Here it goes...100 mile weeks

Wake Up: Go run

Before Dinner: Go Run

Repeat for as many days as you feel comfortable doing. If you feel too sore. Then only run once. Go out and do it, find out how your body feels about it. No one on a message board can tell you how YOU will respond.

Alan

I have seen great benefits from this system, I ran no sessions all fall just miles and races and took my 10k 10mile and half marathon down, im now experimenting with 120's

Are colleges really done the first week of May?

I think you'll reek benefits too.

Yep, some

yes. run as close to 100 mpw this summer as you can without injuring yourself or burning out. mix in a fast run or do road races too, to keep your leg speed up. Then check in in August ready to have the best X-c and track season of your life. Life happens, injuries, sickness, personal problems, but just keep pushing ahead.

In high school it's very easy to just show up to practice, do what your coach says, and never give a second thought to how you're training. This is what I did throughout high school and I was the same caliber as this kid. I didn't even keep a running log.

I doubt he's a troll.

DCT wrote:

Is this something i should just go do and not tell anyone about and just show up and run a lot better next fall, or should i be thinking of just doing 60 miles this summer and wait till later in my life to move up?

-

save it up for what? no one knows what the future holds. I had all of my prs my sophmore year after running 100 mile weeks all fall. Due to injuries and other problems not related to training, I never was able to run faster. I say 'go for it' every year you can while you are in college. Let post college running take care of itself. Don't worry about saving 100 mile weeks for your late 20s or early 30s. You will be 20 within the year. Now is the time, my friend.

Thanks for everything so far

First, troll or not i know im not "bad" and those are real times. i was just from a very small town, ran because i was good at it, and loved to stay in shape for, what i loved, playiing on the basketball team and being that "starter" but now in college im ready to see what i can do.

Im at a good program where the coach really pushes building, which is working, our team is great. i just dont want to build 60 65 miles as a soph. then 75-80 jr year then 95-100 my senior and super senior year. i think i want to go now and push the high miles and see just maybe that my body can handle it.

We get off this thursday and i live close to 750 miles away from college so im on my own for training in the summer back in the homestate.

I just think the hardest part will be doing this alone with all the miles by yourself.

Go out and get it done... now! Just make sure you stay fresh. Don't come into cross in a deeply fatigued state. Come in fit and ready to go 85 mpw with solid workouts until mid october.

Side question(s)

What else should/can i do

I do my push ups and sit ups is that enough? and i do all sorts of core workouts.

I also live/work on a farm so i will bail hay all day like i have the last 8 years of my life so i figure that is a workout all in its own ( we do hay the old fashion way, for those of you who have never see where hay comes from, we do the hay wagons where you have to bail/stack it in the field yourself, then take to the barn and unload)

how should i do longer runs? like 15-18 miles. the longest for me ever is 10 and that is a two mile warm up then 8 after. so those might be hard. do i need to have water along the way? or some kind of food along the way.

thanks

Im also running this by one of the coaches right now and some guys on the team, so im just taking in all of the advice from everyone.

I went from running about 50 miles a week to running 90 by the end of the summer. It is definitely a whole new level of challenge on your body. No matter what, you are going to feel fatigue at certain points, nagging pains, and become mentally tired. But nothing is going to replace the feeling you will have at the beginning of the x-country season if you have worked harder than everyone else out there and you show up in prime shape. Try not to focus so much on the number 100. The thing you want to worry about is getting in a consistent amount of doubles and a longer run once a week (maybe on a sunday). The duration of your runs is almost more important than the mileage. If you are consistent with the amount of minutes you run a week your mileage will BE THERE. Try starting off with a week or two of solid singles (maybe 40-50 miles a week). Add a double or two in as the weeks progress. Also, on your long run day, add 5-10 minutes each week. 10 if you can. I would not exceed 120 minutes. Start off around 70 and then build your way up as you feel comfortable.

There is definitely nothing wrong with pushing your mileage over the summer farther than you have ever done before. It's a key time to do so because you are given time to experiment with what your body can/cannot handle. Also, you won't be hammering hard workouts or racing so you should be able to add some decent mileage to your schedule without hurting yourself. Here are some key factors that are going to determine how your body responds to this:

1. BUILD UP. Do not start off running full mileage. Take your week/2week break and then slowly build up your mileage. Once you start to really climb it's ok to go back down a mile or two and then add on again. ( 40-45, 45-50, 50-55, 55-60, 60-65, 55-60, 65-70, 70, 75...) If you need to stay at a certain mileage for another week DO IT.

2. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you need to take the day off, TAKE IT OFF. This does not mean take a day or two off a week, but if it's been 2-3 weeks of increasing mileage and you feel you are fatigued, REST. It's simple...your legs will let you know when they need it.

3. GET YOUR SLEEP. Eight hours of sleep is imperative for training at this level...

4. PROTEIN. I am not a nutritionist but I do know this is key to recovery. After your longer runs you should make sure to get the proper protein and carb intake afterwards (within about half an hour of when you finish). To be safe, I have read that if you train at an intense level it is smart to eat a gram of protein per lb. you weigh.

5. HYDRATE all the time. Because your body will not be used to this mileage, you are bound to get cramping/tight muslces/etc. Water is important for recovery and reducing cramping/knots.

6. STRETCH EVERY DAY. You don't necessary need to stretch before you run; however, never just end a run and then go collapse on the sofa. Take at least 5-10 minutes after each run to gently stretch your muscles. It is KEY to preventing injuries. I am not saying you will get injured, but you are definitely going to experience nagging pains at some point because you body will be adjusting to this new effort.

7. Do not obsess over mileage/pace. Run at a comfortable pace for the most part; on days you feel good feel free to push the pace. Do not start off runs so fast that you are slowing down every mile till you finish only to feel fatiged. Keep your LONGTERM goal in mind- YOU WANT TO SHOW UP TO X-COUNTRY PRESEASON IN OPTIMUM SHAPE, WHICH INCLUDES NOT BEING INJURED/TIRED/ETC.

If you follow these steps you will definitely be way ahead of the game and most likely surprise yourself later in the season with your hard work and determination...

best of luck to you!

bad boy...no supper for you wrote:

The reason I think he's a troll is because he seems to imply that 15:24 for 5k in high school is bad. He's fishing for compliments. "No man, 15:24 is great, if you run 100 mile weeks you could be down to 13:30 in no time...etc, etc, etc" He says he's from a small town, but says that he's "alright" at running with a 9:30 2 mile off of what, 35 miles a week? If he's from a small town then he probably won every single race besides state, but he doesn't know what's fast and what's slow? It's not real. I knew some guys talented enough to run 15:30's off of minimal/disorganized training, but they didn't go around pretending that they were "sort of okay" or whatever. BS. Troll. Agreed?

I usually give people the benefit of the doubt but I'm beginning to think you are right. In his first post he said he took up running because he was looking for a new sport after a football injury, but later in the thread he says he took up running only because he wanted to stay in shape for basketball, which was his first love, he was a starter blah blah...So he contradicts himself.

The other thing: As I mentioned before, I know some HS runners can be clueless about mileage etc. But, he now runs for a college team and is supposedly coached by someone who seems to understand fundamentals. I would think he would ask the coach these questions, or at least his other team mates....I find it highly unlikely that in his current situation he is surrounded by clueless people.

My hunch: He doesn't run for a college team.

DCT wrote:

Not being a "serious runner" or caring about not being hurt and taking it "smart" as i leave for home this summer im going to go from my average 35-40 to 80, 90 and maybe even a 100 mile week. this may not be the smartest but i think i will reek benifits and maybe something amazing will happen who knows. Nothing hard though, just my 6:40-7:00 min pace, 2 a day runs, and high mileage.

-

There is always a chance you will reek with this much running (especially in the summer), but i wouldnt consider it a benefit.

Sounds like a cap at 50-70/week might work better. That is still a sizable increase in training volume for you and also leaves you some room for some solid intensity too. Why limit yourself to slow running? If you want to show up strong in the fall, don't be afraid to run hard sometimes.

As for anything extra, that depends so much on the individual.

I can assure you, pushups are optional, especially for a kid who works on a farm.

Geoffery? I bet this is the return of Geoffery.

What workouts can i throw in there?

What about races?

For the "troll alert"

Think what you must. Running has never been my "focus" until a coach here open'd my eyes and the whole team. My team in high school had 6 kids and our school record was 16 15 before i ran. I didnt experience anything until i stepped onto the college team. So now im moving that up the ranks of what is my "focus"

Before it was god, family, relationships, hanging out with my freinds, and school work, then came my running.

At college so far running has moved way up, as i lost faith in god, and the family isnt close and no girlfreind. I picked my college more based on the science program and thier chemistry programs then what school gave me the most "money" but now looking back i wish i would have trained a lot harder and i want to push my body right now and see what goals i can achieve. rather then build up and save myself, because im not planning on going "pro" at all or anything after college, so i have four years to get where i want.

Also again, should i ever do any workouts. A big part of our training in season here is threshold runs. With the heart rate moniter.

Ive been doing them all season 35-40 mins at about 172-182 heart rate. When if at all would be a good time to start doing these over the summer? or not.

And should i wear my heart rate moniter when i run all my runs, or just go out there and run easy and just get the miles "in"

XC starts Mid Aug. so i was thinking if i ran any racce from 5k to half marathon towards the end of july i should be alright?

Good luck running 80-100 mile weeks when you are used to a normal base of 35-40. Talk about overreaching! It took me over a year to get from 60 to 100.