“The good news about the 800 is that there are a lot of ways to get the job done.”
It has been quite some time since we had a true 800m specialist on the team, which we have now in Tanner Maier. I believe he has great potential at the 1500m and mile as well, like some previous standout middle distance runners on the team. Tanner completed his indoor season this past weekend with a big indoor PR of 1:48.38, just 0.03 seconds off his outdoor best.
Working with him this winter has had me reflecting on the unique demands of the event. In exercise physiology textbooks, the 800m is typically characterized as roughly 50/50 in terms of aerobic versus anaerobic energy production. In other words, while sprint races are clearly primarily anaerobic, and distance races are primarily aerobic, the 800 sits right in the middle. A recent study showed that the two key factors that determine 800m performance are maximal aerobic speed and maximal anaerobic speed, supporting the idea that both systems are critically and roughly equally important.
There are, as a result, some very different approaches to training for the 800m, which also makes it an incredibly interesting event. Even at the elite level, there are wildly divergent approaches that are equally successful. One approach is to primarily train like a sprinter, with just enough longer aerobic work to develop that system enough to hold on for the roughly two minutes it will require. Another approach is to train like more like a distance runner, but with enough additional sprint work to develop the top end speed and anaerobic capacity to match the high octane nature of the event.
Which is correct? That depends very much upon the individual athlete, as well as whether they wish to be able to race at either shorter or longer events. An athlete who is also going to be racing the 400 would likely benefit from a more sprint-oriented approach, whereas the athlete who will be moving up to the mile needs to establish a larger aerobic foundation. Previous experience, individual tolerance and response to the training can also be important indications for how to best approach the training. Athletes who are more fast-twitch fiber dominant may not reap as much benefit from extensive aerobic work, whereas those who are more slow-twitch may not get the same response to a sprint-heavy regimen. For the high school coach out there, the main point is to be sure to be hitting both systems frequently, but not over-doing either one to the point that it interferes with the development of the other system, or causes the athlete to become over-extended.
The good news about the 800 is that there are a lot of ways to get the job done. The bad news is there’s no easy formula that is going to work for every athlete – the coach needs to pay attention and adjust according to how the athlete is responding.
Chris Lundstrom is the head coach of Minnesota Distance Elite – formerly Team USA Minnesota – which includes some of the top distance runners in the USA, including Annie Frisbie, Dakotah Lindwurm, Breanna Sieracki and Joel Reichow.
