400m Training

 

400m Training Part 2How to Decrease 400m Time

As far as 400 meter training, google Clyde Hart, arguably the best 400 coach in the world. Consequently his runners have ranked #1 in the world 16 out of the last 21 years. Also they are now one and three on the all time world list and have won 3 of the last 4 Olympics (finishing second in the other) and 6 of the last 8 World Championships.While another of his athletes won the last World Championship (I wrote this In July of 2011). This is from a seminar of his.

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Strategy for 400 meter training

Reach race speed as early as possible in first 50m cruise to 200m then accelerate steadily next 100m and hold form for last 100m

Workouts done to rehearse strategy called EVENT workouts
eg 3 x (350m rest 1min 100) 5min rest
or Event 300s

Which were run with first 50m very quick but then relaxing to go through first 200m and then the last 100 all out rest 10min between, shorten later to maybe 5min. Hence aim to have consistent stride frequency and length for duration of race - not a longer stride at end, allow a shorter stride to just happen but maintain cadence.

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Holding Form

Improved by Strength Endurance
Upper body strength from exercises like running arms with good form 5 x 15 each arm with 30s rest.
Off season: do two aerobic runs a week 20-45min max. This was for first 3 weeks mostly but off season was usually 6 weeks.

Longer reps 2 x 800m or 3 x 600m rest 15min

Common key workout In pre-season

3 x 350m rest 5min, later in season it becomes 3 x 350m rest 3min, each 50m at same speed.

One Speed workout was called 60 -40m

2 sets of 2 laps of 60m at 95% slow down 40m then pitter-patter jog 40m then 60m at 95% 40m slow down - pitter patter jog 40m. rest between sets 5min

Speed work often was 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 on bend with full recoveries

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Weight Training

Three Gym sessions a week usually in morning from about 9am till 10am - over in an hour.
On any day sometime done Mon-Tue-Wed or spread out in week.

Weights is general all body work with short recoveries and usually 3 sets of 10, rest less than 1 min maybe 30 sec. No squats, no Olympic lifts, Also did good variety of core work eg 3 x 30m sit-ups 1 min rest Gym did not change in format throughout the season
No really heavy lifting, do lunges

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Normal Warm up

4 laps jog straight - run bends
Stretch 30min
Drills 4-5 x 30m over a speed ladder with fast cadence. This Michael believed was significant effect on his turnover. These were done with a flatish footed contact not with feet pointing down and a quick recovery. Buildups sometimes for example 3 x 150m with each 50m quicker.

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Then workout

Competition Warm up
4 laps as usual
Stretch 30min
3 x 100m - first moderate, harder, fast with full recoveries
A few pre-race drills

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At the Competition

Expect the unexpected
Visualization
Train the mind to control the body in competition in the way that is wanted.
Sustained Speed work
60m & over was at 95% - never 100%.

Longer work was done for stimulus not for race pace rehearsal, so nearly all was at paces slower than race pace.

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Speed

6 x 100m at 95% non-timed from standing start rest 5 min
Better to under train than ove rtrain

• Workout Accuracy
  cones every 50m - beeper sounded at set intervals - athlete ran each 50m at same speed. - Be on the buzzer
• Standing starts
• Workouts done at times planned not faster - not slower.

Important not to go faster than predetermined targets even with 200s in 32s!!

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Annual Plan: The program includes a plan that divides:

• Off season - 6 weeks (first 3 weeks on grass)
• Pre season
• Early season
• Late Season

The program is similar all year round:

• Monday - Tempo 200s starting with more at 32s and progressing to less late in year in 25s
  Tue - long reps starting at 2 x 800m progressing to 2 x 450
  Wed - 350m reps x 2-3 - improving in speed
  Thu- hills, speed or event specific
  Fri - similar to Thurs
  Sat - similar to Thurs
  Refreshing Base

Coach needs to decide when to refresh base by going back slightly from quality to quantity even if just for a week or two mid-season, important not to take too much from base.

Related articles

• Clyde Harts Monday 200m Repeats (pinoyathletics.com)

 

Clyde Harts Monday 200m Repeats

From Speed Endurance.com

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With September around the corner, I wanted to review one of the more famous Clyde Hart “Monday” workouts.

It’s the 200 meter repeats.

Now, any clown with a whistle and clipboard (cough cough Coach Al cough cough) can dish out a workout. But I believe in asking questions first. Why are you doing this workout?

In short, the answer is how much, how fast, how much recovery.

In Clyde Hart’s example, he believes as you go fewer in volume, the faster you go with shorter recovery. And I mean short. If you don’t have your aerobic conditioning in place before showing up, believe me, you will rediscover it quickly.

He likes to start his season with 15 x 200m (i.e. 3000m total volume) in about 35 seconds with 2 min 20 sec recovery. Women are about 3 seconds slower.

Then as the season progresses, you get down to 5 x 200m with only 1 min 40 sec recovery for regular College guys.

But of course, Michael Johnson is no ordinary human. His goal was in 3 x 200m with 1 min 30 sec recovery.

If you want to get a logical overview of the repeat 200’s, here it is presented in a chart.

 

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