from 2:16 to 1:55 in 13 months the coaching behind the improvement for a beginning runner.

400m repeats with rest until 60bpm

And low mileage

CaN I guess wrote:

400m repeats with rest until 60bpm

And low mileage

actually you're right about low mileage.

With beginning runners always take a slow cautious approach as a healthy athlete is one that can continue to improve.

His 2nd 800m was 2:11 in November.

At the time training was the following:

1 day per week on track running 400/600 efforts at 3k pace with top group.

1 day per week on grass

1 day per week hilly run or progressive run (example progressive run over hilly circuit of 10 with last 4k in 3:30k pace.

Trained 5-6 days per week

Grass sessions include hill repeats but also alternations to improve aerobic strength throughout the season example 1600m run as 200 fast 200 float.

Would you like to learn more?

Sure I'd like to hear more.

But I'd also like your input on how you would increase his mileage. Surely you wouldn't force him to run low mileage for the rest of his career.

So given that you are his only coach for the rest of his running career, how would you ideally increase his mileage?

I suppose mileage is only part of the recipe; so how would you also progressively increase the volume, both over a season, and over the long term ?

The above athlete came to me as a 21 year old soccer player.

We are in the southern hemisphere and he takes some control over his training and at best I mentor him as much as advise.

The week before he ran 1:55 here was his training.

Saturday 9.5k progressive run

Sunday 60 minutes over hilly course

Monday easy running for 30 minutes

Tuesday 2x5x400m on 2 min cycle avg 71 + 4x200 with long recovery 28 avg with last one in 25

Wednesday 30-35 min easy

Thursday 5x300m hill sprints on 3 min cycle (non specific lactate session)

Friday easy

As his 1:55 was first race of season the goal is to run sub 1:50 by end of March/April.

He is a very strong athlete but volume can not be increased to rapidly but quality of volume can continue to be improved upon.

This athlete ran 49.5 for 400 with virtually no special speed training. His strength is his strength.

I would like to see his volume increase to 50-70k this season but will have to see what he can handle. I think with same training as last year he can run 1:51 at the least. He does train with a good solid group including 18 year old who has run 3:51 for 1500m and I have another 16 year old athlete that has run 1:55 on about 20-25 miles per week.

A few quality sessions that I like last season was 6-8x 300m at 800m pace which is standard + a like athletes to finish sessions with 150m efforts to work on speed mechanics.

Getting the athlete to buy into program is always the key, but he does have talent now it will be interesting to see how he goes about maximising it. I will enjoy the journey.

Humblebrag

Honestly, it’s not unusual to get a soccer kid to run a 1:55 800. I had more than a few high school friends (17-18 yrs old) who soccered all fall, then just jumped into whatever track program was available and ran 1:55-56. Get this kid sub-1:50, and then I will be impressed.

He hadn't played soccer in 3 years before coming to see me.

A few things about 800m runners.

Most and I mean most have not the aerobic development needed to run truly fast for distance.

Now you say most soccer players can run 1:55 and I would totally disagree. Most soccer players aren't as fit as they could be with a moderate dose of middle distance training.

The above athlete has run 49.5 off mainly middle distance training.

Good luck with your goals.

Any idiot can coach a talented runner to a mediocre 800.

Fast improvements say more about the athlete than the coach.

That is close to what I did myself from 9th to 10th grade. The difference for me was having a coach that kept me focused and motivated. That kind of drop is normally on the athlete and not necessarily the coach. Coaching will be more seen after you reach that goal and the following years. When I coach youth or newbies I focus more on HOW to workout and manage rest with the same focus as how you manage the intervals themselves.

Not unusual wrote:Honestly, it’s not unusual to get a soccer kid to run a 1:55 800. I had more than a few high school friends (17-18 yrs old) who soccered all fall, then just jumped into whatever track program was available and ran 1:55-56. Get this kid sub-1:50, and then I will be impressed.

Oh dang he didn’t impress you. Well let that be a lesson to him and his athlete, and motivate them to achieve something more impressive in your eyes—the ultimate reward.

1:55 is slow for letsrunners who run 14:05/$100k/10/10 wife.

You'll get plenty of trolls, but it looks like you are doing very well with this fortunate young athlete. Thanks for sharing the info, and keep us posted on your mutual progress as a coach and athlete.

Like Really Bro wrote:

Not unusual wrote:Honestly, it’s not unusual to get a soccer kid to run a 1:55 800. I had more than a few high school friends (17-18 yrs old) who soccered all fall, then just jumped into whatever track program was available and ran 1:55-56. Get this kid sub-1:50, and then I will be impressed.

Oh dang he didn’t impress you. Well let that be a lesson to him and his athlete, and motivate them to achieve something more impressive in your eyes—the ultimate reward.

I definitely don't care either way. This coach comes on here with a hint of braggadocio, saying this kid came to him as a 21-year old soccer player. Only a few replies later did he say the kid hadn't soccered in three years. My point stands. It's not hard to get a high school soccer player with some moderate track training to 1:55ish by the spring. It is, however, difficult to get the same kid sub-1:50. That takes some good coaching and training. Carry on...

I'll just say this wrote:

Fast improvements say more about the athlete than the coach.

This.

Has this been replicated or is OP generalizing a sample of 1..?

Not unusual wrote:

Honestly, it’s not unusual to get a soccer kid to run a 1:55 800. I had more than a few high school friends (17-18 yrs old) who soccered all fall, then just jumped into whatever track program was available and ran 1:55-56. Get this kid sub-1:50, and then I will be impressed.

Although you jest, very unusual actually for any "kid" to run this fast.

Ca$hclay wrote:

Not unusual wrote:

Honestly, it’s not unusual to get a soccer kid to run a 1:55 800. I had more than a few high school friends (17-18 yrs old) who soccered all fall, then just jumped into whatever track program was available and ran 1:55-56. Get this kid sub-1:50, and then I will be impressed.

Although you jest, very unusual actually for any "kid" to run this fast.

Not a high level soccer kid... pretty common actually. 1:55 and 1:50 are two totally different levels...

Reality checks wrote:

Any idiot can coach a talented runner to a mediocre 800.

Good reply mate and sorry you need to make such comments.

I work with talented athletes. One of the benefits of being a private coach is that you get the opportunity to work with athletes for extended periods of time.

I am lucky to have athletes that are currently being recruited by Stanford. I have a female that has run 16:09 for 5k and sub 34 for 10k on the track. Oh and yes she went to the USA and won 8 national championships at the JUCO level after only having run for 2 years.

There are some readers on this forum that like to see what is achieved through different ways of looking at training.

Sorry you are of such limited vision.

coahc wrote:

Reality checks wrote:

Any idiot can coach a talented runner to a mediocre 800.

Good reply mate and sorry you need to make such comments.

I work with talented athletes. One of the benefits of being a private coach is that you get the opportunity to work with athletes for extended periods of time.

I am lucky to have athletes that are currently being recruited by Stanford. I have a female that has run 16:09 for 5k and sub 34 for 10k on the track. Oh and yes she went to the USA and won 8 national championships at the JUCO level after only having run for 2 years.

There are some readers on this forum that like to see what is achieved through different ways of looking at training.

Sorry you are of such limited vision.

Not limited vision, it's the truth that it's very hard to learn anything from the improvement of someone in their first year because any training stimulus is new and will have a positive effect. It is short sighted of you to not see that and know it.

I would be much more interested in hearing about the progression and training of the female 16:09 5k than this as it's longterm. Surely as a coach, you would also value that information and patient ideology too more than a one year progression of a guy who can run 49 with no speedwork?