Deer LRC:
I've decided I'm going to try to crack 60 in the 400m by the end of 2019.
I will document my training here. I figured it may be of interest to those who browse the "Can the average man run a sub-60 quarter with training", or "How fast could the average person run 400m", etc.
Well, I am your subject.
21 years old, 5'11, weight is about 160lb, but I don't own a scale.
I have a distance background, and have been training haphazardly for the past 3.5 years. When I was training seriously, these were my PRs:
400m: 63s (workout)
800m: 2:22
5k: 18:29
HM: 1:24
These PRs were set at age 17 off 55mpw. I believe they likely indicate what average talent runs off of average training - no doubt there's some who would run sub-15 for 5k off of that, and others who wouldn't break 20. That probably makes this more interesting - I'm hoping this thread will answer the "could a fit 20-something with average talent break 60 with training" that is often asked here.
I'm planning on something like this:
Monday: 10 * 100m off 300m jog at 400m pace
Tuesday: 5 miles easy, plus 4 * 10 - 15s sprints at the end off full recovery, and a cool down
Wednesday: 6 * 150m hills
Thursday: 5 miles easy, plus 4 * 10 - 15s sprints at the end off full recovery, and a cool down = 6 miles
Friday: 3 * (2 * 300m) with 1 min between reps and 6 mins between sets, somewhere between 400m and 800m pace
Saturday: 5 miles easy, plus 4 * 10 - 15s sprints at the end off full recovery, and a cool down = 6 miles
Sunday: Rest
Annoyingly, I have to run 3.5 miles to the track and back for Monday and Friday, so they're going to be relatively high-mileage days (probably about 8 miles). As a result, I'd be running 40 miles a week in total, which seems a little high for the 400m. I've justified it by saying that I want to run a good 800m too, but if it turns out to be too much I can drop the Saturday run.
Finally, for a check on where I am at the moment:
I've been running these "5 miles easy, plus 4 * 10 - 15s sprints at the end off full recovery, and a cool down" runs 4 - 5 times a week for the past 3 weeks.
I time-trialled a 100m on Thursday and got 14.7. I ran this in trainers and after a 5 mile run, but it was also hand timed, so these factors likely cancel out somewhat and it's probably close to what would happen in a race, when fresh, with spikes, but reacting to the gun.
This coming week, I won't be doing the plan above, I'll be running my 5 milers - plus - sprints all days but 1, so I have a bit more fitness to start with. I'll start this plan on the 21st.
Over and out! If anyone else wants to hop on this and post about their training, go ahead.