I have mad respect for good 800 runners, I saw a lot of them in HS with pretty good 400 speed and were studs even at the mile and 5k in cross. Also almost every sprinter I know says the 800 is one of the hardest events in Track.
As an 800m guy I find it interesting how much crap I have to take from 5k/10k athletes especially during XC season. Many programs I have seen emphasize mileage as this holy grail of being a competitive runner. If you aren't running 80+ miles a week then you aren't truly a runner and have to take crap from every other distance specialist. I wish I didn't get caught up in this mentality but sometimes it's hard when track isn't even in season. Anyone else have a similar experience with this?
You don't need their respect. You compete in arguably, the toughest event in T&F
The 800- where speed meets strength is probably the toughest event of all outside the 400 hurdles. The pain of an all out 800 is beyond measure, so much respect to you; just use XC to build strength, then break out the can of 2 lap whoop ass when track season rolls around.
Yeah I think that a lot of people pointed out I am a little immature and feel like I need to be the best. I'm a pretty consistent #4 guy on a decently competitive team. Reading the responses also probably helped me realize that a lot of people do have respect. In the past, at least on my team, our 800 guys haven't been the most dedicated people and I find it frustrating when I get brought into that conversation.
The 800m is interesting as you can train for it in so many different ways. Some people treat it almost like a sprint and run low mileage. Others come in from the other side and treat it like an endurance event and run high mileage. Both can have success. You shouldn't have to take crap from 5K/10K guys, it's just a different event. Of course the training will be different. You're running for one minute something. The others are running for approx 30 mins. Totally different. If they don't understand that they're being silly. What about doing indoor through the winter instead of XC if you don't like it, or is that not an option?
I love 800m training. It's so varied and for me I think it combines the best of both worlds.
It would be interesting to see if anyone applies a 'feed the cats' kind of approach to the 800m.
I'm currently on around 70 mpw and put in a pretty sustainable contribution it XC currently. (Consistent #4 guy). Just find it annoying that a lot of people brag about being better than me at an event that isn't even my wheelhouse. I do indoor after XC season though so it's just a semester of being slightly annoyed.
I had a similar thinking process to you when I was in college and a little bit out of college so I figure I can help you out with this one, for me at least it was all in my head.
Cross Country is the first season of the year, so if you are a versatile 800 meter runner you are going to be running XC, but most likely losing to the long distance guys. Unlike the sprinters, jumpers, or throwers, an 800 guy is going to have to spend an entire season running a distance that they are just okay at, maybe even not that great and sometimes it’s easy to feel frustrated or slow since you are putting hours into something that really isn’t your thing. You also have to deal with the track team members on the team that are new and never seen you race on the track automatically think you are slow since they’ve never seen you race track. A sprinter does not have to deal with this since they do not run XC.
It’s humbling, but people really don’t care how you do in XC and they won’t even remember when track time comes and you’re killing it. I got through XC but just putting my head down, not caring about it and making fun of myself, I’d joke with the distance guys that beat me by saying, “let’s race a 2k” or “My talent level drops off hardcore past mid distance” I was a 1:52 800 guy and 4:10 miler who could barely break 26 minutes in the 8k and 15:50 in the 5k. At our conference meet in track I would consistently score or place in the top 3, while my 14:45 5k teammates that killed me in XC would come in the middle of the pack or not even score.
This is the exact experience that I am having currently, just found it hard to put into words. I end up caring about XC too much even though I'm not that good at it in comparison to my 800. It's sort of like a whatever is in front of you now matters the most and is in my mind. I don't feel like the runner running 1:49 anymore, instead I feel like the 4th man on our XC team that is good, but not where I want to be.
As an 800m guy I find it interesting how much crap I have to take from 5k/10k athletes especially during XC season. Many programs I have seen emphasize mileage as this holy grail of being a competitive runner. If you aren't running 80+ miles a week then you aren't truly a runner and have to take crap from every other distance specialist. I wish I didn't get caught up in this mentality but sometimes it's hard when track isn't even in season. Anyone else have a similar experience with this?
That's because 800M runners are known as "middle distance" runners. A completely different category than "distance" runners. You get lumped in with the 600M and 1000M runners, and rightfully so because they are awful distances.
I think the disrespect stems from the frequent experiences distance runners have with 800m specialists, who will often blast off at the start of XC or road races, only to crash and burn midway through the race, and hobble in (or pull out).
Distance runners perceive this as a sign of weakness (mental and/or physical), although it's probably just the 800m runner's physiology setting them up for failure. The early pace feels easy while utilizing the anaerobic system, but once they switch to aerobic it becomes exponentially harder.
There's also the common perception that a hard workout is one that involves a lot of volume, and since 800m runners don't often do a lot of volume, they are seen as never training hard. Obviously this is a misperception.
As an 800m guy I find it interesting how much crap I have to take from 5k/10k athletes especially during XC season. Many programs I have seen emphasize mileage as this holy grail of being a competitive runner. If you aren't running 80+ miles a week then you aren't truly a runner and have to take crap from every other distance specialist. I wish I didn't get caught up in this mentality but sometimes it's hard when track isn't even in season. Anyone else have a similar experience with this?
800m runners are a joke, most track runners run 2-3 events, you all just run 2 laps and thats it lol.... what a joke, thats why you all dont get enough respect, you're event is just a warm up for all events
Why do people have the nastiness of 10-year-olds on this site?
The 800 meter guys in Johnny Gray’s group run around 65-70 miles per week if I recall correctly. That’s why Brazier ended up leaving..couldn’t hack the mileage. 800 meter prelim, semi, and final rounds are no joke and it takes endurance to get through all of them in the big meets
The 800 is generally less visible in the public eye than the 1500, and the marathon... probably the 5/10 on the track too.
However, when you get an athlete like Athing Mu in 2021 or David Rudisha over his career -- the 800 is the marquee event. The respect is there.
It is a middle distance event, but speed is absolutely necessary to succeed. The 800 is not a distance event.
I was a miler/1500 guy when I was a kid. I dabbled in the half mile. I will say this, there is no race on the track that is more difficult and demanding than the 800 meters. If you've ever had that 600-pound bear jump on your back with 50 to go in this event, you will agree.
800m runners are a joke, most track runners run 2-3 events, you all just run 2 laps and thats it lol.... what a joke, thats why you all dont get enough respect, you're event is just a warm up for all events
Why do people have the nastiness of 10-year-olds on this site?
Well in Australia it is a big deal to be an 800m runner with the success of Peter Bol. I coach around 50 athletes and sub 1:50, sub 1:55, and sub 2:00 for our males are the standards. For females well we have 11 year olds running sub 2:30 and a number of females breaking 2:15. It's a fun but painful event. Everyone here respects the 800m as most of all of my athletes race it at some point.
It must be clear that a 800m race needs a completely different energy distrubution (%aerobic/%anaerobic) as a 5k/8k race. Therefore an 800m expert can never be a 8k expert and vice versa. If you train both you get average on both distances!
From the genetic pool side it is much more difficult to be a good 800m runner, as you need more fast twitch fibers. So you are blessed.
It must be clear that a 800m race needs a completely different energy distrubution (%aerobic/%anaerobic) as a 5k/8k race. Therefore an 800m expert can never be a 8k expert and vice versa. If you train both you get average on both distances!
From the genetic pool side it is much more difficult to be a good 800m runner, as you need more fast twitch fibers. So you are blessed.
you , sadly, failed to support your complaint/allegation/thesis with any facts , evidence or proof, therefore it is nothing more than a boring complaint
It must be clear that a 800m race needs a completely different energy distrubution (%aerobic/%anaerobic) as a 5k/8k race. Therefore an 800m expert can never be a 8k expert and vice versa. If you train both you get average on both distances!
From the genetic pool side it is much more difficult to be a good 800m runner, as you need more fast twitch fibers. So you are blessed.
Dave Wottle was an All American in cross country.
So what was his 10k pr on the track? Rhetorical question.
you , sadly, failed to support your complaint/allegation/thesis with any facts , evidence or proof, therefore it is nothing more than a boring complaint
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