Ran my first official 800m at 2:06.7 at 20 y/o!! I want to break 2, don't know where to start.

dude11315 wrote:

Here is my typical week

S - 3-5 mile run at 7:40 - 8:00 pace

M - 4x400 @ 65 w/ 1 min rest. 4x200 @ <33 w/ 30 sec rest

T - Rest

W - 2-3 mile run at 6:30 - 7:00 pace (tempo kinda thing)

Th - 5-6 mile run at >8:30 pace

F - 4x400 @ 60 w/ 3-4min rest

Sat - Rest

(sorry idk how to format this lmao)

I would consider putting in some work at sub 800m pace. Sets of 3-4x200m in 28-29s w/30-40s standing recovery.

Koalafier wrote:

I would consider putting in some work at sub 800m pace. Sets of 3-4x200m in 28-29s w/30-40s standing recovery.

Agreed, but also do some longer intervals and real tempos for endurance. 600s, 800s, 1k's for longer intervals. 2-3x2M for tempo work.

If you have the time, try and build some mileage/ do some longer intervals.

You only really need about 54 in the 400 and solid endurance to break 2:00. You are probably closer than you think right now!

Continue doing speed endurance stuff (reps between 150-400m at a hard pace) to keep working that anaerobic/lactic threshold and I bet you can get there.

A 50.7 guy will have no problem breaking 1:55 let alone 2:00 with the right training.

Good luck man!

I agree, you can't escape the mileage. If you ease yourself into it and make it a habit to do lots of core and injury prevention exercises, your body should be able to adapt to the increased mileage. Look to get a long run in some time during the week

run your second official 800m. you could lower your times just by being accustomed to the race

We could tell you the training but I’m curious about what kind of meets you are getting into at age 20 and how the competition is.

Are these open meets to all abilities?

Are they college meets?

I’ve gotta add, even if you can get your 400m down to 52.x, you’ll be able to run sub 2:00 off of 25-35 mpw most likely. In highschool we had a guy running 15 mpw with a 51.x that ran 2:00.01 (such a bummer). He did do XC and 45-55 mpw during XC season so maybe there was a periodization effect, but it shows that it’s definitely in your wheelhouse.

Increase your milage and you'll probably be there, even with minimal speed training

Do longer reps on your Friday workout.

Wouldnt raw speed training (i e 60m s) be important as well?

zxcvzcxv wrote:

Koalafier wrote:

I would consider putting in some work at sub 800m pace. Sets of 3-4x200m in 28-29s w/30-40s standing recovery.

Agreed, but also do some longer intervals and real tempos for endurance. 600s, 800s, 1k's for longer intervals. 2-3x2M for tempo work.

When you say M are you talking about M as in miles? What should my rest be for that? I’m bad with this type of stuff lol, sorry

Star wrote:

We could tell you the training but I’m curious about what kind of meets you are getting into at age 20 and how the competition is.

Are these open meets to all abilities?

Are they college meets?

Yep. Plenty of college meets taking unattached runners but you have to sign up early or else you won’t be able to run. Track clubs are hosting meets as well.

At the meet that I ran 2:06 there were about 100+ guys in the 800, and I was only in heat 7. It was a tight race as well with the 3 of us going at 2:06 and everyone else at 2:07, 2:08

Since your mileage is so low, you need some work closer to 800m race pace. Instead of tempos every week, alternate a tempo week with a Billat 30/30 week. You run 30 seconds at current mile race pace and then jog 30 seconds at half that speed. The goal is volume, not speed so you might start at 17 reps and build to 24 reps. In your case, you might change it to 35/35 or 36/36 so you could start each new rep every 300m. That is, you'd run 200m in 35 seconds and then jog 100m in 35 seconds. Again, the goal isn't to get faster at first, but to increase the number of reps (i.e., increase your volume).

Billats keep your HR up even during the recovery jog so you get a similar training benefit as a regular tempo. You will still need your regular tempos, but the Billat pace is closer to your 800m pace so they will be faster and train your body to relax while running closer to race pace.

You should add some short, race pace work. I'd suggest that you start with 12x200m at 29 or so with sufficient recovery to run them all... maybe 3 minutes at first. Over time, you can reduce the recovery time.

Eventually, you will want to add some hard, 800m-specific workouts. One is 500m at 800m race pace, one minute standing recovery, 300m all out.

From what it looks like, you are probably still training like a sprinter. For one, you don’t necessarily need a complete off day like what sprinters take. You can keep it if you want, but most runners would take a rest day as just a short slow easy run. For you maybe even just 2-3 miles slower than 8 minute pace. But again it’s perfectly fine to keep it, especially if you are really hitting the workout before or after.

Also it doesn’t look like you warmup or cooldown on workout days. Adding a 2 mile warmup and 1 mile cooldown on workout days would do wonders for your 800. Distance runners would also probably go for more reps of the workouts, but you’re a 400/800 guy and if those are working for you, then just adding mileage around the week should be sufficient.

At this point, just finish the season and run your best 800. But after you take a rest and start training again, (which you should really do because having a season under your belt helps a lot in distance running, because your lungs have reached a peak of fitness that it is easier to return to than it was to get up to it) try and spend a month or so just building a base of easy miles, and try to get your mileage up. That will do wonders since you are so lacking in aerobic development. You could honestly go well under two probably since your endurance is coming on really well considering how it wasn’t in high school for you.

Also you might like to know my PR’s for a single season at one point were 52.5, 2:00.1 and 4:53, so you are probably closer to 2:00 than you think right now.