1:47 800m training

Could you please explain further your ideas on 800m training, than that.

I m sure pretty much here knows about your individual best paces which are simple Jd calculator paces, and about the 3 most important factors that you always talkin about.

I m not offensive or telling that you couldn t coach or things like that, but pretty annoing to read you one line comments everywhere abou best individual pace and backing this up whith some random maybe non even existent kenyan exaples.

Hech i would priciate more a sub 2 min kid that you are actually coaching and the kid is existing in the real word not just in your fb group.

why must it be short intervals? The main goal must be to improve the specific endurance, but in order to improve the specific endurance you must have a 400 and 1500 time to work with.

For example. If a runner with a PR of 2:00 runs 55 seconds for 400 and 4:40 for the mile, he is a 800m specialist that is slightly endurance based. Why this runner plateaus at 2:00 after months of 800m specific training is simple. His 400 and mile times remain the same. Giving his 800 no room for improvement. improving a 56 second 400m runner to 48-52 is rather simple if that runner has never focused on it.

The way that I have improved 800m runners in the 400 is simple

After the first 5-10 minutes of every warm up, a protocol of 2x3x40 with walk back recovery then 3-5 minutes rest is completed. I alternate 2x3x40 with 2x2x80 with the same recovery's on easy days.

I almost always have one day per week that a 400m pace workout is used, I alternate 350, 250, 150 or 10x100 or 3x300

And Lactic threshold must be used. I use threshold for the mornings of all of my athletes workouts except 400m pace days.

3x5min, 2x1600, 15-25min @LT in the mornings before with 1500m pace work 200-500m in the base season.

For early season 600/800 pace work I interchange 15x150@600 pace with 12x200@800 pace

I can post a program that 3 of my young athletes use who went from 2:20-2:05, 2:30-2:18, and 2:18-2:01 all in 14months of training.

hunta,

splendid post. and there are other well known coaches with contacts to the national level who back this up. of course a 800m specialist must not train like a sprinter but one should do all year round at least one 400m speed workout per week and there shall be in every warm up some short sprints (40m) or high end strides included to make the speed reserve better.

Next step is to lengthen the distance for race pace intervals. Sessions like 3-4 x 400m at 800m pace are good, but 3 x 500m, 3 x 600m and perhaps also 700m followed by shorter intervals in the final preparation for the important race day are better.

Yes, sessions like 4x400, 3x500, and 3x600 are specific endurance, to be able to do 3x600 @800 pace is monumental, it is the best specific endurance workout to those who can run it right. The problem is as a coach that any fast athlete will likely be relying heavily on speed or aerobic power, or both. But never specific endurance.

So when I had a 9th grader who ran 2:25 for 800 and 64/5:50 for the 400/mile he is heavily relying on his speed in order to run the 800. when I have athletes like this I replace there 600/800m pace day with the following alternating weekly protocols.

3k time trial, 4x700@3k pace, 3x1k @3k pace, 2x5min@threshold + 2x2k @3k pace, 6k time trial, 4x3min @threshold + 5k at LT. I have this runner repeat this cycle until there 3k is around 10-15 seconds slower per 400 then the original 800m pr. After his first 3k he ran 14:12, and was exhausted as he had never jogged more than 2 miles in his life! After 4 cycles (24 weeks, 5 and a half months) he runs 11:38! he started this protocol in the mid summer, ending during mid winter. In this same time frame said runner's 400 has fallen to 56 and I had not yet tested his 800.

Now I can begin implementing 600 and 800 pace in the following protocols.

4x300 @800 pace with 3' rest, 4x300 again, 2x400 @800 pace + 2x700 @3k, 5x300@800pace, 6x300@800pace, 6x300 again, 2x500+400 @800 pace, 2x500+400 again, 7x300, 7x300 again, 2x600 full recovery, 2x500+2x400+2x200, 3x500, with 3x500 @800 pace being alternated with 2-3x400@600 pace until seasons champs or peak date in which 2x600 is done.

With this runner in particular he runs 54 in the 4x4 and 2:11 in the 800.

Quite a few coach's I know try to force progression on 2 their runners forcing them to quit or injurer. There is no point making young athletes to do sessions that they will not be able to run even paces each rep causing failure.

I'm going to post the staple program all my athletes do approx. 8 months a year

Monday: 3x5min@LT, 15 min break, 4x500 @ 1500 pace (2' rest), rest 3min, 3x700 @3k pace

Tuesday 10min Wu+ 2x3x40 +25' steady

Wednesday 5min Wu +10min @Lt + 2-4x1600@LT

Thursday 350 (5'rest) 250 150 +5-10min @LT

Friday 10min Wu +2x2x80 + 25 steady

Saturday 5min Wu + 10-15x150@600pace

Sunday: Top seven 45min, the rest off

Easy runs are always faster than 6:15 pace for my best guys.

And big note here, the majority of all my athletes during this phase are not doing 10-15x150/8-12x200, they are doing 3k pace work. out of the 16 guys following this program 12 do the 3k protocol 4-6 months a year. I only let 800m runners who run under 10:00 during their 3k time trials join the top guys . you really only need 3-5 of those guys for the 4x800, 4x400 and sometimes the mile. the others end up focusing on the 2 mile. or go down to my 200-400 group.

when i ran 147 i was doing 60-70 mpw XC season

weekly hill sessions and fartleks were my two strongest sessions during the week.

i really had to work on my aerobic capability--spent the summers with long bike rides(90-120 minutes intense) and 3 long runs during the week--around 10-12 miles--this really helped my base

you really need guys that can push you in practice

love simulated races in practice during the season--something like 600m in 120, 75%recovery, 400-50 sec, short rest, 2x200 at 24-25 secs with minimal rest.

seems like you are on track(no pun intended). might just need the right race. good luck

honestly the canova program on the other page sounds like it would be the best fit for you

Monday 1600,1200,1000,800,400

Tuesday 45min + 3x3x60

Wednesday 45 min Progression run

Thursday 6x1000m

Friday 45min + gym

Saturday 12x100m

Sunday: 60min long run

Could you show some example weeks from base, and from pre comp?

Little update.

Training with a group now.

Doing 3 workouts a week and 3 easy 4.5 milers at 9min pace with a day off.

a, 8-10*400 w 200jog 68 down to 60lows or 58ish

b, 800s with a lap jog or 1000s with 600jog at 4.45- 4.50 pace last one fast

c, 5mile progressive tempo starting 5,40-50 last mile at 5min pace , 5,30ish overall full rest and 2* 185 meter all out hill sprint with full recovery

Will do 2-3weeks race specific training hopefully and start racing in late Jan.

nice! you do what is best for you. and that is high quality, low mileage. but!!

consider some real speed work all year round, i. e. on a flat surface some 40-60m all out sprints, later on 150m on at least one day per week. why? work on your speed reserves. you will lose nothing, you will only win.

Pipedre wrote:

I think its wrong to compare upcoming white runners to these africans

You're confusing physiology with ethnicity.

hunta wrote:

you are using an exception to prove the rule and I know why. 800m training is hard, ridicously hard. You can see that through any of the schedules I have shared. Your friend could have ran faster, Periodization is not of absolute importance. Specific endurance is by far the most important out of anything, only doing specific endurance at intervals longer than 400m a couple months a year is does not help with optimal progression.

Thanks for sharing the interesting training.

Thank you, I like implementing threshold training and pure speed a lot. Most runners have to much of one and to little of the other.

Nice!

Update

1; 2*6*300. 75s walk and 8min

45 all last one 39

2; 10*600 rec .220-30m jog in 90s

1.46 ave. last 1,37 (69+28)

3; 7,5k progression tempo

3,30 min per km ave , last km 2;5x pace

2*185hill sprint in 21.low (20.1 pb from summer)

All in nike pegs

3days 7km jog 8-10min per mile pace

Bump