800 and 1600

Meter Training
and Racing
Natalie Reyes
Women’s Middle and Long Distance
Track Coach at Cherry Creek HS
 A little about myself:
• Have coached Track and Cross Country for the past
10 years at Chaparral, Columbine and Cherry
Creek.
• Didn’t start with a distance background, anyone
can learn!
• I have a great support system at home and a track
loving family!

Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 2
Points of Emphasis for my
Presentation Today:
• Relationships with your athletes
• What my Typical Practice looks like
• Training Plans for a 800 and 1600 meter runner
• Basic racing strategies for the 800 and 1600

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 Building a Relationship
with your Athletes
• Its important that your athletes trust you
• Be honest with them
• Put in the energy to be the best mentor that you
could possibly be, it will pay off
• Don’t cut corners, do your best to individualize
• Kids respect hard work and you caring about them
• Make each practice worthwhile and have fun!

CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 4

• “There is so much that I love Jordan McCurdy
(Sophomore)
about our distance team! I 800 – 2:26.64
think my favorite part is just 1600 – 5:33.37

how close everyone on the

distance team is by the end
of the season. I think that is
something that is especially
unique to our team. Our
workouts can be so mentally
and physically challenging,
and having a strong,
supportive team always
brings out the best in me.”

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 How to find 800/1600m
Runners on Your Team
• 1600m time trials during Pre-Season
• Pentathlon
• Most simple way is to have your athletes try running
one event up and down from what they think is
“their event”. Compare their time to others on your
team and find their strength.
o Athletes are drawn to events where they are most successful

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Training the 800 from two
different approaches:
• The 800 is roughly 60% Aerobic and 40% Anaerobic
• Two different athletes that will run the 800. The
“Sprint 800m Runner” vs “The Distance 800m
Runner”
• Both are extremely different athletes that need their
training approached in two different ways to find
success.
• How do you train both these athletes without trying
to manage 10 different workouts each day!?!?
o Easy method is to get on track with your sprint/long sprint coach and
design your workouts such that you are on the same type of workout
schedule. If you do this, you can easily have the sprint 800m runners
workout with the sprint group on certain days.

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 Training the 1600m
Runner
• In my opinion, its easier. 1600m runners need a
distance approach to find success. You can only
find success if athletes get a proper base under
their belts with proper speed training via intervals
and hill workouts.
• This athlete is more versatile. Can jump up and
down from the 800m to the 3200m.
• Don’t let your athletes get stuck in just running one
event like the 1600. When runners race different
distances, it helps them gain experience in racing
and prevents that runner from getting frustrated
with their event if they don’t see improvements
week to week.
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 Basic Racing Tips for the
800 and 1600
• Race strategies can vary significantly from athlete
to athlete.
o Not a one size fits all solution

• Get to know your athletes tendencies as a runner,

and work to help them better the part of the race
they may struggle with.
o 800 – 200 splits
o 1600 – 400 splits

• In general:
o 800 – Even split or positive split
o 1600 – Even split or negative split

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 Basic Racing Tips for the
800 and 1600
• Remember they are high school kids!!! Don’t
overthink it!
• Make some of your workouts mimic race type
scenarios or practice their race pace in interval
training.
• Most important part of the race it that they are
having fun, and learning from their experiences.

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 Typical Practice
• Whole Team warm-up
o Improves team comradery
o Less occurrences of injuries
o Helps your distance runner improve their form

• Split into groups

• Assign workout with an explanation on why they are
doing it and what they should get out of it
• Post Practice Routine
• Extras
o 3-6-9-12-9-6-3 Ab workout

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 Warm-Up
Pre-Season: 2x20 meters/set Mid-Season: 2x30 meters/set Late Season: 2x40 meters/set

1. 1 LAP TOGETHER ON TRACK (Start on East side)

2. 40-60m STRIDES ACROSS TURF

3. HIGH KNEES W/ ARMS/ IN OPPOSITION TO KNEE LIFT

4. BUTT KICKS – keep kicks quick and hit butt (10 every 5 yards)

5. WALKING QUAD STRETCH – 15yds – KNEE HUGS BACK

6. FRONT LUNGES w/twist (GAUCHO WALKS) – 15-30yds – BACKWARD LUNGE WALKS BACK

7. WALKING HIP ROTATION W/ STRADDLE SIDE LUNGE STRETCH – 15 YDS

8. ARM ROTATIONS w/ skipping – 20-40yds - (forward/backward back)

9. GRAPEVINE W/FRONT LEG CROSSING UP AND OVER – 15yds (hip flexor)

10. DYNAMIC HAMSTRING LEG KICKS – 20-40yds – w/walking/skip/shuffle

11. BACKWARD RUNNING – 20-40 yards (Good Lean Forward)

SQUAD BREAKDOWN – TEAM MEETING - SELF STRETCHING – 3 MINUTES

12. “A” STEP march/skip – toe up/heel up knee up (dorsal flex position)

13. “B” STEP (Majorette Step) march/skip

14. “C” Step – drive knee upward/sideways/upward w/hopping motion/switch legs

15. SHORT SKIRTS – 25 yards

16. FAST FOOT – 3 jogging steps then “a”/”B” step (snapping leg over)
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 Post-Practice Routine
• Post Interval or Hill Workout:
o 2 core, 1 leg (3 sets)
o Donkey Kicks , Donkey Whips, Push-ups, Plank Crawl, Superman, Leg Cross
Overs, Scorpion Curls, Side Plank Leg Raises, Groiners

• Post Long Run, Tempo or Fartlek Workout

o 1 core, 2 leg (3 sets)
o Fence Drills – Leg Kicks, Leg Sweeps, A Steps, Forward and Reverse Hurdler

• Pre-Season
o 2 days a week of weight room followed by Fence Drills
o 3 sets of 15 reps (Squats, Lunges, Bands, Back Workout, Sit-ups)

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 • “The thing I loved most about last
year was the consistency in training. Jordyn Colter
Every week it was consistently the (Freshman at Cal)
same type workouts, but sometimes 800 – 2:04.56
1600 – 4:46.22
the intensity would increase a bit. Mile – 4:41.10
The little progressions we made in
training made such a big
difference, and they turned into big
key workouts that really increased
my fitness. My body got used to
each workout and week by week it
seemed to get easier. I saw major
improvements in just one week and
it continued throughout the season.
Mixed with the proper rest and
recovery days, consistent training
was the most important thing for me
last year!”

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 3 Phases to a Runners
Season
• Phase 1: Pre-Season (Roughly 12 weeks)
o Typically around December to start of track season in February
o Important to get base training done during this time period
o Strength training is also an essential part of your training regiment
o Don’t be scared to give your workouts some variety! Include tempo, fartlek
runs, hill workouts, trail runs in your workout plans.
o Add a some days of race pace work
• 16 x 100m at goal 1600m pace with a jog recovery in between each 100.
o Do a couple 1600m time trials to monitor progress and to decide paces for
more advanced runners
• Long: Roughly 2 min slower than 1600m pace
o Easy conversation with your running buddy
• Tempo: Roughly 1 min slower than 1600m pace
o A few words for your running buddy
• Hard Effort: Close to race speed for a short time
o Focused no energy to talk to your running buddy

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 Example of a Week in
Training during Phase 1:
• Monday: Tempo Run
o A – 50 minute run with 5x5min tempo
o B – 40 minute run with 4x5min tempo
o C – 30 minute run with 3x5 min tempo
o 4-6 striders / Core and Leg Work
• Tuesday: Shorter Run
o A – 40 minute run B – 30 minute run C – 20 minute run
• Wednesday: Hill Workout (strength)
o All – 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool-down
o A – 4x3 hills B – 3x3 hills C – 2x3 hills
o Core and Leg Work
• Thursday: Long Run
o A – 60 minute run B – 50 minute run C – 40 minute run
• Friday: OFF
• Saturday: Fartlek Run
o 10 minute warm-up and 10 minute cool down
o All – 1/2/3/2/1 with equal amounts of rest time in between each rep
• Sunday: OFF

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 3 Phases to a Runners
Season
• Phase 2: Pre-Competition (Roughly 6 weeks)
o Typically from the start of the Track Season until Spring Break
o Maintain mileage for 1600m and 800m kids
o Alternate two days on the track one week, then only one day the next
• Allows you to do more hill based interval workouts during this time to
continue to build strength
• Keeping kids off the track prevents injury (shin splints) and excites them for
track workouts
o Add more pace work and shorter interval workouts
o Begin racing, with an understanding that these races will be helping us get
better for when it counts
o Basic Weekly Plan:
• Monday: Longer Intervals or Hills (endurance speed)
• Tuesday: Long Run
• Wednesday: Shorter Intervals or Hills (speed)
• Thursday: Shorter Run
• Friday: Pre-Meet
• Saturday: Competition

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One Example of a Week in
Training during Phase 2:
• Monday: Hills
o Fruit Loops – Hill sprint up, stride across, speed down, recovery across
o OR
o Set of 3-5 Hills going up, set of 2 hills going down
• Tuesday: Long Run
o A – 60 minutes B – 50 minutes C – 40 minutes
o 4-6 Striders
• Wednesday: Track Workout (speed day)
o 300-500 x 3 (300m at 800m pace, 500m at 1600m pace)
o 200m jog recovery in between each set
• Thursday: Shorter Run
o A – 40 minutes with pickups on the hills
o 4-6 Striders
o B/C – Pre-Meet
• Friday: Pre-Meet
• Saturday: Meet

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 Another Example of a Week
in Training during Phase 2:
• Monday: Long Intervals
o 1000’s x 4 at 3200m pace
o 2x200 all out
• Tuesday: Long Run
o A – 6 miles B – 5 miles C – 4 miles
o Striders
• Wednesday: Short Intervals
o 4x200 at 800m pace (3 sets)
o 200 jog recovery, 400m jog recovery after each set
• Thursday: Short Run
o A – 4 mile run
o Striders
o B/C – Pre-Meet
• Friday: Pre-Meet
• Saturday: Meet

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 3 Phases to a Runners
Season
• Phase 3: Competition (Roughly 6 weeks with a 10-14
day tapor added onto the end)
o Quality vs Quantity
o Focus on Form, leg turnover, feelin’ snappy!
o Decrease the mileage for both 1600m runners and 800m runners
o Increase intensity of the workout, longer rest
o Mirror track workouts to race type scenarios
o Same Monday – Saturday set-up as Pre-Competition
• Hill workouts done!
• Shorter Longer Intervals
• Short Intervals faster than race pace

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 Example of a Week in
Training during Phase 3:
• Monday: Long Intervals
o A – (4-5)x600m at current or goal 1600m race pace with 1-2 minutes rest
o B/C - (3-4)x600m at current or goal 1600m race pace with 1-2 minutes rest
o 3x150 build-ups
• Tuesday: Long Run
o A – 45 minutes B – 40 minutes C – 35 minutes
o 4-6 Striders
• Wednesday: Short Intervals
o GO! Drills
o 300m total (200m at 800m race pace, last 100 fast kick)
o 4-6 reps depending on ability level
• Thursday: Pre-Meet
• Friday: Meet
• Saturday: Recovery Run and Swim
o 30 minute run followed by a recovery swim workout at the pool

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 My scratch work for
Monday’s workout:
• Athlete 200 400 600 Goal Time

• Colter :37 1:14 1:51 4:55

• Markusch/Peterson :39 1:18 1:57 5:12
• Swartz/McCurdy :41 1:22 2:04 5:30
• Raymond :43 1:26 2:09 5:45
• G&D Moran / Blum :45 1:30 2:15 6:00

• Girardeau :49 1:37 2:26 6:30

• Sobrenheim :50 1:41 2:30 6:45
• Walker/Clark :52 1:45 2:37 7:00

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 Questions???

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