The 800m

Tom Brumlik
Background
-5 years @ Westerville North High School

-2 Years @ American University with Matt Centrowitz with an emphasis on recruiting

-Started District Track Club with Coach Centrowitz and Drew Mearns in 2016

-Our group has been partnered with Under Armour since 2019
Our Team Training Principles
-Time: Steady Work Over Time

-Range: Get better at everything from sprinting to long aerobic

running

-Athleticism: 800m Athlete > 800m Runner. High emphasis on drills,

circuit work, cross training, gym work, etc.

-Championship Thinking: Near impossible for a good training plan to

exist without a good team environment and highly disciplined athletes
Our Yearly Structure
-The majority of our team does 2 cycles of building, prepping, and racing for indoors and outdoors

-Build(Sept-Nov, Mar-Apr): Focus on building running/cross training volume, improving physical

strength/athleticism, base work, hills, very little emphasis on race specific workouts

-Prep(Dec-Jan, May-June): Preparation for Competition. Hardest block of training, balance

endurance building workouts, race specific workouts, and competition. Workouts vary significantly
between athletes. The ability to coach and adjust is critical.

-Race(Feb-Mar, July-Aug): Racing and competition focus. Still utilize base/endurance workouts
monthly for maintenance

*How long the cycles are depends on how long an athlete has until they race*
Our Training Terms
Base Work: Steady running, tempo/threshold work. In general, attempting to improve aerobic
efficiency

Endurance Work: 3k-10k pace work, Vo2 Max work CV Pace work. In general, attempting to improve
aerobic power/capacity

Sprint Work: Maximal or near maximal sprinting. Alactic work. In general, attempting to improve
ability to generate high levels of force

Track Work: Anaerobic/Lactate Tolerance, lactate buffering, etc. In general, attempting to improve
anaerobic efficiency

Track Work: 400-800 pace work. Anaerobic capacity, pace work, etc. In general, attempting to
improve anaerobic power/capacity
Types of 800m Athletes
-Goal: Contender to win a state title 1:50/2:08

1. 400/800m: 47/54 for 400m

2. 800m Specialist: 49/56, 4:10/4:50 Mile
3. 800m/1500m: 4:05 Mile /4:45 Mile

-Often times these 3 groups respond differently to different training

-There are more than 3 “types” and more ways to classify

-Mental AND physical differences

Types of 800m Athletes
Volume/Intensity: We don’t count volume but here are some generalizations for running
volume and general training structure

1. 400/800m: 12-20 mpw, 4-5 days a week running, 1-2 days of cross training. Often times
volume diminishes ability to generate force
2. 800m Specialist: 35-50 mpw, 5-6 days a week running, 0-1 day a week cross training.
Often times they need a solid mix of aerobic/anaerobic work
3. 800m/1500m: 45-70 mpw, 5-6 days a week running, 0-1 day a week cross training. Often
times high doses of anaerobic work interferes with their ability to develop aerobically
Our Team
-13 athletes: 8 men, 5 women

400/800 Group: Jazmine Fray(2:00.6), Vince Crisp(1:45.0), CJ Jones(1:46.2),

800 Group: Charlene Lipsey(1:57.3), Sabrina Southerland(1:58.7), Edose Ibadin(1:44.8) Alex

Amankwah(1:44.8), Quamel Prince(1:45.6), Rob Downs(1:46.4)

800/1500 Group: Festus Lagat(1:44.3), Jonah Koech(1:44.7), Claudia Saunders(2:00.4) Danae

Rivers(2:02.5)
Monday: Base Work
Build Prep Race
RPE: 6-7 RPE: 6.5-7.5 RPE: 6.5-7.5

Intent: Aerobic Intent: Steady Intent: Maintain

400m/800m 8x600@80% 6x800@80% of mile 5x800@85% w/ 60 sec rest

of mile pace w/ pace w/ 60 sec
60 sec

800m 5x1200@ 4x1600 @70% of 3x1600@75% w/ 60 sec rest

70% of mile mile pace w/ 60 sec
pace w/ 60 sec rest
rest

800m/1500m 10m Steady 8m Steady 6m Steady Run@65% of mile

Run@55% of Run@60% of mile pace
mile pace pace
Tuesday: Endurance Work
Build Prep Race
RPE: 7-8 RPE: 8-9 RPE: 7.5-8.5
Intent: Volume Intent: Intensity Intent: Sharpen

400m/800m 8x400@92% of 6x500@mile pace w/ 2 4x500@ mile pace w/ 2 min rest

mile pace w/ 75 sec min rest + 3x200@1k +
+ 6x75h@1k effort effort w/ 90 sec 5x200@1k effort w/ 2 min

800m 5x800@80% of 3x800@90% of mile 6x500@ 97% of mile pace w/ 2 min rest
mile pace w/ 90 sec pace w/ 3 min rest + +
rest + 4x500@90% 3x500@97% of mile 3x200@1k effort w/ 2 min
of mile pace w/ 60 pace w/ 2 min rest +
sec + 5x100h@Mile
effort

800m/1500m 8x1k@80% w/ 60 6x1k@90% of mile pace 2x1k@92% of mile pace w/ 3 min

sec rest + w/ 2:30 min rest +
5x100h@Mile effort 4x500@95 mile pace w/ 2 min rest
Wednesday: Recover
Example(400/800m): 40-50 min cross training(Monitor HR)

Example(800m Specialist): 20-30 min run + 20-30 min cross training(Monitor HR)

Example(800m/1500m): 40-50 min EASY Run

-Blood flow = recovery

-Goal is always recovery, never training

-Cross Training is a learned skill

-Best day of the week for any type of therapy

Thursday: Sprint Work, Week 1
Build Prep Race
RPE: 6-7 RPE: 6.5-7.5 RPE 6-7
Intent: Intent: Extend Intent: Be ready for
Fundamental tomorrow

400m/800m 6x30m Sprints w/ 3 6x30m Sprints 6x30m Sprints w/ 3 min +

min + 2x2x50m w/ 3 min + 3x50m
2x2x75m

800m 5x30m Sprints w/ 3 5x30m Sprints 5x30m Sprints w/ 3 min +

min + 3x50m w/ 3 min + 2x50m
3x75m

800m/1500m 8m Steady 7m Steady 4x30m Sprints w/ 3 min +

4x150 w/ walk back
Run@55% of Run@60%
mile pace of mile pace
Thursday: Sprint Work, Week 2
Build Prep Race
RPE: 6-7 RPE: 6.5-7.5 RPE: 6-7
Intent: Intent: Extend Intent: FAST/Controlled
Fundamental

400m/800m 6x30m Hill Sprints 6x30m Sprints w/ 6x30m Sprints w/ 3 min +

w/ 3 min + 3 min + 2x150 w/ 250 walk
5x100@400 pace 4x150@400 pace

800m 5x30m Hill Sprints 5x30m Sprints w/ 5x30m Sprints w/ 3 min

w/ 3 min + 3 min + 3x150 w/ 150 walk, 250 walk
3x100@600 pace + 3x150@600 pace
3x100@400 pace 2x150@400 pace

800m/1500m 4x30m Hill Sprints 4x30m Sprints w/ 4x30m Sprints w/ 3 min +

w/ 3 min + + 3 min + 4x150 w/ walk back
8x100@600 pace 6x150@600 pace
Friday: Track Work
Build Prep Race
RPE: 7.5-8.5 RPE: 8-9 RPE: 8.5-9.5

Intent: Foundation Intent: Intensity Intent: Sharpen

400m/800m 10x200 hills@800 effort 400@800m pace 3x400@600m pace w/ 10 min rest
w/ walk jog down rest 4x200@800 pace w/ 1 min
400@600 pace

800m 8x300h@1500 effort w/ 400@ 800m pace 400@800m pace

jog down 2x400-200 w/ 1 min rest, 3 +
4x200 hill @800 effort between sets 2x400@1k pace w/ 3 min rest
400@600 pace +
400@600m pace

800m/1500m 12x300h@1500 effort w/ 800@1500 pace + 4x400(1k pace down to 800 pace) w/ 3 min rest
jog down 4x400@1200m pace w/ 2 min +
2x200 hill @800 effort 400@600 pace 400@600m pace
 Sunday:
Example(400/800m): 6x4 min easy run@60-70% max HR w/ 1 min walk + 6-8x strides after

Example(800m Specialist): 45-60 min run@60-70% max HR + 5-7x strides after

Example(800m/1500m): 60-75 min run@60-70% max HR + 3-5x strides after

-Effort Level: 5-6

-Very individualized day

-Great day to use a heart rate monitor

-Intent: Come ready to for a good week on Monday

-Build up in volume in the early part of the season, go down in volume as needed throughout the season
Extra Work
-Everyday: Warm Up Drills, Stretching Drills, Mobility Work

-Tues/Fri: Weight Room After. 400/800 athletes may add a 3rd day on Thursday

-Monday: Circuit(posture, lower leg elasticity, foot strength, hip extension, hip stability, hip mobility)

-Thursday: Circuit, Plyometrics, Med Ball Tosses

-Wednesday/Saturday: Recovery Routines(Rope Stretching, Foam Rolling, Therabody, Treatment)

-Our old District Track Club YouTube Channel has a lot more details and resources here
Other Considerations/Findings
-Most important thing is to find talent. Recruiting is vital on every level

-We focus on athletes’ strengths while giving consideration to developing their weakness

-Women seem to need more anaerobic work than men

-Running volume is very specific to the individual

-Aerobic work is very specific to the individual

-Always adapt and adjust throughout the season

 Questions?

Email:[Link]@[Link], Cell: 224-723-7297

Twitter: @DistrictTC