I was wondering if I could get some advice on where during my traiining week I should include a speed session and what to include. I already have a firly intense training week but I have time where I could fit additional sessions in. My speed over the last 2 years has gone from 49 -51 sec speed and my 800 performance has dropped significantly as well. A lot of this is due to a change in training to a lot more endurance focused model with still regular 800 pace running but nothing significantly quicker.
A typical week is
Monday - 15km
Tue- Track - Usually race specific - 200s-400s with limited rest
Wed- As fopr monday
Thur- Longer intervals - 1000-200m reps. Approx 6-8km in volume
Fri-Rest
Sat- Hills - Usually 300-400m type hills
Sun - Long run 80mins
My coach will still want me to do the above sessions and I don’t have a lot of time on a monday or wednesday to do additional stuff but thursday and sunday mornings should be ok before the other session of the day.
What do you think?
This looks like a middle distance (800/1500) or even 1500/3000 training program. Not a 400/800 routine.
There is not enough speedwork for the 400 in particular.
It sounds like your coach has changed your program and degraded your performances - sorry to be blunt. Unless you are old (!) you should be getting faster with training not slower.
Is your coach an endurance person, are you training with a distance (not speed) group ?
The 400/800 double is difficult since it requires sprinting and endurance training, but my suggestion is :
1). 1 session per week of pure speed - accel runs (20 - 40m) and max V (30-50m). Move up the distances as you progress.
2). 1 session per week of 400 pace - start at 150s and move up to 250s.
3). 1 session per week of 800 pace - start at 200s and move up to 500s.
and 2) should be targeted at your race pace on a short to long protocol.
2-3 runs per week of steady state aerobic runs of 45-60 mins.
I suggest you talk to your coach about whether you are in the right group - you may need to do more than just slightly change his program with an extra speed session.
Thanks for the reply Oldbloke. I agree there is not a lot of sprint oriented work and although I am fitter off this program it has not helped me over 800 or even 1500. My speed reserve is a lot lower now and I don’t feel comfortable running the first lap of 800s anymore. Would you be able to outline some sample pure speed sessions that I could suggest to my coach? I noticed you mentioned acceleration runs and Max velocity runs. I come from a middle distance mentality where I often think more is better but after reading some posts on this forum I realise this is not the case especially with sprinting. It would be good to know how much volume and recoveries to use in between reps. Any advice you or anyone else could provide would be greatly appreciated.
For the pure speed sessions try something like 5X30m with 3 mins rest between each. Then 5x40m with 5 mins rest.
Some would say even longer rests.
Total volume is something like 300+m which sounds incredibly low to a middle distance runner !
For the 400m training paces read the Lactate Threshold thread and anything else by Kitkat.
I would suggest something like 4X150m with 8 mins rest. Then 4x180, then 4x200 say.
As you move up the distance (S-L) you end with something like 2x300 with 30 mins rest.
Since you have already run 49s for 400 I guess you should aim for say 48s.
Which means running 100s in 11.nn and 200 in 23.nn.
I doubt if many middle distance groups provide you with partners to train at those speeds - hence my comment about joining a sprint group for the fastest sessions.
Take a peek at my training journal, I’m a 400/800 guy and I have close to the same time in the 400m as you. I’m coming from the speed side of things, so there should be lots of good ideas.
What pace are your long runs at? Ideally you should not go slower than 3.30 km pace, and if you are dropping below 3.30km pace than I would drop the distance so you can maintain a faster rate.
Contrary to some of the opinions expressed, long runs won’t inhibit your speed unless the pace is not high.
Thanks for all the replies. I might private message a few of you guys to get some more opinions.
Sharmer, I do my long runs very easy. My average would probably be around 4.15-4.20 per km. I think if I tried to do them well under 4min/k that I would be very tired for the following hard session. I guess we use the long runs as a way of building that low level endurance spectrum required for the 800m while trying to recover from the previous hard session as well. I have been interested in reading about how some of the people on this board believe 800m runners can get away with using extensive tempo instead of long runs. This is something that interests me but because it goes so much against the grain of what is traditional I don’t think a lot of athletes even consider it an option.
Last season I ran 1.52 which was 2 seconds outside my best and in a one off 400m only ran 51 mid which was close to 3 seconds outside my best so I believe that if I can get my 400m back down my 800m will improve again.
My speed the last few years has felt very unusual. I still feel like I have really good leg turnover but I just don’t seem to go anywhwere and I don’t feel smooth at all when I have to go quicker than 800m pace.
With all this endurance training I have done is it still possible to regain that 400m speed that I had or does changing of muscle fibre composition come into play here?
Thanks again
mid 51 400m sounds right for low 1min 50’s 800m
The only time i ran long distances when training for that distance was during road races… either 2k, 5k or 8-10k, and then it was winter time stuff done once per wk.
Most endurance stuff was Tempo based - ie 10 x 70sec 400’s
You cant beat repeat 400’s at faster than 800m race pace for training too. 3-4 x 400’s with 10+ min recovery - sweet. Hard as hell, but the 3rd one is normally the killer that feels like the last lap of a 800m