Middle Distance Training for College Walk On

You really have no shot with those times. Doubt even a D3 school would look at you unless you are running at least in the 4:40s.

We need to know what kind of training you did to get to where you are.

As of now the program im looking at has told me that thats what they are looking for if i want a chance to train with them. I have only been running for a little over a year and i have made major improvements since beginning (20 seconds faster in 800m). As of now i am going to high school track practice and i mainyl run a little over 30 miles a week with 2-3 speed sessions per week. Also within my year of running i have gone through a few injuries lasting for several months so that has set back my progress. Again my goals to possibly run in college are long term, i dont plan on running my freshman year

This sounds like a potential problem. What injuries have you had and how have you treated them? 30 miles/week at your age shouldn't lead you to getting hurt like that unless there's an underlying condition or you're running all of your miles too fast, or too much work on the track maybe.

Ram Bound wrote:

i mainyl run a little over 30 miles a week with 2-3 speed sessions per week. Also within my year of running i have gone through a few injuries lasting for several months so that has set back my progress.

Mainly just overuse and increasing mileage too quickly. I had a major injury ag the start of my running that kept me out for about 3 months. That was due to not stretching before practice and running through tight and sore legs. The rest have been small cases of tendinitis both Achilles and peroneal once again due to overuse and excessive speedwork. I train a bit too hard sometimes but im learning to take it easy on my long runs

I'm with you, same situation, exact same PRs. I got accepted to a D1 school based off of academics and I want to walk on their track team by Junior year, so I have two years to train, they want in the 1:50s for the 800 to walk on, and with two full years I am positive that I can shave 14 seconds off. I am new to the sport so I know I will improve fast.

As of now my plan is just to increase my weekly mileage from the 15 miles per week that it was when I ran the 2:13, to 40 miles per week by the end of the summer. That alone should help shave off to like a 2:08 without any speed work, besides strides after the runs, just because of the increase in strength. But I will of course also incorporate 200 repeats once per week at 29 seconds per repeat just to stay used to the pace that I eventually want to race at 2 years from now. I will also do a hill session once per week. The rest of each week will just be building up my aerobic capacity. Maybe do something similar to my plan? If you are new to the sport like I am, simply building up your mileage this summer will help tremendously

Actually that is 3 years from now, so thats even better

So you're going to train your butt off for the off-chance that you are talented enough to get accepted as a walk-on? They may let you train with the team but there's no guarantee of a roster spot. You may end up just running local races unattached for your short career, and without an official roster spot you aren't officially a member of the team so you won't be able to claim that anywhere since it will show up in a google search in like 5 seconds.

Sorry, but 15 miles and 2:13 shows that you aren't talented. Not to brag, but my first 800m ever in middle school on like 3 miles a week was a 2:07. I ended up running in D1.

I think the D1 boat has passed you by and you really should just focus on your studies and meeting friends instead of starving yourself and depriving yourself of socialization.

Somewhat agree with formerD1. If you don't have a roster spot coming in as a freshman you likely won't have a good experience, nor will it be worth it.

Join the club team, make friends, and have fun.

However, my PR at the end of my freshman year of high school was 2:25. At the end of my freshman year of college? 1:55.

End of my college career? Based on formerD1's posts in other threads: faster than him.

So hell if you wanna go for it, I can't tell you not to.

wait what? wrote:

Somewhat agree with formerD1. If you don't have a roster spot coming in as a freshman you likely won't have a good experience, nor will it be worth it.

Join the club team, make friends, and have fun.

However, my PR at the end of my freshman year of high school was 2:25. At the end of my freshman year of college? 1:55.

End of my college career? Based on formerD1's posts in other threads: faster than him.

So hell if you wanna go for it, I can't tell you not to.

Did you run in D1? Just wondering how you managed to get to 1:55 your freshman year. You have to admit you are an exception. The kids who succeed in walking-on as upperclassmen are a distinct and small minority.

Title IX has ruined track and field. It's a bit easier to walk-on to the XC team, but track is brutal since there's only a couple of guys per event that actually make the roster.

What's the point of "running D1" if you aren't issued uniforms, you have no locker, you're not invited to official team functions and the coaches don't even acknowledge your existence. That's the life of the unattached roster-less "walk-ons."

So you're claiming that you were top 15 in the entire nation in middle school with zero training and that you achieved this ranking after your first ever race? Okay, let's say that I do believe that, power too you. But I'm pretty sure more than 15 people in the nation make it to D1 by the time they are in college.

And who says I am doing this to be the best anyways? I realize that it will be hard, but that is exactly why I want to do it, because it will be a challenge. I'm not in this to necessarily race, I just want the experience of being able to train with them, so getting a locker and a uniform isn't important to me. I want to do this simply because I love to run, no other reason, so why would you want me to give up running ("focus on your studies...instead of starving yourself") just because I don't have the talent to be one of the best in the country? That doesn't matter to everyone.

"focus on your studies and meeting friends instead of starving yourself and depriving yourself of socialization."

You make it sound like you can't do both. I will use exactly what you said so that we know what I am saying isn't out of context: "Not to brag; example" It is possible to both focus on studies and be a good athlete. "Not to brag," but I am graduating from a rigorous high school as valedictorian with the highest GPA my school has ever seen, while at the same time training around 32 hours per week for a different sport (entirely different than running and I will keep that sport unknown for purposes of my own anonymity) for which I made it to the International circuit for the last three years. So I have succeeded in doing both before, and in no way am I implying that I will be able to do it for running. I never said that I wanted to be the best, and I completely recognize that I don't have the talent that you do; all I am saying is that I hope to be able to train with them eventually even if I am the slowest out there.

Lastly, you said, "aren't officially a member of the team so you won't be able to claim that." Clearly our values are different, it seems that you simply wanted to make your past D1 team because you could "claim that you did." Bragging rights aren't important to me, but again, thank you for assuming what is important to me.

I will be sure to let you know about my progress

Oh and no, I won't be continuing my old sport so the trainings won't conflict. I just brought that up to show that the "starving myself" won't be a problem, I am used to making sacrifices for things I love

formerD1 wrote:

You really have no shot with those times. Doubt even a D3 school would look at you unless you are running at least in the 4:40s.

We need to know what kind of training you did to get to where you are.

5:07 is "at least in the 4:40s."

5:07 > 4:40 wrote:

formerD1 wrote:

You really have no shot with those times. Doubt even a D3 school would look at you unless you are running at least in the 4:40s.

We need to know what kind of training you did to get to where you are.

5:07 is "at least in the 4:40s."

Mathematically true, but we know what he meant lol. OP does have 3 years to go from 5:07 to 4:40, so "at least in the 4:40s" should be achievable in 3 years for OP considering he doesn't normally run it. I have three friends who all improved from 5:25-5:30 to 4:49-4:51 in just one year, so it's possible.

Did Title IX ruin it overall, or only for men, or only for women, or what?

Also interested in how Title IX ruined track...I don't know much about it, only that it forbid discrimination in sports based on sex.

Ram Bound wrote:

Hey guys,

As the track season is coming to an end im looking at possibly running in college but i need major improvement to do so. Im considering taking freshman and maybe sophmore year to train on my own to get to the college level. Also i might be joining a club to get some races in to measure my progress

As of now my prs are :

200m- 25.8

400m- 57.7

800m- 2:13

1600m- 5:07 (havent ran it in months and was coming off injury)

Im mainly looking at the 800m as it is my favorite event and i would even consider stepping down to 400m as i find it easier to make improvements in this event.

Right now my goals are as follows: (will try to accomplish by december)

800m: sub 2:05

400m: 54-3

Any training routines,tips, weekly mileage suggestions would be greatly appreciated ! Cheers !

I did it, my pr's coming out of HS were

59

2:16

4:42

I walked on Jr. Year. Depending on where you go you will likely have to run some sort of time trial (or several) or go to tryouts to make the team. Treat the workouts during tryouts as time trials, because that's what they will be.

I would say it's unlikely but certainly not impossible. It really depends on how much you are willing to train on your own and how much you improve.

I would race a lot, maybe under a different name or something until you hit something worthwhile.

Might take a year, might take two, or never. Most coaches are open minded to having fast kids walk-on. It really is entirely dependent on the times you run.

Better yet, once you get into better (much better) shape, try to get into an open race at your school and beat some of the kids currently on the team.

same boat wrote:

Lastly, you said, "aren't officially a member of the team so you won't be able to claim that." Clearly our values are different, it seems that you simply wanted to make your past D1 team because you could "claim that you did." Bragging rights aren't important to me, but again, thank you for assuming what is important to me.

I will be sure to let you know about my progress

It's easy to see where his values lie, his username is formerD1, on a board full of guys who are...former D1. He must be a permanent basement dweller, otherwise he would've realized a long time ago that no one in the professional world really gives a flying f*ck about running track for a D1 school.

I wish u the best of luck mate, it sucks to be so passionate about running snd lacking the talent others take for granted but i think with enough hard work and dedication we can match that talent and maybe even surpass it. Let me know how it goes and thanks for the tips, im aiming for 50-60 a week miles by the end of the summer

The 15 miles is what the other guy in the thread says he runs. And frankly i dont care about being "a part of the team" as kuch as i just want to run and see myself improve. I finally found something i love to do and im not going to give it up becuase i wasnt gifted with talent