How to run a sub 2:04 800m for a female

Im talking about paces in practice to hit to prepare me for the races.

_shawty_em22 wrote:

Im talking about paces in practice to hit to prepare me for the races.

4 x 400m @ 60 second pace w/ 5 minute rest

_shawty_em22 wrote:

So I’m in the process of training to run around 2:03/2:04 this year in the 800m. My PR is 2:07, but I haven’t broken that in 2 years... My base training has been great, and now I’m transitioning into track workouts to get ready for indoor (and especially outdoor). In order to do workouts that are beneficial and that will actually show I can run a 2:04 or under, what paces would I have to hit in workouts? For instance, if my workout for the day was 1x2k, 2x1k, 3x400m, and 3x300m, what times would I need to hit for each rep?

Well......there is no difference in training paces male/ female according to the shape you have up to date.

What you have to do now to prepare for 2;03/ 2:04 Indoors is that you have to incorporate repetitions at 800m goalpace , 6-8 x 400m at 61,5-62 sec with easy walk until back to < 100 bpm is a very good workout. And you can put in some faster work at 400m race pace also, 2 Sets of ( 500m, 300m,200m ) is a very good one were you do the 500 at Close to 800 race pace and 300-200 at Close to 200-400m race pace, long rest ( ca 7-10 min ) between the 2 Sets . The rest between the reps easy Walking down to < 100 bpm. After the Indoor season you cut out the faster workouts and go back to running 10-20 x 400m at 5 k race pace with rest down to 120 bpm or 60 % of MHR.

The workout you proposed of 1 x 2k, 2 x 1k , 3 x 400 and 3 x300 is not a good workout when the goal is 800m . Good luck!

- Magic Coaching -

8 x 400 in 61? You are the biggest troll I know

8 x 400m at 800m goal pace...? I don't think so.

You really think Rudisha was running 8x 400m in 49 seconds?

I said 6-8 x 400....and the rest is long.....and for Rudisha it had been 50,5 sec / 400m .

I coach World class! Asbel Kiprop used to run 52-56 sec at 15 x 400m with short rest and is still not that fast at 400m as Rudisha ( 45.7).

What are your splits for the 2:07?

Oh hi Banana Bread!

What does your coach think?

Probably 62/65

I don’t have a coach

SUPERIOR COACH JS wrote:

Deary me wrote:

8 x 400m at 800m goal pace...? I don't think so.

You really think Rudisha was running 8x 400m in 49 seconds?

I said 6-8 x 400....and the rest is long.....and for Rudisha it had been 50,5 sec / 400m .

I coach World class! Asbel Kiprop used to run 52-56 sec at 15 x 400m with short rest and is still not that fast at 400m as Rudisha ( 45.7).

Kiprop was on the sauce, mate.

Trolley!

_shawty_em22 wrote:

Probably 62/65

Looks pretty well-rounded.

I'm not a coach, but I'm also a 2:07 800m runner (M40), with similar goals. I can tell you the workouts/paces I've been doing the past few weeks.

10x250m in 40s with 70m walk, 80m jog

3x (8x100m in 16-15s with 40s recovery)

10x300m in 52-50s with 100m walk recovery (1 min)

3x (400m, 300m, 200m with 100m walk recovery): 70-67s, 51-49s, 32s (heavy headwind).

All sessions preceded by 40min of plyos/core/hurdle mobility work.

epicTCK wrote:

SUPERIOR COACH JS wrote:

I said 6-8 x 400....and the rest is long.....and for Rudisha it had been 50,5 sec / 400m .

I coach World class! Asbel Kiprop used to run 52-56 sec at 15 x 400m with short rest and is still not that fast at 400m as Rudisha ( 45.7).

Kiprop was on the sauce, mate.

I don`t Think so.....it`s something wrong been done with the collecting of samples.

You state that you are in the process of training for 2:03 so why do you need help? Sounds more like yo are hoping to run 2:04 and you are here asking how to do it. There is a significant difference. If you have a plan, anything that people tell you here will only distract from that plan.

300s need to be harder. At 2:00 shape, I'd use a modified ladder with a core of 5 x 300 in 45/46, preceded by 2 x 200 in 27 and followed by 2 x 200 at whatever was left, 28s on a good day.

OP, 300s are gold. Use them wisely.

TheCoachYouDontKnowYet wrote:

300s need to be harder. At 2:00 shape, I'd use a modified ladder with a core of 5 x 300 in 45/46, preceded by 2 x 200 in 27 and followed by 2 x 200 at whatever was left, 28s on a good day.

OP, 300s are gold. Use them wisely.

Thanks! How about recovery: 1 minute?

At my age, you have to be patient and set small goals. I've been improving 3 secs a year up until now. So from 2:07 to 2:00 is a 2 year project, at least.

1979 wrote: Thanks! How about recovery: 1 minute?

At my age, you have to be patient and set small goals. I've been improving 3 secs a year up until now. So from 2:07 to 2:00 is a 2 year project, at least.

No. At or just over 2:00 shape, you won't be able to make the entire session with honest 1 minute recoveries if you're clocking accurate times above. The loss of quality caused by a collapse from 45 to 48/49 during the 300s is not worth the maintenance of shorter recoveries. This is not LSD, it's high quality intervals. Therefore, you need to key the entire session to race pace, no slower.

A good barometer is obtained by controlling the rest period. So, try the session with ~2 mins recoveries first and ensure it all gets done at the correct speed. Then as your form improves, ratchet down on the recoveries first to 90sec, then towards 1min. From experience I can assure you that last recovery reduction will be seriously tough. If you can actually complete that entire session as described, and you're at ~54 for 400, you're ready for a sub-2.

However at 2:07 form, this session will not be achievable. So then try 29s for the 2s, 46/7 for the 300s, and 28s to close. If you can do that then move the speed dial as above. You also need to develop a tolerance for this kind of session.

In priority order, the objectives are a) to train at race pace and b) to extend the duration of race pace into the session and c) to reduce the recovery when a) and b) are assured. So when objectives a) b) and c) are all achieved, then race.

In principle it's no different for female athletes at this same level, although the sub-54 400 might be an ask for an 800 chic. But 55 point, at least...