Breaking 2:05 800m

Don't "relax" during the first lap. It's a 2-lap race, there should be no "relaxing".

Your welcome.

majorkey wrote:

Currently at 2:08 and look to run anything below 2:06 this upcoming week. Any tactics or splits to do so? I usually get out hard and relax until coming into the 2nd lap where I pick it up and start unwinding my kick with 200m to go. Has anyone improved this much? My 2:08 is from 2 weeks ago btw

I went from 2:07 to 2:04 with these 100m splits (I was pacing myself so I saw all the splits):

15, 15, 16, 16, 16, 16, 15, 14 (this adds up to 2:03 but there were all the tenths and hundredths)

62,6 + 62,2

As you seem to realise, you need to run smooth. Going through the first 400m in 62 not necessarily feeling comfortable, but not sprinting.

If you go out too hard the first 200m then you will slow too dramatically the second 200m. This means when you hit the bell you will be decelerating and it is difficult to then accelerate again to keep an honest pace to 600m.

You need to go through the bell smoothly and try to hold the next 200m; your deceleration needs to be drawn out across the race.

Work hard over the back straight, if you do not then hopes for a good time are lost.

As you reach the final 200m mentally surge again and then focus on maintaining your form, like your knee drive and arms, keeping the shoulders as relaxed as you can and give everything you have left over the last 100m.

Okay ill give that a try but I don't race with a watch so I would have to come in exactly at 61-62 to do so. Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback I usually get out fast to get good positioning and tuck behind the leaders. Then relax by keeping the arms tucked in and then coming into 400 is where I move up to pick up those people who got out hard. I'll definitely do that thanks again!

Unfortunately we do not know how you train and that is the key factor. It also helps to do a progressive warm up before the race. Most high school kids do not do this well.

By the time you get my note it may be late in the season as well. You may be able to talk to your coach and ask him what you should be doing on weekends.

It is possible to over train!!!

Most teams over do hard interval training. Most of the season should consist of long runs, recovery runs, and sprints of 80 yards or less. But what that means depends on what you have been doing.

You will have to give us more information.

I train like a true 400/800. I usually jog a mile and then I start picking it up for 800 like under tempo pace. He tells me to take off both weekends but I refuse to. I either jog a couple miles and like 6 100m strides. I don't feel over trained because I had that issue last year and this year I train smarter and sometimes push it but only because my teammates are faster. I run my own pace in endurance workouts and try running relaxed in faster workouts. Monday and Tuesday are speed and endurance on the track. Wednesday is easy. Thursday is race. Friday is a easy workout usually strides and jogging. Saturday and Sunday is long run or easy miles and strides. I lift weights on Mondays or weekends.

Jed Clampett wrote:

Unfortunately we do not know how you train and that is the key factor. It also helps to do a progressive warm up before the race. Most high school kids do not do this well.

By the time you get my note it may be late in the season as well. You may be able to talk to your coach and ask him what you should be doing on weekends.

It is possible to over train!!!

Most teams over do hard interval training. Most of the season should consist of long runs, recovery runs, and sprints of 80 yards or less. But what that means depends on what you have been doing.

You will have to give us more information.

+1.

Too easy for a coach to add in hard intervals, for their athletes to smash workouts and feel like they will break the world record. Then it comes to a race and the athletes are tired, worn down and can't actually put together a good performance.

majorkey wrote:

I train like a true 400/800. .

No offense but if you run 2:08 you should not train like this, unless you are a girl. You should train like a 800/1500 middle distance runner.

Why is that a problem? I train with the 400 guys and we also run the 800. We do endurance workouts and mileage on easy days and weekends. I don't run the mile.

majorkey wrote:

Why is that a problem? I train with the 400 guys and we also run the 800. We do endurance workouts and mileage on easy days and weekends. I don't run the mile.

No offense but there are very few high school runners who would run a faster 800 training that way. Your not one of them. Keep training that way and you might break 2:05. Move up to 800/1600 and you could break 2:00

Okay it seems to work with my teammates but not me I guess. They run 2:03 & 2:05. I'm going to be honest i've ran the mile a couple times but it's horrible. I'm only able to break 5:10 and not 5. My endurance sucks compared to my speed. That's why I don't run the mile a lot. I always run a 800 pr when I don't run the mile.. but thanks for the feedback I'll have to move up someday..

I agree with offender of runners..

If you were a true "400/800" runner, your first lap would have to be a tough 59 and then about 65 to break 2:05 if that is your season limit

I ran a 2:07 my freshman year of high school with my first 400m at 55 ..I was a straight 400m runner so I didn't know what I was doing the gap between first and second lap should be about 5 seconds

Offender of runners wrote:

majorkey wrote:

Why is that a problem? I train with the 400 guys and we also run the 800. We do endurance workouts and mileage on easy days and weekends. I don't run the mile.

No offense but there are very few high school runners who would run a faster 800 training that way. Your not one of them. Keep training that way and you might break 2:05. Move up to 800/1600 and you could break 2:00

That's not all true 2 weeks ago my team went to metros and we where missing 2 legs for the 4x8 my friend and i we both run the 200 and 400 with good times but we never ran the 800 he was first leg and got 2:02.8 his splits was 59.3 and 63.5 and i was last leg and i hit 2:05.2 my splits 58.5 and 66.7 we had the speed to do it the only problem is that we didnt have the endurance to even it out or i didn't have the endurance to even it out for the second lap but running the 400 which is speed helped for the 800