400m time guidelines

[Aileen Reid]

I've run for years and done intervals likewise. At my best I never did less than about 1:40. And that was while I was running 40 km a week! I'm just slow but I'm not untrained. My RHR is in the 40's.

I had someone tell me on another messageboard that it was pointless me doing speedwork when I could only run 6 min kms. I was not amused. Some of us can't help it. I enjoy my runs and I'm far fitter than most people.

[Kirez Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Grant Scalf

Uhhhh, am I missing something here? Those are pretty stellar times in HS.

Thanks, but my point is -- Not compared to what people were suggesting should be our standards for running 400 meters. I think a 4:50 mile is equivalent to about a 65-second 400m. According to Jacob, that would be low intermediate! Which is absurd. A 65-second 400m should be right at the borderline of advanced, i.e. low advanced, but clearly above intermediate.

[Carl Pawluk]

That's just it.

Grant, Jacob, and Stephen,

Your enthusiasm is awesome and your running ability is certainly elite in my eyes, but if you think that someone that can't run a 60 sec. 400 isn't athletic because of that, that's just silly. When I was in high school in the early 90's, I was one of the fastest 100 m runners in the school. After 100, that was about it. I was captain of the swimming team, captain of the tennis team, and a linebacker on the football team. I'm not elite at anything unfortunatly, but I would say that I'm an athlete. There's far more to being "Crossfit" than the track.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that there are "elite" runners around here that can't swim 100 m in less than 1:20. In high school, a time like that would cause a lifeguard to jump in and rescue you.

Like Kerez said, if you can't bench 350, are you weak? Probably not.

This is an interesting thread, I'll try to start some kind of pole and see what us "untrained" folks are capable of.

[Brandon Oto]

There are at least three competing standards here.

1. Those of a specialist (track athlete)
2. Those of a generalist (CrossFitter)
3. Those of a non-athlete (average Joe)

The confusion is arising because you guys are all thinking at different points on this spectrum.

[Timothy Roehr]

Originally Posted by Grant Scalf

Uhhhh, am I missing something here? Those are pretty stellar times in HS.

Actually, those are good high school times, but not stellar. Neither of those times would have earned a letter on my high school track team. I ran 4:07 in the mile and 9:32 in the two mile and was 5th on my own team.

[Jacob McBride]

Originally Posted by Carl Pawluk

That's just it.

Grant, Jacob, and Stephen,

Your enthusiasm is awesome and your running ability is certainly elite in my eyes, but if you think that someone that can't run a 60 sec. 400 isn't athletic because of that, that's just silly. When I was in high school in the early 90's, I was one of the fastest 100 m runners in the school. After 100, that was about it. I was captain of the swimming team, captain of the tennis team, and a linebacker on the football team. I'm not elite at anything unfortunatly, but I would say that I'm an athlete. There's far more to being "Crossfit" than the track.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that there are "elite" runners around here that can't swim 100 m in less than 1:20. In high school, a time like that would cause a lifeguard to jump in and rescue you.

Like Kerez said, if you can't bench 350, are you weak? Probably not.

This is an interesting thread, I'll try to start some kind of pole and see what us "untrained" folks are capable of.

god damn. Alright, I'll say it again since STILL no one has taken notice to the fact that I've already made it clear in all of my posts in this thread that the times I posted are for a runner, a track athlete. If you ran the 100m dash, you might not have the endurance to run a good 400, but I'll bet you could still run it in under 60 seconds (at the time that you were a 100m runner)

Originally Posted by Timothy Roehr

Actually, those are good high school times, but not stellar. Neither of those times would have earned a letter on my high school track team. I ran 4:07 in the mile and 9:32 in the two mile and was 5th on my own team.

Now THOSE are good times. You obviously go to a school with a good track team, though. To be 5th on your team with a 4:07 mile in high school, you have to be on one of the best teams in the country (emphasis on one of). That or your school just excelled in long distance. But yeah, for track, a 5 minute mile and an 11 minute 2 mile... those are just bad; that's why I started running the 400 and the 800. There was no hope for me in distance.

[Carl Pawluk]

Sorry, it wasn't clear to me.

Disregard.

[Jose Michael Robledo]

When I wrestled in high school I was in the greatest shape of my life. One day I decided to race my Older brother on the track (he was a non-athlete smoker). He left me so far behind it was rediculous. Speed is genetic. Of course we can improve with training , but our genetics dictate our maximum.

[Grant Scalf]

I think Brandon touched on it in his post, but there needs to be a qualifier in the times we post. Much like Rippetoe, Kilgore, et al did for their charts on squat, deadlift, bench press, and press. They use weights and sex for their qualifiers. I think one or two qualifiers would help clear up any confusion here as well.

[Kirez Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Timothy Roehr

Actually, those are good high school times, but not stellar. Neither of those times would have earned a letter on my high school track team. I ran 4:07 in the mile and 9:32 in the two mile and was 5th on my own team.

That sounds exactly right -- thank you for providing some real numbers (but I think you also went to a really competitive high school).

Did you go to school in Arizona? I was at Agua Fria Union High (think Goodyear / Avondale / Luke AFB, 135th Ave & I-10) ---- and Brophy High School, of course, were the leaders who showed times like yours. I could win occasional cross-country races against the various other podunk schools. Run XC against Brophy, I'd be lucky to finish in the top 25... behind their JV guys. :-)