[Singularity]

We started talking about doing some 400m sprints in another thread with Richard doing his in 61 seconds.

I decided I'd like to try so did it this lunch time. I did a 15 minute warmup then did 4x400m. My best time was 76 seconds which was a bit of a dissapointment. Good workout though and I'm definately going to do more of these each week. I found the first 300m was ok but I really started to slow down for the last 100m

Although I used my Garmin by setting it to 0.25 of a mile, I ran around the circle on a cricket field which is also 400m.

 

[richardsimkiss]

did you find the Garmin clocked 0.25miles once you'd completed the lap? or was it a smidge out?

Interesting you find the last 100m teh hardest, I tend to find 150-250m the hardest bit I think, one I hit the home straight, it does hurt, but I know I'm almost home which tends to ease things a little.

 

[Owain]

Now this has got me thinking what I could manage in 400m......will need to give it a go at some point. I know there is an out door clay track in the park near my house which I could use and see how i do.

O.

 

[LazyJones]

This sounds like a bit of fun, I think I'll have a go next week after my 10k at the weekend. I don't think I manage as good a time as speedy simkiss though.

I seem to remember running one of these at school sports day many many moons ago, and remember going into meltdown in the home straight so I'm with you Singularity!

 

[Singularity]

It may have been more like a 150 - 200m struggle to be honest, I think it was over half way though. Also, whats the best recovery time? I was resting for about 90 seconds before doing the next lap.

The garmin beeped quite a few metres after my start/finish line.

 

[LazyJones]

Maybe you went off to fast if that's the case.

If you are doing the 400s all out you should have a really long rest between to be honest otherwise you'll never get close to the 1st one. I'd say 5 mins or more.

 

[hot foot]

Also, whats the best recovery time? I was resting for about 90 seconds before doing the next lap.

As an alternative to timed recovery, if you use a heart rate monitor, some coaches recommend that you allow your hr to drop to 120 bpm in between intervals.

 

[richardsimkiss]

If you're doing reps I think you're unlikely to hit your best 400m time (unless the first one really was completely flat out), I did a session of 10x 400m, all at around 1:18 and tried an all out effort but could manage 1:09 at best, so it makes quite a difference to be properly rested for it.

I tend to allow 90secs rest between reps if they're at a pre-determined pace. If I was going all out though I'd probably wait for my heart rate to settle.

 

[roadrunner84]

If you're doing reps I think you're unlikely to hit your best 400m time (unless the first one really was completely flat out)

Would definitely agree here. You're best just having a loose jog then pelting it once around a track or, for you technophiles, setting the Garmin to reps of 0.25 and going all out on the first appropriate one!

I used to manage a 60 second 400m but that was about 8 years ago when I ran nothing but track. I've been thinking about doing a night a week at the track as a matter of course - barely used my current pair of spikes! - so we'll see what kind of standard I'm at thesedays, can assure you it won't be good!

 

[CMJrunner]

I love doing 400m, but Im terrible I wont push myself 2 much over the 1st 250m, then I will really push myself, but thats not good, coz then I dont feel any pain so I now try and go from the start, and if i die, i die!

 

[richardsimkiss]

It's definately a hard one to judge, because there's still an element of pacing involved, but because of the intensity of the race and how short it is, there's little chance of recovering if you go about it wrong (i.e. set off too slow, you'll never make up the lost time, set off too quick and you'll fade badly at the end).

I've decided that I'll run a season of XC and then look at joining another secondary club to perhaps compete in some track events next year

 

[roadrunner84]

What makes me laugh is the fact that the 800m WR, just as an example, is 1:41... that's just two laps of sprinting lol! How does that even work?! 8x 13sec 100m... I think I just about managed 1 set of 100m in that time... once! Definitely couldn't do it twice over or more. Track running is definitely a different dynamic!

 

[JBBury]

What makes me laugh is the fact that the 800m WR, just as an example, is 1:41... that's just two laps of sprinting lol! How does that even work?! 8x 13sec 100m... I think I just about managed 1 set of 100m in that time... once! Definitely couldn't do it twice over or more. Track running is definitely a different dynamic!

Those 800m runners are really impressive. I think when the WR was set, the first lap was run 50 sec flat. Really quick.

I remember one of the great African distance runners through in a 53 second lap near the end of a 5k race. I thought that was pretty unbelievable.

 

[roadrunner84]

actually it's closer to 12.5 secs isn't it... dodgy maths! I can't even do that once then :d

 

[roadrunner84]

I remember one of the great African distance runners through in a 53 second lap near the end of a 5k race. I thought that was pretty unbelievable.

 

[Granty]

My eldest lad has just joined an Athletics club and the parents (if they wish) can pay a pound and then use a couple of the lanes whilst the session is going on, might try this next week and see if I'm a sleeping 'Bolt' in the 400m :lol:

 

[richardsimkiss]

Definately worth a bash Granty... just make sure you start from the right marker... I find it bloody confusing with the amount of markers on the floor of my local track!

 

[Granty]

I was thinking that when I took him last week, looks more like the markings from an indoor football / badminton setup. :d

I'll report back and hope I'm in the running for 2012! :lol:

 

[Singularity]

I did some 400m sprints yesterday and it was a really good workout. I did a 2 mile warm-up, then did 6x400m's with 90 seconds recovery in between each. I did each of them in about 90 seconds, I wasn't trying to go as fast as I could, I wanted the last lap to be the same speed as the first. I found them really hard, it amazes me how far 400 metres is, on each lap when I started struggling I'd realise I was only half way round. Then on the 2 mile warm-down back home, my legs were like lead.

I'm definately going to do this type of workout each week.

 

[JBBury]

Seb Coe once ran a 400m race in 46 seconds. Pretty good for a middle distance runner. His 5k time was pretty piss poor compared to other athletes, mind you. Don't think he ever broke 14 minutes.