Race-Pace 200’s Workout

By Steve McGill

In the 400 hurdles this time of year, anyone still competing is preparing for meets that are of significant consequence. The days spent working on conditioning and stride pattern are over, and it’s time to “go with what you got,” transforming all that earlier work into raw speed on the track. But because the 400 hurdles is such a physically demanding race, those physical demands must be simulated in training sessions. This month’s workout is designed to be such a workout.

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Setup:

• Place the last five hurdles (hurdles 6-10) of the 400h race on the track, at race height.
• If you know or have an idea of what lane the athlete will be in for the upcoming competition, then place the hurdles in that lane. If you don’t know, then pick an outside lane for one set, a middle lane for another set, and an inside lane for another set.
• Hurdler will be wearing spikes, from a three-point start (since the start line in the workout is not the same as the start line in a race).

Workout:

• End of warmup should include a few run-throughs over the first hurdle to make sure the steps are right to that hurdle.
• 3 sets of 2×200 over last five hurdles
• 2 minutes rest between reps (walk across the field back to the start line)
• 6 minutes rest between sets

One coach will give starting commands, another coach will stand at the finish line and time each rep. Because the starter and the timer will be on opposite sides of the track, the starter should raise his hand upon saying “set,” then pull his hand down upon saying “go.” The timer should start the watch as soon as the starter’s hand starts coming down.

The aim is for each 200 to be at race pace. If the race goal, for example, is to run the 400h in 60.00, then you’ll want to hit the 200’s in 30.00. If the goal is 50.00, then you’ll want to hit the 200’s in 25.00.

Obviously, the second rep of each set will be the most challenging. Athletes should not take some speed off of the first rep in order to increase the chances of being consistent with the second rep. Go for what you know on the first rep, then do so again on the second rep. The idea is, the fatigue you’ll feel on the second rep will simulate the fatigue you’ll feel in the second half of the race. You want to learn how to deal with that fatigue – how to relax, maintain your rhythm, your posture, etc.

Variations:

For athletes who do exceptionally well on the first two sets, the third set can be considered optional. This is a high-quality workout, not a high volume workout. As a coach, this might be a good time to “make a deal” with the athlete. If you have a 60-flat hurdler who hit the first set of 200’s in 30, you might say, heading into the second set, “If you hit both of these in 29.5, you don’t have to do the third set.” Making deals like that is a win-win for athlete and coach. The athlete gets to do one less rep than originally planned, and the coach gets the quality out of the workout that he or she was looking for.

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