800m runners how did you do sub 2 min?

I am following his multipace workouts written in his dad's book

monday one of the workouts

tuesday easy 6-8 miles

wednesday one of the workouts

Thursday 6-8 miles

Friday one of the workouts

saturday 6-8 miles

Sunday long run 10-12 miles

given that I am working on 400m pace 800m pace mile pace 3k pace and 5k pace. and after i do all of the paces once i do a race such as 400m for the 800m and so on.

My easy days usually are 7:00-7:30 with drills and strides.

I have not started weight lifting yet, but am probibly going to do the circuits and weight lifting in the book as well.

Given I am a 4:55 miler a 10:30 3200m and a 17:00 5k prs.

Nobody is running a 1:53 off a 53 sec 400m. That is physically impossible. 60km per week isnt too low for an athlete in their first year of mileage but any athlete has to build to 100km. For an 800m runner 100km per week is alot. Anyone running more than that is wasting mileage by running slowly.

Typically someone with a very slow 400m time will have an easier time running closer splits in an 800m because their predominantly slow twitch. I.e: Rudisha runs up to 100km per week and his 800m time is his beat 400m + 6 seconds. He is running 44mid in wr shape.

For me personally I don't think you ever need to hit more than 100km. I hit 1:46 off this program when I was 19, but I also got badly injured from the relatively low mileage as a 400m runner stepping up, so take what you will.

800m base programs to build to:

M: 6x1km w/3min rec + Olympic lifts

T: 50min @ 3:45km pace + pool running 40*30sec w/30sec rec

W:50min @ 4:15km pace + 30min @ 4:30km pace

Th: 3x2km w/3min rec + pool plyo

F: rec

S: 3x5x30m w/3min rec + Olympic lifts

S: 60min run any pace.

W: 40min

'Nobody is running a 1:53 off a 53 sec 400m. That is physically impossible'

First one I checked and both in the same year

http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=70545

Of course you would expect a bit slower, but those figures came to mind because I used to train with a few guys who could do exactly that. of course more are running a bit faster over 400m but a lot of these are young athletes and have never fulfilled their true 800m potential

Rudisha has actually run 45.5 so has a 5 second conversion which is very good for a 400/800m type. That was a couple of yrs ago but you must know if you focus more on distance you don't always go faster, split the difference at 45.0!

As I said earlier you would expect a 4 or 5 second conversion from a well trained athlete so 53.0 should give a low of 1:54

'Typically someone with a very slow 400m time will have an easier time running closer splits in an 800m because their predominantly slow twitch.'

You are right there and also when you said about low miles in 1st year. However someone whithour Rudisha's speed might need also to add more miles to close the gap. Your training wk is good but for a developed athlete would add morning runs and I think you need to do some of these at a slower recovery pace

Don't remember specific workouts but my splits the first time I went sub 2 were 61 then 55

30 miles a week in XC, 25 miles a week in Track

Workouts during the season were 400 repeats, 800 repeats. Workouts during postseason were 200 repeats for sharpening.

Because of the low mileage I couldnt break 4:30 in the 1600 but I was able to get down to 1:54-high in the 800m.

The guys running 1:53 with a '53' are guys who are capable for a 52.5 minimum. 4seconds is the maximum the endurance can take you.

Rudisha has onlyrun a 45.5 but that was also during his base period when he ran a 1:43.00, so it is actually 6 seconds. He ran the 400m in sydney and the 800m in melbourne a week later. That same year he ran the world record. Its the speed that drops as the year progresses so it is far more rational that rusdisha is a 44.5 guy and a 6second endurance guy.

If your training you have to work out the ratios for best to suit you. For alot of athletes they may for instance have a 400m pb of 47 seconds and an 800m differential of 6 seconds giving them a 1:46. In some cases to get to a 5 seconds differential they may end up with a 48.1 or worse 400m ending up with a slower 800m time. In some cases a runner may have a 400m time of 48seconds and a 6 seconds endurance. They may be able to achieve a 4 second differential whilst only dropping to 48.5 seconds giving them an 800m time of 1:45. This is why depending on the athlete type extra mileage can actually be bad. Its the exact reason there is so much debate for big mileage vs moderate-low mileage. Every athlete is differant. Regardless of what anybody says there are athlete that will perform their best 800m off 40km per week, whilst others off 160km per week.

On mileage I would say this obvious thing to do would do medium mileage, although like you said everyone is different. It still amazes me that people seem to veer to extremes on either end

A couple of recovery runs added on grass is not going to harm a low mileage guy and if someone running 140 miles a wk cut to 120 its not going lose them anything either

I'm aiming for that this year as a junior last year I ran 2:06 800m my first year of track an a 58 400m as a sophomore. this summer season I've ran cross country this summer n PR with a 18:40 indoor I ran 500m in 1:08.1 PR could have got 1:07 but I believe I will get 1:56 & at least 52 400m distance work can also make u faster as u see if u compare my 400m an 500m indoors so its possible just do over distance an sprinnts run for 20mins n before that do 200m or 150's . I also ran a 23.5 split on relay indoors. U can do it trust me. If u don't believe me look me up walter brown southern Guilford on milesplit nc class of 2016

if you work on your endurance and get super-fit, that 400m time will come down way faster than if you try training like a sprinter.

800m gal wrote:

To be a good 800m guy. Sub 2 - you need speed. Lots and lots of it. So - first work on getting your 400m time down. THen work on endurance workouts.

and 59.X laps for an 800m (probably indicates 55s open 400 ability) is not "speed".

HS ran 2:02.X for open 800m off of 20mpw. decent speed (52 400) but horrible endurance (4:44 1600, 10:12 3200), so really underperformed given my 400m ability.

10 years later ran 1:57 off of 70mpw where I fit in the following into my week:

-1:30-1:45 long run finishing FAST the last 20min

-1 straight tempo (20-30min)

-1 fartlek

-2-3 fast 200s on the track (~400m effort)

-a Daniel's style rep (R) pace session where I ran fast reps between 200-600m with complete recovery. totally relaxed, no tightening up, and waiting until I was completely recovered to start the next rep. examples:

6 x 300m @ 800m effort (43-45s)

4 x alternating 200/400s @ 1600m effort (32s/65s)

ran 4:19/9:20 the same season, so obviously my endurance had improved just a tad from my HS days haha! if you are not a speed-based/sprinter-type 800m runner, that is the key.

PURE HATE

was the answer, is the answer, will always be the answer

endofthread

Sorry to revive this old thread but - I want to break 2 in the 800m and need to structure my off season after indoor. I have only a month or so of off season before track season starts.

Background : was very slow, I ran an 8min mile before high school.

Current prs:

200m - 26.1 ( en route in 400m )

400m - 56.1 ( I could have probably gone 55 mid in the right race indoors)

800m - 2:04.8

1000m - 2:43.8

mile - 4:48 ( from sophomore year )

5k - 17:15

I know that 5 seconds is a lot to take off in one season, but I would love to do it before senior year.

2nd lap wrote:

I'm not saying you can't run 20 milers...my question is, compared to 400 training, why does one extra lap warrant that much mileage?

Because the 800 is double the distance and double the aerobic requirements and double the endurance and double the...

You get the idea. It's twice as long, not just one extra lap.

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