HS 800 Strategy

Go all out from the gun.

runner dude larry wrote: Knowing this info about me should my splits be positive, even, or negative?

yes.

800 is tough... you get one move. You need to read the race. A good tactician can beat someone faster.

Race the race wrote:

800 is tough... you get one move. You need to read the race. A good tactician can beat someone faster.

In a slow, tactical race, yes, the tactician can beat someone faster.

In a fast race from the gun with everyone going at their limit, well, the best guy will win with all other elements equal. Tactics go out the door with 200 to go in a run and gun race. Of course, we rarely see those, and even on the world class level, the Kenyans will many times have a guy running interference for the man they want to win.

But in HS, if you're the strongest guy in a race, just go from the gun and wear out the field.

Go out in 59 and close as fast as possible. If you start running 158s, go out faster.

Your a HSer, you should hope to be getting noticeably better by the end of the season.

the 800 event is a serious event to put your body into some high level stress. Too many factors that determine what a good race is.

The only guideline is to go through the split at 400 PR + 4-5 seconds. From there its a matter of a few factors:

1. fresh from racing other events

2. Racing another runner?

3. WEather??

I'm not sure what other HS level people do. But I've been averaging 18 miles per week. Should I increase my mileage?

runner dude larry wrote:

I'm not sure what other HS level people do. But I've been averaging 18 miles per week. Should I increase my mileage?

You gotta pump those numbers up.