How to run the 400m (video)
After my ‘How to run the 200m’ video, I’ve gotten a lot of requests for the 400 version.
So, here it is:
To your success,
Latif Thomas
P.S. If you want more information like this, make sure you open my email on Monday…
May 13th, 2010
May 13th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Thanks, this is REALLY helpful… the question I have though has to do more with race prep. My son who does the 400 gets really nervous and a bit afraid during the days before he has the meets. And yes it is specifically about the pain that the 400 gives off. So I was wondering if there were some tips on mentally preparing for the 400 throughout the season. This season his coaches tell him to not think about it at all and just be eating right, and he has not PR’ed at all this season, the closest he came to a PR was on a 4×4 split. If there were any tips you recommend it would be greatly appreciated.
May 13th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
In terms of the 1st 50 meters of the race — (1) does the 400 runner go out like the 100meter race (i.e. all out sprint) — or (2) does the runner go out at say 90% to 95% over the first 50 meters of a 400 meter race?
May 13th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Hello Mr.Thomas, i would just like to tell you how much appreciate you taking the time to teach these inspiring athletes the knowledge they need to become successful in their events. Im a grade 10 athlete in Windsor Ontario and i had to run the 400m recently as well. I’m not sure if you will believe this or not but a guy in my division, ended up running his 400m time in 49.08 only being in grade 10. How can i train my body to be able to withstand these high lactic acid intakes so i can stay strong longer throughout my race?
May 13th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Hey Latif, here Rob from the Netherlands again (Master 45+). As a preparation on my 200m competition i did a 400m 2 weeks ago and my racestrategie was like you explained in your video. I’ve read that somewhere before (also from you). It’s working for me and my time was 52.61 and i only did the 55-200m program, without doing special prep. for the 400m.
Indead if you start fast it’s easier to relax on the back straight. The youtube link is my race. The action starts at 0.40 min. Thanks Latif….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvwACn-QNZk&playnext_from=TL&videos=I157w2YAHBg
May 13th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Latif,
Are you taking students? Would like to come to MA for a personal coaching session with my son Gabriel.
Thanks,
Micheal Munson
May 13th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Hey Latif,
Quick question, I’m taking over as a coach for a Division 1 High School up here in Atlantic Canada. I’m only 23 but I know my way around a track as I’ve always run and I’m still running. Only ever did the 400m in the 4×400, so I’m just wondering how my kids should train for the 400. I’m working a lot on their technique and form and and slowly but surely showing them how to train in the weight room(no more beach workouts!). So just wondering of some drills I can put them through in preparation for a 400m race at a meet.
Thanks for your time,
Nick
May 13th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
This is the best description of how to run a 400 that I’ve ever seen.Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is awesome!
May 13th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
i ran this plan before i even watched the video. i was in the 4×400 relay and my team was in 2nd out of the two teams running. the kid anchoring from the other school was 100 meters ahead of me and had already finished his first 100. i got the baton and ran him down. by the time i reached the top of the second curve 250m into the race we were bumping elbows and i dug enough to get to the outside of him in lane 2 and was able to kick hard enough and cut into lane one in front of him. that secured i our win. i ran a 50.9 split and my previous split was 53.4 the other kid ran a 56. this technique works wonders!!!
May 13th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
I thought I’d share a success from your training techniques. We had several kids (ages 9-12) set PR’s in the 400 at our last meet. With your techniques and race stratege we also had an 11 year old run a 64 second 440.
Thank you for your knowledge.
Coach Rob
May 13th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Best video I have seen on how to run the 400. I have coached for many years at middle/high school level. I coach slightly different on the first 50 meters but am going to adopt your strategy. Thanks very much.
John
May 14th, 2010 at 1:25 am
HI,
Love the videos! Could you give any idea for splits in a 400m. I am in my thirties and last year ran a 53.4. If I was wanting to run a 53 for example what sort of time should I come through at 200m? e.g. 24, 25, 26 sec? I am not sure on my 200m times as it always comes 15 minutes after the 400m where I am merely trying to not collapse than run fast. I have run a 11.8 100m prior to buying your videos so hopefully that will improve ASAP!
Regards
Ben Wilson (UK)
May 14th, 2010 at 2:23 am
Hi Latif
Great lesson thank you. I am training my son and daughter at the moment and appreccaite the step by step explanation. Makes total sense to me:))
Regards
Tania
May 14th, 2010 at 6:58 am
Latif,
Talk about perfect timing. I have two kids who are chomping at the bit to break their PR’s and hungry. My plan was to walk them through the race stragey today. This was a great refresher for me.
Coach Buckley
Ramstein HS, Germany
May 14th, 2010 at 8:07 am
In the words of Flavor Flav, “Yeaahhh Boyeeeee!!” Thanks Tif, this is what I’ve been talking about. Now I can teach a race strategy for my young runners so they are not throwing up their intestines at the finish. I’ve never run a 400 but Latif you got me pumped up. I want Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards. Thanks so much for the advice brah. I really appreciate it.
May 14th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Happy Friday Latif,
Your information on how to run the 200 was very informative and now your information on how to run the 400 is fantastic. I always believe that you always have too have a plan of action
when engaging in battle or life. My sons will be running track this season and they are running the 100 200 & the 400, I and did not have a plan of action. Thanks to your information
now, I can teach them what to do and when to do it during their race. I can see several champioships this summer!!! Continue providing us with excellent information!!Also, I tried your step over and drive down drill with my son, it makes a big difference! Be well!
Asar M.Mustafa
The Cyber Sports Co
May 14th, 2010 at 8:47 am
my daughter is 12yrs old and has ran 1:03 in 400 meters last year, what should be her realistic goal for this season? I don’t want to over do it and push her too hard but she will be running against 14yr old girls this year. She is long and thin and coach feel she has natural talent.
May 14th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Hey Latif:
Great play just like Madden! Just add the sound effects at the 100m (Phwing!) 200m (BOOM!) 300m (EEERRRRRRR!!!) and Coach screaming lift-pump your arms over and over again.
Nick
May 14th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Hello, and Good Morning. I coached many years ago volunteer and as a paid coach Middle School and High School. I taught each student much form what I know and it was only a fraction of what you have taught me over the past year. Having said this, I have implemented much of your scientific revolution into my own personal training. At the age of 58,I am actually improving my sprint times. 12.1 100 meters,25.4 200 meters,7.2 55 meters and a 40yd. time of 4.72. I know what I have to do to improve and maintain my sprint times. If, or when I coach Track,I will teach my students of Track the correct way with inspiration! Thank-You. Latif Thomas. Sincerely, G. Johnson P.S. You are an excellent Teacher. May God Bless.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Latif, as always a great presentation. My question is do you have the athlete run the first 150m (50-200) at 75-80% and the last curve at 85-90% to have reseves for the last 100m? Please advise.
Thank you
David
May 15th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Thanks Latif! This video Will work wondErs on my female aNd male athlEtes. I have just one quEstion though. If my female 60 seconD 400 athlete wants to rUn sub 60 what would be a good split for the first 200?
May 15th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Speaking to Tito, the first poster, whose son gets really nervous before the 400, here are some things that work for me. I’m a masters sprinter (47) and I did the 400 for the first time this year. What helped me mentally was training to get comfortable with my target 200 split time. For me, that was 29-mid. I go faster than that in a 200 race, of course, but I trained so that a 29 felt like nothing. So, before I raced, I just told myself, “go out and do a nice warm-up 29 and then race a 200! As the season progressed, I got so that I was unintimidated by running a 46-second 300, because I did them in training. So before a race, I just told myself, “go blast a 46 and then stay relaxed, pump those arms, and let the last 100 take care of itself.” That wasn’t scary. One more thing: when I started the season, I only had target 200 splits in my races that I knew wouldn’t scare me. So, first race, my target was a 34. That was easy. Next race, a little faster. Also, tell him that not many people have the courage to race the 4, so he should stand tall
May 15th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
i tried this in training yesterday and although i felt good, it was slower!! Maybe i need to practice my first 200m?
May 16th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
18:00 minutes of blah, blah, blah.
Figure out what splits you want to hit at the 100 and first 200 in order to run your goal 400. The right training will get you through the last 200. Sorry Latif, way too much info for a simple way to run a one lap race.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Hi Latif!
First things first….yes you pronounced my name correctly. Much appreciation for that and of course the shout for New Jack City alone. Secondly, and most importantly thanks so much for providing the strategic recommendations for running the 400 meter dash. I’ll quickly report that we made some last minute adjustments and completed the race mapping with her. My daugther was ranked 10th at a 5-way tie for 2nd place going into County this weekend. She placed 3rd (2nd in her heat) coming all the way from behind in lane 2 and set her personal best of 62.51. Just making this adjustment alone shaved off a whole 2.6 seconds off of her time and enabled her to get a bronze medal.
Somewhere along the way, I had figured out that her first 5 steps is the crucial key to setting her rhythm in the race (she is actually a hurdler where steps and rhythm are so important)but I can actually see the difference by employing that one simple technique alone in open sprints. When she ran the second leg of the 4×400 meter relay she started off from the hand-off versus coming out of the blocks and forgot to count her first five steps and her split time was a whole 4 seconds slower than her open 400 meter time run earlier. I’m sure that was partially due to dehydration (I’m in Florida and the kids were sitting out in the sun for at least 45 minutes prior to their race after check-in) but much of it was due to the fact that she hasn’t figured out how to run a consistent leg on the 4×400 yet.
I’m still working on the 100 through 200 meter portion of the race specifically with her understanding how to move into a float. For some reason it hasn’t quite clicked in practice yet but I did notice she did it naturally in her open 400 meter race today. A conundrum of sorts but I’ve explained it as you have in some of your courses by telling her it is not a deceleration but a portion of the race where she relaxes without taking her foot off of the gas pedal.
Believe it or not but since I’ve employed some of the earlier suggestions and due to the fact that she is in 8th grade and still becoming acquainted with the developmental level of competition, I don’t have a problem with her last 100 meters.
I also wanted to thank you for this website. I’ve only discovered this website 3 weeks ago but I can see a tremendous difference already. I read your article about what to do when an athlete reaches the high school level and the skill of the coach is lacking but I also want to throw myself at your mercy as Luke Skywalker did when he encountered Yoda in the Dagobah system to request a course for parents who need help with dealing such a scenario. I worry on how to tackle this issue while improving my athlete’s skill without sacrificing her development and overworking her as there is a possibility that the high school program she will enter will leave much to be desired.
Thanks so much for your time and effort.
Chenel AKA Jedi Parental Padawan
May 17th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Latif, I agree with most of what you said. The major difference that I have is the over exageration of the arms in the last 100M. This would cause a lengthening of the stride and the loss of turnover. I find that short compact and aggressive focus on the arm motion is far more beneficial. The short, fast, and compact arm motion increases turnover and keeps my athletes from falling apart.
May 17th, 2010 at 8:54 am
(1) Tito: Check out (21) Sarah’s comments. Look, the 400 hurts. I don’t try to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. Instead, I just consistently reframe the way kids perceive that pain. I describe it as teaching kids to ‘eat the pain’. Instead of fearing it, consistently repeat to your son that the only way to succeed is to make the choice to run head first into the pain and, when it comes, get angry and run, head first, right through it. Remind him that the race hurts just as bad when he runs a bad time because he broke during the race as it does when he runs fast. In truth, much of this reframing is done during lactic acid workouts, etc. It’s not just the day of/before the race. But the bottom line is that, at some point, the athlete must make a *choice* to run through it. Jedi Mind Tricks are great, but will power doesn’t work forever. He must become the type of person who doesn’t mind the pain. If he can’t make that choice, then he may not have the temperament to succeed at that distance. I’ve had some *potentially* great 400m runners underachieve because they didn’t have the mental strength to get through the grind.
LT
May 17th, 2010 at 8:59 am
(2)kirk: 1. All out the first 5 steps, like the 100m. It won’t come back to haunt them because they’re not even going to get 10m into the race before leveling off. It will get them up to pace and, in the end, they will conserve far more energy doing this than not.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:10 am
(3) Mitchell: I’m not too surprised by that. Good coaching plus natural ability = freak times. (not that I would call that a freak time) Improving your ability to handle/buffer that lactic acid comes from improving aerobic capacity, doing middle intensity lactic acid work (intensive tempo runs) and special endurance runs during training. Again, what happens in a race is a direct result of the way you train.
My opinions on how to develop these qualities are covered extensively here:
http://www.completeprogramdesignforsprinters.com
and, of course, here:
http://www.completespeedtraining2.com
May 17th, 2010 at 9:13 am
(4) Robert: Great race! I’d still like to see a longer first two steps and a little more range of motion in the arms.
LT
May 17th, 2010 at 9:14 am
(5) Michael: I am not taking on any athletes/clients at this time. If I do take anyone on or speak/coach at any camps and clinics, I”ll be sure to announce it here.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:15 am
(6) Nick – There is no quick answer to that question. I suggest this to start:
http://www.completespeedtraining2.com
May 17th, 2010 at 9:22 am
(11) Ben – According to my USATF Level II manual, your first 200 should be your best 200m + 1.0-1.5 seconds and your second 200m should be your first 200m + 1-1.5 seconds. That’s a good baseline to use and then you can make ‘real world’ adjustments from there.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:27 am
(16) Milton: Tough to say without any other information about your daughter. If I were coaching her, I’d be focused more on developing consistency, technique and race strategy than I would about times. I’d focus more on trying to win her heat, than the time because if she keeps winning her heat, the times will come. At 12, I don’t want to do anything that would make the kid feel like running is a job. But if you want a number, in my mind I’d be trying to get her under 61.5.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:31 am
(19) David: I generally don’t give those types of percentages because, in most cases, they don’t mean anything specific to a kid. As was discussed above, I generally want kids to come through the first 200 at 200PR + 1-1.5 seconds. Generally closer to 1.5. The last curve is a controlled, but aggressive stride/pace. Our training throughout the course of the season is designed to teach them how to know what that pace feels like so they can do it accurately in the championship races.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:41 am
(20) BrAdley: I don’t know what happened to your other post. But I do remember it. In previous responses, I gave projected splits for male 400m runners. If you want your female/s to go sub60, much of this ability will be dependend on having enough of a speed reserve to handle such a pace. In short, it means you must have a fast enough 200m PR. For females, the 1st 200 of the 400 should be (roughly) Best 200m + 1.5-2.0 seconds and the last 200m should be 1st 200m + 1.0-1.5 seconds.
So if your sprinter has a 26.5 PR, they would split 28.5/30.0 for a 58.5 400m. I find this to be unrealistic at the HS level. Most kids are going to come back, in my experience, 2-3 seconds slower in their 2nd 200.
In terms of teaching proper turnover in order to minimize backside mechanics, I’m going to do a video on that later this week. It’s the main thing holding most sprinters back, but requires consistent practice, repetition and feedback from the coach or teammates who know what they’re looking for/at.
I’ll post that video Wednesday or Thursday.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:43 am
21. Sarah – Good advice!
22. Paul – Retraining yourself to sprint correctly is unnatural. Therefore, you’ll likely have to take a step back to go 2 steps forward. I tell my kids that if it feels natural, you’re doing it wrong. So focus on doing it right(in practice), even though it’s going to be slower at first. As it becomes natural, it’ll get faster because it takes less deliberate practice. Of course, in a race, don’t think just run!
But being slower at first is both natural and expected.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:49 am
23. Coach P – I always allow dissent, but please have the courage to use your real name. Anonymous blog posts are the lowest form of dialogue and if I’m going to put myself on the line, you can too.
That said – Is 18′+ too long for a rant about running the 400? Possibly. But if you’re surprised by a rambling Latif rant, you must not have been reading/watching my stuff for very long.
Plus, I’d argue that most people appreciated all 18:00+ based on the responses. Again, I don’t only post the positive stuff, I post everything.
My counter to your statement is that I don’t think your approach is ideal for developmental sprinters. Giving a kid a 100 and 200 split to hit and then not giving any advice for the most difficult *half* of the race seems like an insufficient means of running fast times. I just don’t think they’ll be able to hit those splits with any consistency.
However, if you’d like to direct me to your site or write an artice or create a video on anything about developing sprinters, I’ll be glad to post it if it’s good. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I’ll promote anyone who has better answers than mine.
LT
May 17th, 2010 at 9:54 am
24: Chenel: 2.6 seconds just from evolving the race plan? Nice job! Maybe my video wasn’t too long after all…
Running the 400 isn’t easy. And I’m not just talking about the pain aspect. It requires strategy and repetition. So, as your daughter continues to develop, she’ll get a better sense of how to attack the race in a way that suits her personal style.
Just continue to be patient, make sure she has a specific plan, talk about the good and bad from each race so she learns and evolves with each race and don’t put too much pressure on her. Do that and she’ll run times neither of you thought possible.
LT
May 17th, 2010 at 10:02 am
25. Jean – Fair enough. When I watched the video, I thought:
‘I may have over done the arm action part’ because I don’t usually go quite that far in stressing arm action.
That said, I do disagree with your approach. During the last 100m of the 400, stride length and frequency are falling off. To focus on ’short, compact’ range of motion will only contribute to the athlete’s rate of deceleration. So I want them to focus on ‘over exaggerating’ because it’s not going to lead to overstriding at the end of a 400. All it will do, ultimately, is get them to the natural range of motion we want to see as they fight the pain and muscle failure they are experiencing.
While you’re correct about potential overstriding (when the athlete is *not* in a state of fatigue), I think you’ve course corrected too far in the opposite direction by cueing a minimized range of motion. Perhaps a ‘middle way’ compromise is the best solution here.
May 17th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Coach Latif, thanks for the video lesson. I am a youth coach in New Jersey and we really base our training foundation on the 400 meter race. Your training and race plan makes perfect sense. I think alot of times, especially in youth development, this race plan training is overlooked and kids will tend to burn out at around 13 or 14 years old….this sort of training to understand the 400 will help in the long run………thanks alot.
May 17th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
I run the 400 hard for the first 50m. I try to pass the guy to my right as quickly as possible, if I dont pass him then I relax to 200. I like to come through 23.2 – 23.5. My personal best is 48.10, my 200 split was 23.4 that day. I felt good the last 100m. I ran 48.94 and I came through 22.8 for 200 and my last 100m hurt bad.
May 17th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
hi latif having trouble downloading your free video HELP
May 18th, 2010 at 7:11 am
40. Kevin – I completely agree.
41. Nice job, James!
42. Marcus – Have you tried downloading the newest version of Adobe Flash?
May 18th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
should the runner be thinking about the a run drill during the float stage of the 400 meters ?
May 19th, 2010 at 7:00 am
Hello Latif,
Thank you for sharing. I am a golfer but your explanation of running the 400 can be applied to playing a round of golf. Your focus on aticipating the choice between fighting on or quitting is important. There are a few times in most rounds of golf where it comes down to that choice. Also I like how you say that playing (running) bad and or good creates the same amount of pain so to speak. The entire planning of the phases of the race is interesting. Here’s a question…the main roadblock I have in planning is that it seems like I am trying to predict the unpredictable. Planning also seems to put pressure on me (perhaps some pressure is a good thing). Maybe you would agree that it is important to be flexible in your planning or do you believe in more of a precise plan. Thank you again for your insights!
May 19th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Well I have a meet of real importance coming up this weekend. I’ll have to see if hasving a plan can get me down to this 46 high 47 low that I need to run.
May 19th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
44. Ray – The ‘A Run’ drill would be a good one to think about since it would most closely approximate what running form looks like when done well. So I would say to think about it if you can do it without it slowing you down. If thinking about that is a distraction and takes too much mental strength, then just run the race. Focus on technique in practice and winning in meets.
45. Joe – Good comparison! I believe we always need to be flexible in our planning because there are an infinite number of issues that can pop up that force us to modify the original plan.
LT
May 20th, 2010 at 6:11 am
Hi Latif,
So ummmm, I don’t mean to act like Pookie (yet again) but it is Thursday AM and you said the other day that you planned to post a video on backside mechanics on Wednesday or Thursday.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
48. Chenel – LOL. It’s up!
http://tinyurl.com/2g4hru8
May 20th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Coach P – the “one lap race” as you called it is one of if not the most tactical race & the fastest athlete will not always win so hitting a 100m/200m time does not dictate the result…as I am sure most people will agree a 400m starts at 200m
May 20th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Coach P- You make racing over the 400m, (which is one of the most tactical of all sprints) look so simple. Is it possible for you to give us more details and drills you use.
I was always under the impression the first 200m set up the athlete for the second 200, as that is when the race begins in the 400m.
May 21st, 2010 at 7:37 am
Latif, thanks for the information it was great. My son ran the 400m this season and told me he didn’t like it because of the pain. When I asked him if he had a plan, he said what do you mean? I don’t coach track so I was not much help,which got me thinking about the coaching and preparation he is not receiving. I’m going to show him this video and see what he thinks.
May 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 am
I think your race plans for 200 and 400 are fantastic.
My other son runs 800 and 1500 and wondered if you know who could give me information on race plans for them as he just goes out and runs them and is not very successful.
Mae
May 22nd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
latif, i was wondering how do you train for a 400 coz you cant do gym work because that slows you down (apparantly) so what lots of short sprints?
May 22nd, 2010 at 3:38 pm
thanks Mr. Thomas for your tips they’ll really help me prepare for my jr year im workin hard right now thats its summertime and hopefully i’ll win in the 400=), and all my other events.
May 24th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Hey Latif,
Noticed the Princeton tee. Did you run or coach at Princeton?
Best,
Christopher
May 24th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Chris – I did neither. (I ran at UConn) One of my former athletes ran there and I have a hard and fast rule that says if you go to college to run track and I coached you, then you owe me a tshirt from that school. So I just rotate my collection of college track t-shirts and that’s what I happened to be wearing that day.
May 25th, 2010 at 5:58 am
Latif, excellent advice on running the 400, I’ve been sprinting for 50 years now and the 400 always surprises me, it can be a frustrating race if not run correctly and also very satisfying. You are so spot on with your analysis of the final 100 meters, Coach Carson of East Carolina said ” the only thing you have left at that point is a prayer” However, the late great Coach Bud Winter echoed your statement, and that is; to exaggerate your arm movement, trying to lengthen your stride will only slow you down more. Latif, something not mentioned and could you elaborate on this: Suppose on race day you have a brisk wind in your face on the backstretch, how would you adjust your strategy? Wind seems to scare some sprinters, thanks Latif for giving back to our great sport.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
> I have a hard and fast rule that says if you go to college to run track and I coached you, then you owe me a tshirt from that school.
That’s a great rule!
Best,
Christopher
May 27th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
Latif, my daughter 15, has the 800 and 400 tomorrow at the Eastern Ontario\s. 1:03 400m, and 2:30 800m.
Any tips to shave 2secs off the 4 and 3 secs off the 8 in a last minute quest or just follow the video.
Thanks.
Great vid.
May 28th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
50. Glenn – Follow the video and the times will come down.
May 30th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Hi, I am due to run a 400m race in about 3 weeks time, I’m 14 years old in but I normally can only last 200m and when I run i don’t bend my legs either. Have you got any tips how to train for the 400m in my circumstance?
Many Thanks
Ranvir
June 2nd, 2010 at 2:27 am
Running the 400m is like playing golf. Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. But it’s always the most consistent players that win tournaments. Even if they have a bad “first 9″, they should have the heart and mental strength to come back strong on the final 9.
I always have my athletes do 100m/200m time trails towards the end of SPP going into the Comp season. I find that this helps them learn race pace.
June 4th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Thanks for the great video,
I am a 400m and 200, runner and we just finished our season
im a senior in high school and i wanted to run in college.
i really dont have a coach righ tnow and i was wondering if
there is a special workou ti could do over the summer to improve
my 400 time right now im running a 52.9 and i want to bring it down
thanks
June 5th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I coach in Arkansas, I have a 10th grader that one the 100m, 200m, 400m, 2nd leg of the 4 x 100m, and long jump at the state meet. I really like your philosophy on a race plan with diagrams. Mine was you have to win all your events for our team to have a remote chance at winning state. The 400m video helped me explain it better for the future. My athlete ran the 400m by jogging/striding the 1st 100m, which I was upset. He was just talented enough to out run everyone during the 290m – 400m area. Keep the videos coming, great job.
June 7th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Ranvir – There’s no short answer to that question, but learning some speed drills is a good place to start.
Werner – Good to hear from you again. Good analogy and I agree with the 100/200 time trials during late SPP if you’re running a traditional program where you don’t have dual meets a week or two into the season like we do here at the HS level in the US.
June 7th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Devin – There are no magical workouts. However, here is a 12 week offseason 400m training program that will help you:
http://www.athletesacceleration.com/preseason-training-for-400m-runners-week-12/
June 15th, 2010 at 9:42 am
hi Mr. Thomas my name is Zontavius Johnson Im the track coach at North Lawndale College in chicago. I got the job with about a month before the season started so my girls had no real off season. we finished this year on a good note we sent girls to the state meet in 200, 400, 4×1, 4×2, 4×4, 100MH and the Long jump the bad part about that is the same girls are running everything because we are small but talented. my goal as a coach is to get my girls back to state next year and make some real noise so I ordered you complete sprint 2 series. now my question is I want to use it as a summer work out since all 12 of my girls are running for me this summer I can train how we need to. would using your training series a ggod idea or bad.
June 17th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Hello Latif, I appreciate all the advise you post. My daughter is an elite 200m 400m high school athlete whom will be entering her senior year in August. She was part of the girls 4×100m relay that won the California state meet this year 45.74 and was a finalist in the 200m. Her PR in the 400m is 54.72 and consistantly runs 53.50 sec splits in the 4×400m anchor leg. She did that as a sophmore. This year she ran the the 200m 5 times with the times getting lower every time. 25.01, 24.65, 24.46, 24.24, 23.86. Then she got to the state meet and ran 24.55. What happened? It’s not that she has’nt run in the state meet before cause’ she was there as a sophmore in 3 events. If you have time, look at her video on Dyestat.com click on region,click on calif, click video, look for girls 4×100m finals. She ran second leg. Rancho Verde High School. Lane #6. Also Girls 200m finals. Lane #1 She was good in the leg of the 4×100m but sucked in the 200m. Please advise.
June 17th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
coach Johnson – CST2 will most certainly show you what you need to know to design quality summer training for your athletes.
steve estell – i’m tempted to not reply to your question at all due to me excessive jealousy of how fast your daughter is!
on a serious note, you’re better off posting the link to her race because i’ll get sidetracked before I click on that many links.
I don’t know that I can give you a clear answer on what happened without knowing anything about her training history, what was going on in her life, etc.
Offhand, it’s pretty tough to run fast times in Lane 1. So that right there is going to slow her down. It could be as simple as having a bad day at the wrong time. But I just don’t have enough information to feel confident in answering your question.
June 17th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
this is very interesting!my season is already over unfortunately but summer is there and i want to get better. I ran a 49.7 as a split for my 4×4 and a 49.9 as indiviual time FAT!
For my 800 my fastest time is a 1:58.
Im about to go into my senior year and really want to drop my times atleast to 47/1.54!!
Track is the only thing I have to get me to college considering financial aid because I dont’t live with my parents!
I love track and just wanna get better!how can you help me?What can I do?
June 24th, 2010 at 11:31 am
hello quick question should i used the CST2 to train my 300 meter hurdlers and my 800meter runner or should i use another way to train them both
June 28th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Dashawn: Great goals. How can I help you? You can help yourself by reading this blog and learning about training. But telling you what you can do would require a very long post beyond the scope of what I can provide here.
coach Johnson: I don’t cover hurdles in CST2, but the training principles are the same I use for my 400IH athletes (and 300h back before we switched to 400h) and I’ve had great success. You can also use a lot of CST2 to develop your 800m runners as I believe 800m runners don’t do enough speed work, strength training, power development, etc. If you look at the US National Champ at 10,000m, he has a flat 200m time of 23.0. Speed!!!!
But you’ll still need some endurance knowledge to add to your 800m runners’ program.
June 28th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Your advice on having a plan to run the 400m is simply the truth, I agree with you 100%. I briefly ran track in high, but now, I just run for fun.
The way you describe the plan was the way I some what ran the 400m. But to hear you explain the plan, I now have a better understanding of the plan, and where I went wrong. The one thing you can include in the plan is the mechanics of running, you mention this in one of your previous video. My high school coach always said technic will make you better, especially in the 400m. As you mention the last 100m in the 400m is a monster, and proper technic, it will make you a better finisher.
Thank you for the videos’and a better understanding of the plan.
Thanks,
WRJ
July 3rd, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Impressive, most impressive. I have a nine-year son who has qualified for Regionals in the 100M, 400M, and 200M. I have noticed a particular running style on a few athletes in his group and the lower group. Their consistently winning and look most comfortable while doing so. I asked the Lord, God if He would help me understand this technique. This style of running. Because it’s so effective and efficient. My son is running on sheer will and determination and competing. While he has excelled beyond my and others expectations I always observe meticulously what works, and works efficiently. Well, fate (Holy Spirit) led me to Complete Track and Field.com and clicked on a few links and ran across CST2 ordered the ninety-minute free download and the rest is history. There is only One God, One Lord, One Holy Spirit. God bless you Latif! Keep up the excellent and informative work.
July 4th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Hi! I´m 49 from Sweden who moved to australia for 1 year. I´m a 400m runner beliving I can get a better runner. Started 4 years ago on 64 sek now i`m down on 59. I´m used to tartan tracks from home but here I have only grass tracks. I did compete the first tim in aus 3 week ago. 27 on 200 but 62 on 400m.(on tartan) Next competition is in beginning of nov. I won the european mastership goldmedal the last 2 times and I know I can do better. I would like to improve my speed and I think I learned a lot from your videos. I have a program i follow but I need some “new inputs” to get more motivated. I´m confused in my training. I´m very god at follow my program and can feel my body and the different speeds when training. I know what flow is and how to “eat” pain at 200m. I am very competitive and always do well at competitions (exept for the last competions 400m race) but not so god in training sessions. I love and need competitions but I want to be very good prepared when competing. Do you have any suggestions of how to proceed. I have this week started again with wheights and hilltraining. Hope you understand my swinglish writing. Thanks a lot/ Elizabeth
July 7th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Hi Mr. Latif,
I’m 15 years old from Conyers, Georgia. My brother and I would like to know if you are currently training anyone at this time, because we would really appreciate your help.
July 14th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Good Information. Can this also be applied to 400m Hurdlers?
July 15th, 2010 at 7:54 am
Elizabeth: http://www.completespeedtraining2.com and/or http://www.completeprogramdesignforsprinters.com
Yvette: No, the race plan for the 400h is considerably different.
July 15th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Do you have a preparation similar for 400H?
August 14th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
THIS WAS GREAT, A LOT OF HELPFUL IDEAS.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING SIMILAR FOR THE 800M AND 1500M RACE?
Sue
August 18th, 2010 at 9:39 am
hey latif, do you have any videos about how to run the 100m?
August 18th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Yvette: Not yet!
Sue: Not yet!
Kyle: Not yet!
OK, so clearly these videos are popular. I’ll start working on them.
August 23rd, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Latif, you forgot an important aspect “pray” before you run the “4″ as wellas in the last 100. Excellent presentation. I will share it with my more mature athletes. I ill let you know if I get back to the low sixties for us old guys that is a goal.
Like your style.
August 30th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Hey Latif. I really enjoyed this video. You hit all of the most important points during a 400m race and I will be adjusting my races according to this.
Right now it is pre-season and I have been running mileage. At least 20 miles a week, usually more. At the same time I have been doing some light weight training, mostly just upper-body and core strength. Do you have any suggestions for workouts? I improved my time last year by almost 2 seconds with this routine (52->50) so I don’t want to plateau at 50. Thanks.
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:38 am
Dear Mr.Thomas, well I am preparing for the coming Veterans Asiad in Kaulalumpur, Malasia. I live in India and 52+category (Veterans). Thank u very much about the Idea of running 400 perfectly.
I wish I can bring a medal to my country.
Thank u,
With regards
Gangavarapu.Venkataramana