is in the 16s in xc.

Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday distance plus 8x80 two days and plyos/sprints one day. Sunday off.

Thanks, that schedule looks reassuringly similar to mine. I know it is important to hit all the right types of training at the correct times of year. I have only just moved onto the schedule shown above since April.

In the winter I ran a 16:00 xc 5k off 50-55km a week.

I have run a 1500 at the end of March also in 3:57 (PB) and opened this season with 1:54.7 800m indoors (before any specific speed-work).

What do you reckon the chances of hitting my target are?