How to build strength for the 800 with 6 weeks left in season.

Get smart and look for a good coach. Selfcoaching, did not pay off bro.

Your State Meet is May 7th? What state are you in?

No, my sectional finals are on May 4th or May 5th, I'm not quite sure. State ends in late May or early June, I live in California. It's just unlikely that I'll make state considering I'll need at least a 1:54 to even make it out of Southern Section Prelims.

When I was in HS, I had PRs identical to yours (I bet you can run a 200 in 23 mid).

Your salvation is most likely found in long intervals at ~5k pace average or hard tempo runs. You don't have enough time to go with a high-mileage approach.

Examples:

5 x 800 cut downs. 2:50, 2:45, 2:40, 2:35, 2:30 w/ 3 mins rest in week 1, 2:30 rest week 2, 2 mins week 3. Week 4 you run each rep 5 secs faster and move the rest back to 2:30, week 5 rest 2:00. Week 6 reduce the pace 5 secs/rep again.

3 mile tempo runs starting at 6:30, 6:15, 6:00 for weeks 1 and 2, week 3 and 4 reduce the pace 15secs per mile. Resist temptation to go too fast at the beginning or you will ruin the workout. This will hurt towards the end.

Informal approach: Alternate 1 mins on, 1 min off, 2 mins on, 2 mins off, start over for 20 mins total. Feel it out each time but again, its easy (especially for a sprinter) to go too fast in the beginning so watch yourself.

Good luck.

Please do not do any of this garbage. It will not help you at this time of the year.

OP, what does your training look like currently?

CNN, why not?

You really need to describe what a typical week of training looks like now.

First, I would recommend doing easy distance runs at least 3 days a week. Warm-up, stretch, 3-8 miles easy, a few strides, short cool down.

Second, I would try one strength workout a week. Try something like:

2 x 1200 in 4:00 with a 400 jog rest,

3 x 800 in 2:32 with a 400 jog rest,

3 x 200 in 29 with a 200 jog rest.

Figure 3-4 easy runs, 1 strength workout, 1 speed workout, and 1 track meet each week.

What are your goals? Without goals there can be no destination. If it really only that you want to be the strongest 800 man out there, just head to the gym and bench 200 pounds. Viola.

IUf you want a one off successful race? If you want to compete through rounds?

What's your goal? You have little racing. So improving that will make you stronger.

As an assumption, I suspect you want to break 2 minutes. Go 1:57 ?

I wouldn't go over distance. I'd stick with nothing more than 600 m. If you can train strongly at that speed, you can race at 800.

I'd focus on effort at different points of the distance. I'd work on surging from 400 - 600, 400 - 500. I'd run as if I was preparing for a strong race.

And forget the bs about time. I could go from couch to 400 olympic qualifying in 6 weeks. You just have to build speed endurance. YO have time. Not ideal, but enough time. Just be sure to work on what you are trying to achieve.

I've always felt that 600s at current mile RP are a nice stregth builder for someone who appears to be a 400-800 guy.

1. It gets you mentally accustomed to running at a stiff pace for about 2 minutes

2. Since you are well above LT there will be an strong anaerobic component to the workout.

3. You can do them mid season without a whole lot of undue fatigue wiping you out for the rest of the week.

4. If you adjust the rest correctly, you can get a decent aerobic stimulus as well.

For you, I might say something like 6 x 600 @ 1:48-1:52, Take 1:30-2:00 to walk/jog the extra 200 to get back to the starting line for the next one.

I'm going to make two assumptions here based on what little info you gave us.

1) You are more fast twitch than slow twitch

2) You probably run slower for the 2nd 400

You have decent speed to break 2 minutes for now so you really need to work on ANAEROBIC POWER. This is your ability to sustain your pace.

Your best bet is to run intervals in the 800-1200 range with SHORT rests. You should find a pace around 90-95% of your 800 meter speed for these reps.

The goal is to be able to finish the workout at the same speed for each rep. If you die off then you ran them too fast.

Some examples might be:

6 x 800 @ :66 with 60 seconds jog rest.

5 x 1000 @ :68 with 60 seconds jog rest.

oldfastguy. wrote:

And forget the bs about time. I could go from couch to 400 olympic qualifying in 6 weeks.

Impossible.

Repeat 200's. With a 100m jog. Over and over again. I'm talking 20-24. The 200's should be just below 800m pace. The goal is to stay within the goal pace during repeat numbers 18-24