800 meter run?

Question

How can I get better at the 800

my coach wants me to run the mile nd 2 mile but I loove the 800 and i want to be regional champion in it this year. So how should i get their, Im a rising sophmore and I run a 2:05 and i know it may not even be possible to drop to the low 1:50 but I need too train all year long. I dont want any special work out, I just want to be conditioned to be a perfect 800 meter runner, like should i do XC, should i do pushups and sit ups, should i lift waits, things like that

Answer 1

well , like you , i LOVE the 800m run [ you can tell by the nickname] to run an 800, youh want to have a fast 400.

you should do 400m & 600m workouts, they help. you need endurance for the 800m run, so work on building that. personally, i think everybody should run XC, it may not be the most fun season but it makes you a really strong and tough runner, so go for it, it will be that much easier to run your 800m.

tip: sprint your 1st 200m [make sure you get out , DONT GET BOXEED IN ]

Answer 2

mz_800 is right, i think.  her answer will probably be better than mine.  like you, i liked the 800 "back in the day".  i was ALMOST regional champion -- but (!) vicariously relived my glory days (well, i NEVER had glory daze) when my daughter was regional champ, twice.

okay -- 2:05 as a sophomore, that's good.  you know the obvious:  DON'T do drugs!  don't drink (too much) DON'T SMOKE and basically, if you do any ONE thing, RUN ALL YEAR>  don't run hard necessarily, learn how to peak, learn to back off.  personally, i would do pushups and situps.  

yes, cross-country will give you endurance.  what you want is to consider the 800m as a sprint.  a short distance.  the problem for some guys is that they think it's LONG>  i used to just go out the first 400m then put the hammer down and run the last 400m as hard as i could.  i would often be near the back at the 400m but run the last 400m in 62 or 63 (times and people were slower in "my day") and pass almost everyone.

run thru' the winter -- back off and go out 4 or so times a week, easy stuff.  a month or so before track season start doing those intervals like msz_800 suggested.  400m repeats, as many as you and your coach can tolerate.  also, run "the ladder" -- 100m fast, rest 1 min, 200m fast, rest a minute, 400m fast, rest, then 800 at near race speed, then back down.  repeat.  (after a few weeks do 3 or 4 ladders)

Answer 3

hey dude, as an upcoming soph. my times were almost identical and had the similar questions.

In the fall do XC you need a good base in order to run the 800m. But remember your a mid-distance runner so do 8x100m strides or some sort of strides in order to maintain speed. At this point doing a little push ups will help, but not a lot. It wont help for XC. But do core! ..Abbs and back!..do excercise such as planks, sit ups..and other abb stuff if in doubt  google core work outs.

in the winter slightly lower the running distance and add speed and slight wieght lifting

in the spring you just got to hope your works paid off and leave the rest to your coaches

hope this helps..I ran almost that exact same time as a freshman and ended up getting a 1:58 as a soph. so not low 1:50's but in a few yrs. who knows..you'll probably be around the same time as I had as a soph too. and my coach wanted me to run the mile and two mile too! haha..man i feel like im writing this for myself