400m Training Plan (that I’ll stick with!)

I would do weights on Monday Wednesday and Friday

You can always do a easy two or three mile run afterwards

minimum one rest day every week could be more on weight day

four five miles on the weekend could be as little as two or three again throw a few strides if you want if you have a hill around there run up it.

Speed work with your track club on Tuesdays and Thursdays you'll break 60 this year

Good luck!

Thank you for replying! Would it be helpful to do one long run 6-7 miles?

Do you want to be a 400 sprinter or a middle distance runner?

I do run the 800 only because I’m forced. but there is conflicting advice on endurance runs for 400. Some say to do more mpw, some say less. I want to do what is effective, so maybe stay at 4-5 miles for longer run? That’s why I’m asking advice.

It’s looks more like an 800m training plan to me. What are your pr ? Do you want to be a 400/800 runner or a 200/400 or a pure 400m runner ?

200m- 27.9

400m- 64.1

800m- 2:32

I want to be a 200/400m runner, which I’ve always been, but last year as a freshman my coach forced me to run the 800m and be in the 4x800, which he will probably do again this year. Club track I can choose so the next few months I’ll only run 200/400 and I do 4x100, 4x200, 4x800.

my goal is to get so fast in the 200/400 he won’t make me do the 800 but maybe I’m dreaming.

I meant 4x400 in club not 4x800

What type of speed work do you do with the club? Example workouts?

I’m of the personal opinion that a long run won’t hurt your 400 in the off-season as long as it doesn’t interfere with your ability to do your speed work. If anything replace the tempo with easy running and strides.

What’s your 100m pr?

100 PR- 13.1

we do 100, 200 repeats, drills, 60m flys, one mile in and outs (100m run/100m walks)

so should I keep the long run until in-season track begins then keep the runs shorter?

To be a good 200/400m sprinter, you need to develop power. For the 400m, you need special endurance to hold that power for a whole lap.

When lifting weights, one day a week should be a heavy leg day, squats, deadlifts, lunges.

I would also add 3 mile easy runs on Wed and Fri to maintain your endurance.

I would drop the 2 mile tempo run on Thurs and go for a 1 mile warmup before club practice and 1 mile cool down after practice.

Good Luck.

I would keep the long tun until the season starts then you can follow your coach’s program. But also don’t overdo it, think of this all as base building for the season, so do the long runs but don’t overdo it. Your main focus should be the speed days and everything else will be support work.

I think the strength will pay dividends once you’re in season and better able to handle the speed endurance work you will do in season. Your speed is sufficient for at least a few seconds faster in the 400 as is.

What weight work are you planning

I planned on deadlifts, squats, lunges, bench press, OH press, barbell rows, power cleans, then glute and calf raises. I plan on both upper and lower 2x/week and like OP said, 1x/week leg day only

So we do .5-1 mile warmup at club track so that’s covered, but here’s my updated schedule for the next couple months which I’ll modify depending on in-season workouts mid-Jan. I’m excited to have a schedule I will stay with, does this look good?

S- 3-5 miles easy, weights (legs)
M- 3.5 miles- tempo
T- speed work with club (1 mile run after)
W- weights, 3 miles easy
Th- speed work with club (1 mile run after)
Fr- weights, 3 miles easy
Sat-rest or makeup

Those look good, if I were to suggest something it would be to not go super hard on the squats and deadlifts, those can really tax the central nervous system and that energy is probably better left for the track (basically stay within yourself). Though I could be wrong on this and if others disagree please chime in

If you really push any of the lower body lifts I would push the power clean since it develops power more directly and the technical complexity should prevent you from frying your CNS

That looks fine. You should be able to hold onto the endurance you have and build speed for the upcoming track season.

This is a distance runner's angle. 400m training does not really look like this. You don't do 3.5 miles tempo or a 2 mile tempo.

This is how it works:

(i) in winter, your no.1 focus is top speed. 2 sprint workouts a week is fine, one should focus on accelerations (sleds, rope, short hills, 30-40m. The other should be top speed. 60s for a month, then 80s, then 90-100m. Fast, 5-10 min recovery.

(ii) in winter, your endurance is intensive or extensive tempo. For example, 4 x 350m, 6 min recovery, for you at 69-70 400m speed. Basically around 1.5km of volume at 600m speed (300s, 350s, 400s)

(iii) pre-comp, a bit less focus on acceleration, keep top speed stuff, main distance focus is on special endurance 2. Eg 3 x 350m [5'] at 67 speed, or 3 x 400 [12'] at 67 speed. You can do some split 400s at 66 speed, or 2 x 450m [15-20']

(iv) in season you can do more lactis workouts (200s/150s), but main focus is on special endurance 1 - eg 2 x split 400s, or my favourite one is 3 x 300m [12'], aim is to get your average speed as fast as possible. So for you aim to do 3 x 300 in 45-46, with 12 min recovery.

(v) in season, once a fortnight, work in 8-10 x 100m at close to flat out, with 5-6 min recovery.

(vi) and gym yes. Deads, cleans, Hungarians, core, auxiliaries (glute and hammy circuits to get them strong). Start with 6-7 reps and you'll get a bit of hypertrophy, then less reps and and heavier, moving to 2-3 reps and fast for 1-2 weeks before main comps.

200 repeats is not speed work - well, not for a 400m runner and definitely not for a 200-400m runner. In fact unless you are doing them very hard with good recovery, they aren't doing much for you. 200s fast are speed endurance workouts.

The long run will do nothing at all for your 200m and may have a very marginal benefit for your 400m, but with 13.1 100m speed FAT you should be at 27.0 and 60.0. Working on top speed is a lot more use. In off season and pre-comp the 80s and 100s will be a massive help to your 200m. You are lacking speed endurance and special endurance - your 200m time for a female at your level should be 1mm time x 2 + 1 second and your 400m time at your level should be 200m time x 2 + 6 seconds.

But good quality top speed training is the single most important thing. Add plyos too if you want, like speed bounds, but you need quality coaching for that.

S- 3-5 miles easy, weights (legs)
M- 3.5 miles- tempo
T- speed work with club (1 mile run after)
W- weights, 3 miles easy
Th- speed work with club (1 mile run after)
Fr- weights, 3 miles easy
Sat-rest or makeup

^^ this is my updated training plan from suggestions. Are you saying not to do any runs or should I just stay at 3 miles easy or less for endurance? As for the 3x300’s etc, the only time I’ve done them is by myself at the track. What sucks is both Club and HS coaches seem to focus training on 1-200m’s and 800+ and skip the focus on any 400 focused training. Thanks for responding

If those two are the only two options in season see if you can stick with the 100/200 runners and maybe ask your coach whether they would let you and other 400 runners do more speed endurance (though I would wait to do that until you’re in season or nearing the season beginning)