How many years or months of training did it take you to break 20 in the 5k?

high school xc coach wrote:

yes. as an assistant. nobody else wanted the job. I would say this is true of 20-25% of high school coaches in my area, though most end up washing out within a couple years. Started in track in the spring. Went on to volunteer with the xc team in the fall. Head coach left, and I was the head by October, armed with 8 months of hobby jogger experience.

ugh, please don't encourage him.

0W7VW wrote:

high school xc coach wrote:

yes. as an assistant. nobody else wanted the job. I would say this is true of 20-25% of high school coaches in my area, though most end up washing out within a couple years. Started in track in the spring. Went on to volunteer with the xc team in the fall. Head coach left, and I was the head by October, armed with 8 months of hobby jogger experience.

ugh, please don't encourage him.

lol

0W7VW wrote:

high school xc coach wrote:

yes. as an assistant. nobody else wanted the job. I would say this is true of 20-25% of high school coaches in my area, though most end up washing out within a couple years. Started in track in the spring. Went on to volunteer with the xc team in the fall. Head coach left, and I was the head by October, armed with 8 months of hobby jogger experience.

ugh, please don't encourage him.

Encourage what?

First race. Two years later was down in the 15s. It's not hard.

GetRealIdiot wrote:

First race. Two years later was down in the 15s. It's not hard.

If it is not hard, then anyone should be able to become a D1 track athlete?

My first year of XC I ran like 22 mid off of no training and worked it down to 21:11 by the end of the season. Summer before my second year I would do like 4 miles easy a few times in the week and ran 19:39 at the end of that cross season.

david45 wrote:

GetRealIdiot wrote:

First race. Two years later was down in the 15s. It's not hard.

If it is not hard, then anyone should be able to become a D1 track athlete?

You really have no clue. Even a 15 min 5k runner gets zero money at D1. They are luky to walk on.

david45 wrote:

GetRealIdiot wrote:

First race. Two years later was down in the 15s. It's not hard.

If it is not hard, then anyone should be able to become a D1 track athlete?

You really have no clue. Even a 15 min 5k runner gets zero money at D1. They are lucky to walk on.

Please Stop wrote:

david45 wrote:

If it is not hard, then anyone should be able to become a D1 track athlete?

You really have no clue. Even a 15 min 5k runner gets zero money at D1. They are lucky to walk on.

False.

Please Stop wrote:

david45 wrote:

If it is not hard, then anyone should be able to become a D1 track athlete?

You really have no clue. Even a 15 min 5k runner gets zero money at D1. They are lucky to walk on.

Then how fast do you have to run?

My first race was a road 5k and ran 18:36 at 13. I just jumped in because it was for my dad's company. I played a ton of Basketball (8hrs/day).

And I ended up running 15:17 XC school record my senior year and was awarded a full scholarship to my local DI program (am still school record holder for 4 events).

OWL wrote:

And I ended up running 15:17 XC school record my senior year and was awarded a full scholarship to my local DI program (am still school record holder for 4 events).

You are talented

There are no full scholarships in track and cross country for men. What is your name? We would love to see those records.

My coach had us do a timed 5k almost every practice. This was followed by hill sprints or random track interval she made up. I remember not hitting her splits on the track and she took us to the treadmill to hit these splits. We never did fartlek or tempo workouts. She was also the track coach.

Lovely woman, sh1t coach. Our HS team was a joke.

If I had just done easy running, it wouldn’t have taken me two years to go sub 20 lol.

superior guy wrote:

I ran a local 5k in 18 minutes at age 12 on no training.

Well I ran a local 5k in 17 minutes when I was 11 on no training, so there.

Showed up to my first day of XC practice in hiking boots thinking it was a hiking club. My first day of practice I ran in hiking boots. A week later with no prior experience in sports I ran 3 miles in 19:47. Eventually got down to 31 flat 10k and 52:xx 10 mile times years later. Was on track for 29:xx 10k in workouts but I got greedy with training. Need to lose 30 pounds but I might try it again one day. Getting old sucks running wise. I love those memoried.

high school xc coach wrote:

Please Stop wrote:

You really have no clue. Even a 15 min 5k runner gets zero money at D1. They are lucky to walk on.

False.

Uh, no. I was a 15:35, 4:02, sub 2 half guy. I got NOTHING. i was the seventh best runner on my college team. I didnt even make the cut for track conference meet. Dude, you really need rto get a clue. D1 is sooooo competitive and there is almost no money. I know state champions who didnt even get offers. Everyone here thinks 15 min is so fast. While it may be to the masses, in the D1 world a 15 min runner is a scrub.

david45 wrote:

Please Stop wrote:

You really have no clue. Even a 15 min 5k runner gets zero money at D1. They are lucky to walk on.

Then how fast do you have to run?

To get money? You need to be sub 16 in Cross Country (not the same as track) and be sub 4:20 for the 1600 to even sniff at an offer.