How long will it take to become mediocre: a training log

Long hiatus, but we'll get to that in a minute

Week of 12/29-1/4

Sun: 4 miles easy (8:00)

Mon: 1 mile warm/cool + 300-600-1200-600-300 in (46, 1:47, 4:05, 1:50, 47)

Tue: 7 miles easy (7:45)

Wed: 7.5 miles moderate (7:10) + 4x100m strides

Thu: 4.5 miles easy (8:15)

Fri: 1 mile warm/cool + 800-600-400-300-200 in (2:28, 1:49, 72, 51, 31)

Sat: 8 mile progression (7:06-5:52 w/Avg of 6:41) + 1 mile cool.

Total: 37.5 miles

Workout Friday was supposed to be an up-down-up ladder but I mistakenly did it late at night and the lights cut out and I had no way to see.

On XC: Season ended horribly and honestly I am just glad it's over. Without revealing any big personal parts of my life, about halfway through the season I really just couldn't handle everything which was happening. I just wasn't motivated to do anything and really wasn't happy with any part of what was going on in my life.

The season ended and I really thought about what was going on and why. Running took a backseat and I focused on being a better and happier person. Still dealing with some stuff but I can finally run with passion again.

I've committed to run for a University (somehow possible for someone as slow as me ha-ha) and so far in team Time Trials and one indoor meet I have run:

3000- 10:15 (This was after racing the Mile)

Mile- 5:00.01 (2:21-2:39)

1600- 4:55 (72-75-77-70)

800- 2:09 (63-66)

Ran unattached at a collegiate meet which was an awesome experience and I may do it again this season (Just promise not to tell any meet directors you guys).

Thanks for reading my rant, Know that you are important and I'll try my best to keep this log going for the remainder of my season.

Isaiah 43:2

Great to hear from you. I hope you only post here if it helps you in some way and is worth your time. I’m impressed with your persistence, smart training, and also you write well. Onward!

Week of 1/5-1/11

Sun: rest

Mon: 2.5 mile warm/cool + 4x400 w/1 min rest (74) then 3 min rest and 2x400 (72) then 3 min rest and 2 x 400 (69) w/3 mins in between.

Tue: 7 miles (8:00)

Wed: 3 mile warm/cool + 4x100m atrides, 6x600m w/3 mins rest averaging (1:52)

Thu: AM: 6 miles easy (8:00)

PM: 2 mile warm/cool + (3x200 w/90 sec rest)3 mins(2x300 4 mins rest)5 mins (400m) with times of (28, 29, 31, 47, 48, 65)

Fri: 3 mile warm/cool + 4x100m strides + 1 mile (Windy) TT in (4:57)

Sat: 8 miles (7:50) + 4x100m strides.

Total: 37.5 miles

Still at low mileage, going to bump to 45ish next week. might be in a race but I do not know if/what yet.

Old Timer w/kids...- Thanks! I hope to just finish uip this log as I finish up my senior year and head off to college. Maybe something for other kids to read and learn from.

Week of 1/12-1/18

Sun: 5 miles (7:35)

Mon: 1 mile warm/cool + 5x1k (3:14, 3:18, 3:20, 3:26, 3:30) w/ short rests (probably about 2:30)

PM: 5 miles easy (8:00)

Tue: 7 miles easy (8:00)+ 4x100m strides

Wed: 3 miles warm/cool + 7x300 (44, 43, 45, 44, 47, 48, 50)

Thu: 4.5 miles (8:25) + 4x100m

PM: 4 miles progression (7:30-6:25)

Fri: rest

Sat: 5 miles (total) warm/cool. 1 mile race in 5:02 and 800m race an hour later in 2:11

Total: 40.5

Interesting week. The workout on Monday really disappointed me and honestly my times from the races arent great even by my standards but it was fun to get to compete.

Won my heat of the 800 in a flamingo shirt and may or may not have obnoxiously celebrated while crossing the line ha-ha. I think I could have run 2:07-6ish if one of the guys in the race hadn't kept moving over to prevent me from getting by him. I had way too much left at the end and probably could've held my pace for another 100-200m

Fun to get to compete at a collegiate event unattached, still trying to find pictures from that event.

Had a really solid tempo run today, hopefully this week goes really well. going for 45-50 miles but we'll see what happens.

Week of 1/19-1/25

Sun: 9 miles tempo (6:41)

Mon: 1.25 miles warm/cool + 3x800+1x600 all with 2 mins rest (2:28, 2:27, 2:25, 1:45)

Tue: AM- 6 miles easy (9:00)

PM- 3 miles easy (8:15) + 4x100m strides

Wed: AM- 1 mile warm/cool + 2x(4x300) w/3 mins rest for reps, 5 mins between sets avg. 53

PM- 6 miles easy (8:10)

Thu: 3.5 miles slow (9:05)

Fri: AM- 2 miles warm/cool+ 800m TT in (2:09) don't know the splits.

PM- 6 miles easy (8:35)

Sat: 9 miles easy (7:45)

Total: 50.8

Good week all-in-all. Got my mileage to 50 and I plan on just sustaining that amount for the next several weeks to allow my body top adjust. I'll likely have a lower week near the end of February so that I can perform well at a specific meet and the go up to 60 in March. That being said, I won't count my chickens before they hatch and for now will just go with what I've got.

Workout Wednesday was meant to be at 800m pace but the conditions were awful (33 degrees and windy, probably around 24-25 with wind chill)

Friday was a meet day for my school and we had the guys who didn't go run Time Trials. Ran faster than a guy in the 4x8 by 4 seconds and he wasn't dealing with windy conditions (10+) like I was. Pretty happy with my time and the coaches said that I'll likely be in a 4x8 for our JV meet this Friday to see what I can do.

We are going to the 160m wood track this week so I'm just going to shoot for low 2:10's on my relay split and either a 10:4x 3200 or a 4:5-mid mile depending on which event I do.

Week of 1/26-2/1

Sun: 10 mile long run (6:57)

Mon: 3 mile warm/cool + 6x800m fartlek w/2:30 rest(200 on/off)

Tue: 5 miles easy (8:00)

Wed: 2 miles warm/cool + 2x1 mile w/3 min rest(5:19, 5:25)

PM: 4 miles easy (8:20)

Thu: 4 miles pre-race (7:50) + 4×100m strides

Fri: 5.5 miles warm/cool + 800m (2:11); 3200 (11:07)

Sat: 9.25 miles moderate (7:11)

Total: 50.5 miles

Okay week. Workout Monday way at 800m pace for on segments.

Races Friday went okay. 2:11 was for a relay split and the 3200 was about an hour later and I split (5:18, 5:48) Felt smooth up until just after the mile when it all blew up. I think I am in shape for a 10:4x but not that soon after an 800 or on that nightmare of a track lol.

Likely only hitting 45 miles next week as I am probably taking today off.

Thank you so much for this thread. I have learned SO much reading through it. Mainly, what not to do. I wish someone would slap you across the face and show you how you have repeated the same mistakes for the past 2 years and failed to learn every time. Hell, sometimes people have directly called you out on it and you've just sort of... ignored it, assuming you don't have short term memory loss.

My biggest gripe with you is how fast your easy (well, and workout) days are. You should not be in the 7:50s for 6-7 miles as often as you are, the spontaneous progressions and moderate runs literally only hurt you, and I don't think you ever did a real tempo interval workout; your reps were always too fast. Further, you just keep running yourself into the ground for workouts INCESSANTLY.

As a result, you go into races tired and have a habit of burning out by the end of the season. Your junior year I literally predicted that you would stop breaking 19. You could have gone so much faster.

With that being said, I don't think this time has been a waste. I think you have a lot of potential under a decent coach, and I really hope to hear/see more from you. I really think you can be better than mediocre, as you've gotten this far off dogshit training.

Just please, please, learn to have some self-control and PACE YOURSELF.

Hope to see you back before too long.

This entire thread was a tough read. Just repeating the same mistakes week after week and not taking any of the good advice in this thread. Hammering workouts way too hard, not doing enough high-end aerobic training, ripping 200's close to 400pr pace in July?.

Reminds me of the famous Eddy Lee thread a while back, except Eddy eventually took some of the advice and went on to run his 3:59 1,500m.