Mileage for HS Girls

My friend was all-state 9 times, PB's of 4:47,10:20,17:26

1600,3200, xc 5k

She topped out at 30,45,50, and 65 each year.

depends on the individual.

40-50 is a pretty good number for high school girls.

3/4/5/6 miles per day for the four years of high school is a reasonable progression. More if they can handle it. Less only if they cross train a lot.

the back bottoms wrote:

My friend was all-state 9 times, PB's of 4:47,10:20,17:26

1600,3200, xc 5k

She topped out at 30,45,50, and 65 each year.

I agree with Oh that it depends on the individual. Obviously the above runner is talented, but I have no problems with an ambitious runner with less talent putting more miles in as long as it is done in a way to minimize injury.

A coach once told me that distance runners only need to train 6 days per week because that is what Bernard Lagat does. I wanted to comment that we are not all Bernard Lagat but kept my mouth shut out of respect for the coach.

The simple answer to this question is mileage (and intensity) should both progress over time and be in a range that the runner is improving over time and staying healthy. It does happen that many talented HS girls go all in as FR / SO and are cooked or plateaued or both by JR/SR year. Take the long view on this.

Yup, I agree. we all are not equal nor do we all have the same upbringing.

I coached a girl who ran very fast from 800- 5K Xc. (2:06 relay-17:22 xc)

She ran 21, 26, 30, 35 per week from 9th to 12th grade. During frosh and soph years she did not run XC, so when she added the third season the weekly mileage only needed to increase in small amounts because she added a few more months of training each year.

Oh? wrote:

depends on the individual.

Depends on the event too.

different strokes... wrote:

I coached a girl who ran very fast from 800- 5K Xc. (2:06 relay-17:22 xc)

She ran 21, 26, 30, 35 per week from 9th to 12th grade. During frosh and soph years she did not run XC, so when she added the third season the weekly mileage only needed to increase in small amounts because she added a few more months of training each year.

1. Would you have coached a 2:06 boy the same way?

2. Why so weak for 5k compared with a 2:06 800?

3. How was her college career?

Girls are humans too wrote:

different strokes... wrote:

I coached a girl who ran very fast from 800- 5K Xc. (2:06 relay-17:22 xc)

She ran 21, 26, 30, 35 per week from 9th to 12th grade. During frosh and soph years she did not run XC, so when she added the third season the weekly mileage only needed to increase in small amounts because she added a few more months of training each year.

1. Would you have coached a 2:06 boy the same way?

2. Why so weak for 5k compared with a 2:06 800?

3. How was her college career?

No, I coached her that way because that is what she could handle, both mentally and physically.

The 5K was an XC time, she continued to progress as the year went on.

At the collegiate level, she was a multiple time all-american. Never ran 2:06 again, but did run 15:30.

different strokes....

"She could handle it mentally and physically."

Do you think it is easier or harder to handle things when you do a smaller amount of work than everyone you know and get more benefits?

You obviously trained your example athlete very well but what do you do with the less talented girl whose only potential talent is durability?

You try to have them run more. I love mileage, helped me improve a ton.

But, as a coach I have to start at step one and progress from there, if I do screw up I would rather it's because I was too cautious than too overzealous.

OK but how do you determine if a kid is getting enough improvement from what they are doing or if it is time to try more?

25-30 mpw freshmen year, 35-40 sophomore year, then 40-45 junior year, 45-50 senior year.

For boys I'd recommend 35-40 freshmen year, 45-50 sophomore year, 55-60 junior year, 60+ senior year. Just as a point of comparison.

I'd also advise this over 6 runs, 1 a day, and rest on Sunday. That way, the endurance work is still high, because if your shortest run is like 8 miles for a senior guy, and say 7 miles for a senior girl, then your endurance is very good. And the mileage is low enough you can do some high quality.

,z o9=b] 4 wrote:

OK but how do you determine if a kid is getting enough improvement from what they are doing or if it is time to try more?

Not an exact science, like I said, if I err it is on the light side. I am trying to get my older girls up to 45ish, doesn't work for all. I did have some guys up to 70 last year for a while, but they were the guys who wanted it and had built up to it.

Just keep trying different things with different kids. I have read that Lagat is pretty low on the mileage, Geb was much higher. Which is right? Seemed to both work. Would Lagat be better with 110 per week? Or hurt more?

different strokes... wrote:

than too overzealous.

Is English your first language?

Girls are humans too wrote:

different strokes... wrote:

than too overzealous.

Is English your first language?

No

As much as they can handle.

In my experience, girls get injured at a far greater rate than boys. Certain individuals can handle as much,or nearly as much, as the boys but you have to move slowly to identify who they are. If you try to have your girls team do the same as your boys team, you'll have half of them injured.