I'm a sophomore in high school. PRs of 2:08.8, 4:44.3, and 10:35 in the 800, 1600, and 3200 respectively. Didn't get to run the 3200 more than a couple times this season, but I'm pretty sure it's my best event. I've improved from around 2:17, 5:10, and 10:50 in the last year on about 30-45 MPW. What could I be running by senior year?
Realistic range of improvement:
800- 1:59-2:04
1600- 4:25-4:35
3200- 9:55-10:15
I know it's a big range but a lot can happen in 2 full years
Northwestern15 wrote:
I'm a sophomore in high school. PRs of 2:08.8, 4:44.3, and 10:35 in the 800, 1600, and 3200 respectively. Didn't get to run the 3200 more than a couple times this season, but I'm pretty sure it's my best event. I've improved from around 2:17, 5:10, and 10:50 in the last year on about 30-45 MPW. What could I be running by senior year?
I see this is a NORMAL progression by your senior year:
800 - 2:03
1600 - 4:35
3200 - 10:09
What could change all of that drastically would be BOTH of these things:
1) Physical maturity. Sometimes a sophomore has just started shaving...other times they've been shaving since 6th grade. If you're closer to the former, then this bodes well for you.
2) Increased mileage. If you are able to handle more mileage, especially in the off season, then do that...could help you bust a better time in the 3200.
Also, it could be you haven't run your best 3200 yet based on today's fitness. Your 800 and 1600 times are a little better than your 3200 time so far. If you could really run a 10:15 right now, then I would say you have a shot to get down to 9:50.
I'm really not that physically mature, so that's good I guess. Last summer I got up to 50 in the summer, this summer I'm hoping for a little more than 60. I'm trying to not increase mileage too drastically to avoid injury. And I definitely have not run my best 3200 yet. I ran my best in March when I had seasonal bests of 5:08 and 2:17, and didn't run it again, so I do think I have way more in me. Thanks for the responses.
Your mile progressions look exactly like mine did in HS. Looks like I was faster in shorter races and you were better in the longer stuff (though I rarely raced 3200). I'd agree with you that you look like a 1600/3200 guy. I was a late bloomer maturity wise also. Grew from 5'1 or so as a frosh to 5'10 as a senior. So I think some people are selling you a bit short. I didn't have a huge jump in miles either. Probably low 30s first couple years to high 30s/low 40s Jr. and Sr. year.
My progressions Fr/So/Jr/Sr of each event:
800 - 2:15/2:04/1:57/1:54
1600 - 5:08/4:45/4:21/4:16
3200 - 11:20ish?/10:42/9:39/9:21
Good luck
Old92Guy wrote:
Your mile progressions look exactly like mine did in HS. Looks like I was faster in shorter races and you were better in the longer stuff (though I rarely raced 3200). I'd agree with you that you look like a 1600/3200 guy. I was a late bloomer maturity wise also. Grew from 5'1 or so as a frosh to 5'10 as a senior. So I think some people are selling you a bit short. I didn't have a huge jump in miles either. Probably low 30s first couple years to high 30s/low 40s Jr. and Sr. year.
My progressions Fr/So/Jr/Sr of each event:
800 - 2:15/2:04/1:57/1:54
1600 - 5:08/4:45/4:21/4:16
3200 - 11:20ish?/10:42/9:39/9:21
Good luck
WOW! That's quite a good improvement.
Mine was more like this:
800 - 2:11/2:08/2:05/2:03
1600 - 4:48/4:42/4:38/4:32 (though a 4:30 in a relay)
3200 - 10:33/10:19/9:51/9:48
The 800 and 1600 HS PRs are right. but the progression is just a guess...I'm 100% certain of the progression on the 3200 though.
I think it's rare for a 9th grader to be running 11:20 and get down to 9:21 as a senior...that's uniquely good.
Dang! I'm hoping for that haha. Was your improvement unique on your team, or was your coach good at nurturing any talent?
Northwestern15 wrote:
Dang! I'm hoping for that haha. Was your improvement unique on your team, or was your coach good at nurturing any talent?
I'm assuming you meant that for oldguy.
My high school training was not great -- 15-20 MPW and that's it...I got better just because I was getting older.
Sorry, still getting the hang of posting and replying. Were you able to walk on to a college teams with your times, or was your competitive running for a team effectively over?
I was guessing at the 11:20 as a frosh. I know I didn't go under 11 the one time (I think) I ran it, though.
My big jump was between soph year track and junior year cross country. I focused late on the 800m because I was needed on some late season relays, it was where I could run counties/regionals/sectionals since we already had few sub 4:30/10:00 upperclassmen so I didn't crack our championship season 1600/3200 spots. But looking back I probably could've gone sub 4:40/10:15 or so as a soph if I did those races late so the progressions from soph to junior track probably could've/should've been less dramatic. Still...I went from 4th or 5th guy on my team in XC and a useful 4x800 sub or 4th leg to 2nd team All State in XC Jr. Year so it was a pretty significant improvement.
For me, seeing how the upperclassmen went about their business (we had a D1 and a D2 guy from that class 2 above me), doing more quality miles versus just going out and goofing around for 5-6 miles a day and gaining confidence really helped me. I went to cross country camp that summer and went from about 5'4 to 5'7 or so that fall and was filling out. So I think physical and mental maturity were really my big changes.
After that breakthrough, my progressions were probably more normal.
My progressions are/were probably somewhat extreme, but I showed you them to prove that you may not be as limited to what the "normal" progressions are.
If you had told me soph year, I'd have run D1, I would've laughed at you. By Junior year mid cross country season, I expected it and focused on it.
We're a little different I guess. I don't think I could shave more than a second off my 1600, but I do think I could be under 10:20, maybe even 10:15. My coach is definitely good: plenty of guys improve drastically. Some have gone 19:10 for 5k and 5:02 for 1600 freshman year down to 16:20 and 4:20 (and continue to improve in college), others go from 2:20 to 1:56 or 17:50 to 15:20. Were you alone in your improvement or were your peers getting a lot faster too?
Northwestern15 wrote:
Sorry, still getting the hang of posting and replying. Were you able to walk on to a college teams with your times, or was your competitive running for a team effectively over?
I ran my HS times in the mid 80s, a down time for high school distance runners. I also had a 15:48 5,000 CC time to my credit which was perhaps a bit more attractive than my track times. I ran DIII, but I had the opportunity to run for DI, several DI schools came knocking...I just didn't want to HAVE to run in college, so I did the DIII thing.
I graduated in 92 (hence the name) and ran D1 and even got a small scholarship. Like Flagpole says, a down time for HS distance runners. I also ended up top 25 in the NE regional meet to go to nationals in XC, only about 12 seconds or so from making the team and had a couple sub 50 4x400 relays under my belt. I think the best miler my year went 4:09 or 4:10 and only one guy ran sub 9 (8:59.xx). So comparably in those days, I was D1 worthy. These days, not so much.
Eventually got down to 1:52/3:52 1500/8:18 3k (only ran a couple times) and a 2:26 and 3 flat 1200 leg in college. 25:53 8k in XC.
As for my peers, the progressions ran the gamut. I think we had a good coach. We undertrained and overraced. But so did most people those days. I ran way too many races in meaningless dual meets and relay meets early in the year, but do did just about everyone. Most people progressed closer to what Flagpole said. One guy was similar to me. An 800 specialist who only ran about 2:11 as a frosh and progressed to 1:53. We had another guy come in as a Frosh a year after me running 4:24/9:29 and the best he ever progressed to was 4:19/9:14