Terry's 400m Training Program

Thanks for the input Chris. I’ll make the changes you’ve suggested.

My tempo sessions usually consist of :

4 x 5 x 100m in around 18s with 30s between reps, or
4 x ( 100 + 100 + 100 + 200 ) where + equals 50m walk.

Both with approx. 2 min between sets.

The pool sessions are mainly light resistance work to help with re-occuring knee problems . I’ve found doing drills ( mostly A skips ) the morning after a track session help keep the problem under control. Exercises from a physio have also helped greatly, as 4 races in a weekend was impossible 6 months ago.

Cheers,

Terry

Training has been all over the place. The track has been open every day or two, so it has been hard to plan around.

Managed 4 x 200m hills Tuesday night, and half a depletion set tonight. I keep getting cramps in my right calf muscle. Massage and heaps of stretching hasn’t helped much. I will start looking at my diet.

Terry

Final GPP Program for State Championships in February :

GPP ( 6 weeks )

Monday
Lower Body Weights + Speed ( start sessions mostly )

Tuesday
Pool Recovery + Tempo ( 2000m )

Wednesday
Lower Body Weights + SE 2 and Strength Endurance

Thursday
Pool Recovery + Tempo ( 2000m )

Friday
Upper Body Weights + Depletion Sets

Saturday
Hills or Tempo

Sunday
Rest

By the end of GPP I’ll have the rest of my program worked out.

Terry

I did my first official start session on Monday night, using blocks for the first time in training.

3 x 20m
4 x 30m
1 x 50m

Felt like doing more, but I’m glad I didn’t. Very tired on Tuesday morning.

Managed 2000m of tempo Tuesday night, and SE2 tonight :

600m 94s
12 min. break
600m 99s

Concentrating on form. Times still slow, but I’m improving every week.

Followed by strength endurance :

Running A skips at walking speed 60m, 70m, 80m and 90m.

Very tired again. Heaps of sleep would be good tonight.

Cheers,

Terry

Friday night :

300m 41.3s
30s break
4 x 60m with walk back recovery
10 min. break

250m 32.6s
30s break
3 x 60m with walk back recovery
10 min. break

Felt great after the first two sets, then cramped up during the third. Hopefully hills tonight will make up the difference.

Terry

Saturday Afternoon :

Warm up 1km run to the hill.
4 x 150m hills with 4 min. between reps.
Warm down 1km run home.

Terry

After doing absolutely nothing on Sunday I felt rested when I got up this morning.

Morning : Lower body weights

Afternoon : Start Session

4 x 20m
4 x 30m
1 x 50m

I’m still experimenting, but already feel more comfortable.

Terry

Struggled through Tuesday, but felt much better after tempo that night.

Felt tired all day Wednesday, and ran terribly. I might have to cut down a bit, maybe have 2 rest days a week.

Only managed 1000m tempo tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will see some improvement.

Terry

After 2 days off I felt great for Monday night’s start session.

Three sets from blocks,
20m, 30m, 20m, 30m
20m, 30m, 20m, 30m, 50m
20m, 30m, 40m

Recovered well over night.

Breezed though 2000m tempo on Tuesday night, but only managed 1 x 500m Wednesday night in 74s. Time was ok, but cramped up again starting the second rep.

Terry

I’ve been feeling a bit unco-ordinated doing tempo on the grass, so tonight’s session was on the track.

100 + 100 + 100 + 200
100 + 100 + 200 + 100
100 + 200 + 100 + 100
200 + 100 + 100 + 100

With 3 min. between sets. Felt really good.

Terry

Had another shocker on Friday night, so I had the weekend off.

Monday night’s start session :

20m, 30m, 20m, 30m
4 min. break
20m, 30m, 20m ,30m
4 min. break
120m 14.3s

Felt quite good. Fell back into bad habbits for the 120, but my starts are definitely improving.

Terry

I decided to cut down a bit this week as I read a fatigued CNS can lead to muscle cramps. So, I dropped my tempo back to 1000m, and gave the pool session a miss.

Went through the usual warm-up tonight, then :
300m 39.8s
7 min. break
300m 40.4s

I was hoping to do 4 sets, but cramped up again. Still, 2 reps is an improvement on last week.

Terry

Managed another 1000m of tempo on Thursday night. Pulled up sore after missing both pool sessions this week.

Friday night :

10 x 100m with walk back recovery and rolling start

All times were around 12.5s, which was good as I took them all fairly easy. No cramps, possible due to extra stretching for tight right hamstring. Fingers crossed I’ve found the problem.

Terry

I had the weekend off again, and felt much better on Monday. Weight sessions in the morning have been short as I’ve been starting work at 6am.

Monday nights start session :

20m, 30m, 20m, 30m
5 min. break
20m, 30m, 20m, 30m
5 min. breal
120m 14.1s

Whole session went well. No calf sorness of cramps, so things are looking up.

Terry

Tried split runs for the first time on Wednesday night. The times aren’t flash, but I finished the set so I’m happy.

200m 25.4s
90s break
100m 12.5s
7 min. break

200m 25.4s
90s break
100m 13.5s
7 min. break

200m 25.1s
90s break
100m 14.1s

Terry

Tried a slightly modified depletion set tonight.

300m 39.5s
30s break
3 x 60m with walk back recovery

200m 25.3s
30s break
2 x 60m with walk back recovery

100m 12.3s
30s break
1 x 60m with walk back recovery

Finished another session without cramps!!

Terry

Spent 9 hours at work on Saturday, so I didn’t feel like training at all that afternoon. Still recovering from Powderfinger show last Thursday night.

Monday nights start session :

2 x 4 x 30m block starts
Walk back recovery and 3 min. between sets.

5 min. break
120m no time

Didn’t feel all that fresh today. Need to cut back on work, its wearing me out too much.

Terry

Tuesday night Tempo session 12 x 100m in around 18s.

Wednesday night split runs :

200m 24.6s
90s
100m 12.3s
7 min.

200m 24.1s
90s
100m 12.9s
7min.

200m 25.6s
90s
100m 13.7s

Felt terrible afterwards. 7 min break is killing me.

Terry

Had a few days off with a trip to Sydney, then got half way through a start session on Monday night before my back started playing up. Over use the physio said. Probably won’t run again until the start of next week. What can I do with all this spare time?

After struggling to get my back better with physio and stretching I tried using magna bloc magnets. I’m assuming it was a mixture of all three, but I got through a start session tonight without any trouble. Bring on the next track session I say!!

Has anyone out there tried magnets for pain relielf?

Terry