Is my goal possible?

Anything is possible!

Absolutely. I've seen it happen. Don't overdo it in the summer. If you are burnt out in September you won't hit your goal. If you can run all that mileage and still feel energetic then you might see huge improvements next season. Good luck.

Holy s#@t! That's a serious buildup. You must be pretty gifted to be able to jump your mileage up so fast. If you're sure you're going to stay healthy, I think you're going to run 17 minutes easy. As a beginner, big and fast improvements are the norm.

I think you have a successful career ahead of you so be careful not to focus on next season to the exclusion of thinking about the next 5 years. It would be a shame to burn out or get injured at this stage.

Perhaps if you get some speedwork in during summer basephase. Suggest 2 track rep sessions per week of say 8x200/400 with short recovery. Your body and mind should be resting a little to prepare for the forthcoming xc season in the fall. Dont go over 80mpw and try 1 x gym circuit session of 2 hours per week to add strength to legs and upper body. Good luck and keep your goal in mind when training for sub 17.00 in September. Believe in yourself and have confidence and with constant hard work you will get there.

enjoy your summer running

Very doubtful wrote:

I am a junior in high school. Last year was my first year of running XC (never did track) and my PR was 18:48 after training about 20-30 miles/week. Since the end of the XC season I have built up to 75 miles/week currently, and I will stop at 80. Is there a chance I could run under 17:00?

Nothing is guaranteed, and no amount of running will get a talenless runner to dip under 17 minutes on a 5,000 CC course. I would bet you've got a shot though. Without question if you stay injury free you will kill that PR of yours.

Of course, man! I recall in high school having a PR of 18:34 after my first year, then I bumped up the mileage over the summer and got down to 16:53 the next year at states. Remember, consistency is key! You don't necessarily need really high mileage, just make sure you're getting in solid runs and not taking multiple days off at a time. One day of rest is fine, obviously, just try to avoid those random 3-5 days off periods that people sometimes have over the summer when they get lazy. Even if you're feeling lazy, get out there and try to get in 30 minutes at least. Good luck!

Yes, it is very possible, you may not even need that much mileage. I had almost the same first year as you(pr 18:47). Next year ended up running 16:56, and 16:58. Doable

Would recommend 1 day off for complete rest every 8 days.

from my soph. to jun. year I went from a 17:27 5K to a 15:56

in track I went from a 11:47 3200 to a 9:32

yes, it is possible

believe it

frosh to junior year i went 1915-1640 doing alot less than your doing

Go for it! Chris Derrick who took second in the 3200m at the Illinois State meet this year with an 8:59 only ran like 18:10 as a freshman, then 15:06 as a Sophomore, and this year dropped a 14:19! So work your ass and never give up.

This morning I just beat two of the top runners in the league in a 5 mile race!

Congratulations! That must feel good.

USIrunner wrote:

from my soph. to jun. year I went from a 17:27 5K to a 15:56

in track I went from a 11:47 3200 to a 9:32

yes, it is possible

believe it

what was your training in between 17:27 and the 15:56?

So what kind of workouts are you doing with your mileage? Are you doing tempo run/cruise interval/long track intervals?

Very doubtful wrote:

I am a junior in high school. Last year was my first year of running XC (never did track) and my PR was 18:48 after training about 20-30 miles/week. Since the end of the XC season I have built up to 75 miles/week currently, and I will stop at 80. Is there a chance I could run under 17:00?

Others have covered it, but yeah, it's possible. Keep up the work, it will pay off. Most importantly, listen to you body and believe in yourself!

athleticsfreak wrote:

Perhaps if you get some speedwork in during summer basephase. Suggest 2 track rep sessions per week of say 8x200/400 with short recovery. Your body and mind should be resting a little to prepare for the forthcoming xc season in the fall. Dont go over 80mpw and try 1 x gym circuit session of 2 hours per week to add strength to legs and upper body. Good luck and keep your goal in mind when training for sub 17.00 in September. Believe in yourself and have confidence and with constant hard work you will get there.

enjoy your summer running

Don't listen to this guy. What is the point of 2 track reps during the base phase?

Make sure you don't run too hard on all your runs. It's important to run hard occasionally but make sure that all of your 80miles aren't strenuous.