• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

150 Meter Fly Time to Project your 400 Meters

You are here: Home / 400 meters / 150 Meter Fly Time to Project your 400 Meters
8
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

May 24, 2009 by Jimson Lee 22 Comments

Last Updated on March 29, 2013 by Jimson Lee

Can you use your 150 meter fly time in practice to determine your 400 meter performance?  A 150 fly is simply running 160 meters and timing the last 150m.

Yes and No.

First it would be scary to consider Usain Bolt’s 14.35 150 meter fly time which is probably around 13.35 subtracting 1 second for acceleration out of the blocks.  My chart below doesn’t go into unknown territory, but you can easily create one yourself using Microsoft Excel. if you are curious.

Our workouts back then consisted of 3 x 150 meters with full recovery, though today in hindsight, I would limit that to only 2 x 150m.

150meter fly to 400 meter extrapolation


What does this chart mean?

In 1991, I was training short-to-long and focused on the 200m with the odd 400 meters thrown in.  My 150m fly times were around 15.6 back then, and it equated to several legal 22.0X FAT times.  I ran a legal sub 22 second 200 meter just once, and that was into a headwind!  (…Clint Austin from Texas, where are you now?)

Of course, a 15.6 sounds pedestrian compared to a 13.3, but I am human after all.

In 1992, my coach reversed my training around using a long-to-short approach, and my 150m fly times were not as fast compared to the previous year (15.8 to be exact – a 0.2 second difference), but I did run a legal 22.24 for 200 meters and a 48.36 / 48.37 in back to back Semi-Final and Final 400 meter races.  This is fairly consistent to the chart.

Speed is the Key

Speed is the key here, and if you improve your speed, then your speed reserve will follow.

See also  Rick Mitchell on 400 meter Training, Workouts and Peaking for Major Meets

What does this mean to you?

According to the chart (remember, this is only a chart… a real FAT timed performance is what really matters)  you will need to run at least 16.5 or faster if you want to break 50 for the 400 meters.

Since it is late May, consider a 2 x 150 meter workout (only if you are a 200/400 runner!) with full recovery and let me know your thoughts below.

Category icon400 meters,  Coaching,  Featured Story,  Track & Field Tag icon150m straightaway,  200 meters,  speed,  Speed Reserve,  Usain Bolt

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Philippe says

    May 25, 2009 at 9:47 am

    Jim

    Talk about *timing* :) I actually did 3 x 150m today before I even read this 150m blog!!!. Of course, my times were a little slower (18.5), so I still have lot’s of work ahead of me if I want to break 50 points. This chart really comes in handy though and gives me a baseline to shoot for. I will let you know in a few months how I make out.

    Thanks again

    Philippe

    Reply
  2. Jimson Lee says

    May 25, 2009 at 11:52 am

    @Philippe – I will send you an Excel spreadsheet with the extrapolated values.

    Reply
  3. Chui Chimani says

    May 26, 2009 at 6:59 am

    Would this also apply to women? Or would the distances (or fly duration for that matter) change?

    What do I need to do to also receive a copy of your Excel spreadsheet?

    Reply
  4. wes says

    May 29, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    should the 2x150m flys be done with or without spikes?

    Reply
  5. Jimson Lee says

    May 30, 2009 at 12:24 am

    @wes – with spikes

    Reply
  6. hugh says

    July 9, 2009 at 10:08 am

    email me also with the spreadsheet please, would be interesting ,i am a38yr old vet going 18.5 fly 150 meter

    Reply
  7. godson says

    September 26, 2009 at 10:25 am

    I did 16.1 with running shoes but are you supposed to do it with spikes because I hate wearing spikes a practice since my shins hurt sometimes?

    Reply
  8. hugh says

    September 28, 2009 at 3:03 pm

    yo godson ,ideally spikes if your looking for an accurate timing, otherwise run on grass til your shins are pain free

    Reply
  9. Calvin Golson says

    January 12, 2010 at 12:27 pm

    Hi can you send me that spread sheet. Do you have any workout plans for the 100m, 200, 400m runner?

    Reply
  10. hugh says

    January 13, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    yo now sprinting 17 flat for 150 fly time [now39yrs vet i should say mastersathlete], correlations pretty accurate although.

    Reply
  11. Ted Johnson says

    April 5, 2010 at 6:02 pm

    How do you run the 150 though? from the 200m start in the first 50 of the straight or from the last 50 of the curve into the straight ending at the 100m finish line?

    Reply
    • Jimson Lee says

      April 6, 2010 at 12:42 pm

      all races finish at the finish line, so the 150m start on a track is halfway on the curve.

      Reply
  12. paul graham says

    May 14, 2011 at 1:25 am

    why only 2 x 150m? thats 300m total volume, seems a bit brief for a 400m guy on a speed endurance workout, assuming 15 minutes recovery of course, and assuming were in May?
    Paul Graham

    Reply
    • Jimson Lee says

      May 14, 2011 at 1:37 am

      we normally do 3 sets all year (i.e. 450m) but taper it down to 2 sets during competition phase or tapering phase. You can add 4x30m, and 1x60m or 1x80m to “warm up”

      Reply
      • Wes says

        January 8, 2013 at 2:48 pm

        Hi
        Is there anyway you can send me the extrapolated values for the 150m flys?
        Thanks

        Reply
        • Jimson Lee says

          January 11, 2013 at 12:23 am

          @wes, let me find the original Excel sheet somewhere. I wrote the article in 2009!

          Reply
  13. paul graham says

    May 14, 2011 at 5:37 am

    On the topic of tapering, how much % do you cut the workouts by. On your speed endurance workouts you obviously cut 33% volume (450m – 300m). Is it the same for speed & lactate workouts. How about the weight room? Do you have any numbers or just play it by ear.

    Reply
    • Jimson Lee says

      May 16, 2011 at 5:18 am

      on the final 7-10 day taper before the big meet, we really cut back to almost half. It’s really a case of “holding back the tiger in the cage” as the athletes are roaring to go. For lactate workouts, just a single 1 x 300m (or 1×325) is all we need. But we keep the tempo workouts the same at 2000m. There’s nothing we can do to make them faster, but a LOT we can do to make them slower.

      Reply
  14. Jason says

    June 29, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    Hi there,
    Is there anyway you can send me the extrapolated values as well. It would be really helpful for my training!

    Reply
  15. taylor says

    February 11, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    Last year i made the 2x150m three point start in 15,6 and 15,8

    Reply
  16. Keith Sharper says

    November 22, 2013 at 6:48 am

    Mr. Lee do you have the values for women?? in the 150m flys thank so much in advance.

    Reply
  17. Peter Hays says

    April 24, 2014 at 9:17 am

    I coach both boys and girl sprinters and was hoping to get the excel spreadsheet to apply your timing

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]
  • Pressure in Sports – Reflections from Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy