400 meter dash track.?

Question

i ran the 400 meter dash yesterday and got 52.9 im a freshman in high school.... i wanted to know how to get my time under 50 seconds

Answer 1

wow..seriously? thats great as a freshman! i can only get 56 or a little under and im a freshman too.

Answer 2

Developing a strong core, flexibility, planning your workouts, and working to stay healthy off the track are things that can do done to help ANY athletic performance.

Specifically for the 400m, you will need to build your endurance over the summer and fall.  20-30 minute runs 3-5 times per week will help increase your capacity for training.  

If you live somewhere warm or have access to an indoor track, winter would be a good time to start to build in some longer but less intense interval work.  Something along the lines of 3 x 600m at about what feels like 60-70% of the fastest that you could run a 600m race with 6 minutes rest in between.  

These workouts will have you more than ready for track season next year.  I'll offer no training advise past the day that track starts, that's your coach's job and I know that I wouldn't want another coach telling my athletes what to do in season.

As far as the actual race goes, the most efficient way to race is to go out at 90-95% sprint for the first 7 seconds (just past the top of the first curve on an outdoor track).  After this you should settle in slightly to what I call a "cruise."  This should be faster than comfortable but not straining.  You'll stay on this pace until the top of the next curve.  At this point, you need to gauge how much energy you have left.  A good place to try to accelerate is with 120-130m to go.  You've past 40 seconds into the race now and your muscles are swimming in hydrogen ions (what feels like burning) from your body breaking down sugars into muscle fuel (ATP/CP).  It is very important to stay relaxed while driving your knees and arms.

Successful 400m runners have the guts to go out quickly (but not all out) and the confidence to finish strong.

Answer 3

I have been running for 8 years now and would recommend the following:

I would strengthen the core: calves, quads, hams, back and abdominal (the "six pack" muscles along with the obleks), chest and arms. But when strengthening these muscles, I would focus more on the muscle bulk and strength not the muscle endurance. For more advice for this, I would consult with a personal trainer. For the running part, I would stay flexible as it helps/contributes to your balance (so do the muscles in your core) but also helps prevent some injuries like pulled muscles and shin splints. Also, I would try to make up a schedule where you can run for X amount of days and try to have X amount of runs. And in most cases, you must increase the muscle tolerance to see some sort of improvement. Make sure you have the following: a good diet, hydration, sleep, a good sense on how to take care of your body, and sleep. Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

Try to do lift weights with your leg. Also a trick remember to start the 400 meter fast the first and last 100 meters of the race.