400m Program Next Phase

Track & Field 400m
1

The following is my setup for the next 12 weeks. We have just finished our first comp phase and will now start building up to the next comp phase, which starts in late Feb early March next year. With Pindaman’s great help the pre-season comp was a great success and all my athletes ran PB’s week after week.

The setup leans greatly on Pinda’s thoughts as expressed on the forum under the lactate threshold tread. The program is for girls’ aged between 14 and 16 years and the target time we are chasing is 56 seconds by April 2007.

The basic setup is:
M Speed + Weights
T Specific 400m Endurance
W Tempo
T Special Speed Endurance + Weights
F Other Endurance (Usually shorter speed or longer SE)
S Tempo + Weights
S Rest

Note: I have deviated a bit from Pinda’s setup as he has Wednesday as a rest day; I added a relaxed tempo to Wednesdays as some of my athletes can never train on Saturdays. I simply skip one weight session a week but gets the tempo in. If they can train on a Saturday the Wednesday becomes a rest day.

Please have a look and critique my setup.

W 1-Nov Tempo
D 2-Nov Special Speed Endurance 300m, 250m, 180m @ 95% with full recovery + Weights Weights A
V 3-Nov Endurance 6 x 200m in 30s with jog recoveries
S 4-Nov Tempo 12 x 150m in 25s with 30s recovery + Weights Weigths B
S 5-Nov Rest

M 6-Nov Speed 3 x 30m, 4 x 40m Weights Weights C
D 7-Nov Specific 400m Endurance 3 x 300m in 44s rest 10min
W 8-Nov Tempo 2 x 11 x 100m 60s rest with 5 min between sets
D 9-Nov Special Speed Endurance 3 x 200m in 27s with full recovery + Weights Weights A
V 10-Nov Endurance 2 x 2 x 200m in 29s with jog recoveries
S 11-Nov Tempo 2 x 5 x 100 in 18s with 30sec rest and 10min between sets + Weights Weights B
S 12-Nov Rest

M 13-Nov Speed 4 x fly 50m + Weights Weights C
D 14-Nov Specific 400m Endurance 8 x 200m in 28s with 3min recovery
W 15-Nov Tempo 2 x 11 x 100m 60s rest with 5 min between sets
D 16-Nov Special Speed Endurance 300m, 250m, 180m @ 95% with full recovery + Weights Weights A
V 17-Nov Endurance 2 x 300+150 off 30s recovery between reps/ full recovery between sets
S 18-Nov Tempo 2 x 11 x 100m 60s rest with 5 min between sets + Weights Weights B
S 19-Nov Rest

M 20-Nov Speed 6 x block starts, 4 x fly 30m, 4 x fly 40m + Weights Weights C
D 21-Nov Specific 400m Endurance 6 x 200m 28s with 2 min jog recovery
W 22-Nov Tempo 2 x 11 x 100m 60s rest with 5 min between sets
D 23-Nov Special Speed Endurance 3 x 200m in 27s with full recovery + Weights Weights A
V 24-Nov Endurance 2 x 300+200 (300m – 55s; 200 – 30s) with full recovery between sets
S 25-Nov Tempo 2 x 5 x 100 in 18s with 30sec rest and 10min between sets Weights Weights B
S 26-Nov Rest

M 27-Nov Speed 6 x block starts, 5 x 30m, 4 x 40m Weights Weights C
D 28-Nov Specific 400m Endurance 3 x 300m in 44s rest 10min
W 29-Nov Tempo 2 x 11 x 100m 60s rest with 5 min between sets
D 30-Nov Special Speed Endurance 300m, 250m, 180m @ 95% with full recovery Weights Weights A
V 1-Dec Endurance 6 x 200m in 30s with jog recoveries
S 2-Dec Tempo 2 x 11 x 100m 60s rest with 5 min between sets Weights Weights B
S 3-Dec Rest

M 4-Dec Speed 4 x fly 60m Weights Weights C
D 5-Dec Specific 400m Endurance 8 x 200m in 28s with 3min recovery
W 6-Dec Tempo 2 x 11 x 100m 60s rest with 5 min between sets
D 7-Dec Special Speed Endurance 3 x 200m in 27s with full recovery Weights Weights A
V 8-Dec Endurance 2 x 2 x 200m in 29s with jog recoveries
S 9-Dec Tempo 9 x 300m in 55s with jog recoveries Weights Weights B
S 10-Dec Rest

2

I see you usually move down in distance on the SE runs e.g. 200, 180, 150. I on the other hand tend to move up 150>180>200. Any perticular reason?

3

I like them to keep their form. They are all very new to training and 400m. The strenght component lacks. When they tire and go further their form tends to go to pieces.

4

is more weasy to run mentally. thats why i like to go down as wel.
going too fast on the 1st 150 worse than going too fast on the 200.
becasue you know you have to even n\more on the next run… as for the 200 you have to run less, wich can be a motivator.

5

With regard the session on Friday:

V 10-Nov Endurance 2 x 2 x 200m in 29s with jog recoveries

This was run as follows:
200m in under 29s followed by a jog round for 400m then another 200m in under 29s

Followed by a full recovery and another set as above.

This was very hard for the girls and they really struggled to get the second 200m of each set under 30s. It has to be taken into account that it was 35C when they ran.

6

With regard the session on Tuesday:

D 14-Nov Specific 400m Endurance 8 x 200m in 28s with 3min recovery

This was run as follows:
200m in under 28s followed by a 3 minute rest then another 200m in under 28s.

This was to hard for the girls, they ran all the 200m under 28 but could only do 4. They all complained of very sore legs and took about an hour to recover. They could however do some hurdling work after about an hour of rest. They all did some short hurdles work over three hurdles, focusing on the trail leg and the first three steps after the hurdles.

7

What are the pr’s of your girls? and age ?

8

Sorry 14-16 years.

9

As you have realized, DEFINITELY too hard for 14 - 16 year old girls.

My other concern is - why did you keep them on the track for another workout, if they took an hour to recover? My advice will be - next time - after the 4 x 200m - send them home!

10

Do you understand how fast that is? Clyde Hart’s guys are running that fast or slower this time of the year for 8 x 200s. That’s a pretty hefty load for such young girls, esp without much training experience.

11

looking over, if these girls are trying to run 56, I think these workouts are ridiculously fast. People I know personally that run workouts like these and hit very similar times have PRs no slower than 51 over 400m with most under 50.

12

8 x 200 in 28??? I don’t think so!

13

Charlie, Is that I dont think so -Thats a lot or I dont think so - Its not enough work for Harts guys?

14

this is referring to 14 to 16 yr old girls

15

Thanks for that

16

atletiek,
Make sure your ambition doesn’t run too far ahead of theirs otherwise while you’re sprinting they will walk.

17

They are all around 60 seconds. The quickest have done 58 hand and the slowest a 60.40, but that was FET.

18

They only did 4 x 200m. The hurdles drills where only walkover drills and a few front leg drills against a wall, they did not run at all after the 200’s.

19

Keep in mind we are in South Africa not the US, we’ve already had our GPP and first comp phase.

20

In which phase of the year do they run this in their GPP or in a SPP or Comp Phase closer to the end of the season?