This kid is only in 10th grade and he is running 100 miles a week!

100 miles a week is less than 12 hours a week of running (if done at a 7 minute pace).

I know a dozen friends who spend more than that much time at asoccer practice each week and everyone thinks they are normal kids enjoying their youth. But if I spend that time running I am labeled a crazy lunatic obsessed with running who will die a crippled mess.

Yet I can get better grades and can beat those friends in almost any sport we play (except soccer). Most of them injured on a regular basis and I am never injured.

Some people have such a messed up double standard.

Just saying as someone that did run a lot in middle and HS, dont put all your eggs in the running basket.

I do look back on HS and wonder what I didnt do when I was spending SOOOOO much time traveling to meets, training, recovering, etc..

It's not that you are doing something bad, it's that you are running at the exclusion of other things/people. Running is a singular activity, esp if you are running 100mpw. Soccer is at least social on a certain level.

The simple reality is that less than 5% of us will have the opportunity to run competitively after HS due to lack of talent. Recognizing that fact, some choose to maximize their ability while they still have the opportunity to compete. I was slightly above average at 800, 1600, 3200 and 5k (1:58, 4:27, 9:55, 16:00) with a peak average of 65 mpw for my senior year. I had good speed but very little aerobic endurance. At the time did not understand the benefits of high mileage relative to developing that endurance. In hindsight, I wish I had run 100 mpw. I would have maximized my potential and possibly been somewhat competitive at state, rather than just above average. Slow development works for those that have the luxury of running in college and beyond. For everyone else, why not just go for it when you can?

Forget about 100 mpw. Just run the 1000-mile summer (and winter) as an upperclassman. You should know by then if you are cut out for college competition w/out burning out, getting injured, or compromising other parts of your life. If you want to run a 100 mile week to say you did it, fine, but it is excessive. Some kids who do that much and more go on to have success in college and beyond, but they are usually the outliers.

Running 100 miles a week usually guarantees you won't be an elite. It's the people who run 4:20 miles off 20 miles a week are the ones that will become stars.

I averaged 16 miles/week my SR year in HS, was state runner up in the 3200m in 9:07 and ended up with All-American honors in the steeplechase in D1, while also making XC Nationals twice (JR/SR year).

However, in college, I did hit upwards of 110M/peak but mostly in the 60-80s by my SR year. Raced a lot.

Is that you, Spiker?

We know you cross trained a lot due to injuries as well.

blackbeltmarathoner wrote:

i doubt all you people ran 100 a week in high school, probably the same mentality as Gerry Lindgren, did you guys do 40 mile long runs for your 100 mile weeks? yea didnt think so, 100/week is useless in high school for the most part

No

sincerely, 8:40.00 indoor 2 mile

Had a couple kids at a HS not too far from mine run 100 mpw the summer leading into our JR./SR. year. One is doing extremely well in college. The other ran great in HS, quit his college team within the first year, and now hates running and is fat. I'll tell you one thing, when you are an inspired HS kid you never, ever see passion/burnout as even a possibility - add in being away from your hometown/support group, a new coach/team, and a couple bumps in the road....then BAM FML FML FML FML FML FML FML FML I hate running.