400m training

I want to get my 400m time down. During winter this year my best time was 58seconds. I would like to get that down to 56 or hopefully even 55 for spring.
Is this possible.
How do you suggest i train. I have like an hour and a half before school to run and lift.
I run 3.1 mile xc in 19:20 minutes and my 200 time is around 25 im think.

Look around the site for all the great info.

Also, with only 1.5 hrs, I’d say lifting may not be an option…unless you can find more time later on in the day.

so far this is my workout
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Monday- 1 mile warm up- 4 60sec inside sprints. 3 minute break in between. 1 mile cool down. CNS work.

Tuesday- 3-4 miles easy (including warm up)

Wednesday- Off

Thursday- 1 mile warm up- 8-10 30 sec sprints- 2-3 min in between. 1 mile cool down. CNS work. Stretch

Friday- 3-4 miles easy (including warm up)

Sat- 1 mile warm up- 2-3 miles med-hard. 1 mile cool down

Sunday- Stretch
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is there anythign u think i should add, or change around.

Not if you’re training for the 800 meter!
The first thing I notice is that instead of using distance as a guide to your sprints you use time. It’s harder to quantify how much you’re improving using a time basis only on your sprints, because in order to run at an easy pace you would have to have it marked out on the track and the same for an all out pace.

You have too much milage. Take it easy on that stuff. You have already ran XC, you don’t need a milage base for the 400 it’s too short of a race for it to make any difference. As a replacement for your easy milage you should do intervals.

There are mainly four different kind of intervals. The first, is the most straightforward you do all of your work with static distances and you work fairly hard.

6x300 @ 75-80% max pace with 200-300% rest time. (I.E. 45 second 300 rest time = 1:30-1:45)

The second is a ladder. As you do your interval your pace changes, as you go so that you never stop moving, but you get your needed recovery time.

100+150+200+100=
150+250+200+200=
200+250+250+150=
100+150+200+100=
All done at about 70-75% intensity with the last set at close to all out.
(+ is 50 meter jog/walk, = is 100 meter walk)

The third kind is a horrific concoction of both, in which you never stop moving but you do the same distance over and over again with varying intensities.

4x300+150=
300’s done at about 75-80% and 150’s done about 85-90%.
(+ in this case is a 50 meter walk and = is a 100 meter jog)

A fourth kind of interval which my mid-distance coach loved to use was a method of timed circuts.

8x300 in 2:00 cycles
at 70-75% max pace

So you have 2:00 to complete the distance and recover before the next 300 began. This is a great way to buid a 4x800 or 4x400 team if your into that kind of turture. However, I would recomend shorter incriments like 200’s with 1 minute cycles.

As you progress in your intervals you will be able to jog where you used to walk and actually work where you used to lag.

Overall I’d say that you have a pretty good program, you’re just doing too much volume. If you cut back on that and do more high intensity stuff, you will be doing much better. The 400 runner is a SPRINTER! Treat your workouts as such to increase both your speed and endurance. Because endurarance is nothing without speed in the 400.