What event to focus on?

Definitely focus on the 4k.

Why specifically the 4k?

He's trolling you. 400 seems to be your best bet.

2, 4, or 8 seems to be your best bet.

If your high school team is large enough to have a group really focusing on 4/8 as opposed to 8/16, I would try to focus on the 4/8. If your school doesn't have that, probably the 2/4 is a better choice.

Also, how legit is the 23 200? Was that a "real" time or hand timed?

That was in a 4x200m relay as starting leg. It was coaches time and I feel as though I can break 2:00 for the 800

Well advice us only as good as the info its based in. Every coach I ever had was quite generous with the stop watch. I can't tell you how many times I split 23-25 in the 400 according to my coach and then the FAT time came back 50.4 or something similar.

Also if your 124 600m was opened in 52, that means you went 52 and then 32, so dying that hard would indicate probably 51 400 shape at that time, I doubt you were sub 50 fitness.

I would get out to some all comers meets and get real electronic times for 2,4,8,16 (obviously not all at one meet). That will really give you a much better idea of your potential and help you decide.

You could also just go with what you enjoy the most. You are only 15 or so, you can always switch next year if it doesn't work out. By the same toke, you could spend the year training for the 4/8 with the occassional miler workout, but jumping into a 200 at some meets, the 1600 at some others. Then specialize more next year.

How do you suggest I train for the 400/800m. Only mile I ever did was my opening meet as a freshman which was 4:57

If these are all honest times (whether they are all hand time or all FAT doesn't matter)

Your 300m is the best and your 4k is the worst (horrible in comparison) so certainly 400m hands down. Anyone that says 4/8 is a bit of an idiot. Your 8 is quite slow compared to your 4 and even 2.

If you want to focus on 2 events which may be good for your development I would look at the 200 and 400.

DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T listen to most of the advice on this forum. 1/2 of it is trolling and the other half will train you like a distance runner that will burn you out and squash your talent (36.4 is fast for a soph!) they'll tell you to run mileage and other ridiculous things.

search "charlie francis message board" and go to the 400m training section.

PS. I am a former 46 second 400m runner.

Thanks! I've always been told I'm the most fit distance runner on the team I probably just lack the mentality for distance. However I do feel I can run around a 1:58 for my half mile since I tend to kick the last half and just follow the first since I'm a horrible pacer.

Yeah, definitely listen to "theguyadvice" and ignore everybody's advice on this message board (does he not see the irony in his own post?)...

Anyway, if you were to age grade your PRs that you included, your best is the 600. Your 200 is equivalent to a 1:25.8, so your 1:24 is clearly better than your 200. This is why I suggested focusing on the 4/8 and maybe trying out some 2s and 16s to see if maybe you improve on them with more racing experience.

Since the longer the event, the more important the training compared to natural ability, I would say that your lack of experience suggests you could be much better in the 400/800 than in the 200, since you probably can run pretty close to your natural ability in the 200 more or less instinctively. Your terrible pacing in the 600 suggests you could have gone even faster, lending more support to my contention that you should focus on longer distances, since your 600 is already more impressive than your 200 even with that terrible pacing.

But you could listen to "the guy advice," since he once ran a 400 time that doesn't come close to elite status (the world record over hurdles is as fast as him...). Or you could listen to any advice, since some of us on this board actually coach elite athletes (and weren't just athletes) and more to the point in your case, top age group athletes.

After you have run a few races, you can compare them with calculators such as this:

http://www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wmalookup06.html

This will allow you to decide for yourself which you are best at.

I will get back my suggestion to consider just doing which event you enjoy the most though. Your decision should be a factor of how much you enjoy the training, the racing, the group you would be working out with in that event, and of course also how much satisfaction you will get from what level you think you will compete at in that event.

This post was really helpful for about 3 meets I was unable to break 1:30 for the 600m until I realized It was all in my head so I qualified for cities the next week with a 1:27 then PRed this Monday with a 1:24. Perhaps that's the same mental barrier preventing me from breaking 2:00 for the 800m?

How do you guys suggest I increase my aerobic capacity as breaking means i'd need more lung capacity since I have the leg speed.

Maybe some longer intervals like 600's.

Anything else I want to focus on the 400/800 while doing 600 in indoor. I do plan on trying the mile though.