better 800s

[800runner]

hi , im from Australia and im a 800 m runner. I am 16 years old and stand at 174cm tall but im only 55 kgs. im very fit and I like to run twice a day. the problem is that im not very fast so I need to put on some muscle for speed. im currently using Doug's mass gain workout for ectomorphs and I have seen some strength gains . is this program adequate for me to put on some muscle. I don't want to bulk up too much though because any excess weight will slow me down for my endurance running. so could some one tell me how to train for this race and any tips would be greatly appreciated as I don't really know how to train as I don't live near a running track.(I mainly run on the streets or football field).
thanks

[dday39]

hmmm, well the 800 really isn't endurance running
I'd advise you to choose a proven novice routine that focuses on strength (size/mass is more a product of calorie surplus)
Starting Strength or StrongLifts would help get you pretty strong at a decent rate. Being stronger will help you to be faster, but you'll still need to keep up with your running.

[Brute]

pretty much going with dday here. Get a good strength program, practice running and speed drills. Calisthenics may be helpful in this case, but speed isn't really my forte. I do know that the short distance runners are usually pretty jacked these days though.

[800runner]

hmmm, well the 800 really isn't endurance running
I'd advise you to choose a proven novice routine that focuses on strength (size/mass is more a product of calorie surplus)
Starting Strength or StrongLifts would help get you pretty strong at a decent rate. Being stronger will help you to be faster, but you'll still need to keep up with your running.

thanks, I will always keep up with my running, I just need to put on some good , hard muscle to make me run faster.do you know any tips for my race? if not , do you know any 800 runners that could help with a training program.

[dday39]

thanks, I will always keep up with my running, I just need to put on some good , hard muscle to make me run faster.do you know any tips for my race? if not , do you know any 800 runners that could help with a training program.

actually what you need to do is generate more force (get stronger). Muscle is merely a side effect of getting stronger coupled with proper diet.
I was a decent 800 runner, but it was a natural race for me. During track practice, we worked on speed drills as well as some longer distance stuff.
When it comes to the race, there is some strategy. The fastest guy doesn't always win. Teams will send out a rabbit to set the pace and burn people out who try to keep up. Some will try to box guys in, so they can't pass.
What's your best 800 time right now? Do you know your splits?

[800runner]

the last time I ran the 800 it was really windy and it affected my time a lot because I got a crappy time of 2.20. I know that's pretty useless but I love the race and would like to keep trying as im quite disciplined to get up at 5 am to run. What my I do for training is made up with a lot of guess work but it goes like this...........Monday-four 400s as fast as I can before school. After school 2km recovery run. Tuesday is 2km in the morning and after school I go up to the oval and do some sprint training. Wednesday is the same as Monday, Thursday is the same as Tuesday and Friday is the same as Monday. on Saturday I have heaps of time so I like to do my 400s and sprints on the same day. on Sunday I usually rest but some times I try running the mile.as you can see , my training is a bit scrambled so I am really looking for some ideas. thanks on the tips you have given to me so far.

[800runner]

any more suggestions or plans? thanks so far.