I really need help improving my 800m time!!?

Question

I'm a 14 year old girl who is a freshman in high school. I run the 800m and I have the best freshman time. I run it in 2:34. I have sectional's in exactly 1 week (7 days) from today.

I am DESPERATE to drop my time!! I really wan't a 2:30.
I know dropping 4 seconds in 1 week may be hard, but really guys i'll do WHATEVER i need to!

I'm pretty consistant too, by the way.

* I need any workout that will improve my speed. I have a whole week till the race.
Also what should i eat the day before, and the day of the race?

Thank you so much guys, your help is VERY appreciated!

Answer 1

well congrats!
i'm 13, and on my track team, my coach always mentions:
++ dont drink milk, or eat any dairy products
++ eat food that is easy to digest
++ planty of sleep
++ be hydrated
++ banana's are reallyyy good to eat on the day of the meet

also, go hard for the next few days. run a little more that usual. and time ur self everyday!!!
i hope u do good! i know what its like to want to blow away ur old times!
remember, 80% of it, is in ur mind!

One of my favorite sayings:
"Pain is temporary,
Pride is forever."

love,
nikki

Answer 2

The Diet advice is spot on and same with the 200's,

But the key is to taper into the meet. Day before competition nothing super long or intense. Two days before either speed or distance but not both and keep it of moderate duration for either. 3 days before is the last real workout.

the 200's would be in 35 sec each, not any slower with only a 200 jog in between and you should get in at least 8-10 of them. Then conduct your regular workout with the team. I would only add this as an every other day thing, do not do this everyday as you will break down the muscles and not fully recover.

Sprinting and weight lifting tear your muscles and they must heal(generally stronger!). You have a few years of competition left to try this out so don't freak out and tear yourself up in practice before the "BIG" meet.

Old Guy, Coach and Parent of Boy 800M runners

Answer 3

Run repeat 200s. You will need to do about 20 of them. Don't worry that is only 10 laps. But you will need to sprint them hard, walk or jog 1/2 then sprint again. When you do the race don't go out too fast, but if you are over 1:15 then you must dig deep and speed up. Don't let up the 3rd 200 no matter what and then give it your all on the last 200.

Answer 4

Congratulations on having the best freshman time. That is a fantastic accomplishment. You may want to add some stretching exercise to your workout just so that you keep your muscle tone. Keep a positive attitude on the day of the run. Good luck!