How can I set myself up to run a 9:40 3200 this Spring?

You want non running tips??? Dude you were running no miles the last 2 years. The only way that you're going to get better at this point is to run more miles. If you are not up for that then you just don't want to improve.

Run 70+ miles a week during the summer and winter. 50-60mi in season. Run workouts at 4:45-50 mile pace (400s, 800s, 1200s,1600s). I ran 9:32 my SR season. The week prior I did 3 x 1600 @ 4:45.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

Run 70+ miles a week during the summer and winter. 50-60mi in season.

Alan

Agree with the pace stuff, but don't up your mileage from 10 to 70mpw like this. bad idea. bring it up to 40mpw maybe, sextupling your mileage in just a quarter of a year will 100% result in injury.

Yeah I don't want to get injured. What are your thoughts on speed training?

So you need a plan that actually builds up how much you run without anyone who knows what they are doing watching/advising you. That is not easy.

First, a dynamic warmup:

http://www.stack.com/a/10-minute-dynamic-warm-up-for-any-workout

Make sure you do some (3 one day 6 the next, don't always do the same number) strides, where you start at a strong jog for about 25 m, then pick it up to a strong run for 25 m and then try to reach RELAXED top speed during the next 25 m then slow down over the last 25 m. Then jog for 45 seconds before going again.

As to running, start here:

http://www.coacheseducation.com/xc/jack_farrell_july_00.php

Since you don't seem to be even running 3 miles a day, I would start trying to run 3 miles a day, every day in October. Then 4 in November, 5 in December. I would drop back to 4 in Jan, then 5 in Feb, 6 in March and then 7 in both April and May.

You need to do something like the 4 x 1200, on the track, every Tues or Wed. These do not need to be at 5k race pace, every week, I suggest 20 seconds per mile slower than 5k one week and 5k race pace the next. One of the great things about this schedule is that you can race any Saturday you want, just make sure you do the slower 1200s the Wed of race weeks. You can also replace the 4 x 1200s with races.

It is very important to drop back in January. Good luck

I didn't mean that I won't be running a lot this year. Rather, I want to have as big of a PR as possible. Thus, I will definitely up my mileage to at least 30-40 mpw, but I want to know if there is anything else I can do outside of running to help me PR. Granted, I think the best way to get better at running is to run more (and faster).

Thanks so much for the links! I really like both links, especially the one with the three main criteria for distance training.

wvewfwv wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

Run 70+ miles a week during the summer and winter. 50-60mi in season.

Alan

Agree with the pace stuff, but don't up your mileage from 10 to 70mpw like this. bad idea. bring it up to 40mpw maybe, sextupling your mileage in just a quarter of a year will 100% result in injury.

At 10-15mi a week he's not even training.

I went from 40mi a week to 70mi a week my Freshman year from XC season to winter.

So, after XC start pushing up the miles.

Alan

Yeah I definitely will. How much progression is expected to occur between now and May?

70 mpw is absolutely unnecessary for a 9:40. You need more quality and less quantity.

Just read Daniels. He's a tried and true exercise scientist.

Do not follow plans from letsrun.

What in the Mother Fukc! wrote:

70 mpw is absolutely unnecessary for a 9:40. You need more quality and less quantity.

Just read Daniels. He's a tried and true exercise scientist.

Do not follow plans from letsrun.

Nothing magical about any number of miles. Must have talent and proper training in HS to run 9:40.

Runningart2004 wrote:

Run 70+ miles a week during the summer and winter. 50-60mi in season. Run workouts at 4:45-50 mile pace (400s, 800s, 1200s,1600s). I ran 9:32 my SR season. The week prior I did 3 x 1600 @ 4:45.

Alan

How did you only run 9:32??

When I was in sub 9:20 shape would have been hard pressed to run that 3x1600 workout (and i don't have great speed either)

Oedipus Rexing wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

Run 70+ miles a week during the summer and winter. 50-60mi in season. Run workouts at 4:45-50 mile pace (400s, 800s, 1200s,1600s). I ran 9:32 my SR season. The week prior I did 3 x 1600 @ 4:45.

Alan

How did you only run 9:32??

When I was in sub 9:20 shape would have been hard pressed to run that 3x1600 workout (and i don't have great speed either)

It was run a 1600, jog a mile, repeat. Lots of rest. If you have enough rest it's not that hard. I used to do 6 x 800 the same way in 2:12s, lots of rest. Ran 4:27....going through 800m in....you guessed it, 2:12.

Alan

Flagpole wrote:

What in the Mother Fukc! wrote:

70 mpw is absolutely unnecessary for a 9:40. You need more quality and less quantity.

Just read Daniels. He's a tried and true exercise scientist.

Do not follow plans from letsrun.

Nothing magical about any number of miles. Must have talent and proper training in HS to run 9:40.

Meh....to me proper training included lots of miles and hard runs during the off season (some would call these "tempos", but I just liked hammering the end of a long run). I had no talent other than the talent to handle a lot of training without breaking down. I never had a typical runners build and always ran with my legs flailing outward from the knee down. I beat lots of dudes who looked like good runners because I could out train them. In season was basic stuff that everyone since Lydiard has done....intervals at or below race pace.

Alan

What's a good structure for a base week? Workout week?

Here's a sample of what a normal week should look like. This isn't what you should do every week, just an example of something similar.

Monday easy 5 miles

Tuesday 3 mile easy jog and then some form of repetitive speed work. Maybe 6 x 400 meters at mile pace. 5 miles total for the day.

Wednesday 5 mile easy jog

Thursday 5 mile tempo run

Friday 5 easy miles

Saturday 10 miles easy pace

Sunday 3 miles easy pace or not run at all.