I have no speed?

Success at 2 mile comes from tempo runs not long runs. Do 50 meter sprints after your easy runs.

Endurance FTW wrote:

Should I focus more on getting my mile down by training my raw speed, or should I build my endurance more by doing longer, slower intervals and throwing in a 90 minute run once a week?

Yes.

I've never met a male runner who lacked the speed to run faster than 4:50. I've met many who lacked the strength.

Keep working on your endurance. If you really can run under 4:50, I'd suspect a form problem. You'd be amazed how many high school runners try to run heel-toe and so seem like they have no speed at all and relatively good endurance, but really they just need to get onto their toes.

Squeeze it wrote:

I've never met a male runner who lacked the speed to run faster than 4:50. I've met many who lacked the strength.

Keep working on your endurance. If you really can run under 4:50, I'd suspect a form problem. You'd be amazed how many high school runners try to run heel-toe and so seem like they have no speed at all and relatively good endurance, but really they just need to get onto their toes.

WTF Bro?

Bro's either got a strength or speed problem. Probably both. Running like a ballerina ain't going to fix Broseph's problems.

You need to stfu.

lol I'm on the other side of the spectrum, I have relativley the same mile time but lack the endurance to run faster than 10:40 rn. I'm running around 2:04 in the 8 tho.

Colby?

I know you don't care about shorter distances and all that, but please get yourself entered in a random 4x4 this week so that you can report your 400 PR to us. We will then diagnose whether your problem is lack of speed, strength, or special endurance.

Endurance FTW wrote:

I'm in high school track season right now, and I honestly don't care about any of my races except for the 2 mile, but I'm worried that I won't have the speed to improve anymore. I always felt like my mile (4:51) was terrible compared to my 2 mile (10:20). I really want to get down to sub 10 minutes, but I'm worried that my slower mile time/lack of speed won't let me reach my goals. Should I focus more on getting my mile down by training my raw speed, or should I build my endurance more by doing longer, slower intervals and throwing in a 90 minute run once a week?

4:51 and 10:20 are roughly EQUAL. I ran 4:50 / 10:20 as a frosh. The next year I got down to 9:50, you will too. Unless you are a senior, you will get there.

In a similar boat. My 100m PR is 15 flat so I have the raw speed but can't break 5 for the mile.

That's not a fast 100m time. I run sub 14s when I do strides, and my mile time is 4:46

Dude, I beat everybody I've run against. Trust me, I am fast.

Speed demonz wrote:

Dude, I beat everybody I've run against. Trust me, I am fast.

1/10 at least you got a reply

sayer of you mad bro wrote:

Squeeze it wrote:

I've never met a male runner who lacked the speed to run faster than 4:50. I've met many who lacked the strength.

Keep working on your endurance. If you really can run under 4:50, I'd suspect a form problem. You'd be amazed how many high school runners try to run heel-toe and so seem like they have no speed at all and relatively good endurance, but really they just need to get onto their toes.

WTF Bro?

Bro's either got a strength or speed problem. Probably both. Running like a ballerina ain't going to fix Broseph's problems.

Running heel to toe has very little downside at slower speeds. As you speed up, it makes you increasingly inefficient. It really does put a "speed limit" onto you.

I didn't suggest he run like a ballerina, I suggested he run correctly.

No speed hey? Have you ever tried to train your speed? 20 x 400m don't count...

Train to run faster, and it will carry through to your other distances. Speed can be developed; work on your weaknesses. I'm sure some people think that more miles and a 90 minute long run will somehow develop your fast twitch muscles to make you run faster over short distances (100-400m) but that's wrong.

Do speed work, get faster. Don't be afraid to sprint. I do it, it works.

I wouldn't worry too much about it especially when it comes to your mile time. And trust me speed is not your limiting factor. Put it this way, how fast can you run a 200 or 400. Probably a lot faster than 4:50 mile pace. Strength/endurance is what is limiting you, how fast can you get to your max speed and how long you can maintain it.

You're in high school and still heavily developing likely. At that age you have a lot of room to improve strength and that can greatly improve your times over distance.

To use myself as an example I had probably 55s quarter speed in high school and there is no way I could hold 5 min pace for a 10k then. My speed is definitely no faster than that, in all honesty likely worse now but I can run sub 5min pace for a half marathon. It's the building of strength and aerobic capacity that got me here and that's how you'll see the biggest improvement as well.

Endurance FTW wrote:

I'm in high school track season right now, and I honestly don't care about any of my races except for the 2 mile, but I'm worried that I won't have the speed to improve anymore. I always felt like my mile (4:51) was terrible compared to my 2 mile (10:20). I really want to get down to sub 10 minutes, but I'm worried that my slower mile time/lack of speed won't let me reach my goals. Should I focus more on getting my mile down by training my raw speed, or should I build my endurance more by doing longer, slower intervals and throwing in a 90 minute run once a week?

first off, of course there are many ways to improve your sprint speed. hills, weights, etc.

But remember that there are several issues here. let's say you want to run 9:30. That's 71 seconds per lap. Can you run a 71? Yes? Then raw speed is not the only issue.

Al Salazar always said - many people can run a 5 minute mile...but doing 26 consecutive 5 minute miles is the glory of the marathon.

if you don't have raw speed, you might not be winning a lot of races because you may be outkicked. But you can still run fast 3k, 5k whatever.

I'm a little embarrassed by this, but in hs my best mile was 4:52 but I ran 9:58 for two miles a few times. Part of that was mental, but you get the idea. Get comfortable running 75s. That's your goal.

The Overexplainer wrote:

Endurance FTW wrote:

I'm in high school track season right now, and I honestly don't care about any of my races except for the 2 mile, but I'm worried that I won't have the speed to improve anymore. I always felt like my mile (4:51) was terrible compared to my 2 mile (10:20). I really want to get down to sub 10 minutes, but I'm worried that my slower mile time/lack of speed won't let me reach my goals. Should I focus more on getting my mile down by training my raw speed, or should I build my endurance more by doing longer, slower intervals and throwing in a 90 minute run once a week?

4:51 and 10:20 are roughly EQUAL. I ran 4:50 / 10:20 as a frosh. The next year I got down to 9:50, you will too. Unless you are a senior, you will get there.

Agreed those are roughly equivalent performances.

Do some reverse pyramid/pyramid work like:

1x400

1x800

1x1600

1x800

1x400

with good recovery between each

or

do similar with some fartlek:

100 hard / 100 easy x 4

200 hard / 200 easy x4

300 hard / 300 easy x4

400 hard / 400 easy x4

Run some short -steep hill repeats after speed workouts. I think that is the best thing for developing speed.