10000m runner thrown on the 4x800 at conference. Please help.

College Running

6 years ago 02/18/2018 11:07am EST

Hello friends, I am in need of advice. I missed conference in the 5000m and 3000m , but I'm in pretty good shape, thus my coach decided to put my on our 4x800 at conference. I ran 16:00 at a fairly large meet then followed that up with a solo 9:12 at our last chance meet. My mile PR is 4:38 from high school. I have never run an all out 800, and my 400 PR is a 60 I ran in practice 5 years ago. The goal of this relay is simply to place. The other 3 guys on the relay have run, 2:00, 2:01, and 2:02 this season. We have guys who can go a little faster than up but we are saving them.

My question is...how do you run the 800 and how do you think I will fare. I am well known for lacking leg speed on my team , but do you think I could pull off a sub 2:05?

6 years ago 02/18/2018 11:13am EST

re: How does one 800m?

Lacking leg speed eh? How's your foot speed?

6 years ago 02/18/2018 11:16am EST

re: hand speed

hand speed wrote:
Lacking leg speed eh? How's your foot speed?

Really it’s his leg foot speed velocity that matters.

6 years ago 02/18/2018 11:19am EST

re: post checks out

Take a couple caffeine pills in the morning. ZOOOOOMMM

6 years ago 02/18/2018 11:33am EST

re: How does one 800m?

You'll probably be pretty "up" for the race. You won't have to make any effort to run the first 300 fast--adrenaline will take care of that. No need to go after anybody at that point, just keep a rhythm--and if someone comes by you in that first 300, either he's better than you and *should* go by you, or he got too wrought up in the moment and is going out too fast..and you'll catch him later. Either way, let him go by.

Between 300 and 500, focus on maintaining your tempo. Now's the time when you can sneak by somebody, if you can do it without "fighting" with him and without throwing a sprint in.

A whole lot of guys relax after the 400--they hear "60" and think they're flying, but they don't realize that they ran that 60 in 27+33 and are headed for a 2:06...assuming they don't slow down even more! If you make a conscious effort to keep your speed (you don't even have to accelerate, though you'll certainly have to gradually put in more effort) between 400 and 500, you can "steal" a place or two.

The last 300, just go. It'll take less than 50 seconds--and you can *stand* anything for 50 seconds, amirite? Move your brain off your legs and switch it to your arms--focus on the relaxed backward swing of your elbows. "Relax-back-relax-back" is your mantra.

At the end, don't run *to* your handoff to the next guy, run *through* it just as you'd run through the finish line of an open race.

Also: go fast, turn left, hurry back. And good luck.

6 years ago 02/18/2018 11:52am EST

re: How does one 800m?

6 years ago 02/18/2018 12:01pm EST

re: How does one 800m?

My friend in high school, with the same times (9:12 ish for 3k, 16 flat in XC, 60 second 400), ran 2:07 or so (during this same season as the listed times of course), if it helps.

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10000m runner thrown on the 4x800 at conference. Please help.

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