Why not use blocks for 800m?

FreX wrote:

First of all, someone said that if you watch "very old videos" you can see 800 races with blocks, but they stopped using them around 1900. Did anyone else catch that?

But besides that. At the level that you are talking about, these 800m races are just that, RACES. They are a challenge to see who can maximize their physical abilities and limitations through use of superior tactical skills to control the situation that unfolds, unpredictably around them in under two minutes. It's different every time. That's the difference between distance racing and sprinting. Up through the 400m, it's basically you versus the event. Above that it's very much a competition in every sense.

That's why you all come to letsrun.com everyday and not to letssprint.com or letsmeasurevo2MAXinalab.com.

If sprinting is "you against the event," then why do upsets happen? Why do sprinters perform better when pushed by superior competition? Just because you are in lanes doesn't mean it's not competitive.

Look, man, I already did a CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT showing that blocks are vital to optimizing 800m success.

Like I said the CASE is CLOSED.

I swear, at the next meet where I have the chance to do the 800, I am going to bring out blocks and just dare them to stop me. This is going to be as revolutionary as the Mondo track surface.

About time someone answered the question. Good post.

STFU.

I am going to put video or my experiment on YouTube just to further burn you.

This is the stupidest thread ever. Did you actually take blocks to the start for an 800?

smarter than you wrote:

The finishes in the 800 are often just as close in the sprints, so why not take every possible advantage by getting up to full speed sooner. The WR would be 1:40 or less if they used blocks.

1/10.

Here is another way to think of the issue: Could you run a faster 800 if the first 15 meters were slightly downhill?

violent phlegm wrote:

Here is another way to think of the issue: Could you run a faster 800 if the first 15 meters were slightly downhill?

DEFINITELY!

Right?

Sarcastic Third Tit wrote:

yes but why? quoting rules is like quoting the bible. the question still is 'why'?

I don´t rob banks because I´m not allowed to rob banks. I don´t have pointless discussions about the pros and cons of bank robbing. Same thing with blocks in the 800m.

smarter than the other wrote:

So you're saying blocks could cut 2 seconds off an 800m time?

Or to put it another way, without blocks the 100m WR would be 11.5 seconds.

Yeah, you're a real genius.

What do YOU think Bolt could do in the 100 from a standing start, smart guy?

If guys are going out within 3 seconds of their 400 PR, of course blocks with help them get there with less work around the oval. It's just obvious.

idk about you, but I like to use blocks at road races.

Really, this is the same issue as the "learn how to start" thread

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2400077&page=0

Does a second or fraction of a second at the beginning of an 800 make a difference?

The only difference from the blocks question is that everyone is either using blocks or not, where people can chose to start correctly.

Once I brought blocks to the start of a 100 mile ultra.

I was actually thinking of doing a one hand on the ground sprinter style start in my next 800.

Like this:

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/photo_images/5713038/20120227_jel_ss1_147.jpg

Women use blocks for 400h and mens 800 is run at a lot faster pace.

mcordi wrote:

I always wonder why some people use blocks at all. I watch a high school girl run 58.xx with blocks and a high school boy go out in 57 for the 800 without blocks.

At the world class level- women run 49-51 witih blocks, men go out in 49-51 without.

I don't think they would help an 800. I think that the rules say you can't use them. But, if you look at some very old video you will see 800 runners using them. I believe they were "banned" after that. We're talking early 1900's.

Are you really that stupid or just faking it? Usain Bolt can jog a 100 faster than you can sprint one and he doesn't need blocks. So based on how fast Bolt is you would not use blocks if you were racing at 100 meters?

To be honest after I lost state in the 800 by less than a tenth of a second it went through my mind if I would have had a solid start and not stuttered when I started ( kicked my leg back for traction when the gun went off) if I would have knocked off at least a tenth. But this is still a dumb post because so many other things happen in a race without lanes that losing a tenth or two from a start is probably very minimal from the bigger things that affect a race like passing on the corner, not cutting in exactly perfect, not running right next to the line, or even drafting. Not everyone in the same 800 race is going to run the same "race"

kunikos wrote:

Maybe in the days of cinder that seemed like a good idea. But if you think about why blocks are banned for 400 and over... you have less than a minute to remove them- too much room for chaos.

It removing the blocks is such a hassle, why are they allowed for the 4x400 and 4x200 relays? Obviously those blocks have to be quickly removed after the start of the race.

800m runners aren't sprinting at the start of their races, so there is no reason to use blocks.

Cardiologist Prodigy, you are a winner. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

P.S. You won by .1 in the end, right? It made ALL the difference.

funny how these things get resurrected. my guess is the first 2012 poster didn't have the proverbial blocks, so we're only hearing from him/her now. ;)