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 Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 3 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.” Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 5 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 Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 6 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. Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 7 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. Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 8 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 Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 9 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. Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 10 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 Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 11 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) Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 12 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) Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 13 • “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!” Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 14 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 Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 15 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 Natalie Reyes | Cherry Creek High School CHSCA Track Clinic 1/29/2016 16 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: