Run-Down Forums

[Scocon]

I have a kid (8th Grader) that can run the 800 in 2:29 and that is from being in basketball shape and not from track training.
I have had him doing a 1/2 mile warm up jog to get to the track and then doing various work totaling around 2 1/2 miles to 3 miles.

For example: 16 X 200's @ 37-38 pace with a 50 meter walk/50 meter slow jog in between

Another workout: 6 X 400 @ 1:15 with a 3:1 rest.

I have about 5 weeks before the major meets begin. What type of workouts would be most beneficial? Please detail rest time and workout pace.
Thanks

[Distance_Guru]

Here is something I would sugest without knowing anything more than you have told me. Once a week do longer style intervals at a little slower than race pace with short rests
(paces here are around 40-42 seconds per 200 pace see example 1 and two) Or a fartlek style workout. Such as 30 minutes alternating 2 minutes of hard running with 1 minute of jogging or 20 secs hard 40 easy for 40 mins(hard in this case being about 6:30 +/- per mile pace) although I would probably only do the later interval with the young runner if I were running with them. I recommend alternating weeks between fartleks and intervals.
ex 1) 2 sets of 3 x 600 with half the time resting that was spent running in the sets and a full recovery between maybe 5-7 minutes.
Or
ex 2) 4 x 800 with a rest of around 90 secs

Also once a week I would do a faster than race pace workout which gradually reduces the run to rest ratio.

10 x 200 at 34 - 35 with 2-2:30 rest gradually reducing to 1-1:30 rest by the end

7 x 300 at 51-3 with 3 mins and working down to 90 secs.

A couple of side notes. If you have a race during the week try to position the slower paced workout between the faster workout and the race. Although this is often not very easy. And in the 800 there is one mistake that will absolutly kill you, going out to fast. Unlike other events -namely x-c - where you can get away with it if you go out to fast in an 800 your dead meat. I recomend puting a speed limit on the first 200 and 400 meters of the race, and make sure that your runner understands that you can not win an 800 in the first 400 but you sure can loose one. Good luck

_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn

[Dan]

I actually like the stuff you have him doing right now. It seems well suited toward the pace he is capable of racing. If you slowly drop the times on his intervals, keeping rest and volume constant, he should see similar progression in his race time.

Dan