CoachesEducation.com

Hi Coaches
Help if you can. I am new High school coach, and I'm having a hard time training kids for the 800m. because we have snow on our track, and we don't have a indoor track. what do I do.
My background is in Jumps not 800 and above.

Workouts for 800 meter runners during the Precompetitive Phase

100 meter workout:
1-2.5 seconds slower than best effort over the distance
16-20 x 100's with 2-3 minutes jog rest

200 meter workout:
Race Pace
12-16 x 200's with 2-3 minutes jog rest

400 meter workout:
Race Pace
4-6 x 400's with 2-3 minutes jog rest

600 meter
4 seconds slower than Race Pace
4 x 600's with 2-3 minutes jog rest

If the athlete cannot achieve the times desired during the interval workout, or if the recovery time exceeds the above prescribed, the athlete must discontinue the workout.

Workouts for 800 meter runners during the competitive phase.

800 Meters - The Competitive Phase

100 meter workout:
All out
10 x 100's with 2 minute jog rest

200 meter workout:
4 @ 2-4 seconds slower than race pace with 2 minute jog rest
4 @ race pace with 2 minute jog rest
4 @ 2 seconds faster than race pace with 2 minute jog rest

400 meter workout:
all out
3 x 400's with 5-8 minute recovery

600 meter workout:
race pace
3 x 600's with 100 meter jog rest

Note: The successful 800m workouts above were shared by Coach Coach Vigil.
Let me tell you a story. I have had the opportunity many of times hearing and meeting with Coach Joe I Vigil, Ph.D. I listen to him in Orange County, many times due to Orange Coast College, Coach Marco Ochoa's invitations; One clinic Coach Vigil, invited coaches from different countries to make presentations of their training philosophy in a weekend clinic in San Francisco, California, and I also met him at Mammoth high altitude training. At Mammoth, in the summer, morning time, after my team's training workout, I walked in and saw Coach Vigil having coffee and said hello, and he invited me to talk and listen and sit with him at a coffee shop, and another time during lunch at a restaurant, coach Vigil shared his philosophy and workouts, he asked if I would be interested in listening to a workout "Acceleration Workouts" he took his time writing patiently on pages and he's explaining the details at the end of the season using acceleration workouts and he wrote his phone number If I had any questions to call him, and this information was before his book was published "Road To The Top". In another time, in Irvine, California he also share Advanced Cross County information: Coach Vigil spoke to a very large group of coaches about "What's wrong with American Distance running," "Philosophies of Individual and Team Harmony," "Basic to advance cross training programs," "Adaptation to work loads," and in the end of the clinic there was questions and answer session.

What I love about this human being, he was patient, polite, respectful, and physiology knowledgeable and after he finished with his clinic, we would find a place to sit and lounge, there were always coaches and friends sitting around him talking, sharing stories and most of us we were mostly listening to a great coach with a strong message, a desire for you as a coach to be the best. What I have learned from listening from Coach Vigil, being knowledgeable in exercise physiology and understanding the energy pathways in training and racing. All of this scientific information he shares in his book with periodization with all the endurance events, with workouts.

Coach Vigil has a new book I highly recommend "Chasing Excellence". It's the remarkable life and inspiring Coach Vigil philosophy.

Let me tell you a story. This last season 2023 I used Coach Vigil recommended shared workouts mentioned above and some tweaking his workouts, we had a 800m runner run 1:54, he also enjoyed competing in High Jump, Long Jump, alternating 400's and 800's he also wanted to compete in the 4x400 relay. I tried very hard to keep his events down to two in the dual meets I programmed his dual meets as a speed workout day, I told him to compete in one event at the invitationals. I told this athlete towards at the end of the season to drop all of his events, except the 800m and focus on that event. I told him he had a chance to qualify to the California State Meet, he runs the 400 meters in 51 second. He didn't listen, continued to compete in four events to win the league championship. He didn't get pass the CIF preliminaries, he wasn't prepared, he was tired and fatigued he wanted to win all four events at League Finals before the CIF preliminaries meet, he won all four events, it was his choice.

We talked to the athletes at the beginning of the season, telling them to prepare in an event that they can succeed at the end of the season and to stay focus on the training. Our goal is development and be realistic. We tried to teach athletes to listen to their bodies and monitor training responses and fatigue.

In the near future the notes that Coach Vigil shared I will post and also I will be posting future legendary coaches notes who I have had an opportunity to meet personally. They have all given me permission and handed me personal notes and handouts to my surprise. Great coaches that I have had an opportunity to meet had no problems sharing their notes in making coaches, athletes better and improve their personal best.