Track Advice

[BaLLiN]

I've been bouncing around events, ive ran anywhere from a 200 to 1600,

im a soph

200- 25.something high (ran only once)

400- 55.41

400 Hurdles- 68 (first time and i had only gone over two previous to racing)

800- 2:12 (last year PR ive only ran it 2 times since 2:18, 2:14)

1600- 4:56

Basically what im asking is what i should focus on, I really do like hurdles after my first time but theres no way of knowing how ill do until i learn how to hurdle lol.

[Brent]

The mile seems to be your strength.

[jballa838]

My senior year PR's
100: 11.2
200: 22.4
400: 51.9
LJ: 21'
TJ(Not state sanctioned): 40+'

If I were you, I'd def run mid distance. Your 55 in comparison to your 200 time is very impressive, and 2:12 is nothing to sneeze at. Keep working on those and you'll see a dramatic improvement. You can still run the 400h too. And this way you can run relays and be on a 4x4 team.

Take it for what its worth though.

[iowatreat54]

The mile seems to be your strength.

Really? Because most good mile runners will run around 4:30s. I was going to say 400, unless you think you can shave 10 seconds or more off your 800. Most good 400 runners will be low 50s, with the really good ones sub 50.

[Michigan]

IMO your 400 time is the best out of the 5. Cut 3-5 seconds (takes a lot of work) and you'll be competitive.

[Brent]

Really? Because most good mile runners will run around 4:30s. I was going to say 400, unless you think you can shave 10 seconds or more off your 800. Most good 400 runners will be low 50s, with the really good ones sub 50.
He's a sopohmore, so I was mildly impressed. The longer the distance, the easier it is to improve by leaps and bounds. I took me forever to shave time off my 100/200.

[iowatreat54]

He's a sopohmore, so I was mildly impressed. The longer the distance, the easier it is to improve by leaps and bounds. I took me forever to shave time off my 100/200.

True, but a shade under 5 isn't that impressive for a mile (no offense Ballin). His 400 and 400 hurdle times look a lot more impressive and from experience, I dropped from a 56 to 53 in the 400 from the beginning to the end of my soph year. Also, a 68 is pretty good for 400 hurdles your first time. If he can improve his form at all, along with conditioning, that time will jump down a good amount.

[dunagan15]

Stick w/ the 400. Seems to be your strength. I went to the Georgia high school state meet 3 years We were runner up all 3 as a team and If you can get your 400 time to around 49-51 you will do very well for yourself.

[BaLLiN]

True, but a shade under 5 isn't that impressive for a mile (no offense Ballin). His 400 and 400 hurdle times look a lot more impressive and from experience, I dropped from a 56 to 53 in the 400 from the beginning to the end of my soph year. Also, a 68 is pretty good for 400 hurdles your first time. If he can improve his form at all, along with conditioning, that time will jump down a good amount.

none taken, it was from last year, now i think im too big for distance, i ran a 5:10 which was horrible and never ran it again this season.

For what its worth i feel like im actually going to grow, i was 5'6'' 125 and now im 5'71/2'' 145 from beginning of winter track to now. I feel like i can do alot better in everything but my fricken osgood slotters sucks so the mile is almost out of the question. And when i did the 400 hurdles i strained my groin and then ran a 56.48.

I know its kindof ***** to make excuses on injuries but the osgoods is legitimate and the groin went away from adrenaline, its just i literally cant sprint to my full potential or ill feel bad pain.

But thanks for the input all of you.

this is what i think i can do:

400- 54. low 40s
400H- 62
800- 2:08 (i was on pace to be here as a soph and then i went backwards)

[BaLLiN]

He's a sopohmore, so I was mildly impressed. The longer the distance, the easier it is to improve by leaps and bounds. I took me forever to shave time off my 100/200.

thanks BretN, i really felt like i wanted to do the mile after freshman year running that time, but then it all went south from there. There are freshmen running 4:37 (ridiculous)

[BaLLiN]

Stick w/ the 400. Seems to be your strength. I went to the Georgia high school state meet 3 years We were runner up all 3 as a team and If you can get your 400 time to around 49-51 you will do very well for yourself.

well the best time this year was a 49 in my county, theres a senior on my team that runs a 51 and he only got 6th

[j05son]

I use to do the 3200 and did 10:13. I would say your 1600 is probably your strongest so far.

[BaLLiN]

lol getting alot of mixed info

[Brent]

Here's the best advice I can give as a former HS track star: figure out what your best event is and if you are kind of split on like one or two, dedicate yourself to it entirely. I was best at 100m and 200m, so I spent all my time working on all aspects of each event. I can't remember how many 300s and ladders I probably ran over the course of high school haha.

[keylime_5]

I ran distance in high school. Your mile time and 400 are impressive. 800's not quite as good as those two.

['cuse-213]

I'd say your 400. Not bad at all for a soph.

Ask me to run anything over 100m and I am dead tired.

[Brent]

Ask me to run anything over 100m and I am dead tired.
I was the same way. At the end of 200s I thought my body was going to collapse.

[Me Likey Rookies]

Stick with the 400 and dedicate yourself to it. High school track is really fun, especially if you are good at it. Your 25 time in the 200 indicates that you might not be explosive enough for short distance and field events but that 400 time is pretty impressive as a sophmore. Plus I think 400 is a lot more fun than a 800 or mile. I think more people watch the 400 and 4x4 than they do the mile too. Good luck!

[Brent]

I think more people watch the 400 and 4x4 than they do the mile too.
The one that every one watches is the 100m, which of course was one of the reasons why I loved it.

[Me Likey Rookies]

Yeah I always loved watching the 100,200,400, 4x1, 4x4. I wasnt explosive enough for sprints so I stuck with the jumps where I could just use good form to be good. It was pretty sad for the distance runners because everyone just left to get food during the 1 mile and 2 mile haha.

[Brent]

It was pretty sad for the distance runners because everyone just left to get food during the 1 mile and 2 mile haha.
That's because we could get food and you'd not finish before we got back ;)

Also, I could eat junk food the day of a race, down a can of Monster about 30 minutes before I ran and be fine. You had to watch what you ate.

[jballa838]

The best is being part of the men's 4x4. There is nobody gone warming up and it's a way to go out in style as a runner and as a track team.

[dunagan15]

The one that every one watches is the 100m, which of course was one of the reasons why I loved it.

4x1 n 4x4 are always the exciting ones. Especially when the meet is on the line between 2 teams running the 4x4.

[Brent]

4x1 n 4x4 are always the exciting ones. Especially when the meet is on the line between 2 teams running the 4x4.
I loved being the 4x1 anchor.

[iowatreat54]

4x4 is the best event of meets. Not only is it a crowd favorite, but it's so sick to have a meet come down to one race and see two teams run out of their minds to win.

[Brent]

I have to say, I find it funny that you guys were concerned about winning meets. Our mid-distance and long-distance runners were so good (I think our entire XC team ran/is running on scholarship at various TX schools and like 2-3 of our 400 runners run collegiate level) that we never had to worry about losing. Everyone was more concerned about making regionals haha.

[eaglesalltheway]

Well I can't offer much advice for track, so all I really dcan conrtibute is this. If its a short race, run really, really fast. If its a medium race run really fast, then even faster. If its a long race, keep the pace, push the pace, then blow them out of the water (so to speak). Just keep training as hard as you can, and you will improve...

[Santonio10]

Just keep working as hard as you can man. My sophomore year I was extremely slow. I ran a 13.0s 100 and polevaulted 8 feet. THen my junior year I shaved off and entire second from my 100 and ran 12.0 consistently and vaulted 10'6". My senior year i was running an 11.7 and vaulting 13'6". It's all about how much time you put in. Best of luck man.