Key to a good 4X800m relay

[RHSRunner]

From the look of things, Im going to be put in my schools Varsity 4X800 team, which to say the least is extremely sad! I need to improve before season begins! I will be running XC this year and I run the 2 and 1 mile for sure. I have ran the 4X400's but really last minute filler work. Crappy times, from horrible shin splints all track season. Help plz!

[Dennys_is_Better]

What do you want soemoen to say you seem to know what you have to do.

[riggles]

If you're a good miler you're most likely a good half miler as well. Are you asking how to improve speed for an 800? I'm sure your coach knows what he's doing and will adjust your workouts to give you more speed work instead of just training the same way you did for xc all year. But to answer the title of your thread, the key to a good 4x800 relay is to make sure that you have four good 800 runners. You can't run a good relay with one or two or even three 800 runners, your team needs depth all the way through. 1:59, 2:15, 1:58, 1:55 still loses to a team of 4 2:00 guys.

[Steve201]

as an individual just worry about running your own race. you'll learn throughout the year how to run an 800 and during the relay just run the same. if someone passes you sometimes you have to let them go to keep from dying in the end but you just need to find out youre ability as a runner and try to run the same in the relay as you do in the open.

[AzN at LARGE]

Well the 800 is in my opinion the hardest race to get used to, so I'd maybe run some TT's before the actual race if you haven't raced many 800's just to get some tactics down. The 800 is much more different than the mile or deuce.

[tb1223]

Well the 800 is in my opinion the hardest race to get used to, so I'd maybe run some TT's before the actual race if you haven't raced many 800's just to get some tactics down. The 800 is much more different than the mile or deuce.

it would be hard to incorporate much tactics in a time trial with no other people in it. a better way would be to get used to running it in unimportant dual meets and such.

[AzN at LARGE]

Good point, didn't really think that one through.

[TheGeneral]

possibly the hardest part about the 800 is the fact that you have to jump on it right away. Usually i ended up going out in about 28 first 200, then coming through the quarter in 59-60. My suggestion with the 800 is to get warmed up really well and make sure that your pumped enough to be able to bust out a fast 200 right from the start. Ive found that to run fast, you have to run smart, but aggressive. You have to learn your abilities, and should try experimenting with different strategies, slow to fast, fast to slow, etc.

[dellyJ800]

It helps to remember that no matter how much it hurts, the guy next to you is feeling just as much pain as you are. Keep telling yourself that during the third 200 and you'll be fine.

[Sully 800]

its gonna hurt like hell from about 400-700 meters. At the 400 mark you will think to yourself that there is no way you should run another lap. You have to ignore that because the 800 gives you a very deceptive feeling of not going on. I would suggest not thinking about anything at the 400 mark. At the 500 mark think about passing people and opening your stride- NOT PAIN. The 600-700 usually seems to fly by for me, and the last 100 is the same as every other race.

[underdog]

To run a good 800 leg -
1. fast and relaxed through the 400
2. run a super agressive 3rd 200
3. then hold on and pray you make it home

[robert kelly]

To run a good 800 leg -
1. fast and relaxed through the 400
2. run a super agressive 3rd 200
3. then hold on and pray you make it homeGood advice :D

[DCsoloRunner]

if you don't go all out on the 3rd 200 you loose valuable time, I was a consistant 2.05-2.07 guy my freshman and 1/2of my sophmore year and I felt I hit a plateau untill I realized oneday I'm gonna have to feel pain and I'm gonna be tired at the last 100 anyway so why not kick that 3rd 200's @$$ so I ran a 2.03 with a 31 for the 3rd

[AzN at LARGE]

yea the third 200 is pretty much like the third lap of a mile. Everybody slows down here, so that's exactly when you have to push the pace.

[DCsoloRunner]

yea cause its' hard to realize how much slower you're actually getting you feel like you're still running that 58-59 400 pace but you've really fallen to like uhghg I don't even want to think about it I once ran a 39 3rd 200 every other 200 was 30 flat. I have tons of disapointing 800 stories checkerd by a few good ones like only losing to Lacava by a mere 3 seconds(he was literally jogging)

[justin_g_07]

it's definately easy for you to "fall asleep" between 300-600 meters, because when you hear your 400 split, you're probably not going at that pace anymore because your first 200 should have been faster.

if it feels like you're constantly picking the pace up a little bit, thats good, because it will probably turn out that you're running just as fast as before because your legs will be getting more tired.

then blaze the last 200 or 150.
and keeping the baton in your left hand will keep it safer from getting jarred out than in your right.