800m in two months

Which 800m indoor race?

It is in Europe, just a local event. I'd rather not be more specific to avoid giving too many personal details. It's not certain it will be held, but outdoor athletics events are being held where I live, and athletics training is permitted in the same place the race is scheduled to be held, so I am hopeful! If it's not held I'l probably attempt a time trial, though I usually race much better than I can run alone.

Unfortunately, the only way to accurately predict 800m performance is to do workouts where you fall into that lactic/anaerobic area.

You can have both amazing speed and amazing long endurance but if you aren’t trained anaerobically you won’t perform well in the 800m.

That being said, the best way to get a feel for your 800m pace would be to get a 400m time trial. The 400m is obviously very anaerobic but it only lasts about a minute and will be easy to get over with. Here’s the types of 800m runners I see most commonly trying to break 2:00.

The speed type: Has about 49-51 second 400m speed but is relatively lacking in endurance and runs 18:30-19:00 for a 5k. This runner may go out in 54-55 and hobble in at 63-64

The true 800m type: has 51-53 second 400m speed and can run 16:30-17:30 in the 5k. This runner may go out in 57-58 and come in at 59-61

The endurance type: only has 54-57 400m speed but 14:50-16:00 5k endurance. This runner may go out in 59-60 and come back in 57-60

The speed type will mainly train with intervals usually between 150m-400m and work in the weight room.

The true 800m type will have a fair mix of both, building a solid amount of easy mileage but also having lots of intervals between 300-600m

The endurance type will mostly be focusing on tempo runs, fartlek type intervals, and strides, while building high mileage.

Hope this helps!

You need to keep doing your endurance training as that is your biggest asset. If you really want to make it specific to 800m training, focus on 3k-5k pace training. You also need to include a pure speed session and special endurance session aka 800m pace training. The pure speed stuff can be done like in this thread:

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=7836514

The special endurance training needs to be gradually built into. You can start out with 2x8 100m at 800m pace with 30 sec rest and 3-4min set rest. Then increase to 2x4-5 200m with 75-90 sec rest. Then maybe 3x3 200m with 45 sec rest. A good workout to do a couple of times when the race is approaching is 2x3 300m with 2min rest or 6x300m with 2min rest.

Good luck!

2 months is not very long but neither is the 800.

Probably your biggest gains in the short window are

1.Raw speed do stuff like 4 x 30 seconds all out with 5 minutes recovery. Do these correctly will help you run the 8. Correctly ? At 15 seconds you struggle to hold form but finish with good form. Recovery is complete. Afterwards feel GREAT/STRONG. This is what you lack and will pay a big dividend. ONCE Every 4 days

2.400 speed endurance 3 x 400 within 2 seconds of all out full recovery like 6 minutes between 400s.

3. 2 800 wtfu workouts. Do these in place of the 3x400 weeks 3 and 6. Keep it fun hit the first 400 like your hair is on fire then relax/maintain on lap 2 . Relax / Maintain does not mean slow way down just do not struggle. If you have a kick lap one was too slow.

4.slow down your daily pace to a crawl so you can do the hard stuff

5. pick your interval session I prefer a tabata type interval session . My def of int session is really just slower with incomplete recovery which is important but can cook you if you do too much.

You've gotten some good advice so far. I agree with CopperRunner that you should do a 400m time trial to get an idea of what kind of speed you have to work with. I would do a 200m time trial, a 400m time trial, and an 800m time trial to set a baseline. None of these races are very long so you'll recover pretty quickly, within a couple of days.

The thing about the 800m is that it's very unlikely you'll reach your potential with one or two races. There's no avoiding the fact that you need to race it more often to learn how to manage the special kind of pain attributed to that event.

Yes, thank you everyone, great posts!

CopperRunner wrote:

"Unfortunately, the only way to accurately predict 800m performance is to do workouts where you fall into that lactic/anaerobic area.

You can have both amazing speed and amazing long endurance but if you aren’t trained anaerobically you won’t perform well in the 800m.

That being said, the best way to get a feel for your 800m pace would be to get a 400m time trial. The 400m is obviously very anaerobic but it only lasts about a minute and will be easy to get over with. Here’s the types of 800m runners I see most commonly trying to break 2:00.

The speed type: Has about 49-51 second 400m speed but is relatively lacking in endurance and runs 18:30-19:00 for a 5k. This runner may go out in 54-55 and hobble in at 63-64

The true 800m type: has 51-53 second 400m speed and can run 16:30-17:30 in the 5k. This runner may go out in 57-58 and come in at 59-61

The endurance type: only has 54-57 400m speed but 14:50-16:00 5k endurance. This runner may go out in 59-60 and come back in 57-60

The speed type will mainly train with intervals usually between 150m-400m and work in the weight room.

The true 800m type will have a fair mix of both, building a solid amount of easy mileage but also having lots of intervals between 300-600m

The endurance type will mostly be focusing on tempo runs, fartlek type intervals, and strides, while building high mileage.

Hope this helps!"

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objectiveobserver wrote:

To 800m help, Don´t be discouraged if you can´t run the 400m and 800m times which CopperRunner proposes!

If you are in your mid thirties have been training seriously for 1 year you can only run these times if YOU ARE AN EXTREMELY TALENTED 400m and 800m runner.

I have been competing internationally as a veteran middle distance runner (I played soccer when I was Senior) and it is only the very top runners in 400m and 800m in age group 35 who can run down under 50 seconds in the 400m and well under 2:00 in the 800m!

I participated in the Nordic Veteran Championships in 2007 and watched the 800m in agegroup 40 being won in just under 2:00. No. 2 in that run was shocked that he didn´t win since he normally was medaling in the 800m in the European Veteran Championships. None of these 2 top 800m runners could come close 50 in the 400m. I guess they could run around 54-55.

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My advice: Since it is too late to do hard anaerobic training I would propose you to run a number (start with 6 and gradually increase to 10 if you feel comfortable) of 200m repetitions with a break between each on 3 minutes. That will give you some speed and a feeling for the 800m pace.

But be careful: 20 minutes warm up and then some strides before starting the 200m reps.

If you come back to this thread to report your 200m repetitions times AND disclose your best 5000m time I will predict your 800m time.

800m help wrote:

I feel that I lack anaerobic tolerance: I am not very good at tolerating too anaerobic situations, either in training or in races.

If that is the case, the 800 may not be for you.

Start doing some 400 and 600 TTs, and 800-pace lactic tolerance workouts as described in this thread. If you don't like those, I would stick to the 5k+!

hey 800m help. to illustrate Copper Runners points:

I am a 10.96 flying 100m (With a tail wind :)), 23.5 200m (flying), and 52.8 (flying) guy but have yet to break 2 (Ran 2:02 high earlier in the year). I am not sure what category I fall into in Copper Runner's point (800m? lol) But I also had been training strangely and am currently on the shelf for a minute rehabbing a minor injury, thus am probably not qualified to give you good advice hehehe.

But I can say this with confidence: I AM Excited for you and best of luck in your 800m race!

How old are you?

I think you are a fast twitch guy!

My 800m bests were:

Indoor: 1:52.05

Outboor: 1:52.43

Speed:

400m best was 48

10,000m: 29:05

With this being said to be a decent 800m runner it is good to have solid foot speed but good endurance wont hurt either.

objectiveobserver wrote:

If you come back to this thread to report your 200m repetitions times AND disclose your best 5000m time I will predict your 800m time.

I’d a 12x200 with 200m rest earlier this summer with the last rep (fastest) at 28.5 (without spikes)

5k best time is 18:30, but I think I’m probably in closer to 18 low shape right now (I know everyone says that, I’m doing a 3k tt this weekend which will keep me honest)

Recently did a 6k general aerobic run followed by 12x400 with the first 6 at 76, the next 5 at (with spikes) around 72-73, and finishing with an all out 400 at 63.

Any prediction for my 800m time with a month of specific training?

I think you can run around 2:10 in the 800m.

I ran similar reps some years ago and I ran low 2:10 in that period.

You must come back to report first your 3000m time and then your 800m!

By the way: I ran a 3000m in 10:10 in the same period but I was relatively better in the 800m.

I also ran a low 57 in the 400m.

objectiveobserver wrote:

I think you can run around 2:10 in the 800m.

I ran similar reps some years ago and I ran low 2:10 in that period.

You must come back to report first your 3000m time and then your 800m!

By the way: I ran a 3000m in 10:10 in the same period but I was relatively better in the 800m.

I also ran a low 57 in the 400m.

3k time trial was a bust, so didn’t bother coming back to post it, upset stomach and legs that didn’t turn over.

Training for 800 didn’t go perfectly, got really busy at work but went well enough.

Finished third with a time of 2:14.

Followed the leaders out and split a 62 seconds for the first 400, was right with the top three until 600m when started to fade back. Winner ran 2:10.

With perfect splits I think 2:10 might have been possible.

I just wish I could find another one to enter!