400m horrors!

stepperupper

Hey question for any fellow 400m runners. Are ye ever absolutely obliterated after like every race? I'd be in a bad way. I'd be weak as anything, head-ache, muscles attacking me in mutany, stsomach in bits, wanting to vomit and generally feeling like a stampeeding herd of elephants has just trampled u. How do I reduce this nightmare?

stepperupper

I kno the 800 is bloody awful aswell but the 400 is a more intense discomfort (even if it is not as lingering).

thirtyfoot

I'd say you need to change your training program. What kind of sessions do you currently do?

Domer

I would say your feelings are consistant with running your best!!

The 400 is the hardest sprint event of them all, and possibly the hardest event on the track, so much so that juveniles in this country are not aloud to run it at all until they are about 16 or 17. Research has shown that the stress it places on the vascular system over a period of time can result in a thickening of the heart wall.

I remember when I used to race, a 48 second 400 would kill me, cause me to vomit and generally feel wrecked, yet I could run the first lap of an 800 in 50/51 comfortably, and still run a 1:48.... ah the good old day!! I think its the lactate that kills you!!!

Domer

thirtyfoot

Domer wrote:

The 400 is the hardest sprint event of them all, and possibly the hardest event on the track,

Throw in 10 3ft hurdles and you have the hardest of them all, the "man-killer" itself the 400m hurdles.

Linford

Along the lines of what Domer said. If you don't feel light headed, legs wobbly, unable to breath and nauseous you haven't run hard enough. I was a 100m/200m runner in a previous life and while I ran 400s in training I only once ran a competitive 400m... never again....

ecksor

I found after a few years that I could consistently run 51 seconds and be absolutely wrecked after it, but the couple of times I dipped under 51 I was absolutely fine afterwards. I never broke 50. I suppose I should try again while I'm still the right side of 30.

stepperupper

sorry guys i got banned for talking about "you know what". I'd say the pain just gets easier with training. Still I do a good bit of lactic work. Only been training about 3 times a week this yr tho. I do seem to be able to push myself beyond my abilities tho. The result is unpleasant but worth it.

thirtyfoot

http://www.elitetrack.com/articles/effectivetrainingforgruelingrace.pdf

Here is a recent article added to elitetrack.com on the subject of 400m training.

Marathon Man

Tingle wrote:

http://www.elitetrack.com/articles/effectivetrainingforgruelingrace.pdf

Here is a recent article added to elitetrack.com on the subject of 400m training.

Great link Tingle. I went to the main site too and its awesome. Thanks.