How much pain should be felt during an 800m

Bad Wigins wrote:

says "sdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdf"

grow up chicken-shit

Hey, leave my buddy sdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdf alone or you'll have me to answer to.

All of it.

jrwolfi wrote:

El Flaco Pelon Rojo wrote:

You are not running to best of your potential. Try gunning for a PR.

Cruise the fist 400 at the same pace you've been rolling with. What are you usually going out in? 57? 56?

Whatever it is, fine, stick with that.

Ive actually been going out at 63 almost every race. my splits tend to be 63-64ish which is probably why im one, not really tired in races and two, never improving. 57 is what I should be doing on the first lap; at least that what training shows im capable of...

Well you ain't warming up properly then.

Are you doing any specific 800 training? If you are pretty fit you need event specific sessions to prepare the body and maximise potential at any event.

Try 2x4x200 with 30 sec betwen 200s and 5 mins between sets. All to be run at 800 goal pace. Or as an even harder alternative 2x2x400 with 30 sec and 7.5 mins.

The race should start to hurt after 200m, be very uncomfortable after 400m and the last 300m should be pretty much agony. It's a unique event, pretty different to any other middle distance race.

mark b wrote:

Are you doing any specific 800 training? If you are pretty fit you need event specific sessions to prepare the body and maximise potential at any event.

Try 2x4x200 with 30 sec betwen 200s and 5 mins between sets. All to be run at 800 goal pace. Or as an even harder alternative 2x2x400 with 30 sec and 7.5 mins.

The race should start to hurt after 200m, be very uncomfortable after 400m and the last 300m should be pretty much agony. It's a unique event, pretty different to any other middle distance race.

Thank you for this post. I will try these workouts.

mark b wrote:

The race should start to hurt after 200m, be very uncomfortable after 400m and the last 300m should be pretty much agony.

No. If it hurts that much you are not training right or warming up right or both.

Look at Rudisha, Kipketer, Coe. Are they running like that? No they aren't.

What you are describing is the completely wrong way to go about it.

Yeah the 800 is indeed different than other middle distance events.

I ran it in college 40 years ago, so I'm an old f*ck and maybe have outdated ideas, but here goes.

The coach had us do 3 miles warmup run maybe 6:30 - 7:00 pace. Then 6 @ 100 strides going up to race pace gradually.

Then, 2 @ 400 faster than race pace. 1 @ 600 at race pace. 5 - 8 minutes between. It hurt.

Speed days, same warmup and a bunch of 200s progressively faster.

All fall we ran distance and long intervals, 8 @ 1200 and the like.

Bottom line, either your head is in the 800, or not. You have a race plan on the starting line, and you adjust as the race develops. It's very hard, and you accept that and indeed embrace it.

The fun starts when everyone is working like heck to maintain. The fit and savvy get excited then, and commit.

mark b wrote:

Are you doing any specific 800 training? If you are pretty fit you need event specific sessions to prepare the body and maximise potential at any event.

Try 2x4x200 with 30 sec betwen 200s and 5 mins between sets. All to be run at 800 goal pace.

I moved to middle distance training about a month or so ago from 400/500m training. 2x4x200m on a 1 minute cycle was one workout we did about two weeks ago in which we were hitting times from 28-33. they didnt start getting tiring til about the last 2.

jrwolfi wrote:

El Flaco Pelon Rojo wrote:

You are not running to best of your potential. Try gunning for a PR.

Cruise the fist 400 at the same pace you've been rolling with. What are you usually going out in? 57? 56?

Whatever it is, fine, stick with that.

Ive actually been going out at 63 almost every race. my splits tend to be 63-64ish which is probably why im one, not really tired in races and two, never improving. 57 is what I should be doing on the first lap; at least that what training shows im capable of...

So like, why don't you just run faster? What am I missing here?

I totally agree with that. That third 200 can be much like the third lap lull of the mile if you slacken.

As many have posted you must get your body prepared for the race by running the pace that you are shooting for. And to make it feel comfortable you have to run some intervals at a faster pace. In my opinion the 800 is one of the toughest races to run. That is if you are running for a P.B. or competing against others who have run faster than you. The first 400 should not be painful at all. You are not on an easy run by no means but it should be controlled. The race begins at the 400 meter mark. And sometimes, if not in a good position at the 300 mark, you must move yourself into a good position so that you will be able to race the last 400. It takes much focus and concentration to battle that entire last lap. It is so easier to back off. Again the key is preparing your body for the battle and that is a process. I always tell kids that when they are warming up do not think of the entire race. Focus on getting out and then being smooth. Then when you reach the 400 mark start pushing. Do not think beyond that point. Of course when you are practicing focus on learning to run through the pain.

This is spot on and sums it up perfectly.

If you don't like going into intense pain then don't race the 800.

Racing pain.

Dave Reid is in pain. How about Bad Wiggins?

http://cdn.runningmagazine.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Screen-shot-2013-08-08-at-10.36.31-AM.png

800m is just as painful as a 5K. It is a different kind of pain, a bit more intense over a shorter period of time. Maybe I run the race too hard at the beginning, but the last 200 is always very painful as you really go to the arms and try to sprint for the line.

Assuming you are trying to run a PB, at 500m you should feel uncomfortable/pain.

It is then you need to start pushing harder along the back straight, this is where most PBs are made or missed.

Keep pushing as you come around the final bend and in the last 100m give anything you have left, running strong through the line. No dying in the last 20m, you are wasting time.

Personally I don't see the 800m as two laps of 400m, it is more like a 500m then a 300m. Anyone can get to 400m at the required pace for a PB, but reaching 500m at that pace is more of a test; that is the halfway point with regards to effort.

I like metric milers 500 and 300 point, in terms of breaking down the race.

I blew a few 800s by running too hard from 400 out, then died on the final straight. Best to wait until 300 to go for the big push.

My old, slow PR is a 1:58 half mile (880) from the stone age. Splits were 57.5, 125.9, 1:58.0

I took off at 400 and paid dearly, running backward that last 60 or so.

How much pain should be felt during an 800m?

All the pain you have should be felt during an 800 meter race.

More like, how much pain should be felt during workouts for an 800? A lot, especially the base work, which is most important!!