How can I improve my time in the 200?

Question

I can run a 26 now. By the end of the season I want to run around a 23

Answer 1

well first of all 26 secs is pretty good and if you want to improve try starting low like your almost falling on you face that will probaly buy you .5-1sec and make sure you have proper running shoes. also repeats help alot try running 200m like 4-6 times with 1-2mins breaks inbetween

Answer 2

If you can't fully sprint the 200m all out right now, I would suggest trying to do that. Whne I first started running the 200 i would go all out as soon as I got out of the blocks, but then my the time i got to the straight-away I was already tired. So what i did was I worked on my endurance by running some 400m. Let me tell you...after running some of those the 200m feels like a breeze!!! You also need to make sure your starts are perfect and down to a T. In races such as the 100m and 200m, starts are crucial!!! I always had a hard time with my starts/blocks and my coaches always told me that if I could get them right my time would be cut down by a second! Your running form is also important. You need to be sure you're pumping your arms and that you aren't leaning forward too much. It isn't going to be easy to change your time from a 26 to a 23, you need to be determined and make some serious changes in your running.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

The 200m dash since it's a fast race it's all about technique from beginning to end. 2 drop 3 seconds is very very hard! My fastest time in the 200m is 25.24 and in a fast race like the 200 it's hard 2 even drop a second! I'm not saying it's impossible, but it is very hard. To improve your time you need 2 work on starts and use starting blocks which gives you a push. You have to be running on your toes and lean into the curve and pump your arms! The best workouts for 200's are 150's and 250's

Answer 4

If your running a 26, I assume your close to dead around the 150 mark. Start running a bunch of 200m dashes in practice, or 250m if you want. Just make sure you go all out from the beginning and go until your dead. Do that repeatedly with long enough intervals to recover all, or at least most, of your energy. Eventually you'll get to a point where you'll be able to go all out for the whole race, and if that doesn't bring your time to a 23 you'll have to hit the weight room to gain some speed.

Answer 5

Improve your time by training with longer distances such as 400-800 at a moderate to near race pace. So if you can run a 400 pr at 1:10, train for it at 1:50-2:10.This will increase your stamina. Increasing upper body muscle CAN help BUT is not absolutley neccesary because you can gain unecessary mass which will make you heavier. Core muscle workouts can help such as situps and twist for your front abs and side abs, and deadlifts for your back. Also practicing form running can help as well. Resistance running such as hills will also help because running uphill trains you to have more power output and that when used on a flat track leads to more speed/explosion. Form running in the 200 is very important but working on it will only work to a point. However it can drop your time a great deal. Practicing using blocks will really help if you get your technique down perfect. I imagine you are a highschooler or middleschooler so i would say stay after practice and put in extra work with blocks or running longer distances to build stamina up or get the explosion. Talk with your coach to see what he can do to help.

Answer 6

i believe i have a great suggestion for your question. as a current division 1 sprinter, i believe i can give you a few tips to run a faster time.

1. strategy:

entering college i was fairly new to the 200 meter dash. in high school i competed in mostly 100 meter dashes. moving up to the 200 proved to be a difficult transition for me. being that i have exceptional speed and weak endurance this strategy paid dividends for me.
-from the blocks, i would blow out and run the first 50-60 meters hard, gaining momentum from my drives phase
- the next 40-50 meters i would stop accelerating at my highest speed. i would relax, and let my momentum whip me around the turn.
- on the straight-away i continue to drive and accelerate to the finish, also i use a high knee-lift while extendending my stride. also use your arms, you can gain so much power from the use of your arms especially when your legs gain latic acid towards the end of your race.

also keep in mind: dont breath toohard w/ short breaths. this exerts too much energy and takes away from your race. use a controlled breathing technique.

AND HAVE FUN!!!! YOUR LUCK YOU DONT HAVE TO RUN A 400 OR 800 METER RACE!!

Answer 7

First of all, I think that is a good time.
I am about 10 seconds behind you in practice.
What I do to improve my time is I try to pace my sprint for the first 100... about 80% of how fast I can run, and then the last 100... you really gotta give it all and avoid that your mind is telling you that you can't. Your body can do alot more than your mind thinks you can.
Make sure you are using EXELLENT form because you cant have any wasted energy in this race. Use your arms to propel you and lean forward and run on your toes, which feels obvious if you use spikes. Make your strides long, but dont upset your center of gravity... or have too long of strides. This will also slow you down. Avoid twisting your body or head, and channel all of your energy towards the finish line.
All else I can say is Weight lifting helps alot, but you want to gain lean muscle, so dont overdo your squat's weight especially.
Some really really good references are runningtimes.com and runnersworld.com.

Answer 8

Start just like you would a 100, power up through the first 60 meters. Run the curve hard, coming off the curve run straight, stay relaxed, keep your hands up so you can see them. Do not over stride, make sure your form stays good and the turn over and stride length remains constant. Remember you are running at top speed when you come off the curve, do not try to run harder, keep up your rate and maintain your form. Relax.

Answer 9

Simple. You gotta add upper body strength. Look at any track meet on tv and what do you have ?? They look like body-builders. So pump for upper body strength.

In fact, this is true for just about all distances up to a mile.

Answer 10

run more than u should .if u r in a race u r confirmed 2 win cause u are more well prepared