800m training

Not as much as running and putting down a solid base during the winter.

it wont hurt. Core is helpful, not necessarily arms specific stuff though (no curls for the sake of getting bigger biceps).

Lifting in general will help, especially lots of leg lifts.

Running more will help a lot (yes, even for the 800m).

Do sprints and strides often, focusing on speed and running SMOOTH and COMFORTABLY. No flailing to sprint a tenth faster.

Any advice on how much mileage per week I should be peaking? Is 60 or 70 a week overkill for the 800?

800 HS Senior guy wrote:

Any advice on how much mileage per week I should be peaking? Is 60 or 70 a week overkill for the 800?

Peter Snell ran 130+ miles a week during the base phase.

Steve Ovett very similar in term of mileage during the base phase.

If You're in high school no more than 80 miles per week.

Depends on what you've done in the past.

I had my best track season after I upped my mileage from 45-55 from the prior year to ~70 in the summer and 50-65 throughout XC and winter. But I was also doing a lot of lifting and strides, and I made sure I had a few quality aerobic runs in there too.

You generally want to work both ends of the spectrum. Do the mileage and steady runs to build endurance in the off-season and also do sprints, strides, and lifting to work on the mechanical aspect, strength, injury resistance, and top speed. That'll set you up well for season.

So, I did not run XC this season, and currently I only do around 15-20 MPW at around 7:10-7:30 pace. As I up my mileage over the coming few months, should I incorporate workouts as well or purely mileage and strides? I wish to do well in indoor, but also peak at the right time in the late spring

Look up summer of malmo and do that for your winter base training.

Ezekiel bread wrote:

Look up summer of malmo and do that for your winter base training.

This isn't bad advice.

To answer your other question, you can incorporate workouts in but I'd do it more in the form of impromptu progression runs or fartleks. Keep the workouts aerobic and relatively easy while you build mileage.

Pull ups and other non specific strength training only prevents errors in form and maybe injury when racing. To train the specific fast twitching fibers for the 800m sprint. 200 meter reps but 5 minutes rest and high speed. Jog the rest of you can or walk to keep heart rate up. You could also combine the 200s with 300s and 100s or 150s for three paced workouts. Like 200 at 1500 pace about 150 at 400 meter pace 300 at 5k pace. This is a very intense workout that can make you improve fast but also peak fast so don't do too many reps unless iits 3-5 days out from a race to sharpen. Short sprints like 100s 80s 50s can be done while building an aerobic base back up because the oxygen needed is low with 1-2 minutes recovery.

Yarly wrote:

Pull ups and other non specific strength training only prevents errors in form and maybe injury when racing. To train the specific fast twitching fibers for the 800m sprint. 200 meter reps but 5 minutes rest and high speed. Jog the rest of you can or walk to keep heart rate up. You could also combine the 200s with 300s and 100s or 150s for three paced workouts. Like 200 at 1500 pace about 150 at 400 meter pace 300 at 5k pace. This is a very intense workout that can make you improve fast but also peak fast so don't do too many reps unless iits 3-5 days out from a race to sharpen. Short sprints like 100s 80s 50s can be done while building an aerobic base back up because the oxygen needed is low with 1-2 minutes recovery.

Some slight inaccuracies here.

1) that 150, 200, 300 workout at 400, mile and 5k pace is anything but intense.

2) Short sprints require at minimum 2 minutes rest, but more preferably 3-5 minutes.