The 400m is the elemental distance for track athletes who run, especially high school track athletes. While professional 100m and 200m specialists often don't run the distance, every other runner, even the marathoners, know what they can (and can't) run for 400m. All metric tracks are 400m long and that distance can be covered in under 45 seconds for men and under 50 seconds for women...which is an astonishing 20 miles an hour and 18 miles an hour, respectively. But even if you can't run that 400m distance in a world class time, you need to be competent over that distance.

Here's the deal. A well run 400m hurts and it hurts early into the race, even though it's just one lap. You've got to "get out" and run the first 70-80m hard so that once you're on the back stretch you're in "full flight", feet hitting under your center of mass with a lot of power - sprinting hard, with good posture. You'll probably run a positive split through 200m if you run to your potential in the 400m, which means that last 200m is about keeping your rhythm even when you're swimming in lactate at near maximum speed. And for this reason - the pain and discomfort associated with the race - that I highly recommend high school athletes beg their coach (yes, beg) to be on the 4x400m. You're more likely to get to the line faster if you're doing it for your teammates. Bottom line is that running a leg on the 4x400m relay or running an open 400m is a fantastic stimulus that will help all track runners, sprinters and distance runners alike.

*Coach Jay's advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.

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