Running the 800m

You're aerobically unfit. If you can run a 2:11 800, you should be running much quicker than 5:03 for the mile. Fix your aerobic fitness first, the rest will follow. It's why you die during the last lap.

Tactically, try to go out in 63 for your next race.

How do I do that? Intervals or long runs?

To fix aerobic fitness you need to do 1 long run a week and tempo runs of 3-5 miles. Run about an hour at a decent pace, not too slow. Then for tempo runs, start off at a recently fast pace and as the run progresses, get faster and faster. This should really help out on your 2nd lap.

TJR25 wrote:

To fix aerobic fitness you need to do 1 long run a week and tempo runs of 3-5 miles. Run about an hour at a decent pace, not too slow. Then for tempo runs, start off at a recently fast pace and as the run progresses, get faster and faster. This should really help out on your 2nd lap.

Not at this point of the season. The best you can do for aerobic capacity at this point might be something like 4-5x800 with 1 min rest. Run at tempo pace. 3:00 for the 800s would probably be just about right. You could run 600s in about 2:06 with 2 min rest. Those would provide aerobic benefit that would actually show up in a race this season. The stuff listed above is fine for someone who has a whole off season and is a miler that steps down to the 800.

Thank you for the help guys! I don't really trust my current coaches, as their program seems to be pretty skeptical. And it's not just me, it's the whole distance team, we lost 90% of our core runners that ran distance last year because of the coaches. Part of the reason is that they just don't know the endurance part, as we've been starting the season with speed and has no had a long run past 4 miles since conditioning by myself before season. My mileage dropped from 60 a week during conditioning to like 15 during season. I know I may seem more of a speed runner since I am running the 800, but I also run the mile and XC, so I thought keeping my mileage up would be a good idea. I've mostly been getting advice from college runners that I have a close friendship with.

Because of this, I've been thinking of running un-attached next season. I am not sure if it's a great idea, but I would like to see if I could run un-attached with a private coach as I believe I would improve my 800 a whole lot more, and even the mile. Opinions?

Yes, the American obsession with high school and college teams is interesting, and, often, detrimental to individual runners. If your school coach is obviously a plonker who has no idea, then why not seek out a private club where you can find someone who you can trust, and negotiate a plan that will build on your strengths and address your weaknesses. What's the big deal?

Well, I want 4 yrs of track in my extra curricular. I am not sure if running un-attached counts.