active network espn
Community: Exchange advice in the forums and read running commentary Resources: Personal running log, calculators, links and other tools for runners News: Running news from around the world Training: Articles and advice about fitness, race training and injury prevention Races/Results: Find upcoming races and past results Home: The Cool Running homepage
Cool Running homepage  Search Cool Running Community
11 Replies Last post: Jun 24, 2006 11:51 PM by funkydude82  
Click to view pimpinstein's profile Amateur 24 posts since
Oct 6, 2005
Login to Reply

Jun 7, 2006 3:24 PM

is my goal possible based on my summer workout?

hey. i'm a 16 year old soon-to-be senior and next year is going to be my second year running xc. last year my best 5K time was 19:40. however, my speed and mental toughness have increased and in track i was able to run a 2:20 800. anyway, my goal for next year is 17:59...or to break 18 minutes.

over the summer i planned to run 6 times a week Monday-Saturday with this mileage per day (4,6,8,6,4,6). This ends up being 34 miles/week. My coach outlined his own workout for us, but i think its too extreme. he wants us to run everyday and by mid july to be doing ~65 miles a week. (8,10,8,10,6,10,12). this is not required. this is basically designed for the best kids who are running are in the 15s and 16s. anyway i was wondering if i should follow my workout, coach's workout, or somethign in between. also, what do u guys think i need to break 18 mins.??

i'm really skinny- 5'8, 115...my coach and friends tell me to hit the weight room and/or do some pushups this summer. i dunno. what do you guys think?? thanks.

-alex.
Click to view th1nk4yourself's profile Pro 98 posts since
Jun 8, 2005
1. Jun 7, 2006 4:29 PM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
I think you should communicate your goal with your coach, and if he says you need to run 65 miles a week to do that, then so be it. I have run a 19:30 in a 5k, and that was based on 45 miles a week. (I'm a girl) I would definitely say you need more than 35 miles a week to meet your goal.
Click to view the kenyan's profile Legend 1,166 posts since
Aug 15, 2007
2. Jun 7, 2006 7:53 PM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
your schedule is a good starting point, but i'd plan on bumping it up a little week by week if you're devoted to hitting your goals. Your coach's schedule is pretty solid, there are many who do less, and believe it or not, there are many who do more. Given where you are now it might be a bit much to attempt to be hitting every week starting in July, but it would be a good benchmark to work towards and try to peak out at before school starts.

Keep in mind that 800 times dont necessarily translate into XC times. Senior year I got down to 2:07 for the 800 but only ran 18:09 for 5k. My friend on the other hand ran around a 2:12 and could run a sub 17 5k. It's a good start, but you need the endurance to go along with the speed.
Click to view jeff19's profile Legend 210 posts since
May 9, 2006
4. Jun 8, 2006 3:10 PM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
80 miles in 6 days? With a base of 34 mpw, you're gonna die. Are you serious? Do you do like 3-4 runs a day or something? Never been to running camp before, but that sounds, like, viciously hard, unless you know somethin I don't. (That's 13 1/3 miles a day, btw.) And as for upper body, look at people who run 5k and win gold medals at the Olympics. Some are pretty skinny. So I'd say yeah, do some pushups, rows, dips, pullups, etc., but don't try to bulk up. Just make use of what muslces you already have.
Click to view sbiss75's profile Pro 115 posts since
Nov 23, 2005
5. Jun 8, 2006 3:37 PM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
Yeah my opinion is that your workout plan is fine, just workout a bunch. Jim Spivey said high schoolers should never run over 40 miles a year. I'm planning on running like 15-20 miles in July and like 25-30 in august until school practices start, this way i dont peek out too early and i expect this should bring me into low 19 high 18 times in the beginning of the season and eventually low 18's high 17's.
Click to view adrenaline07's profile Pro 97 posts since
Jan 20, 2006
7. Jun 8, 2006 10:39 PM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
what camp? I'm going to a "distance runners camp" this summer, but I dunno what miles we will be running..

Is it in North Carolina?
Click to view beanpole's profile Legend 239 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
9. Jun 21, 2006 4:30 PM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
i ran a 19 min 5km in cross country this year and my mileage was like 25-30km/week. we did mostly tempo, speed, and hill running.this summer though my weekly mileage will be increased for base training. but im not sure by how much i will be getting to. i only run every other day. that is all that is necessary. i go for high quality runs and cross training. my goal next year is to do the same time but in the 6km x/c.
by running every other day i am giving my body a chance to recover, which is where improvements come. you dont get bett er by runn ing, its when your muscles are repairing and getting stronger that you get better.
Click to view adventurex's profile Rookie 1 posts since
Jun 9, 2002
10. Jun 22, 2006 9:44 AM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
sub 18 is definitely possible based on 30+ miles a week. last summer I did not do more than 30 miles a week and by the third meet of the year i had run in the 17:40s. the year before that my pr had been in the high 18:20s. just make sure to run consistently and you have a shot at it. so far this summer i haven't done more than 30 miles either but my goal is to get somewhere around 50 by August.

Secondly, 800 times DO NOT convert to 5ks. Freshman year i ran a 2:19 but did not break 18:20 sophmore year. This year however I have run 2:04 and am hoping to break 16:40.

good luck.
Click to view funkydude82's profile Rookie 1 posts since
Jun 24, 2006
11. Jun 24, 2006 11:51 PM in response to: pimpinstein
Re: is my goal possible based on my summer workout?
ok, 35 miles a week is a great starter. i run low 17's for my 5k races. my 1500 time in track is a 4:29, and my 800 is a 2:05. i am 5'11 and about 150 pounds.

last summer, i started out my summer going about 20-30 miles a week. that lasted for about 2 weeks. the next two weeks i bumped it up to 30-40, the next two 40-50, the next two 50-60, then it was nearing the end of summer and coming close to official practice for cross country, in order to prevent injury, you taper down, so i went back down to 40-50 miles in a week.

my summer was a 450 mile summer. if you want to be a more competitive runner, then you should be doing at least 300 miles during the summer. i am definitely not a natural runner, my fastest mile time before high school was 8 minutes. i can now run a mile easily under 5 minutes at the end of high school. just put in the miles, and don't do it because you have to, or you feel forced to, do it because you love to run.

if you want to crack 18, its not just about how many miles you run. if you love running, then you will be able to easily crack 18, its about how much you are into the sport. it took me 4 years of high school for me to realize that and reset all of my prexisting PR's.

definetly split your runs into two different runs a day. i liked to run in the afternoon when it was really hot out, then try and go for a swim or a cold shower after stretching and drinking a couple liters of water to recover. REMEMBER STRETCH, stretch while you are watching tv, stretch while you are on the phone, do whatever it takes to get the extra time in stretching, i strained a hip flexor my junior year during championship season because i didn't stretch enough during the summer training.

so in summation for everything, here are my tips:
run a lot
love what you are doing
stretch and drink tons of water
if you are bored of running or don't have motivation, running when its dark out will get you moving (cause every noise makes you jump and dart off)/ if that all fails, run with a friend
and switch it up, don't do long runs everyday, you need to run some pickups during your runs (some short 20 second bursts where you pick up the speed to about your mile pace, then go back to the pace in your run), hills don't hurt either, and doing some fartleks help too, remember, when its time for XC season, you want to be able to shift out of the gear where you are cruising all race, you want to be able to turn on the gas and take off when you need to (pickups and fartleks help this), and hills are a great place to break other runners mentally (remember eyes up at the top of the hill, drive the arms and knees, going down a hill, extend the stride, open the arms and bound down without slamming your feet cause thats bad for your knees)

anyways, thats my long little spiel about running. if you have anymore questions, i'll try and get back to you. but you definitely need the miles if you want lofty goals like breaking 18.... but since you are still at 19 right now, chunks of time fly off pretty quickly longs you have the base miles. its when you get down to 15-16 minutes where things get really difficult.

PS i went to colby cross country camp last year at colby college in waterville maine, i must say, running camp is a decision i will never regret, it was the best time (plenty of hot runner chicks, tons of fun running trails, swimming, and making new friends)