The Gentlemen's Quarter

[Megaplaya]

I run the 400m. I just wanted to know how everyone did with the race and what their philosophy is on it. :cool:

[Speed-driven]

400m is basically..a 50% Mental..And 50% Physcial test..

Your strength has to be able to carry you

Your mind has to know how to run your own race. When to kick.
Get out the blocks fast. Come through corners smoothly. And kno when to lean at a finish.


Basically..A simple way i think of the 400m

[welmoe]

I'm a distance runner, and I love the 400m. Watching people who are fast that run it that is. Personally I ran it once and that was for a pentathalon. 400m runners kick a## :)

[XCforJC]

i'm a distance runner and I love the 400 (though it hurts like HECK after) because there isn't (for me) all that much thinking involved. you just go and RUN like crazy. I like that. I sometimes psych myself out of longer races, but the 400 is nice like that.

[Skibum657]

I go fast for the first 75 to use that creatine phosphate or whatever it is. I try to hold on at just below top speed for 200 meters (like 90%). The last 100 is whatever I have left. I run about a 52. You can't go out slow in the 400.

400 is one of the hardest and ballsiest events there is.

[Mr. Feet]

get out quick and accelerate to cruising speed for the back stretch, then hammer the 2nd turn, balls to the wall for the last 100m. I love that event because it is simple, there are no tactics like drafting or pack racing involved. In my mind there is one flaw with the 400m though; it is missing 10 hurdles that make it so much better!

[Brumund-Smith]

I basically use the Baylor theory:

-Get out HARD the first ~50m
-Relax the rest of the curve, but DO NOT DECELERATE
-Lengthen the strides a little bit on the backstretch and maintain speed
-Quicken the steps a bit as you enter the curve and begin to pick up speed
-At around the 120-130m point, start picking up the knees and begin the kick
-Keep the form together as well as possible at the end of the race

[RSkylineR34]

i like the 4 p method
first 100- push hard
2nd-pace yourself but dont slow down
3rd-position yourself for the final 100
4th-pray that you can hold on til the finish

[Kostyu]

I don't think there is any pacing in an all out 400, just run as fast as you can the entire time.

[remiks]

I don't think there is any pacing in an all out 400, just run as fast as you can the entire time.

Why would you do that?

[McShieldsy]

I don't think there is any pacing in an all out 400, just run as fast as you can the entire time.

Personal opinion, but it is EXTREMELY wise to pace the 400 over in your head and carry it out swiftly while running. You run all out from the start and it's not going to be pretty. I remember in my frosh year I would change the way I ran my 400 each time to see which way worked best and I attempted the all out approach and boy, did I regret that. The Baylor method IMO is the best approach once you feel comfortable with extending your strides. Its easy to botch that first straight up and you could be paying for it big time later on. I'm no master of the 400 but I do try to get out hard and then go into a sort of cruise that feels comfortable to prepare myself for the last turn and straight where it tends to hurt. Ive had some of my races recorded and I noticed that on the final straight, my arms sort of tend to "get out too far infront of me" as if I'm reaching for something. Any suggestions?

[remiks]

Personal opinion, but it is EXTREMELY wise to pace the 400 over in your head and carry it out swiftly while running. You run all out from the start and it's not going to be pretty. I remember in my frosh year I would change the way I ran my 400 each time to see which way worked best and I attempted the all out approach and boy, did I regret that. The Baylor method IMO is the best approach once you feel comfortable with extending your strides. Its easy to botch that first straight up and you could be paying for it big time later on. I'm no master of the 400 but I do try to get out hard and then go into a sort of cruise that feels comfortable to prepare myself for the last turn and straight where it tends to hurt. Ive had some of my races recorded and I noticed that on the final straight, my arms sort of tend to "get out too far infront of me" as if I'm reaching for something. Any suggestions?

I'd suggest focusing on your form. Try thinking about where your arms are and keeping them in good position.


And yeah, goign all out in an entire 400 isn't smart. You start to decellerate after 60 meters, it'd be ugly.

[Speed-driven]

if you run a 400m all out..the avg runner would most likely run a 58..assuming that the avg runner is running around a 54. Obviously because maintaining your speed for partial part of a 400m will benefit more, than going all out and feeling fatigue for the last 150m..I guess in logic..all out sprinting can get u the same time as a pace time. Since you sprint as fast as u can till u feel fatigue. Once u feel fatigue your going to have to bust ALL OUT ..or wutever left u feel in your legs to finish with a decent time. But yes i can see its possible in a sense...i would say..like 1/1millionth chance of doing it though..

Most people pace themselves to benefit them in the long run..like for a KICk..or for energy to beat the guy .0001 sec ahead of you in the last 20m. But hey..run a all out 400m..but u wont have anything in the end to save u..

[Speed-driven]

Well about your decellerate philosophy..i think i dont reach top speed until about 50m..so if your telling me we decellerate after 60m..then i guess i slow down in 10m..that doesnt sound likely..but iunno..? can u say more..?

[welmoe]

I think you should all run like Michael Johnson, and run sub 44s. Jk

[Brumund-Smith]

I don't think there is any pacing in an all out 400, just run as fast as you can the entire time.

I'm guessing you get your ass kicked in the 400m a lot.

[teamV]

I'm guessing you get your ass kicked in the 400m a lot.

haha :)

[remiks]

Well about your decellerate philosophy..i think i dont reach top speed until about 50m..so if your telling me we decellerate after 60m..then i guess i slow down in 10m..that doesnt sound likely..but iunno..? can u say more..?

You start to decellerate around 60 meters. Obviously it isnt a dramatic decelleration, but once you hit top speed, it is prettyl much inevitable that you will soon begin to slow down. In a 100, once you hit top speed you slow down, your last 10m will pretty much never be as fast as 50-60, 60-70,70-80.

Ben Johnson
position.....elapsed time......interval time
10m..........1.83...............1.83
20m..........2.87...............1.04
30m..........3.80...............0.93
40m..........4.66...............0.86
50m..........5.50...............0.84
60m..........6.33...............0.83
70m..........7.17...............0.84
80m..........8.02...............0.85
90m..........8.89...............0.87
100m.........9.79...............0.90

Michael Johnson
010m - 01.93
020m - 03.02 (1.09)
030m - 03.99 (0.97)
040m - 04.90 (0.91)
050m - 05.79 (0.89)
060m - 06.66 (0.87)
070m - 07.53 (0.87)
080m - 08.38 (0.86)
090m - 09.26 (0.87)
100m - 10.12 (0.87)
110m - 11.01 (0.89)
120m - 11.90 (0.89)
130m - 12.79 (0.89)
140m - 13.69 (0.90)
150m - 14.60 (0.91)
160m - 15.51 (0.91)
170m - 16.44 (0.93)
180m - 17.38 (0.96)
190m - 18.34 (0.96)
200m - 19.32 (0.98)

[Megaplaya]

dude... drop the MJ arguement. He was a freak of nature and the fastest man alive. Besides, he isn't even the best runner of the 400m because his form was flawed; it's just that no one really cares what your form is like when you can run a sub44 400m.

[McShieldsy]

dude... drop the MJ arguement. He was a freak of nature and the fastest man alive. Besides, he isn't even the best runner of the 400m because his form was flawed; it's just that no one really cares what your form is like when you can run a sub44 400m.

We all know MJ is the best at 400m but you do bring up a good point. MJ had "bad" form. I say "bad" because for most other runners, it would take away from their performance, but for MJ it was perfect. Once a 400m runner can find THEIR best form is when they'll run their best race. If we go on the subject of runners who have exceptional form in the traditional sense we can look at some of the US's younger 400 runners. Lashawn Merrit and Kerron Clement both have good "traditional" form. The next time you watch Wariner run pay attention to his form. He keeps his arms relaxed, but what some might say tight, but his legs are his power. He opens his stride perfectly. I have not picked up on this but somone mentioned to me that Rock takes smaller, quicker steps instead of trying to open up. Any comments on this?

[remiks]

dude... drop the MJ arguement. He was a freak of nature and the fastest man alive. Besides, he isn't even the best runner of the 400m because his form was flawed; it's just that no one really cares what your form is like when you can run a sub44 400m.

Whoa, I wasn't arguing about MJ... I was making a point about decelleration. Unless your post wasn't directed at me.

[elcaballo]

I ran 50.55 without blocks, and the way I ran was by chilling the first 100, maintaining my speed for 50, slowly accellerating for 50, then working the curve with more gradual accelleration, until I felt like I was going my fastest. I had 100 meters left, and I could maintain what felt like my "fastest" pace the rest of the way through, because the beginning of my race was easy. I wish I had seen the Baylor philosophy last season, I suspect my times would have been much better if I had run correctly

[barton_hurdler]

48.5 @uta

[gazzelle5]

I'm a distance runner, and I love the 400m. Watching people who are fast that run it that is. Personally I ran it once and that was for a pentathalon. 400m runners kick a## :)
what kinda pentathalon were you doing?

[MeadeSprinter07]

I don't think there is any pacing in an all out 400, just run as fast as you can the entire time.

And what's your 400 time? Well it is possible for someone to run a decent 400 without pacing yourself if you don't have any speed and just stride the whole race (some distance runners), but it's not possible for someone to sprint a whole 400.