Forums >General Running>Why I don't like 400's (for the most part)
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Jeff, Your 400s sound like drills, which I would agree are definitely beneficial. I would say you could probably incorporate more, too, like high knees, or toe flicks.
Roads were made for journeys...
A speed workout that really works for me is 10x400 continuous at marathon-ish pace (6:20-6:30 pace for me), with 100 of each 400 fast but controlled--like a pre-race stride (16-17s for me). I find that this kind of work helps maintain quickness and turnover without damaging aerobic capacity. And, it teaches you to be able to shift into a faster gear when running at a steady clip. It's difficult, but doesn't leave me torn up for the next day of training. You might start out with 6x400 and work up to 10 (or more!).
Any excuse not to run 400's is good for me. They hurt. Like you, I ran tons of them in high school (I remember one dreadful workout of 16x400 at 5k race pace), and while they might have been good for developing mental toughness, I'm not so sure about their physiological benefits.
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What's the toe flicks drill?
gimme some sugar, baby
I've had the most success with the following: 1. Build a decent base of mileage and hold it comfortably for a few weeks 2. Mix in occasional tempo runs once per week (3-6 miles at a hard but sustainable effort) or thousand/mile repeats. 3. Doing strides (100-200 meters) and form drills twice per week 4. Racing every now and then.
It really depends on what your goals are. If you're trying to run a fast 5k race or shorter, 400s can be very beneficial to your training. The 5k (if you're trying to run as fast as you can) involves both endurance and speed, so a session of many 400s with short recovery can provide this. However, if you're like me and you consider your best events to be the half marathon or marathon, running 400 repeats at any point in the season besides just before a key race to sharpen your legs, isn't very effective. I've had the most success with the following: 1. Build a decent base of mileage and hold it comfortably for a few weeks 2. Mix in occasional tempo runs once per week (3-6 miles at a hard but sustainable effort) or thousand/mile repeats. 3. Doing strides (100-200 meters) and form drills twice per week 4. Racing every now and then. I sometimes do 400s every once in a while, but only a few weeks before a big race and no earlier so I can feel my legs start to turn over and feel fast.