Is it possible to have a 10 second improvement in the 1600m in about a week and a half

Depends what your training looks like... Some programs start off the season with slow times but bring them down crazy fast, while others start the season fast and improve slower. My junior year of HS I dropped 21 seconds in 2 weeks at around the times you're running. So yes, it's possible.

Possible, yes. Probably not due to training gains, but due to better competition or track/weather conditions.

My freshman year in high school I dropped from 5:29 to 5:13 in one week (2nd year of running).

When my dad was in high school he dropped from 4:5x to 4:32 in a short period of time because he got moved up from JV, where he won all the time, to varsity, where he was mid-pack (sophomore in high school, his first year of running).

I raced the 3200m the past few races and came down to a 10:15. My coach wants me to focus on the 1600m because that is what I am going to run at region and possibly state. What did you guys do to make an improvement from a 4:48ish to 4:30ish.

Any advice?

Helpneeded101 wrote:

I just ran a 4:48 in the 1600m. It was my first 1600m of the season. Is it possible to improve 10 seconds in a week and a half. Also, I ran the 4:48 without any competition.

Definitely possible and it happens frequently. Assuming you are in high school, at your level improvements due to the accumulated effects of training are rapid. Also, with Spring brings warmer weather. Warmer weather is conducive to faster running.

I got in shape for a ten miler this fall. There's a track about a mile from my house, and after the race, once a week for for 4 weeks, I went over and did a mile time trial just to see what I could do. I went 4:55, 4:43, 4:35, 4:37. The final week I tried breaking 4:30 and it was a bridge too far. My improvement was just getting used to the distance.

Helpneeded101 wrote:

I raced the 3200m the past few races and came down to a 10:15. My coach wants me to focus on the 1600m because that is what I am going to run at region and possibly state. What did you guys do to make an improvement from a 4:48ish to 4:30ish.

Basically, to run 10 seconds faster, just run 2.5 seconds per lap faster and you got it!

But seriously, this is what happend to me...

Very poor training, 0 workouts during the season, just 2-3 miles a day which averaged about 12-15 a week, our high was 18...

Junior year I was stuck at 5:04 all year, I ran between 5:05 and 5:04 for 5 races in a row (including 3 indoor races) and was getting fed up.

An alumni who ran in college suggested that I just try to start out faster and see what happens. Try it for one race and if it works, yay big PR! If it doesn't, well then I know I'm not ready for that yet...

So I went out in 71, next 400 was 74, next one was 74, and last one was 69...

That was a 4:48, or a 16 second improvement over my last race which was the weekend before, this was mid week.

That next weekend I had another 1600...

Figured that since I clearly didn't go out hard enough given my 1200-1600 split (I was dumb and didn't think that maybe I should just try to hold on better through 800 and 1200) I would try to go out a second faster...

So my splits were 70-72-73-68 for a 4:43... Total of 21 seconds over roughly a week, all due to me just trying different racing strategies.

So go out faster?

It is also possible that you need to go out slower, although I would try faster first.

If you tell us your splits, you will have plenty of input on whether to go out faster or slower.

70, 72, 73, 73

Hello?