As someone who split a 47, she has enough speed for the 800m WR. What she lacks is endurance. I would have her focus on 1500 instead of the 400m for off-season. Perhaps even run some 5ks. Once she gets the 1500m under 4 or even 3:55, she should be good to go for 1:53.
She is not going to go up to 1500m - ever. Coe started off as a 1500/3k guy in HS, who moved down to 800m in College, so his experience/development has nothing to do with Femke.
Agree somewhat with Fisky - Tempo runs or even long runs (1hr+) are really not necessary (hasn't helped Mu). More VO2max work would help, but needs to be careful to not overdo threshold work (if any), as she wants to maintain her speed (400 in 49). If she wants to save her legs, some volume XT might be better than just longer runs. More volume of shorter VO2max reps may be better than longer reps (like the Billat reps, which are VO2max, not LT.)
49.0sec + 7.5sec = 56.5sec x 2 = 1.53. Is that too low a differential for her?
Keely at 51.6 slows 5.7sec to 57.3 for 1.54.6. Werro slows 6.9sec (hasn't run a 1500) from 51.0 to 57.9 for 1.55.9. Werro has also run 2.34.8 for 1km. Keely hasn't run a 1500m this decade. Kratochvilova ran 47.99 to run 1.53.28 (56.64) so a differential of 8.65 at an even later point in her career.
I would suspect her differential closer to 8s given her lack of endurance and experience. In addition, you are basing her 800 off of her best 400, which may be different from her current 400 as she moves into 800 training. So that would put her around 1:56 (50+8=58), though I do think she can go a little faster. I think too many think she is a given to just pop a 1:53 easily. She may eventually get there, but I don't think it will be easy.
As someone who split a 47, she has enough speed for the 800m WR. What she lacks is endurance. I would have her focus on 1500 instead of the 400m for off-season. Perhaps even run some 5ks. Once she gets the 1500m under 4 or even 3:55, she should be good to go for 1:53.
So, basically the opposite of how Rudisha trained when he moved from the 400 to the 800.
Perhaps you kids are forgetting your history. This has been done before. Doesn’t anyone remember the great Alberto Juantorena from Cuba. Oly Golds in 400 and 800m. Someone needs to go research how he trained, or better, ring him up if he’s still alive. I know this is a distance site, but the 800 doesn’t need to be a distance-trained event.
Perhaps you kids are forgetting your history. This has been done before. Doesn’t anyone remember the great Alberto Juantorena from Cuba. Oly Golds in 400 and 800m. Someone needs to go research how he trained, or better, ring him up if he’s still alive. I know this is a distance site, but the 800 doesn’t need to be a distance-trained event.
As someone who split a 47, she has enough speed for the 800m WR. What she lacks is endurance. I would have her focus on 1500 instead of the 400m for off-season. Perhaps even run some 5ks. Once she gets the 1500m under 4 or even 3:55, she should be good to go for 1:53.
This actually makes sense but these fools don't seem to understand it. When I was splitting 47s I ran 1:51. Ran XC to get my strength and endurance up.
As someone who split a 47, she has enough speed for the 800m WR. What she lacks is endurance. I would have her focus on 1500 instead of the 400m for off-season. Perhaps even run some 5ks. Once she gets the 1500m under 4 or even 3:55, she should be good to go for 1:53.
My college coach took this approach with a 46.high guy and turned him into a 51/1:57 guy who could also run a sub 18:00 5k.
Perhaps you kids are forgetting your history. This has been done before. Doesn’t anyone remember the great Alberto Juantorena from Cuba. Oly Golds in 400 and 800m. Someone needs to go research how he trained, or better, ring him up if he’s still alive. I know this is a distance site, but the 800 doesn’t need to be a distance-trained event.
I can tell you, her training has been incredibly suited to 400/800m training for a good while
That was my impression. Meuwly has wanted her to try the 800 for a few years. Bol mentioned that in several Diamond League press conferences. She was reluctant and would say things like, "Stop putting ideas in his head. It's too far for me."
Apparently she doesn't like sprint training. I think that played a major role in the switch. Bol realizes she won't have to do as much short sprint work while preparing for 800. Also, the 800 probably provides an additional Olympic cycle. As 400 hurdler she would be prime through 2028 but in serious decline upon Brisbane 2032. A middle distance event has considerably greater prospect of extending four more years, other than greater risk of injury. Bol is not the most agile. I expect she will fall more than once if she sticks to 800.
The Dutch travel to South Africa three times every season...after Thanksgiving, after New Year's, and after indoor season. They are transparent on Instagram. I suspect that's when we'll get a glimpse of Bol's training regimen, especially if she and Saalberg are doing one thing and the pure 400 group something else. Normally the 400 group does lots of hills training.
Netherlands media always travel to South Africa briefly and do articles and videos on the Meuwly group. This topic will certainly be a focus.
Agree with the above.
If you've seen Femke train, you'll realise that they won't have to adjust her training too much to transition up to the 800 next year. I'm pretty confident (after watching her train) that she could have run 1:57-58 this season in a one off 800 (more of a time trial type race). From my perspective all they need to change is the hurdle workout day (Friday) and adjust the speed of their speed endurance day (Wednesday).
Her biggest challenge will be learning to navigate the heats and learning how to run tactically. 400m athletes that step up tend to switch off a little from 400-600 and then struggle to regain their rhythm over the last 200, so that's the main area I would focus on if I was in her team. Using some of the queues she has for her stride pattern in the 400H will help. A very simple trick could be the work 20m the relay exchange zone at 500m by taking a take a few forceful strides.
JR
ex coach of Hoey, but would be more happy to add another Bol in to the mix :)
at the end of the day, the upvotes are encouraging, that some kind of lydiard kersee strange fantasy approach id garbage.
Bol might be the best 600m runner in the world, and the idea is to run 200m more.
this will all come from aerobic improvement sure, while preserving most of the speed. if you kill the 400 basic, and get the aerobic up, you have a journey woman on your bloody hands. do not do this.
very few 400 m runners survive a distance oriented program.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in late January should add a women's 800 and invite Bol. She hasn't raced in that meet since breaking the 500 world record a few years ago. After the race she said the extra distance was a bit easier than she expected
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in late January should add a women's 800 and invite Bol. She hasn't raced in that meet since breaking the 500 world record a few years ago. After the race she said the extra distance was a bit easier than she expected
Meuwly said in his interview they were still not sure 'which other events' Femke will run next season.
That could be interpreted more than one way, but I understood it to simply mean running the 400m flat, but with the possibility of a non-standard event such as a 500m or 600m.
In some ways, 'easing her in' with a 600m opening race might be a very good idea & slightly take the pressure off. They've made it clear they don't want to rush and to do this properly, so I won't be surprised if she skips indoors again.