Summer of Malmo Question

I'm no Malmo, but if you add 3 miles per week, for 10 weeks, you'll get from 30 to 60 by the end of summer. That's gradual enough that most people's bodies should be able to adapt, while continuing some workouts, even if they're only 10-20% of your mileage. On the other hand, I don't see any harm in a week or two of easy running, after a hard season of competition.

Everybody is different, though, and this is another example of where that old cliche, "listen to your body," applies.

Have you asked your cross country coach?

You are 100% breaking 17 if you don’t get injured. Your goal should be anywhere from sub 16 at maximum to 16:30 at minimum.

That was my first goal but I talked myself down from it. Lol. My improvement curve is kind of exponential right now. I hope it continues. Re: my cross country coach. He was a very successful runner in the mid 1990s and still trains us like they used to train. Low mileage and lots of intervals with little to know threshold work. I would rather go it alone.

If I were in your position I would run alot this summer with tempos and hills and then go 100% coach’s training when it becomes fall. If he is very successful then he knows what he’s doing with those shorter intervals

That's pretty much my plan with adding morning runs and doing a bit more mileage than he prescribes for us.

You might start by reading the SOM Q&A. I deliberatly avoid these SOM threads to get you to discover the answers for yourself. Also I would strongly recommend that you not think in terms of time goals. Time is a moving target. You have no idea what you will be running nor what you should want to run. Let the races come to you. Focus on competitive goals not time goals. In three years of high school and three years of college my goals were never times. It wasn't until my senior year did I set a time goal in my head-- sub 8:20 at the Penn Relays. I was 'unavoidably detained' with a stress fracture but was able set the national record once healed.

Why not try to think of time and think about competing instead,

Yes... have read many of those posts, Malmo. Which is why I am going to do it. I've read the summer of Malmo threads probably 15x. And yes, I know you said to focus on place and I keep reminding myself the same. I am trying hard to just let it all come to me. You gave some ideas to other posters in that link about ideas for workouts and paces. Mind thinking one more time about the same for me? I don't really do tempo runs. My coach doesn't believe in them. But I have run 10:31 and 4:51 this year on 25-35mpw and lots of 400s in the 74-75 range and 200s in the 33 range. This winter I did my own thing and was running 800 and 1000 repeats with 1-2min rest at about 6:00 pace and I think that was probably "threshold" back then.

Why? Its one of the least complicated plans out there. Just do it.

Question for you Malmo, as a hobby jogger who only does road races (focusing on 5k, 1850 PR), how would you shift out of the mindset of focusing on a moving target such as time when in a road race unless you're at the front it's basically just a time trial. I am trying to shift away from the strava fueled focus on pace/times and make running more of a pure thing for me but given I am not racing on the track it's hard to stray away from it. Thanks!

I am not malmo, but maybe do some runs with a cheapo ironman non gps timex or equivalent watch. You just run for time, or if you have a planned route, distance.

If you're not at the front, and you're somewhere in the pack, there's almost always someone ahead of you that you can try to catch up to and pass, isn't there?