31 in November, aiming for sub-2mins 800m in 2021

Doable. Good luck ?

There's no point in having na 800-meter that fast especially at your age if you're not going to be in any open miles. Once you get past 30 you're basically beyond the peak as far as top 800 meter speed goes.

If you were not running sub 2:00 for 800 in high school, you're chasing a silly goal to get sub 2:00 800 as a 31 year old. It's pointless you're not going to become world class ever but want to get a time that young kids who have the potential to become world class one day are hitting.

Plus training for an 800 requires so much specificity that you're going to suck badly at the races which you are probably more competitive at as a 31-yr old who has never run that fast. Would be a better use of your time to train for a sub-5 mile if you haven't hit it yet.

Unless you're training for a Corporate 800 for your job or something, there's zero chance you'll find an 800-meter race that simply being under 2:00 would get you an invite for.

Very bad use of time. And if you're self-coaching it's even more of a long shot. A sub 2:00 800 is not something you can easily coach yourself to like a sub 5:00 miles.

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

There's no point in having na 800-meter that fast especially at your age if you're not going to be in any open miles. Once you get past 30 you're basically beyond the peak as far as top 800 meter speed goes.

If you were not running sub 2:00 for 800 in high school, you're chasing a silly goal to get sub 2:00 800 as a 31 year old. It's pointless you're not going to become world class ever but want to get a time that young kids who have the potential to become world class one day are hitting.

Plus training for an 800 requires so much specificity that you're going to suck badly at the races which you are probably more competitive at as a 31-yr old who has never run that fast. Would be a better use of your time to train for a sub-5 mile if you haven't hit it yet.

If a sub 2:00 goal is meaningful for him, why not go for it?! It is no sillier than anything else on this earth.

Besides which, running a better time at 31 than most people of the same age could run is a great achievement in itself.

And anyhow, 31 is not old if one has a young 'training age': see Hedda Hynne for example, who started late (around 22 years old) and is still improving rapidly at 30.

the descent wrote:

No distance background, currently building from 20 miles per week. Used to run 400m, ran 52s consistently in 2016. I started taking running more seriously in April this year but overcooked it and had to take a couple months out with injuries. Fully healthy now, back running for about a month but taking the build-up more cautiously this time around.

So what do you guys think? I'm fairly confident I can do it as long as I avoid injury, but looking forward to seeing some doubters.

I'm 183cm/6ft , in or around 75kg/165lbs.

Yes, you should be able to do it.

Lol, Barty is grumpy today.

Don’t listen to that cr@p OP, train for whatever distance is fun for you. There are open meets in many places where anyone could enter an 8.

A 2:00 is ambitious off 52s, people certainly do it, but it’s a big commit. In grand LRC tradition, a personal anecdote - Ran 54s low, never managed better than 2:05.

If you like round numbers, and coming in without distance background, maybe go after a 1:30 600 as intermediate goal.

Hi, I'm living in the UK so there are plenty of opportunities for me to race, Covid permitting. I'm self-coached but will consider joining a training group once I get back into some semblance of decent shape.

I plan on at least TT-ing a 5km and Mile this winter but the 800m in the new year is the main focus.

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

Unless you're training for a Corporate 800 for your job or something, there's zero chance you'll find an 800-meter race that simply being under 2:00 would get you an invite for.

Very bad use of time. And if you're self-coaching it's even more of a long shot. A sub 2:00 800 is not something you can easily coach yourself to like a sub 5:00 miles.

Meant to quote this in my last post. Basically, Idk why you assumed I was based in the US. I plan on hitting sub-5 as well, but that will be much easier once I tick off the sub-2.

the descent wrote:

Meant to quote this in my last post. Basically, Idk why you assumed I was based in the US. I plan on hitting sub-5 as well, but that will be much easier once I tick off the sub-2.

Ugh that's not how it works. A sub 2 800 and a sub 5 mile utilize energy systems in drastically different ways. Having a sub 50 400, for example, does not translate to a sub 2 800. Nor does a sub 2 800 translate to a sub 5 mile. A mile is significantly more aerobic than an 800 and you're better off training for a sub 5 mile before a sub 2 800 so you is will get the proper base for usb 800 training.

It's the opposite of your approach. You get faster in the 800 by having a stronger aerobic base from which to build off because you'll need the base for all of the 400 repeats you'll need to be able to handle.

lurker wrote:

Lol, Barty is grumpy today.

Don’t listen to that cr@p OP, train for whatever distance is fun for you. There are open meets in many places where anyone could enter an 8.

A 2:00 is ambitious off 52s, people certainly do it, but it’s a big commit. In grand LRC tradition, a personal anecdote - Ran 54s low, never managed better than 2:05.

If you like round numbers, and coming in without distance background, maybe go after a 1:30 600 as intermediate goal.

Hi, maybe I should give more background. I have a 1:29 low 600m (2016), and 2:03.xx 800m ('08) both off speed-oriented 400m training and in 1-off races. I reckon I'm more of a natural 800m guy than a sprinter, I just preferred the 400m training when I was younger.