Help, I suck at cross country.

High School Running

6 years ago 10/15/2017 5:47pm EDT

So I'm a 14 year old freshman, and to give you a sense of my build I'm 6' 3", 160lbs(Still growing, so please don't say loss weight). Last year in middle school I was a 400 and 800 runner, with PBs of 54 and 2:08. Not great, but pretty good for someone my age. Now had run a 4:50 mile as well, but I am a speed guy. I decided to do cross country this year. I knew I wouldnt be a star of the team, but I suck. I'm dying after about 1.5 miles into a 5k and I'm struggling to break 20. I'm getting beaten by friends who were only 5:25 milers last year. I'm doing the same mileage as them but I keep getting destroyed. To make sure I haven't just gotten slower over the summer I went to the track to run a 400 and I went 55 with almost no speed work since spring, so I know thats not the answer. Please help.

6 years ago 10/15/2017 7:17pm EDT

re: Please help

Please help wrote:
So I'm a 14 year old freshman, and to give you a sense of my build I'm 6' 3", 160lbs(Still growing, so please don't say loss weight). Last year in middle school I was a 400 and 800 runner, with PBs of 54 and 2:08. Not great, but pretty good for someone my age. Now had run a 4:50 mile as well, but I am a speed guy. I decided to do cross country this year. I knew I wouldnt be a star of the team, but I suck. I'm dying after about 1.5 miles into a 5k and I'm struggling to break 20. I'm getting beaten by friends who were only 5:25 milers last year. I'm doing the same mileage as them but I keep getting destroyed. To make sure I haven't just gotten slower over the summer I went to the track to run a 400 and I went 55 with almost no speed work since spring, so I know thats not the answer. Please help.

Don't worry about it. It sounds like you're going to be a D1 800 runner in a few years. Just do what you can in XC and make the guys beating you cry on the track.

6 years ago 10/15/2017 7:24pm EDT

re: Please help

Aerobic workouts just seem to do you in. If you're doing the same training and can't keep up then it's probably just not for you. It will give you a great base for track, but I'd concentrate on track instead of worrying about xc if you're putting in the work. Maybe try to run the first two miles a little slower than you usually do and then drop that 2:08/4:50 speed on them in the last third of the race.

6 years ago 10/16/2017 5:56am EDT

re: Please help

It sounds like you need more endurance and a larger aerobic base. The kids that are beating you are probably running more mileage than you or are better at longer distances. In fact, last year a guy on my team made it to the state meet for the 800m in track and right now in XC he is struggling to break 18 minutes for the 5k. It looks like you are just better at middle distance than long distance. But if you want any advice I would just say next summer run more during the summer and just by doing that you will see great improvements to your 5k time.

6 years ago 10/16/2017 11:53am EDT

re: Please help

The simple answer is up your mileage.

6 years ago 10/16/2017 12:02pm EDT

re: Please help

I'm entirely serious about the following.

If you guys are given a day off or optional day on Sundays, or if a long run is suggested for you that day, do this instead:

Go to the track and alternate one lap fairly fast (but untimed) and one lap easy (if you feel the need to walk 100m on some of those easy laps, that's okay). The first week, do that six times; the second week, do it eight; the third, if you're not in your championship taper, do it ten. This will help in what's left of the season.

For summer training next year, follow the Summer of Malmo plan, but with more emphasis on the workouts and a more gradual mileage buildup than most of the other xc guys.

6 years ago 10/16/2017 12:22pm EDT

re: Please help

I will also say that you will likely be more of an 800 runner. There is a reason we have all those distances. You can end up being a serviceable 5k runner in high school (16s eventually) if you stay away from injuries and slowly increase your mileage during you career there, but you probably won't get a 15s or faster runner...just my guess.

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