Soccer is a great lead in for the 800m. As for setting up micros, I think one possible setup would be to perform a similar setup to a long sprinter but increase the volumes and decrease the intensities. Here's an example (running workouts only):
Mon: 6 x 300m @ goal race pace
Tues: 20' Continuous Tempo
Wed: 12 x 150m
Thurs: 20' Fartlek or Extensive tempo
Fri: 2 x 250m, 2 x 200m
Sat: Extensive tempo

for the 1600 i tend to incorporate 600's, 750's and 900's. either an
up-the-ladder;down-the-ladder or repeats @tempo pace.
still think there should be a min. 25miles/week base.
like 20 min. of fartleks on the track (sprint the curve-jog/run the straightaway or vice versa);
i work repeats much more--- min. 6-8 300's in one session; also can do 200-250-300-250-400--- then back down; or another FAVORITE is run a 200; jog the backstretch- do another 200 then jog 400 for recovery--- do 4 sets of (2-200's) get it? also, 150's off the final curve for pure form is a good thing.

a scheme of work which would start with the totat time frame. I would devote about 40-50% of that time to aerobic development. Within that initial block, I am a big fan of one session of true speed development in which you do 150's at the beginning of a session directly after the warm up. I would devote one day per week to a long run which would be about 20-25% of his weekly mileage.

The workouts Mike set out might work if he has access to an indoor facility, but even if he does, I would plan a 3-4 week block early on that included a hill session per week. Start with about 4 hills that would take at least 1 minute to run up and work his way to about 10-12 of that same hill. At the top of the hill, have a 30-50 meter section marked off at which he would accelerate.

A week at this point might look like this
M-Hills
T-4-8 mile steady run followed by accels
W recovery run
H threshold work-tempo run or structured fartlek (60/60's etc)
F steady run
S Speed development session or race
S Long Run

This routine could then evolve into
M 600-1000 meter repeats or ladder
T Steady run followed by accels
W Shorter intervals-150's, 200's, or 300's
H Shorter steady run
F Pre race-easy running followed by accels
S Race
S Long Run

Depending on the athlete, you might even boost endurance by adding morning sessions of easy running-but not until they are around 50+ miles per week and are handling that easily.

An aerobic base is MANDATORY in events from 800m and above. This aerobic base must be achieved through both continuous runs and intervals (i.e. ext. tempo). Continuous runs increase maximum oxygen uptake (VO2), while interval runs improve the efficiency of the system!

Just like weight training is key in developing maximum strength, so is continuous runs in developing maximum oxygen uptake!

While Observing elite 800m runners’ train, I’ve noticed that they do continuous runs in the morning and intervals in the afternoon.

Neglecting continuous runs is a BIG mistake!

What would be the minimal milage requirement for an 800m runner considering the point that 800m runners may be coming from either speed or endurance backgrounds? As for the elite athletes you mentioned, I think it's important to note how they work out but it's equally important to note that to be elite at the 800m you are neither a fast guy or an endurance guy.....you are probably an unbelievable genetic freak with the capacity for both; and as such can train that way with no problem.

Also, I should probably clarify on the workout suggestion I posted above that it is running workouts only.....just as it says . It doesn't include the many other training variables that would be incorporated to develop general fitness and endurance like extended dynamic warmups, hurdle mobility, general strength, med ball work, etc. Just doing those posted workouts alone with a standard half mile jog and static stretch would probably appear to be extremely minimal but anyone whose done my workouts know that the warmup portion and post running addons may be just as intensive as the actual workout in some cases. Those workouts with my extended dynamic warmups (1600m-2400m) would total to about 20 miles in an in-season week. Do you think this is too little for a HS 800m runner?

Let me say that I am a sprinter and by know mean want to come off like I'm an 800m expert. I was able to train and ask questions of elite mid-distance runners. Also, I am aware that everyone cannot train or manage the same workouts as elite athletes.
Nevertheless, I learned some important information that can be helpful to ALL 800m runners:

1) Elite runners maintain their aerobic base by doing 3-5 runs in the a.m. (30+ miles weekly)

2) Some of the intervals done in the afternoon are intense ex. 12-20x200m@22-24s w90s rest per rep.

On the benefits of XC. It helps keep your volume up and VO2. Having a short XC (no more than 2 months) might cause you to lose some speed temporarily because of reduced muscular co-ordination and PNS. -as opposed to more permanent fiber changes.

This makes any changes loss through distance work recoverable, while giving you a higher capacity to handle more volume.

I think that their strengths are more important to focus on than weakness. I currently have three athletes, two men and one woman that are potential 800m athletes. They will all be sophomores but both guys are returned missionaries. One just off his mission, the other went on a mission out of high school. Their freshmen seasons were all used to develop speed and see what abilities they had. This year will end up as an experimental year, because of need. They may be forced to help on the 4 x 400 or they may need to run the 800m. To facillitate both they have begun doing very short continuous runs that will hopefully begin to act as a base. The continuous runs will get longer and faster throughout the year. My plan right now is to eliminate slower intervals and replace them with the continuous runs. Track days will then focus on speed development and specific speed in relation to 400m/800m needs of each individual.
As of now it is a very broad plan with a lot of experimentation to follow, for example I am not sure there is a minimum mileage requirement without first determining how the road runs will effect each individual. I am looking forward to the experiment.

Another point is racing strategy, the 800m has a definite strategic component that is a new dynamic for a 400m runner and can effect progress or confuse the training progress.

I think I see where you are going with this Dark Knight. I have had success with 800 runners using an endurance based program and a speed based program. Yes, there is always a base phase or period to be sure. But, one of the keys to success is determining which kind of 800 runner you are dealing with. Bob Parks has said that he doesn't want the type of 800 runner who is too slow for the 400 and not strong enough for the 1500. Ideally, you'd want to have someone who is good at both in order to conquer the 800. Seb Coe and Joaquim Cruz come to mind as the closest to brilliant in both, but we are not talking about an elite athlete in this case.

Some people favor the Lydiard approach in which your base period is nearly exclusively devoted to endurance workouts. An approach favored by Seb Coe is a multi tiered program which gives you most all elements of training within a 10 day--> 2 week time frame and quality speed efforts are done year round. I tend to be in the balanced program camp as I think it is the training that is best suited to the demands of the race. The complexion of the quality days will change as time goes on, but the scheme is the same with work done at 5 different race paces during each microcycle. I find this method really helps people get through meets with rounds, but I digress.

1) I've always found that the off seasons were the best time to work on weaknesses. As an athlete, I actually worked on my speed and special endurance in the summer. I could do that because we didn't have cross country at Kent then, but I would recommend it even if you do run cc as an 800 runner.

2) Minimal mileage could vary. For a 1500/800 runner it's probably going to be higher than for a 400/800 runner. With endurance training, I have found that it takes a bit more mileage each year to elicit the same results, but there is a point of diminishing returns. One thing sticks in my mind is something I once read-do enough mileage for the task. That is to say, don't do mileage just to show big impressive numbers in a training log, but do enough to handle the work you need to do in order to be as fast as you can be over your prime distance(s). It's tough to put hard numbers on it.

3) The benefits should carry over, but I would make sure that you don't overdo the attempts to have the strength carry over. As a sprinter sometimes uses the 4 x 4 to gain special endurance during the indoor season, I would use the cross races as tempo efforts and not be too concerned about training too specifically for cc. I don't think it's cc that diminishes speed so much as it's neglecting speed in your training.

In general, I've always felt that one of the training keys is to be able to handle relatively high intensity with rather minimal recovery

1) "I don't think it's cc that diminishes speed so much as it's neglecting speed in your training."

2)"In general, I've always felt that one of the training keys is to be able to handle relatively high intensity with rather minimal recovery."

Point (1) puts into perspective that its mainly the lack of speed work that diminishes speed as oppose to JUST too much low intensity work volume.

Point (2) really applies to track as a whole. Being able to handle high intensity in the environment of endurance is important for all events from 100 to marathon -with relative degrees of intensity/endurance dependant on event type.

How much mileage is sufficient for a 400/800 runner at the high school level? I understand that alot depends on whether the athlete is more speed based vs. endurance based, but is there a relative formula for making the determination? As a high school coach with a sprint background, I am constantly battling coaches who don't do speed work until the week of the state meet, have kids run 40+ miles per week whether they run the 400 or the 2 mile or don't know what speed is at all. I don't know how many times I've explained that 150s and 200s don't constitute true speed work. I tend to focus more on general conditioning than mileage since high school kids have such poor posture, they can't keep their form no matter what approach to training you take. Thoughts?

would have speed and power elements at all phases of a 400/800 runners program. Many backwards thinking coaches (many of which seem to get high school jobs unfortunately) think that doing quality work early in a program gets kids hurt, when in reality, it's making an abrupt switch from all distance (many times run too slowly to begin with) to almost all speed is what gets kids hurt because distance alone (notice the term alone before you rip me) does little to get you ready for speed events and the 400 and 800 are speed events. Yes, you do need a base or a GP phase for all events, but as McFarlane says: the base for speed is primarily SPEED (sorry to yell)

I coudn't really site any formula for figuring out optimal volume, but I would say that you ought to be able to figure out what the athletes background is for a starting point. Then, I would map out your season long macrocycle with your scheme of work. I am a big fan of multi tiered training. Some endurance work is needed, but within the realm of "aerobic" work there is a wide range of running that can be truly labeled as such and it needn't be SLOW running. Slow training produces slow racing. That doesn't mean that every work out is done at max aerobic capabilities but you should be emphasizing some type of aerobic quality on most days.

One problem you're facing is that of ignorance of physiology by your peers (loose usage of the term, I imagine). I have 400/800 runners do some form of true speed development 40's or 60's year round. What you're talking about is wanting kids to do work at race pace early in the season and that is what they SHOULD be doing.

Somewhere in the early 80's speed became a four letter word. Some coaches were having all of their distance runners do interval type of training 4-5 days per week, plus trying to race and that was going too far in the other direction. It was breaking kids down and they weren't progressing in the 1600 and the 3200 because there was too much anaerobic work and not enough true aerobic development. So, in the US, we went the opposite direction and termed all training not done at or close to max speed as aerobic. As we all know, you need to be at or above about 60% of max to get any aerobic benefit yet you coudn't convince the less and slower is better crowd of that until you started seeing a rapid decline in high school distance performances starting around the mid 80's in the US. Ideally for the 1600 and 3200 runner to get better they would get to the point at which they could handle reasonably higher volumes AND an ample amount of quality track work at the same time before lowering that volume to induce the peak.

In an attempt to try to put some hard numbers in my loquacious answer. I probably would not have a hs 400/800 runner doing long runs of over 6-8 miles. Most aerobic training would be as Mike described above in the form of tempo running (fast continuous runs) or fartlek (intermittent surging within a medium length distance run). You need some recovery type of run days but not that many in a week-depending on how many meets you have in that week.

If I can help you in your mission to convince any coaches you work with, don't hesitate to ask. I have tried the best I can to educate as many other coaches as possible and this forum is incredibly informative so maybe you can steer some folks this way who really want to learn to help the kids they work with as much as possible because that's what we're supposed to be about.

Very good points! I think what makes this a complicated issue is the different approaches involved in achieving good performances. In the case of mid distance running, this can be accomplished by increasing VO2 max (through volume and/or intensity) or by making oneself more efficient in other areas.

In fact, just like the correlation between strength max. and performance IS NOT absolute, VO2 max and performance is not absolute.

Other factors include: mental attitude (ability to tolerate pain), running economy (how efficiently one runs), and lactate threshold (fastest pace you can maintain without accumulating large amounts of lactic acid in your blood). A runner with a relatively low VO2 max, but high in these other performance factors, could outperform a runner with a significantly higher VO2 max but with poor running economy and a low lactate threshold.

In other words, lower VO2 max values can be compensated with high efficiency and the ability to run at a higher percentage of one's VO2 max without accumulating too much lactic acid (high lactate threshold).

The fact that H.S. coaches focuses on longer run come from the improving VO2 max view through volume. It is important to note that VO2 max is improved by training above 75% max. of heart rate. This heart rate above 75% can be achieved by increasing intensity OR volume. Having said that...Increasing VO2 by increasing intensity, as opposed to volume, seems to be more efficient.

An even more important factor as far as the 800 is concerned is lactate tolerance just as in the 400. You have to learn to continue to run fast when swimming in lactic acid. Threshold training helps that point come later in the race and lactate tolerance helps you to operate (both metabolically and biomehcanically) once you are there.

To an extent i agree with Mike, but I would say, however, that you DO need aerobic development as the demands of the 800 are something like 50% aerobic/50% anaerobic. Stength will allow you to carry your speed longer. You need to work speed and you need to work endurance. One of the keys is to work the bridge between the two so that you can improve your repeatable speed. What does that mean in practical terms? You should spend time on 2-300 meter repeats as well as 4-5 mile tempo runs. You should have one long run per week. The distance of that long run would depend on what you have done, but as a junior who has run for 2-3 years already, I would think it would be reasonable that you could go 6-8 miles on Sunday or Monday (depending on your meet schedule).

It would be helpful if you could either run on your teams 4 x 4 or the open 400 and maybe even some open 200's from time to time. It would be equally helpful if you could run some open 1600's from time to time (dual meets are great for that). Peter Coe said that success in the middle distance is the anaerobic superimposed over the aerobic. You need to develop all facets of your fitness, but the emphasis will shift to less volume and more intensity as the season progresses, but you need a base to enable your body to benefit from the intensity.

Regarding the article.....I'm not convinced of what the article is trying so strongly to push. I think that most of the physiological research that is done has a overly strong aerobic bias. Almost all of the researchers who perform these studies are exercise physiologists who have been schooled to believe that cardiac health and respiratory / pulmonary functioning is the be-all-end-all. Unfortunately, I believe this is often reflected in the research. This may very well hold some water with the general population but is much less the case when the goal is performance and not healty living.

Ultimately for me, the fact that the very best 800m runners have almost always been the ones with the best 400m times (Kipketer, Coe, Juantarena, Kratochvilova, etc.) underscores the need for very high end speed for elite level success in this event. Kratochvilova (women's WR) ran 11.09 for 100m, and special vitamins or not, that shows how much speed is necessary to really be fast in the 800m.

Another overlooked point is that even if very intense intervals are being performed, if the rest is even slightly shorter than full recovery, the athlete is in an aerobic state not only during some or all of the run but also during some or all of the recovery period (where HR and 02 demands will still be elevated). So even if the interval is primarily anaerobic that doesn't necessarily mean the workout is.

I like the training program you posted....it seems very well rounded which I think is very important for the half miler. Perhaps more so than any event other than the decathlon or 400H, the half requires a very unique combination of qualities to be successful and as a result, this should be reflected in the training program.

don't know if this book is still available, but Bill Dellinger and Bill Freeman wrote a book that has very detailed training programs for cc and all of the middle and long distance events. The scheme of work is something that I have used extensively, both as an athlete and as a coach. Some of the staples of that program are-race simulation sessions, time trials, back to back hard days and morning aerobic runs. The progressions really make a lot of sense and I highly recommend the book. Run with the Best is another really good guide as it gets you to look at an entire year of training. If you really want to look at the man whose ideas have influenced nearly every great distance coach, then examine Arthur Lydiard's stuff. You will see his influence in the Oregon system as well as Joe Vigil and Peter Coe. Strength gets you to the finish, speed gets you there first.

Seb Coe achieved similar, and some might argue more success using high intensity (fast) and low volume (distance) training. It does emphasize the point though, that every person has a training program that works best for them and this is especially true for the 800m & 400H due to their unique demands on both speed and endurance.