800m training advice

Your training looks good for base phase

Then you need to introduce in what i would call development phase:

- once a week Vo2max workouts, they are important for 800m runner. Focus on short intervals (30" to 1"30). Less LT tempo, your ability is good enough for under 2' 800 (once or twice a month)

Once a week :

-1000m to Mile pace training : total volume of workout 2k-3k,

ex : 14-20x150r1', 10-15x200r1' 7-10x300r1'30

OR

-Introduction to specific workouts @ current 800 pace or 1" faster: 10-12x150 r2-3', 8-10x200 r 2-3', 5-6x300 r 3-4'

-Keep the speed work once or twice a week

Pre races phase :

No more LT tempo, less Vo2max workouts (twice a month)

Stop the short all out sprints and hills and do 400m pace longer sprints instead (100 to 150/200m) with full recovery (4-5' at least) total volume 600to800m

Hard specific workouts (last few weeks before main races) : 3-4x400/500-400-300-200-100/600+3x200

Adding circuit training in the base phase once a week looks great.

WIth those training improvement i think you can go well under 2' since your 2'02 TT is already close to that in real race.

1'57 seems doable by the end of the year

good job. if you can run 2:02 solo, then it is just a matter of a good day and a real race (no wind, good weather, proper pacing).

the post above from impala31 is golden.

it seems to me that there is no need of two weekly sprint sessions, one will be enough. not to mention that flying 30m sprints are better producers for pure speed (flat, uphill and downhill; people forget the importance of downhill sprints). long sprints with long rest at the end of your preparation.

your 5k time time indicates that you may have a look at endurance work. so a long run of about 45-60 here and then is fine but not really specific for 800. you are better off a good warm up followed by 5-6 x 3min /2min jog rest at 5k pace.

one workout i really love year around: 30min warm up run in the hills (with a good amount of uphills where you push it a little bit) followed by 5x150m/2min walking rest at close to 400m race pace.

thank you both for your great responses.

wisenheimer i actually meant flying 30s, not 60s, i just would do 30m acceleration into the fly zone :) )

how much recovery should I do for the VO2 max interval work?

start with recoveries of same time length of the rep then reduce it a bit over the weeks to 1'/45"r or 1'30/1'r

Hi, OP here. Just thought I would post for the next few weeks as I get ready for a time trial in early September:

past few weeks:

July 24

Low key aerobic intervals, 2km total of harder stuff (1* mile at 5:40/50 1 * 400 5:20-5:30) HR around 160

5k total volume

10 body weight squats

July 25

Off

July 26

Pure speed à la Holler + 2* 10m flys, 1*40yd

depth jumps 24 inches (10 reps total)

Plank Pedestal * 2

Pushups ~ 30

Scapula reps 5 times each position

HBDL at home 10 reps heavy (160ish)

Clean singles at 95 and 50kg (2)

Warm up 15 * 2 of push pull squat

July 29

Wednesday - 3 * 200 and oh boy! 24.1 (1.6 m/s wind) best 200m (with 10m run in). I also theoretically (not precise GPS watch based) hit one of my fastest top speeds ever 1:35 min/km (.95 s fly equivalent) . I

Weights - 11/12 at 158 lbs

A couple of cleans poor turn over

Thursday July 30

4km easy running (20min)

Friday July 31

23:50 total

Grass accelerations

Jogging

3*1,1

bulgarian split squat 1*10

28 pushups

Sunday

Finally got the freelap working . 4 flying 10m with best of 1.02 (1.02, 1.06, 1.12). I would love to get down in the 9s for these. 9 mid or low.

Prd flying 100m of 10.96 with a tail wind

Monday

Off foot was sore

Tuesday

Wickets bounds depth jumps lateral bounds

20 minutes aerobic running

plus nordics hamstrings

Scapula activation

Hand stand pushups

Mobility of lat with foam roller / tricep

Thursday 3 600s with 2 minutes rest

1:58, 1:51.8, 1:47.2

Friday 40 minutes + weights

Saturday off

Sunday

4*10m flys (1.02, 1.05, 1.06, 1.06)

2*100 (11.03, ?) w/ 20m run in timed w/ freelap

1*200 23.91 (2.4m/s wind lane 6) hand timed 10m acceleration

120+400 520m of volume

- - - - -

Monday

Chill run 21 minutes (2 easy striders at 16-17-18’ 100m pace)

medball circuit 8 reps? 40seconds on 20 seconds off

Medball submaximal throws

Tuesday

2*100m (full recovery 3min) 12.56, 11.97

Plyos light intensity (SL bounds, hops, lateral bounds, alternate bounds )

8*150m 2 minutes rest (20.21, 20.74, 20.61, 21.72, 20.72, 20.83, 21.16, 21.28) goal pace 29’s 200 or 21.75 150m

5 min jog (2ish miles maybe?)

1400m of intense volume total

Wednesday

Off

Thursday

5 minute warmup jog

100m - 12.57,

All intervals about 70 seconds rest

400m 69.37,

400m 65.62,

200m 37.51

200m 30.64

200m 32.89

400m 80.72

400m 68.53

10 minute jog

100m 13.47 100m walk recovery

100m 13.81

100m 15.11

2600m total volume of quality reps (Vo2 -> mile -> 800m)

Weights 2*2 heavy hex bar dead lift

Bar bell stuff (presses squats) with just the bar

Friday

30 minutes easy run

Saturday

20 minutes recovery + 30 pushups + 10 pull ups

Sunday 8/15

Pure speed a few flying 10s and then a 100 and or 200 all out.

Thanks for this, following with interest! Very interesting to see the amount of pure speedwork and plyometrics/strength you're doing, I appreciate the details.

Another week of training:

Sunday 8/16

Pure speed + speed endurance

(200m 10m flying start FAT, 23.41 + 2/ms == 23.55 or so lane 7 PR!!)

100m - 11.37

4 * flying 10 (1.09, 1.09. 1.08, 1.09)

Monday

Improvised easy fartlek and a few hills 5.7 km total (30 min)

Tuesday

Flying 10ms* 4 (1.08, 1.10, 1.13, 1.15),

light jumps

Run 100m 12.21

, run 6 jog

4*200 1 minute rest (28.19, 29.12, 28.16, 29.33)

6 minutes jog

100m 17.82

5 minutes jog

100m 15.94

Weights

Wednesday

Off

Thursday

Oly clean progression and hex bar (heaviest lift was 95 but with long eccentric)

5 min jog warm up warm down

12.31 100m

11.97 100m

2:22.82 800m

58.90 400m

21.41 150

100m in 12 x

Pretty big rest 3-5 minutes on everything

Friday

40 minutes progression

Saturday

Run 20

Nordics

Calf raises (seated and standing)

pullups/ pushups

Bw squats

Sunday

2*10 flys

1 * 300 (42.95)

1 * 400 (52.89 PR, flying time, hand timed)

Excited about the new 400m PR, and 200m split pr. Both flying but the 200 was FAT even though not out of blocks but still a good indication of sufficient speed to break 2. I think in retrospect I did too many intervals exceeding + close to goal race pace. The idea was to run kilometer repeats on the strength day but one 800m rep at 4:4x pace felt very hard, while the 400m rep at 58 high felt easy. This next week I am going to focus on strength / mental toughness for longer intervals as I prepare for a time trial near my birthday in a week and a half.

Monday

Off

Tuesday

20 minutes

1:30 jump rope

Plyos (light, low volume)

A couple strides

Weights (cleans, tempo dls, pushups)

Wednesday

4*100m - 12.47,13.13,14.05, 13.85 few minutes rest

1000m - 3.17 (3 minutes rest)

Attempted 1000m, (600)- bailed because hamstring / calf seized up and was cramping slash tight

15 min walk/ jogging/ seeing if i was actually seriously injured or just cramped up

2:46 800m (more like 2:30 since i ran in the wrong lane) 2 minutes rest

400 (35, 28ish)

3*100m, 13.66,14.17, 13.98 on 1 min rest

7 minutes jog

Thursday 8/27

20 minutes easy

5 pullups, 20 pushups, 10 ankle raises, 10 seat ankle raises, 10 nordic hamstrings, 10 body weight squats, 10 SLDL, 7 rows, 1 set of pedestal planks

Friday

20 minutes steady state

2*5 HBDL (108), 1*3 + 1*2 (160)

OHP (strict) 45 *3*5

Clean progression with bar, felt like i started getting a feel for letting the bar a little loose in the grip on turn over

Inverted rows 2*10

Hamstring has started feeling better I haven’t felt it cramped like it did on Wednesday when running. Hit 3:00 min/km pace during my steady state run and seemed chill. I feel like even if I chill out for a bit by the end of september i could be pretty fit.

Saturday

17 pullups

30 pushups

Brief jump rope

Sunday 8/30/2020

3 minute warm up jog

3 * flying 10m sprints (30m accel, 10m fly, 20m decel) (1.12, 1.07. 1.04)

5 minute jog

4 * 200m w/ 2 minute walk/jog rest (27.22, 28.15, 27.70, 28.82)

5 minute cool down jog

Pretty stoked to run 1.04 since i haven’t ran that fast in a bit and it is over 95% my max speed. Was going to do 6 reps with two minutes but I didn't want to do that much volume yet since my hammie calf has been cramping up on me and I wanted to test the waters. Also because I felt pretty zonked after a couple reps. I think this may be my go to workout which i progress up to 6 reps and lower the recovery over the next few weeks.

Will have to pay attention to the body to make sure I am not just aggravating a minor injury, but even if I have to shut down the buildup early, I don't think it has been in vain since I increased my speed considerably.