Expert: Richard Howland - 6/4/2009

Question
hi my name is jimmy and i just finished my first year of track and its my senior year this year. i ran the 100, 200, 4by1, 4by4, and 400 all on varsity. my 100m time was 11.41 my 200m time was 22.86 but my main race was the 400m dash and my fastest time was 49.56 and i was also the anchor for the 4by4 with a split of 48.95. i missed the state championship meet by one place with a 49.58. i got 4th and top 3 go to state. I've been offered some track scholarships and I've visited colleges already but none have a certain summer workout planned out to train so i was wondering if you could give me some advice on what workouts to do this summer to keep in shape for the 400m. my first 200m is pretty solid but can get better but the last 100m is where i have most trouble in. so is there a certain workout you can give me?? any would work. thank you very much and i hope to hear something soon.

Answer
Jimmy:

Starting from the top, coaches actually have an important place in the sports world and you are a person who could use one.  The problem is this: running is a very individual activity and each person runs differently from most every other person so that gaining speed is not a general question, but a very specific one.  

To answer you I would have to 1) be a coach and I am an official; 2) be able to observe you in person while performing your event; 3) know where you are geographically; and 4) know you well enough to give you a training program that I believed you would follow.  That's what a running coach does.  

If you do not have a high school or college coach nearby, perhaps there is a running club or track club where you can get the help of older experienced runners who can give you ideas and watch you run.

Since I am not in the position to do that, I refer you to the following website which I think you will find has more answers than you may ever have questions.  It is written, I think, by English coaches in many events and sports, but the articles are very thorough and I believe helpful for athletes such as yourself.  The site is at:

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/siteindx.htm

As you scan the index the following entries may be helpful.  I believe that you can pay for certain monographs and other advisories, but the information I refer to is free.  Any payment would be up to you and I doubt that you will need or want any of it any time soon. The entries are:

400 metre Drop Off Test
400 metre Pace
400 metre Time Predictor Test - based on a 40 yard sprint time
400 metre Training Program

Sprint block settings
Sprint Bound Index
Sprint events - 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m & relay
Sprint Hurdles
Sprint Hurdle Events - Training Program
Sprint Relay - 100 metres
Sprint Starts
Sprint Technique
Sprint Technique Photo Sequence
Sprint Technique Warm Up Drills
Sprint Time Predictions - 30m to 250m
Sprint Time Predictions - 150m to 600m
Sprinting
Sprinting - the effect of wind and altitude on 100m times

I give you more information than you need so that you can get an idea of the scope of coverage in the many articles in this site.  I am in no position to give you a more specific suggestion or recommendation,  but I think you will find what you are looking for and with more than you expected, you can pick what is best for you personally, and not whatever I might guess.  Good luck, Dick Howland