800m speed training for MASTERS types

So then he has the both of best worlds I guess.

No disrespect but I can't find those type of results anywhere for Joe. Also 9:19 is good strength for the 800, but there are runners who can go 14:45 at age 40, now that is true strength, and they may only have a 54 open 400, but can may be capable of 1:58 just like a 50 flat guy may only go 1:58. This is why I love the 800, clash of both type of runners, a real knock down, fight it out type of race, certainly my favorite

Great thread! I'd appreciate some input on how to prepare for the 800m over the next four weeks for the Masters Indoors in Boston. I'm M60. My goal is sub-2:20. For reference, recently, I've done 2x4x200m in 34 seconds with a 1:45 recovery and 4x200m in 30 seconds with 6 minute recovery. And 4x200m followed by a 1x300m in 51 followed by a 500m in 1:31 with a 6 minute recovery. I'm recovering from a sinus bug, so I've lost some time. I need to get the best out of the time I have left.

Everything you have done is about right. Just add 2x600 in 1:45 with 5 min rest, plus keep up 300s and 400s at 70 pace good luck

Skate,

Fresno Cross City Run 2005! He ran 9:19 and some kid was 9:22. You can e-mile coach blue at City college and State!

CM

Sorry, e-mail I have to go!

Fisky,

Good luck at National, this year in the 800!

M, 30 min easy, 2 x1000 @ 65%, jog 3 min in between. Jog 15 min, 3 x 300 in 50, jog 3 min in between the 300's.

T, Jog one hour easy and do some drills

w, Jog one hour easy and do some drills.

T, 30 min easy, 3 x 250 @ 70 %, 2 min in between, 250's. Jog 15 min and 1 x 650 @ 80 %. Easy 20 min c/d

F, Off.

Sat. 30 easy, 1 x 1000/800/600/300/200 @ 67%. Take 20 min in between the runs.

Sun. Off

OK, it was not a track race then. Good luck to Joe this season, perhaps a medal at Nationals.

A good workout for benchmarking: 3 x 400 2:00R, 200 all out

Add times up for the 1400 meters and average out the 400 pace, and you have your potential, give or take a second for the race. Do this on a WED before a SAT race, not two days before, or you will still be feeling the effects

What exactly do you mean 67%? on each repeat? Why and the heck would you need 20 minutes between each of those, 5:00 maybe after the longer intervals, I simply can't understand the logic. So basically 33% slower then all out right?

If you take a 2:00 800 runner, at 67% the times would be something like: 1000 not even sure: 3:30?

800 33% slower then all out close to 2:40

400: 72 seconds, 300 :51-52 seconds, 200 meters 34 seconds.

That workout seems like a waste of time to be honest

If, a 2:00/800 runner master run , 1100/650/350,200, at 67% effort. What will his times and rest look like?

This is a great thread, sorry I am so late to the party. I will be turning forty in 13 months, and it will be my first attempt at the 800m again in 9 years. I ran 1:51 (48-high 400m) in my college days, then I took four years off running completely. At age 26 I started running again and fell into the 5k and 10k thing--fun stuff, less intense, and I managed some decent times (31:30 for 10k). But then at age 30 I decided to take another kick at the 800m. It took me a full year, but I managed to get down to 1:53-high, and run a bunch of 1:54s. I also remembered why I quit--I hate the track practices. I can do them, but I enjoy the less intense stuff. I have really slowed down and now I have spent a couple of years marathoning.

Anyway, I want to take one more kick at the can and will likely do some adaptation this summer, with next summer in mind. But after reading all these posts I have to say the one thing that seem to be missing is a lot of "anaerobic sets". ie. teaching the body to run at race pace, with short rest, then take a good recovery and do it again.

Once a good base in attained lots of LT running is done, (eg. base work of at least 45-50 miles/ wk for 3 months), then one must transition to the faster stuff. Sure one must do the 5-6 x 800m type stuff, and lots of 200s and 300s quick, but in my experience, nothing works like set work, with low rest. Here's what I mean...

Once you have rounded into shape, and have enough of the leg speed going (through strides, and early 200m and 300m sets), my view is that you must do between 2400m and 4,000m of work per pratice (at most twice a week--the other "hard" day should be a 20-25 minute tempo run or something like 3 x 8 minutes at LT).

The workouts I found that worked for me would go something like this, if I was shooting to break 2 minutes (Obviously adjust to your own speed):

4x 200m (29-32 secs.) w/ 45 sec. rest.

4 min. jog recovery.

400, 400, 300 (1 minute rec. @ 60-61, and 45 sec.)

4 min.jog recovery

300, 300, 300 ( 45 sec. rec. 45, 44, 43)

4 min. rec.

4x200m (30 sec. rec. 28-29)

Or to really shock the system--a great race adaptation work is:

2 x 300 (30 sec. rest- 42, 42), 5-6 minute rec.

2 x 300 (30 sec. rest-42, 42), 5-6 minute rec.

2 x 300 (30 sec. rest- 42, 42), 6-8 minute rec.

2 x 300 (30 sec. rest-42, 42), puke

When I was in college I did this workout in (39,39), (39, 40) (39, 41), (40, 47)-puke.

Master ..workouts wrote:

Fisky,

Good luck at National, this year in the 800!

M, 30 min easy, 2 x1000 @ 65%, jog 3 min in between. Jog 15 min, 3 x 300 in 50, jog 3 min in between the 300's.

T, Jog one hour easy and do some drills

w, Jog one hour easy and do some drills.

T, 30 min easy, 3 x 250 @ 70 %, 2 min in between, 250's. Jog 15 min and 1 x 650 @ 80 %. Easy 20 min c/d

F, Off.

Sat. 30 easy, 1 x 1000/800/600/300/200 @ 67%. Take 20 min in between the runs.

Sun. Off

First, thanks. Could you help me out with the 65%, 67%, etc. What do the percentages refer to? Or, what do they refer to for a potential 2:20-2:25 800m masters runner?

On the Saturday workout, I assume you meant 2 minutes, not 20 minutes. Am I right? Again, thanks for your input. -Grady

Grady,

No, never increase intensity without increasing the reovery time. If, a 2:20 runner ran only 67%, he might run a 2:24- time.

Nice, but how fast can you run the 800 this year?

I am trying to run under 2:15 this year, in the 800 can someone help me pleace!!

5k!Master

What are some good training programs?

M7

Master runner need help with my speed, I am a 47 years old. My 800 meters is 2:23, but my 400 is 62 seconds.

I would like to run a 1:59/800 meters in 2010. I am 38 years old runner, and run a 56/400 meters easy?

This is what I ran this week.

M) 40 min easy with drills, 10 x 400 in 1:15 with 2 min rest.

T) 40 min easy, with drills.

W) 20 min easy, 10 x 200 in 32s with 1:10 rest.

T) 40 min easy, with drills.

F) 40 min easy, with drills.

S) I am running a 600 and 300 TT.

S) Off?

I ran the 600/300 meters in 1:33 and 39.8 seconds.

600 - 62/31

300 - 25/14

MR400

Based on your sessions, you are currently in about 54/2:07/4:40(1500) fitness level. To break 2:00, you need to target 52/4:15 for your 400/1500. An endurance-based runner could do about 53-4/4:05 for sub-2:00. Emphasizing endurance for the next year should be your priority.

Master 400 runner wrote:

I ran the 600/300 meters in 1:33 and 39.8 seconds.

600 - 62/31

300 - 25/14

MR400