Just ran 400 M round the track and timed it

guitars4you

daughter (15) doing sports day this week - she is running 800M and 1500M - So we have just been down to the school track - grass - I thought I'd have a go at 400 and see what time I could achieve  - I'm 57 now and still reasonably fit - Used to be okay at school level at 800/1500 and cross country - I was gob smacked at 1min 41sec - When I was running round I thought I was doing better - managed to keep what ever pace I had going all okay and even 'upped the temp' over the last 50M - Thought it might be around 1min 10 sec or so  - World record around 43 sec

jpfamps

1 min 41 is about 800m World record!

Modulus_Amps

The world record holders would be going faster than your flat out sprint, I just cracked 1 min when I was in high school and fairly fit, don't think I could do that now though.

guitars4you

guitars4you said:

daughter (15) doing sports day this week - she is running 800M and 1500M - So we have just been down to the school track - grass - I thought I'd have a go at 400 and see what time I could achieve  - I'm 57 now and still reasonably fit - Used to be okay at school level at 800/1500 and cross country - I was gob smacked at 1min 41sec - When I was running round I thought I was doing better - managed to keep what ever pace I had going all okay and even 'upped the temp' over the last 50M - Thought it might be around 1min 10 sec or so  - World record around 43 sec

sorry - 43 sec is world record for 400 M 

stimpsonslostson

It's a LONG way to try to run fast! Well done. 
Last time I tried it I thought I was going to die:
it was at an Institute of Sport fun* day.

We (the staff) swam/ran/cycled/lifted/rowed etc against the international level athletes we supported on a daily basis. 


*the fun was limited. We were all good sportsmen/women in our own right (everyone had competed at county or above). We got SPANKED. 

slacker

400meters  is brutal its running as fast as you can 4x longer than you should do.

If you going to be silly Sprint 100 meters or run half a mile.

If not do what I do shuffle 3 miles in 45 mins and think you are an athlete.

guitars4you

slacker said:

400meters  is brutal its running as fast as you can 4x longer than you should do.

If you going to be silly Sprint 100 meters or run half a mile.

If not do what I do shuffle 3 miles in 45 mins and think you are an athlete.

it probably won't happen again - it was just a bit a fun and wondering if I could still do it and maybe first time I've ran 400m timed for 40 years

Yes have done plenty of shuttle runs - beep tests etc over 20-40 m - lots of 5 a side for years - and a fair bit of 2/3 mile power walk/shuttle run (walk a lamp post/run a lamp post) 

I now wonder if i could get better than 1.41 if I try it 2/3 times more

CHRISB50

I'd really like to try it but I'm scared how slow I might be. 

I used to run 400m for the county when I was a teenager. At 15 I could break 51 seconds, but I dread to think what I'd do now at 38. 

Might Be interesting to give it a go. 

guitars4you

CHRISB50 said:

I'd really like to try it but I'm scared how slow I might be. 

I used to run 400m for the county when I was a teenager. At 15 I could break 51 seconds, but I dread to think what I'd do now at 38. 

Might Be interesting to give it a go. 

that was my thought - At school I was better at 800/1500 and always had good stamina in football/other sports and less 'sprinter' speed - I was just surprised how slow I was as it did not feel that when I was running - I did not struggle to run the 400m a such - Just surprised at the time

vasselmeyer

At 17/18 years old, I was running sub 55s for the 400m hurdles (Greater Manchester Schools champ a couple of times). At almost 50, I suspect that  I currently couldn't run a flat 400m in under 80s.

Guitar_Slinger

Last time I "sprinted" 400m was 2 years ago, during the last 400m of a 10k, which is the only race I've done as an adult.

I grew up playing football and always been more of a jogger.  I did the 200m at school one year and IIRC the teacher said we should be aiming to do it in 28s - think I was lucky to get 30s.      Interesting to look at the schools records, where the U17 record is 21.15s!

Sporky

stimpsonslostson said:

We (the staff) swam/ran/cycled/lifted/rowed etc against the international level athletes we supported on a daily basis. 


*the fun was limited. We were all good sportsmen/women in our own right (everyone had competed at county or above). We got SPANKED. 

It'd be interesting to see how much the margin decreased if it was you against the pros but not in their chosen discipline.

Obviously they're enormously fit, but I wonder how much extra margin they get from technique.

stimpsonslostson

Sporky said:

stimpsonslostson said:

We (the staff) swam/ran/cycled/lifted/rowed etc against the international level athletes we supported on a daily basis. 


*the fun was limited. We were all good sportsmen/women in our own right (everyone had competed at county or above). We got SPANKED. 

It'd be interesting to see how much the margin decreased if it was you against the pros but not in their chosen discipline.

Obviously they're enormously fit, but I wonder how much extra margin they get from technique.

Obviously everyone won "their" event,  but the runners were generally no better than us at swimming (as lifeguarding was one of our duties we all swam daily). Cardio was certainly a factor in the rowing & cycling.
If I recall correctly a Judoka & a triathlete were best all round. 

guitars4you

just bumped into the current PE teacher at the school and he stated a 16 year old doing 60 sec would be good and hinted 100 sec for him and me - both similar age - So my 1.41 is about right

axisus

Old man of 54 now. Last summer I sprinted across a field to beat my daughters in a race and I was quite amazed at how fast I felt. I have no idea of my 400m time but I'd quite like to have a go. It would undoubtedly be disappointing! 

I might measure it out and have a go one morning

welshboyo

I represented Wales in my Yoof in the 400m, held national records etc, was running 52ish then (14/15), then knackered my knees playing rugby (or at least some f'in clown from another school stepped on my knees with studs and made a right mess) and put an end to my athletics career.

In all honesty, I hated the 400, its a horrible distance as you are running at near to full speed for 1st 300 with the last 100 coming into full sprint - I used to hate getting over the line and not being able to see because I was so dizzy..

Was also a fairly competent 100m sprinter too, held regional stuff for that too and was used as a secret weapon in the 4x100 normally at 3rd leg - loved the 100m.

Today would be comical times....

duotone

Haven't run the 400/800M in about 15 years (am 34 now) but I'm sure that my times now would be comical!

digitalscream

I used to think I was fairly competent at all distances up to 800m (11.8s / 23s / 53s / 2:00 for each distance). Trouble was, Iwan Thomas was in the year above me at our school, which is really quite the reality check for a young ego.

I'd be staggered if I could even manage double the times for the 100m and 200m now, and I'll guarantee there's no way I'd make it round the whole track without taking a break.