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How effective would cross country training be for a 400m runner? My pr for the 400 is 51.5. Last year my pr was 55.3 for the 400 and my pr for the 200m was 25.0. I don't know my pr for the 100m and 200m because I never ran the 100m open and 200m open.

Is it possible for me to break 49? I sprained my ankle twice in a 3 month period this year. I had to take the month off directly before the track season and managed to get myself back in shape to run a 51.5, only to sprain my ankle 2 days later. I am now a senior and there is no indoor track where I live so I have to train on my own.

Cross country training would be effective with other types of workouts. Weight training and flexibility play a major role in training the 400m runner. Incorporate strength, speed endurance, tempo endurance, strength endurance, endurance running, power speed and speed into your workouts.

The outstanding 400 meter runner will have approximately a one-second deferential between his best open 200 meters and the time it takes him to run the first 200 meters of the 400 meter dash. The less experienced 400 meter runner should have approximately a two-second deferential. This is one area you should concentrate on in your workouts.

A good formula for predicting the potential 400 meter time for a 200 meter runner, providing you are willing to train and to give all you can to become a top 400 meter runner, would be to double the time of your best open 200 meters then add 3.5 seconds to this.

Take 90% of your best time and use this time for the distances that you will train. Run 90-95% for shorter distances. Divide your training into four periods. Each period will be a building block. Work from quantity to quality. You will increase the intensity and work up to 90-100%. All workouts should follow a progressive pattern. This is your guideline.
You cannot start running at 90-100% in the beginning of your training program, so you have to build up to 90-100% of your best time.

The training methods you should incorporate are speed endurance, tempo endurance, hill repeats, stadium steps, continuous runs, short hill repeats, speed drills, strength training including plyometrics and weight lifting.

Coach Payan
www.CoachesEducation.com