400m moving up to 800m in 4 months

How old are you?

Just do long hills 2x a week and a 30-45 min easy run In between

1:07+5 = 1:12; 1:12+ 5 = 1:17

1:12+1:17= 2:29. No reason you shouldn’t be able to run 2:30.

2:40? wrote:

1:07+5 = 1:12; 1:12+ 5 = 1:17

1:12+1:17= 2:29. No reason you shouldn’t be able to run 2:30.

I'm 70. The math looks good on paper, but I lack the endurance base and can't get enough base in the next 4 months.

A sub-2:40 is pretty good... it would rank #10 in the world in 2018, based on 2017 performances.

Is it because you’re 70 that you can’t build a base in 4 months? Run 3x a week. Swim 2x a week and make sure you’re lifting weights 2x a week. 10x200 w/ 1 min rest in 40-38 per 200.

I would not do that plan exclusively for the next 4 months as you have nothing at race pace. The last 2 months before the competition I would drop the tempo workout and do a track workout at race pace -- 400s and 500s.

Les wrote:

I would not do that plan exclusively for the next 4 months as you have nothing at race pace. The last 2 months before the competition I would drop the tempo workout and do a track workout at race pace -- 400s and 500s.

This is what I had in mind. Thanks.

fisky wrote:

Les wrote:

I would not do that plan exclusively for the next 4 months as you have nothing at race pace. The last 2 months before the competition I would drop the tempo workout and do a track workout at race pace -- 400s and 500s.

This is what I had in mind. Thanks.

????? Did you see my post

Also, do some 800 competitions before the big race if you can, especially since it's a new distance for you. Training is one thing but nothing gets you sharp like real races. You will have to learn 800 pacing. If you make a mistake and go out too hard in an 800 you will lose a lot more time than in the 400. You will have to learn the optimal pacing for yourself.

Les wrote:

Also, do some 800 competitions before the big race if you can, especially since it's a new distance for you. Training is one thing but nothing gets you sharp like real races. You will have to learn 800 pacing. If you make a mistake and go out too hard in an 800 you will lose a lot more time than in the 400. You will have to learn the optimal pacing for yourself.

You are spot on with your advice. I've raced the 800m many times, but for the past two years, I've dropped down to the 400 and dramatically increased my weightlifting. The 400m training gave great results, but it's left me with very little time to periodize training before racing the 800m in July.

I just need to get back as much endurance as possible in the next 2 1/2 months before focusing on the sharpening workouts for the last few weeks. I'm at 10mpw now with 3 hard interval workouts/week. I'll go up to 20mpw by adding 2 easy trail runs and converting two of the interval workouts to a long run and a short tempo run.

I plan to race the 800 in May for a baseline, and 2-3 times in low-key meets June. Our relay team will go for the M70 WR 4x800m in early July in California and then we'll race again at the individual 800m at the Masters Outdoors in Spokane two weeks later.

You might want to cut down on your lifting as well.

I ran under 2:30 when I was 61 in 2016. I had a similar 400 time to your 67xx that year. For me, the most important workout is CV 1000s. I run them at about 73% of my 800 pace, so based on your 2:56, you'd run them in about 5 flat. Start with 2 or 3 with a 200 jog in 2 minutes. When you can do 4 of them, consider cutting the rest to a 200 jog in 1:30 or a 100 jog in one minute.

When you can do 4 x 1000m in 5 minutes with a 100 jog in 1 minute, start doing them in 4:50 and repeat the progression. This single workout took me from barely hanging on by my fingernails at the end of an 800 race to being able to run even pace and close very well. Do this workout one a week or once every 10 days.

Good luck in Spokane!

You can build endurance in a much more efficient way by not doing easy jogs. Instead, on those days you can do some 200-300m intervals at threshold pace with 30 seconds rest. For you I would try doing the 200s in 50, this pace is much quicker and more efficient than your easy run jog pace. But, it won’t beat you up like trails will and you’ll build endurance that will translate better to 800m training, good luck

2:40? wrote:

You can build endurance in a much more efficient way by not doing easy jogs. Instead, on those days you can do some 200-300m intervals at threshold pace with 30 seconds rest. For you I would try doing the 200s in 50, this pace is much quicker and more efficient than your easy run jog pace. But, it won’t beat you up like trails will and you’ll build endurance that will translate better to 800m training, good luck

I like this workout. Thanks. I'll add it to the mix.