Almost there

The first thought when looking at the image was “almost there, don’t give up!”  One of the hardest races in track and field would be the 400.  In other words that’s running a lap around the track full out without any rest.  It might not seem hard when watching the race, but if you have all of your heart into finishing that race in first place, it’s the most exhausting and painful thing you can do.  There are many different theories on how to run the 400 and WikiAnswers.com has a couple of tips to get your best results for a Pr in the 400 m race.

(1) Concentrate on building your speed…AND…strength.
(2) Lifting weights at a moderate poundage with numerious repititions (20 to 40) is a good way to build up your strength for the 400 meter race. Work all areas of your body, including the legs.
(3) In practice, run short sprints at the desired target speed. For example, if your goal is to run 400 meters in 56 seconds, trying running 50 meters at 7 seconds…and…doing multiple sets of 10. Take a small rest break inbetween each sprint but push yourself thru each set of 10. This will get you accustomed to running at the desired pace, help increase your speed and gradually build up your endurance. This can be extended to 100 meters at 14 seconds, 200 meters at 28 seconds, etc. Use your heart rate as a gauge to determine if you need to push yourself harder or to back off while training.
(4) Completely rest the day before a race.
(5) Have plenty of food energy in your body before a race (i.e., drink a Mountain Dew 30 minutes before you run)
(6) most importantly, be psyched up to give it your best shot when the gun goes off.

 

Picture from: google image, running track