What do I do for the next 8 weeks?

Example training week (can adjust distances)

Mon - 5 mile easy run

Tues - 8x200m track workout with 200m jog in between each interval

Wed - 6 mile recovery run

*Thurs - 4 mile tempo run (track)

Fri - 6 mile recovery run

Sat - 3 mile easy run

Sun - 8 mile long run

Mon - Run at an EASY-PACE; no slower, no faster: for AEROBIC fitness/recovery from long run

Tues - Run each interval at 90-100% effort; easy-medium paced jog between intervals; for SPEED!

Wed - Run at an EASY-PACE; no faster: for AEROBIC fitness/RECOVERY from track workout

Thurs - Run at a “comfortably hard” pace; about 80% effort: for pacing/AEROBIC fitness/SPEED

Fri - Run at an EASY-PACE; no faster: for CARDIOVASCULAR and MUSCULAR fitness

Sat - Run at SLOWER THAN EASY-PACE; easy-medium jog: for RECOVERY!

Sun - Run at an EASY-PACE; no slower, no faster: for AEROBIC fitness!

*Can change this for a fartlek each week - 4 mile fartlek run (track): 1 minute 90%, 1 minute 70%

Like the name says, I'm not an expert, but this is a pretty sound plan for improving. You can edit the track workout distances but make sure to hit at least 1 mile for the workout, and always do a jog in between each interval rather than complete rest (eg. 4x400). Also, if this is too easy or hard, then you can edit this to suit your preferences (maybe taking a rest day once a week if that is what you want). If you change the order, make sure to always have a recovery day after a hard workout. Good luck!

Surgically change your muscle fibers to run faster. Otherwise, you have no chance.

This sounds pretty good. Should I be doing this as a base buildup, with one tempo and one hard workout as I increase mileage or should I just be doing this as a season and then build a base after?

The reason I'm asking this is I have an indoor season in 13 weeks and then an outdoor season 21 weeks later which begins the day after the indoor season. Should I be building a base for these seasons and just do a lot of anaerobic stuff there?

Any help would be appreciated!

Hill sprints 1-2 times a week

10-15 seconds

Walk back full recovery

5-10 reps

Solid advice there. Short hill sprints (6-10sec w/ full recovery) will help with muscle recruitment, power and form. Medium hill sprints (20-30sec @ somewhere between 800-mile effort, if you are really distance oriented, you can be on the more aggresive side) will help somewhat with recruitment, but will be more beneficial for power, form and developing some lactic power.

If your focus is on mid distances and improving your power and speed, I would consider something along the lines of:

M: Easy + 4-6 short hill sprints with full recovery as per above. About 6 weeks from competition you might want to transition to 60m flats sprints or 30m floats, or something along those lines.

T: Threshold intervals or tempo, might switch those every week. Might add relaxed 2-3 200m at the end just to feel good, probably something like 36-38secs for you.

W: Recovery, run slowly, slower than Monday. Just get miles/time in

Th: Something along the lines of 8-15 medium hill sprints with walk down recovery. Transition to 200m with season approaching. Might transition partially, ex 6xhills + 6x200mand graduallly move to 200m. For variations you can let yourself loose on 2-3 of the last ones or do every 4th one harder.

F: Same as Wed, take it really easy

S: Long run, might want to so slight progression on the last third of the run if feeling good.

Su: off

Mileage and intervals number/volume depends on your previous experience. Try taking every 3rd week easy, ie cut total volume and workouts volume to 70% of previous. Before the season you will need lactic tolerance sessions, ie 3x400m with 5min rest for best possible average, 10x200m @ 800 with 30sec rest, but you are several months away, so would not even think about them. You can just use races instead as well. Thats much more fun either way. Good luck. And most importantly, just stay consistent, have fun, eat and sleep well.

sman wrote:

This sounds pretty good. Should I be doing this as a base buildup, with one tempo and one hard workout as I increase mileage or should I just be doing this as a season and then build a base after?

The reason I'm asking this is I have an indoor season in 13 weeks and then an outdoor season 21 weeks later which begins the day after the indoor season. Should I be building a base for these seasons and just do a lot of anaerobic stuff there?

Any help would be appreciated!

Kind of a mix of both, but mainly base building, because you'll do more speed work during indoor and outdoor track. You need a strong aerobic base for even an event as short as the 800.

not_an_expert wrote:

Example training week (can adjust distances)

Mon - 5 mile easy run

Tues - 8x200m track workout with 200m jog in between each interval

Wed - 6 mile recovery run

*Thurs - 4 mile tempo run (track)

Fri - 6 mile recovery run

Sat - 3 mile easy run

Sun - 8 mile long run

Mon - Run at an EASY-PACE; no slower, no faster: for AEROBIC fitness/recovery from long run

Tues - Run each interval at 90-100% effort; easy-medium paced jog between intervals; for SPEED!

Wed - Run at an EASY-PACE; no faster: for AEROBIC fitness/RECOVERY from track workout

Thurs - Run at a “comfortably hard” pace; about 80% effort: for pacing/AEROBIC fitness/SPEED

Fri - Run at an EASY-PACE; no faster: for CARDIOVASCULAR and MUSCULAR fitness

Sat - Run at SLOWER THAN EASY-PACE; easy-medium jog: for RECOVERY!

Sun - Run at an EASY-PACE; no slower, no faster: for AEROBIC fitness!

+1 this seems like a really good plan. One thing that I'd change is doing the hard workouts on Monday/Thursday instead of Tuesday/Thursday just because you don't want to stress your body too much during your *base mileage*. Another thing to consider is taking an off day here and there.

Mon - hard workout

Tues - 4-6miles recovery run

Wed - 6 mile recovery run

*Thurs - 4 mile tempo run (track)

Fri - 6 mile recovery run

Sat - 10miles long run

Sun - off day

Iamjustsaying wrote:

+1 this seems like a really good plan. One thing that I'd change is doing the hard workouts on Monday/Thursday instead of Tuesday/Thursday just because you don't want to stress your body too much during your *base mileage*. Another thing to consider is taking an off day here and there.

Mon - hard workout

Tues - 4-6miles recovery run

Wed - 6 mile recovery run

*Thurs - 4 mile tempo run (track)

Fri - 6 mile recovery run

Sat - 10miles long run

Sun - off day

Very, very good comment @Iamjustsaying. I agree with you. I only added the short 3 miler on Saturday for boosting mileage a little bit. This is completely optional. Do it if you want, don't do it if you don't want to. This isn't based on feeling. If you're feeling lazy, take an off day. This isn't gonna affect you much. I personally do my long runs on Sundays, but you can switch that up. Again, make sure to have a recovery day after a hard workout. In this schedule from @Iamjustsaying, I would recommend maybe running the 6 miler on Wednesday at easy pace for the first 4 miles and about 85% for the last 2 miles. Or, you could do an "easy-medium" pace. Good luck, and keep us posted!

This is the correct answer. You are sorely lacking in speed/power and hills at varying intensities will help you improve. The best part is you don't have to sacrifice your endurance/aerobic training to do this.

not_an_expert_ondifferentdevice wrote:

In this schedule from @Iamjustsaying, I would recommend maybe running the 6 miler on Wednesday at easy pace for the first 4 miles and about 85% for the last 2 miles. Or, you could do an "easy-medium" pace. Good luck, and keep us posted!

I sure agree about taking Tuesday/Wednesday very easy. From their PRs I'd think they should run both Tuesday/Wednesday between 7:00-7:30min/mile. this is usually not the case with most high school runners who would do their easy runs between 6:30-7:00

I don't think this will be a problem for me lol, I run 7:45 to 8:00 pace most easy days.

Alright, thanks for the advice everyone so far, with this I think I have got a pretty good idea about what to do until the track season to help my speed while also building my base.

Just two quick questions for all of yall, is there anything I can do to improve technique-wise, like drills or something for speed, and 2. is there any weight or plyometric training you guys recommend for these next couple of months?

Thanks.

sman wrote:

Just two quick questions for all of yall, is there anything I can do to improve technique-wise, like drills or something for speed, and 2. is there any weight or plyometric training you guys recommend for these next couple of months?

For speed improvement, I think adding 100-200m striders at the end of your easy days wouldn't be a bad idea.

Weight-wise; I would just focus mostly on improving your lowerbody strength: do lots of lower body lifts especially squats. Lifting should be done on the same days as the hard workouts and maybe add 10mins of core workouts + stretching on easy days.

Ok sounds good. Do you any recommendations for a specific lifting or plyometric program?

Nothing specific about these lifts but these are my favorites:

Lunges with 20lbs dumbbell

Deadlift

Squats (front, back, split)

Reverse fly

Push-ups

Clean pull

Overhead press

sman wrote:

Ok sounds good. Do you any recommendations for a specific lifting or plyometric program?

Never particularly did any lifting in HS. All bodyweight. I know a sub 15 5K runner (a senior in HS) who only does bodyweight training: squats, calf raises, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, bridges, etc. Good luck with your training!