The 200 meter, like the 400 meter, is a race that must be run in phases. In the clip below coach Jimson Lee describes his 200 meter strategy that begins with three simple rules.
1. You cannot run all out from the gun. You must run in phases
2. Lane 1 is 200 meters and lane 8 is 200 meters.
3. Do not touch the line between lanes.
Coach Lee’s 200 meter strategy has the race divided into 5 phases. The first phase is the first 40 meters of the race. The distance from the 40 meter mark to the end of the curve or beginning of the straight away constitutes his second phase. The third phase is the first 20 meters of the straight away. Phase four is the next 60 meters and finally the finally the last three strides make up the final phase.
In the clip coach will discuss what should be happening during each phase of the race. For more great ideas about sprinting visit www.speedendurance.com or to watch more videos like this one go the the Speedendurance YouTube Channel
The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site (some schools block access to YouTube)
The following is a brief description of each phase in the 200 meter strategy.
Phase 1
The first 40 meters (approx) or until you reach top speed. This will vary a bit depending on the athlete.
Phase 2
From the 40 meter mark to the beginning of the curve. Important to stay controlled and focused. Don’t panic if someone passes you or expend to much energy trying to catch people in the outside lanes.
Phase 3
The first 20 meters of the straight away. This is known as the re-acceleration phase. Runners should be focused on pushing out and speeding up for the next 20 meters.
Phase 4
The next 60 meters. Here lactic acid is building up a runners begin to lose form. Runners should stay tall, use their arms, focus on keeping their form and remain calm.
Phase 5
The last 10 meters. He calls it the gather and lean phase. Lean on the last step with the head forward and the arms back.