If you're serious about dominating your 400-meter run at Decathlon this year, you'd better be seriously training. To help you reach your goal -- whether it is to beat the guy who finished ahead of you last year, or to run your  personal best time -- we've scoured the internet for the best advice on how to dominate your next dance with the 400-meter race.

 In this article on SpeedEndurance.com, Lee Ness (a UKA qualified Event Group Coach for Sprints and Hurdles and running expert) reveals the biggest mistake an athlete can make when training for the 400-meter run is lacking a race strategy.

A race strategy is a vital element to this distance, he explains. It's critical to effective training and it should shape your overall preparation for this race. To jump start your personal plan, Ness breaks down a 400-meter race strategy in six simple stages:

1. Acceleration
2. Transition
3. Float
4. Acceleration (again)
5. Kick
6. The Final Phase (or, the last 100 meters)

To learn more about taking the right steps to dominating your run, continue reading here.