Winter 800m training

Since you are more endurance based I'd recommend you do two endurance sessions and one speed every week.

Some examples of endurance sessions could be 4x6min with 2min rest slighly faster than LT and aerobic short hills with jog down recovery where you really focus on form. As the season draws closer you do could replace the hills with more specific race pace work and the LT work with VO2 max.

Coach1543 wrote:

Since you are more endurance based I'd recommend you do two endurance sessions and one speed every week.

Some examples of endurance sessions could be 4x6min with 2min rest slighly faster than LT and aerobic short hills with jog down recovery where you really focus on form. As the season draws closer you do could replace the hills with more specific race pace work and the LT work with VO2 max.

Could you explain what you mean by "aerobic" short hills? And, how short is short? For example, I normally do 40 second hills at the pace I can handle for 40 seconds. I can usually do 4-8 of these before having to slow down. How does your workout differ from this?

An example of such session would be 2x4x30sec with 4min easy jogging between sets progressing into more or longer as you get more fit.

By aerobic I mean that you should not run them all out with tons of lactic acid and having to stop or walk during the rest but rather try to keep them relaxed with proper form.

1.56,0 -> 58s 400m pace

You need probably a sub 53sec 400m speed because your endurance isn´t that great. It shouldn´t be a problem after some goog speed training, based on your 300 split time and your former focus on 1600m.

In base phase keep the focus on working your basic speed, strength and endurance. Examples of the speed work on this thread:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=7741636&page=1

Base building isn´t just easy running, include some LT-training in it. Many says that LT isn´t important for 800m, and it´s true that 800m runners doesn´t have great lactate thresholds, but the improvement of the LT was an important factor behind some Italian 800m runners success (Andrea Benvenuti, Giuseppe Dúrso), if I remember correctly Mr. Renato Canova? It trains the intermediate fibers and lactate clearance very well, and among with good base training you won´t slow as much on the second lap. My personal experience also supports this.

Use no longer than 200m reps on the 800m race pace (date pace) work, with active recovery about 90-120seconds. Can vary with mile pace, only shorten the recovery a bit to keep the heart rate up throughout the session. Then the longer repetitions from 10k pace to 5-3k pace, but avoid too hard and lactic 3k pace work in the base phase (keep the reps shorter). Can use hills on these also.