I Just decided, I want to be a professional runner.

You have to have:

A great deal of talent+

A unbelieveably high work ethic+

some good luck with injuries

Without the first the rest only matter to a point. The whole "you can do anything you put your mind to" is just wrong.

If you're asking what books you need to be a professional runner, you clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

I hear this guy Dena Karnzanas wrote a book, he makes a few dollars too. maybe juswt be like him.

I hear this guy Dean Karnzanas wrote a book, he makes a few dollars too. maybe juswt be like him.

Ok...I'll offer a non snipy comment.

If you're a 935 HS runner, go to a college with a good reputation for developing runners...even if you have to walk on.

Carefully balance your long-term development with the needs of the team. Use your summers wisely.

Earn a degree along the way if the pro thing doesn't work out.

Don't miss out on college, if you go to a place with a training philosophy that works for you, it will be your best resource. Look for a school that fully utilizes redshirt years, and doesn't expect you to peak 6x a year.

Just my >$.02

wick wrote:

If you're asking what books you need to be a professional runner, you clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

When I said that, I was hoping for more of an eye-opener to becoming a professional athlete. Like some good auto bio's that will enlighten me a bit. Forget that part though. It's unimportant.

Basically I'm wondering if a 9:30-9:35 2Miler can become a 13:00 min 5km runner. I don't really have that much talent, but then again if Ruben Sanca was a 10:10 2M'er in high school maybe I have a shot at being pretty good. But can a non-sub 9min 2 miler ever hope to run sub 13:10?

I'm hoping for a bit more of the standard letsrun advice, so not something like this: "it can happen brah", or "haha, maybe if you took epo loser"

Examples of previous runners who weren't 'good' in high school (like 4:25-4:35 miler, 9:25+ 2miler...etc) This is my

Thanks!

Bdubs wrote:

Ok...I'll offer a non snipy comment.

If you're a 935 HS runner, go to a college with a good reputation for developing runners...even if you have to walk on.

Carefully balance your long-term development with the needs of the team. Use your summers wisely.

Earn a degree along the way if the pro thing doesn't work out.

Don't miss out on college, if you go to a place with a training philosophy that works for you, it will be your best resource. Look for a school that fully utilizes redshirt years, and doesn't expect you to peak 6x a year.

Just my >$.02

Thanks! :) Very sound advise. It's actually pretty similar to my plan. During my runs I don't usually go faster than 8 min pace. usually 8:30-9:30 pace (sometimes even 10min pace, but that's seldom). So there's a great long-term approach there. Already know what I want to major in also, thanks again for your >$.02 It's posts like this that I was looking for.

~Johnny Wildenberg

You won't know unless you try. You can could develop into:

-a 1430 5ker with good cross results (45%)

-a 1500 5ker who is injured all the time (30%)

-a 1400 5ker who turns into a decent road racer (13%)

-a national class steepler (can you hurdle) (5%)

-a complete washout who never wants to run again (5%)

-a 1300 professional runner (.5%)

-A devout scientologist (1.5%)

-This is in no way based on any knowledge. Just fun speculation.

I'm not a pro, but i was nowhere near your times in high school and improved alot.

my HS PRs were 800m 2:12, mile 4:44, 2:43 1k (not alot of training, very low mileage)

took 2 years off after HS then started running again, built a very good base increased my mileage slowly, less than 2 years after resuming training 3:47 1500m

it's not all about talent, i would say that for longer distances 10k and up, if you put in the work you can do well, maybe not the best in the world, but being the best you can be shoud be a better goal.

your best hope is the marathon. forget the 13:00 5k, it ain't gonna happen. look at the american guys who have run under 13:10 ... it's obvious who had/has the potential to do that by the time they are 18, and you aren't it. you're the same age as German, and he *might* get to 13:00 5k, and he's already way, way better than you.

so like i said, the marathon is your best bet, and having said that, i'll tell you that you should skip the college running system and go straight into marathon training. lots and lots of miles, with a long-term goal of the 2016 or even 2020 olympic trials. like you said, you have 10 years, don't waste 4 or 5 of it running dinky XC meets in a D2 wasteland, or hoping you can walk on at some D1 pitstop where you'll be an afterthought.

i believe you can do it, but if you really want to be a professional, make the sacrifices, put in the miles now, do the training now. don't listen to the losers who say you'll get hurt (look at all the guys that get hurt in college anyway), or that you're too young (lots and lots of successful people in other endeavors skipped college because they knew exactly what they wanted to do and didn't want to waste time).

so what are you waiting for?

I agree with the marathon comment. Forget the 5k...sub 13min takes too much talent and speed. There are 9:00 hs 2 milers that don't even crack 14:00 after 5 years at a DI school.

I won't skip the college running system- but I also wouldn't worry about trying to peak during indoors. Run a lot. Start running at least 100 mile weeks now. If you haven't done the volume and/or feel like you are getting injured just run really slow on your easy days. The big pay off is going to come from years of high mileage running coupled with lots of threshold running (tempo runs) that build your economy and strength. Even if you just did marathon training your 5k time in college would probably come down also after a couple faster workouts.

Bdubs wrote:

Ok...I'll offer a non snipy comment.

If you're a 935 HS runner, go to a college with a good reputation for developing runners...even if you have to walk on.

Carefully balance your long-term development with the needs of the team. Use your summers wisely.

Earn a degree along the way if the pro thing doesn't work out.

Don't miss out on college, if you go to a place with a training philosophy that works for you, it will be your best resource. Look for a school that fully utilizes redshirt years, and doesn't expect you to peak 6x a year.

Just my >$.02

I agree that your college choice will be the biggest decision that you make. I was a 9:30 HS runner and took the money (a full ride) to a D2 school. It was a competitive D2 school by my senior year but I was the #1 distance guy from day 1. So from day 1, my personal development was already at a disadvantage. Of course, nothing is impossible. But I think you'd be better off going to a bigger D1 type of school and having guys to look up to and guys to give you a nice beating on workouts and long runs from time to time. The benchmarks and standards will be set higher too. The races you'll get in to will be better. Too many differences to count for a guy of your ability.

If you take the money and become a big fish in a small pond at a smaller university, then the odds of you maxing out as a 14:30 runner will greatly increase. If you pass up the money and start as a non-varsity guy at a good program then you could be sub 14:00 eventually.

For some of us, money was an issue when deciding on college. But if it's not a necessary thing, then pass up small school scholarships and walk on D1. That's my opinion too.

typically, people that say "i want to be pro" or "i want to be elite" are the biggest assholes more involved with the drama and excitement of the running scene than the actual work. those that are silent and humble with natural born talent and a strong work ethic rise to the top. so, shut up because you've already shown us what you really are.

9:35 -> 8:15.2M wrote:

Any suggestions? I'm 18 and have 10 years to reach my prime. Obviously higher mileage will help me in college and such, but what books would be good for my quest? I'm doing this so it will make my quest absolute. All you need is a single starting thought to begin something great.

Any advice?

Thanks.

ps: please no stupid wannabe funny posts. This is official business. :)

Once upon a time, when I was around 20 years old, I wanted the same. (before there were any pros, haha)

Do you realize that you would have to PR by 10 seconds every year for the next 8 years to go from 9:35 to 8:15? Here's a suggestion, don't get ahead of yourself just because you have a dream. Focus on getting that first 10 seconds this year, then take the next step.

Two great pieces of advice from 2 of the alltime greats.

From Frank Shorter:

Run 2 quality workouts and a long run each week and get in as much easy mileage between these as you can without compromising the workouts or long run. Do this week after week consistently and after a few years you'll be very good.

From Edwin Moses:

"Analyze everything you do in your life in regards to your running, because everything you do effects how well you run."

Follow these two pieces of advice and you'll be well on your way.

Master of Disaster wrote:

typically, people that say "i want to be pro" or "i want to be elite" are the biggest assholes more involved with the drama and excitement of the running scene than the actual work. those that are silent and humble with natural born talent and a strong work ethic rise to the top. so, shut up because you've already shown us what you really are.

*sigh* I was hoping people like you (yes you!) would not post on this otherwise pure thread (pure positive re-enforcement that is). This summer I ran 90-100 minutes twice a day for 4-6 weeks (alone), and at least 2 hours total accumulated time every other day. Don't tell me about not working hard enough.

~trying to figure out if it's worth it..

funny. i do way more than you and i'm a girl. elites and pros don't need the reinforcement of a message board. they silently win. *SIGH*

Woah, MoD, you're not a very nice person.OP: dream on. Boston Billy wasn't that fast in high school, and he did pretty well, didn't he? ;-)Focus on one season at a time, be patient.

Master of Disaster wrote:

funny. i do way more than you and i'm a girl. elites and pros don't need the reinforcement of a message board. they silently win. *SIGH*