Help with speed training

You have some good training sessions in there that will for sure help your 400 speed, and more importantly, your top end speed. You're right, both of these will help you get your 800 down as well.

However, the challenge is this: if you maintain this schedule, you may not improve in the 800 like you want to, because you are still neglecting your true endurance - think 400s, 600s, 800s, 1000s, tempo runs...and assuming you are a high school runner, you are about 8 months away from track season, and you should have more of a balance at this phase.

Build up a base of sprint work + strength work over time, don't go overboard right now in July.

Skipping rope, fast dynamic running drills, plyometrics, short hills. Any kind of jumping can help.

Be sure that you are including some recovery runs after a "speed development" day. Sprinting is hard on the body. You can also do a long bike ride for a recovery day. Larry Myricks did this a lot and had one of the best careers in the LJ 28'8" and 200 20.1.

A long run of up to 22 miles can work on all three energy systems. Yes it can even improve your speed!

Any thing you do must be approached with caution and built up over time.

If your longest run is 8 miles, you might only do 9 miles the next time.

"Always listen to coaches, but do what works for you."

Rod Dixon, New Zealand great in the mile up to the marathon

Thanks, yes I do lack of real 800m training and good to know this will help my 400. Im thinking this is ok for a while as the most important thing is getting 400 time down, I think Ill keep this up and try to run PB in like 2 months; September. I feel like Im improving very easily just by doing some drills and speed work. After PB Ill try to balance it up just like you mentioned over the winter and build a base, and combo 400/800.

Ohio HS coach wrote:

You have some good training sessions in there that will for sure help your 400 speed, and more importantly, your top end speed. You're right, both of these will help you get your 800 down as well.

However, the challenge is this: if you maintain this schedule, you may not improve in the 800 like you want to, because you are still neglecting your true endurance - think 400s, 600s, 800s, 1000s, tempo runs...and assuming you are a high school runner, you are about 8 months away from track season, and you should have more of a balance at this phase.

Build up a base of sprint work + strength work over time, don't go overboard right now in July.

Thanks Ill listen to my body and make sure to do some weekly plyos. Interesting with the long run Ill keep improving its lenght!

Louie, Louie wrote:

Skipping rope, fast dynamic running drills, plyometrics, short hills. Any kind of jumping can help.

Be sure that you are including some recovery runs after a "speed development" day. Sprinting is hard on the body. You can also do a long bike ride for a recovery day. Larry Myricks did this a lot and had one of the best careers in the LJ 28'8" and 200 20.1.

A long run of up to 22 miles can work on all three energy systems. Yes it can even improve your speed!

Any thing you do must be approached with caution and built up over time.

If your longest run is 8 miles, you might only do 9 miles the next time.

"Always listen to coaches, but do what works for you."

Rod Dixon, New Zealand great in the mile up to the marathon

Quick question; can I add a couple of strides after say an easy run/long run or will that make it to hard of a day to recover properly?

Cool information about Larry Myricks and bike rides for recovery.

"A long run of up to 22 miles can work on all three energy systems. Yes it can even improve your speed!" Care to elaborate?

One day a week with something along the lines of 4x300 with 5 mins rest or 2x300 and 4x150 with 5 mins rest absolutely flat out. Speed training is not about short rest, it is about quality. Hills, drills, etc will help but you need this. I hate the words "speed training" because what you really need is "sprint training."

Another excellent workout is like this: (all at maximum speed, all 10m rolling start)

30m, 1min rest, 60m, 2 min rest, 90m, 3 min rest, 120m, 4 min rest, 150m, 5 min rest, 200m all out

Look up 400m sprinter workouts on the stickied thread page. You should find something that gives you a general idea. You are not trying to become a sprinter, but even galen rupp spends a day or two a week on sprinting and sprint mechanics during season.

Yea Ill make sure to get in atleast 2 quality sprint sessions. The 30m-60-90.. sounds great Ill try it out next week. Ill search around for some real 400 workouts, but from what I've understod 150s and 300s are key

I am going to be there wrote:

One day a week with something along the lines of 4x300 with 5 mins rest or 2x300 and 4x150 with 5 mins rest absolutely flat out. Speed training is not about short rest, it is about quality. Hills, drills, etc will help but you need this. I hate the words "speed training" because what you really need is "sprint training."

Another excellent workout is like this: (all at maximum speed, all 10m rolling start)

30m, 1min rest, 60m, 2 min rest, 90m, 3 min rest, 120m, 4 min rest, 150m, 5 min rest, 200m all out

Look up 400m sprinter workouts on the stickied thread page. You should find something that gives you a general idea. You are not trying to become a sprinter, but even galen rupp spends a day or two a week on sprinting and sprint mechanics during season.