training programs/training for a sub 4:00 1500m?

I second that, looking to go sub 4 in the near future.

My PR is 448 for the 1500m... so I'm not a lot of help here...

I bet people can help you better if you give a bit more information about yourself. What are you running right now for the 1500m? And what about the 800, 3k/5k? How old are you and what kind of training are you doing?

The most important thing is consistency. Run within your ability and slowly build up mileage and/or intensity. Don't try to hit a magic mileage number, but just listen to your body. 40-40-45-45mpw for 4 weeks is better than 40-70-15-35.

A basic week schedule could look something like this:

Mo: Long run

Tu: Longer intervals

Wed: Easy run

Th: Shorter intervals

Fr: Easy run

Sat: Race or another workout such as a tempo

Sun: Day off/cross train

If you do long runs hard, you might want to make that your Saturday workout. To me 3 hard sessions are about the max I can handle, but I don't run that long and that hard for my long run so I don't consider it a hard day.

I would also incorporate some strength training into your schedule. 2-3 times a week. Depending on your current strength this can be body weight stuff (squats, push ups, etc.) or actual weights (squats again, hang cleans, etc.) I actually like doing my weight training in the morning of my harder days. It doesn't seem to bother me that much and I like to keep my easy days really easy.

Two a days are an option, but I never did them. I personally could never handle much mileage, but if you are different, they can be beneficial.

This is just a foundation and you can change a lot based on your own ability and preference. My own training schedule was pretty unusual and it will definitely not work for everyone. However, it still uses this same foundation.

I ran a 3:48 1500m on 5-6 runs a week. Did about 25-30 miles (I am a very low mileage runner and a high responder to training) and had done 2-3 strength workouts all winter and in the pre-season (I didn't do strength training in season). My easy runs were 25-35min and if I did a long run, it wouldn't be longer than 45min. I usually ran 8:00min pace but did a lot of strides during my run. I always felt pretty fresh on a hard day because I took my easy days so easy, so my hard days were actually decently hard. Often did one longer interval workout a week (2000-1500-1000, or even 15x400m with 100jog rest) and one shorter interval one (8x200m, or 6x400m close to 800 and 1500m race pace). Raced almost every week and the weeks I did not I often did race specific stuff such as 3x(600-100jog-100) a little faster than 1500m race pace, or 1000-800-400 at or faster than 1500m race pace.

Hope this helps somehow and good luck!

i run a 4:45 in the 1500m, a 2:15 in the 800m, and in the 6k (x-country) i run 24 mins(hard, really hilly course). My coach makes me do a one day hard one day easy spectrum. we do speed work, extensive tempos, hills, tempo, and close to no long runs, and lots of core. (mostly all speed work though. 15mpw. i am a sophomore in high school.

You need to run more maybe not 70 mile weeks yet but you can easily bump that milage up to 30/40 this summer and really work on getting your 5k down this cross country season that will help you 1500 come down also being a sophomore in high school understand the skys the limit just keep consistent and gain strength which will equal speed!

was wondering if anyone else had any training programs for a sub 4:00 1500m

The real question is, will you not stop until you reach your goal?

no i will not stop until i reach my goal.!

thnx. woould anyone like to show their own personal training program that lead to sub 4:00.

What was wrong with the program that got you to 4:04? why do you think that there is a special program for sub 4 1500. Increase your pace to match your goal. So you need to be running a lot of sub 64 400 pace workouts. Each season you should get stronger and be able to adapt to these new paces and also recover well enough to run another session in a reasonable recovery period of one to two days.

example of my favorite workout

400 63

600 1:35

400 63

200 28

10 min run

6x 200 31 cut down to 27 (45 sec recovery)

workout should not be a killer and you can run sub 4:00

It seems like your workouts cover most bases. Also doing one hard day, one easy day is a pretty good set-up, especially if your hard days aren't as hard yet. Your mileage is quite low though. Even too low for a low-mileage runner. If you run 5-6 times a week it really shouldn't be that low unless you don't do a proper warm-up (at least 10min with strides) and cooldown (at least 5-10min), and never run longer than 25min. I don't think that you necessarily have to do a single (hard) long run, but you could do longer easy runs (45min+) sometimes.

I think it is good to do core for someone your age, because you are still developing and probably grew a lot in the last few years. However, core stability should not be the number one goal, it should be a method. What you call lots of core is probably around 10min each day? I don't think that is too much. It becomes an issue if it is 30min+ each day.

I know you would like to run sub 4:00 in the future, but it is best to set a more short term goal. Someone could give you his training schedule prior to their first sub 4:00, but it wouldn't help you because their starting point was different, and everyone reacts differently to training. For example, I ran a 4:04 my Sophomore year in HS. I went sub 4 my junior year. The winter training that helped me get there would be way too much and too fast for you to handle.

The best thing you can do is to just run consistently (so also in the offseason!!) and do what works for you. If you made a lot of progress this last track season, just keep on doing what you are doing and slowly add a bit more miles to it. You could try to run 20mpw for 3 weeks and then if that feels comfortable do 25 for 3 weeks and then 30, 35, and eventually 40. I would recommend you build up your mileage in these steps: 1. Do a proper warm-up and cool-down before workouts (adds about 5mpw); 2. Do your easy runs a bit longer (use increments of 5min, so week you can do 30min runs if you were previously doing 25min runs: adds about .5-.7 miles per easy run); 3. Start doing a longer run once a week; 4. Do a little more quantity in your workouts, e.g., do an extra 1000m, or an extra mile repeat, etc.

Also, it is good to learn more about running. It is actually not the training that makes you better. It is the adaptation of your body to the stress of training that makes you better. I'll explain this really quick in simple terms. When you train you break your body down. Your body reacts by recovering. However, it does not just recover to the starting point. It recovers and then goes a little further so that next time you train, you are a little bit better and more able to handle the stress. This is called supercompensation. If you train too hard, your body won't have the chance to reach supercompensation, or the ideal point in the supercompensation process. It is therefore important that you rest enough (enough sleep and proper diet really helps) and don't train too hard. That doesn't mean you don't have to work hard. Your body will eventually get used to your training (your body will adapt to it) and stop supercompensating, so you have to make sure you keep on 'surprising' your body by adding more miles, and/or run at a higher intensity, and/or just try something new (a tempo run, some strength exercises, some longer intervals, etc.).

At this point, training for a sub 4:00 would be suicide. However, you could just train a little bit harder/more than before and make gradual progress. I actually went from 4:54 (middle school) to 4:29 (freshman year) to 4:04 (sophomore year) by running more consistently and doing some more miles. I can't promise that you will take the same big steps as I did, but I am sure you will make good progress if you just follow what I wrote before. Also, don't forget to enjoy the process towards that sub 4:00 so you aren't disappointed if you end up never reaching it. A lot can happen that is beyond your control (not enough talent, injuries, sickness, etc.) so you better enjoy yourself now.

Oh and some workouts I did when I was ready to go sub 4:00 and had already ran 4:02:

5x800m in 2:20-2:24, 100walk, 100jog rest

6x400m in 63-65sec, 100w, 100j rest

8x200m in 28-31sec 100w, 100j rest

3x1000m with the first 800 in 2:30 and the last 200m fast (27-29sec) = 2:57-2:59, 200w, 200j rest.

Well I ran 4:00.25 2 1/2 weeks ago…though I was in better shape than that.

3x800s @2:08-2:10 with 800m jog recovery is a good indicator, the jogs are 4:20 or less

I'll post some other ones on my thread Sub 26 XC 8k

Try Hard Go Far what was your specific training training program like when you ran 4:00.