Getting the best base for the 800m?

Hill sprints are always a good idea. Also weight lifting and plyometrics are something to look into for a 400/800 type guy.

Rather than slogging around doing 60 - 70 mpw, you will get more success going with something like this.

http://www.mtccca.org/PDF%20files/Derrick%20Peterson%20400-800%20presentation%2012-10-2011.pdf

facticity of da sitchiashun wrote:

Rather than slogging around doing 60 - 70 mpw, you will get more success going with something like this.

http://www.mtccca.org/PDF%20files/Derrick%20Peterson%20400-800%20presentation%2012-10-2011.pdf

I've looked through that information before and it was really useful but while incorporating some of it over base would help, it doesn't prevent me from doing 60+ mpw.

Sounds like you know it all already, so why bother asking unless you are simply asking for approval of your training plan?

facticity of da sitchiashun wrote:

Sounds like you know it all already, so why bother asking unless you are simply asking for approval of your training plan?

:( Ah, sorry! I don't mean to come off that way, because I really don't know enough about training for this event.. (that's why I'm here.) The goal of this post is to see if what I'm planning to do is ideal, or if there's anything I need to add/subtract from it or even completely change it. So what you posted definitely helped, I just can't see a way to turn it into a Summer base phase (I still run XC, so I'm assuming going from those workouts to a full blown Cross Country would just ruin the point of them, right?) If you can, then that's the kind of stuff I came to read.

the strides won't make you faster. you need to be doing real sprints if you want to improve over 400m

hill sprints would be great

but how do you know you're a 400/800 guy? ever run longer races? sprints? tell us more

reed wrote:

the strides won't make you faster. you need to be doing real sprints if you want to improve over 400m

hill sprints would be great

but how do you know you're a 400/800 guy? ever run longer races? sprints? tell us more

Last year:

54/2:12/20 min (5k)

This year(injured/off for 3 months leading into track season, but even with that killed base... the 4:50 is weak.):

54/2:06/4:50(1500)/26:3x(4mi)

The higher it goes, the worse it gets. I just figured I was 400/800 because I'm even worse at everything above.

Also, yes I did run the 100 for a season before I moved up to the 800. I ran mid 12's, and then 12 flat while training for the 800.

Seems there's a lot of approval for hill sprints, will definitely put that in! Should I incorporate both all out w/ full rec as well as something like 800 pace with jog down recovery? Perhaps alternate by the week? I don't have much experience with hill work so any guidance or even a reference would be greatly appreciated.

The base is ability to run sub-26 and sub-56. From there sub-2 is possible, otherwise it's not.

Stop thinking about exact mileage.

Think about pace workouts. Here is what You should be thinking.

my goal is to run sub 2 min 800. To get there I will run my goal pace as much as possible and still allow for my recovery.

All the other things like weights, plyos and upping mileage can be a distraction for a new runner.

Off season 800

Monday 8 x 200 33 sec to 29 on last 60 sec rest

Tue 4 miles and weights

Wed 5 x 45 sec hill sprint, 3 x 150m fast

Thursday 4 miles easy weights

Friday 4 x 400 mile pace

Saturday 3 mile tempo

Sunday off

Pre season 800

Monday 8 X 200 30 to 27 sec

Wed 5 x 30 sec hill sprints fast full recovery 5 X 150m fast

Friday 2 x (5x 400) 60 sec recovery and 4 min between sets

2 X Around wrote:

Stop thinking about exact mileage.

Think about pace workouts. Here is what You should be thinking.

my goal is to run sub 2 min 800. To get there I will run my goal pace as much as possible and still allow for my recovery.

All the other things like weights, plyos and upping mileage can be a distraction for a new runner.

Off season 800

Monday 8 x 200 33 sec to 29 on last 60 sec rest

Tue 4 miles and weights

Wed 5 x 45 sec hill sprint, 3 x 150m fast

Thursday 4 miles easy weights

Friday 4 x 400 mile pace

Saturday 3 mile tempo

Sunday off

Pre season 800

Monday 8 X 200 30 to 27 sec

Wed 5 x 30 sec hill sprints fast full recovery 5 X 150m fast

Friday 2 x (5x 400) 60 sec recovery and 4 min between sets

That's true. So it's fine to be doing 800-mile pace workouts throughout the Summer? Unless off-season = post-XC? Thanks by the way!

I'd forget about the mileage and try to get the 400 meter time down.

I agree that you should stop thinking about a mileage number. Hitting a magic number is not going to make better. You should focus on getting better aerobic ability and possibly improving your speed.

One way to improve your aerobic ability is to run more miles at a slower pace. However, it also makes you sluggish. The ideal workout trains your aerobic ability without making you slow. I think 2 X Around's Monday workout of 8x200m in 33-29sec with little rest is a good one for that. Although I think it is a little too intense for a 2:06 runner offseason. I would do something like 15x200m in 35sec with 100m jog rest instead.

I think you should definitely incorporate hill sprints, also off season. Maybe do something like 5x1min (not all out, but hard effort) - 5x45sec (closer to a sprint) - 5x30 (sprint) with walk down rest.

Your endurance isn't that great so an easy 40min run wouldn't be easy unless you ran it very slow. I know of quite a few 800m runners who break their easy runs up in little reps. Instead of running 40min they do 8x5min with 1min walk rest. This way they can run at a faster pace with the same effort which prevent them from feeling slow. I personally like to run my easy runs really slow (8:00min/mile) but with a lot of strides randomly in them. Something like 10min normal slow running then a 50-80m stride every 3 minutes for 20min and then another easy 5-10min run. This really helped me build my aerobic ability and also increased my speed and turnover in races.