I'm running a 400 time trial tomorrow to try and make my team's 4x4 relay. As a distance runner, I know I'll be stronger than the other competitors but don't really have experience in an open 400.
So Letsrun, I ask, any advice/strategies/motivation you can give me so I can make my dreams become reality?
400m to Glory
theres no strategy in doing a 400 for a distance runner...its pretty much an all out sprint. dont bother with the blocks if you've never used them before. Make sure your arms have good up and down action. To stay loose keep your fingers relaxed and your eyes wide. make sure your torso is nice and centered over your kegs. focus on form and driving the knees on the final straight. pretend that the finish line is 10 meters farther away than it is. listen to some rap before you do it to get into the sprinter mentality. do some quick plyometric bursts before you start. once youre on the line flex and stretch your upper body, jump around abit, and maybe smack yourself in the head a few times to get psyched up. all of this has worked for me in the past.
Basically the only advice I ever got before running my first open 400 last year was build on the curve, stride the straightaway, build more on the next curve, all out sprint. It's not like you have time to work on drills and get down 100% sprinting mechanics the day before you run the 400. Just don't go all out at the very start, because there is indeed pacing required on a 400. One of my team's 400 runner, who was an 800 runner (so he has more stamina than most of the guys) tends to go all out in the first 200, then is caught by like 3 other guys at the start of the last 200. Don't do that. You indeed have more strength than they do, but other people probably have more speed.