Hi guys, I'm 14 years old and would like some information and advice on the 800m. This is my first year of athletics and my time is 2:03 and I have done 1 400m in 54. I'm sure what to do each day, whether I should go for a run, lift weight or do some speed work.
It would be great if anyone could give me some advice and training programmes on speed work, endurance, gym work and the frequency of these methods of training per week.
Read a book, kid. Or ask your coach. Or get a coach. Or Google it, you clearly have the internet.
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Nerd wrote:
Read a book, kid. Or ask your coach. Or get a coach. Or Google it, you clearly have the internet.
Trackstar USA
YouTube
100 other places
I have tried many places on the internet but they are all saying different things. For example, one website said to lift twice a week but others are saying don't lift.
Thanks for the response anyway.
Yes, because there's more than one way to skin a cat, and more than one way to train for the 800.
You need to take into consideration your own talent. Are you a 400/800 guy or an 800/1500 guy? The former focuses on speed endurance training and the latter on aerobic strength, but both touch on all of it.
If I tell you what I do (I was 2:03 at the age of 16 and 1:53 now) that would be just one more differing opinion.
Lift if it helps you. To test how if it helps you, ask yourself, "am I strong?" If the answer is no, lift.
Run 25-60 miles a week. The less miles you run, the greater the percentage of it has to be at or faster than race pace.
Speed, speed endurance, lactic threshold, vo2max. Understand these first three terms (and the fourth one if you're a 800/1500 guy) and incorporate the into workouts - aiming to isolate 3 of them every week and never ignoring one for very long.
More general info, if you´re serious. Those times are quite fast at your age and with that background...
-before possibly starting to lift: body weight circuit training, ~2 days per week. You could wait couple of years easily before adding weights, to play it safe.
-a weekly speed day of (hill) alactic sprints, drills, jumps etc. Sprints and jumps could be done on a separate days. Effect is neuromuscular, so a weekly session is plenty. Strides can be done more often. Trying different events too could be fun and beneficial in the long run
-in between just run, bike, play soccer and so on if possible. All of this prepares you for the more serious training after a couple of years.
If your 54+ 400m is out of the starting blocks, don't give up on the 400m. Are you aiming for sub-50 400m?
those are excellent times for your age. I had your 400 at your age but was a bit slower at 800, and I eventually focused solely on short sprints. Whatever training program(s) you undertake, consider the following:
1. Perform "alactic" sprint sessions at least once a week. This means doing sprints of no more than 8 seconds with plenty (5+ min rest) in between each sprint. Start out with 30-40m and work up to no more than 60m. These must be done fully rested. Don't do them the day after a long run or hard interval session.
2. Don't go crazy with high mileage ... yet. Keep it moderate to mild given your age.
3. Don't lift much in the "hypertrophic" range...as in ~12 reps per set (or more broadly 8-15). You want to lift for pure strength (low reps, higher weight) with the best possible form. If you cannot lift in this manner or if it messes up your running schedule, you can put t off entirely for now.
Best of luck.
Nerd wrote:
Yes, because there's more than one way to skin a cat, and more than one way to train for the 800.
You need to take into consideration your own talent. Are you a 400/800 guy or an 800/1500 guy? The former focuses on speed endurance training and the latter on aerobic strength, but both touch on all of it.
If I tell you what I do (I was 2:03 at the age of 16 and 1:53 now) that would be just one more differing opinion.
Lift if it helps you. To test how if it helps you, ask yourself, "am I strong?" If the answer is no, lift.
Run 25-60 miles a week. The less miles you run, the greater the percentage of it has to be at or faster than race pace.
Speed, speed endurance, lactic threshold, vo2max. Understand these first three terms (and the fourth one if you're a 800/1500 guy) and incorporate the into workouts - aiming to isolate 3 of them every week and never ignoring one for very long.
I would say I'm more 400/800m. I have only ever ran two 1500m and I did not enjoy it (ending with two times of around 4:20). I run currently about 35/40 miles a week but should I be doing this now as the summer season is going ahead and I'm looking to peak soon. If I do start to introduce lifting to my training, how many times a week and what sought of exercises should I be doing?
U.N.O. wrote:
More general info, if you´re serious. Those times are quite fast at your age and with that background...
-before possibly starting to lift: body weight circuit training, ~2 days per week. You could wait couple of years easily before adding weights, to play it safe.
-a weekly speed day of (hill) alactic sprints, drills, jumps etc. Sprints and jumps could be done on a separate days. Effect is neuromuscular, so a weekly session is plenty. Strides can be done more often. Trying different events too could be fun and beneficial in the long run
-in between just run, bike, play soccer and so on if possible. All of this prepares you for the more serious training after a couple of years.
Thanks for this great information!!
When you say body weight circuit training twice a week, what sought of exercises do these consist on, how many reps/ time and recovery?
Also, how long should the sprints be and recovery?
bigger stronger & faster wrote:
If your 54+ 400m is out of the starting blocks, don't give up on the 400m. Are you aiming for sub-50 400m?
My current PB for the 400m is 54.63 but I have only done 1. I would say I'm more focused on 800m but surely if I improve my 800m my 400m will improve as well?
Does 400m training vary to 800m training?
RunSprintRun wrote:
those are excellent times for your age. I had your 400 at your age but was a bit slower at 800, and I eventually focused solely on short sprints. Whatever training program(s) you undertake, consider the following:
1. Perform "alactic" sprint sessions at least once a week. This means doing sprints of no more than 8 seconds with plenty (5+ min rest) in between each sprint. Start out with 30-40m and work up to no more than 60m. These must be done fully rested. Don't do them the day after a long run or hard interval session.
2. Don't go crazy with high mileage ... yet. Keep it moderate to mild given your age.
3. Don't lift much in the "hypertrophic" range...as in ~12 reps per set (or more broadly 8-15). You want to lift for pure strength (low reps, higher weight) with the best possible form. If you cannot lift in this manner or if it messes up your running schedule, you can put t off entirely for now.
Best of luck.
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
With the sprints, how many should I do? And when you say high mileage, in the winter I was doing about 60 miles a week. What would you recommend in the summer now?
What sought of weight should I be doing (power/strength) and what recovery's between them.
Kind regards