i want to become an elite runner after college

Follow the wejo plan.

Your best shot is to train for the marathon and hopefully become a 2:15 also ran.

it would help to be an elite runner in college before you try to be one out of college. Let's see you go sub 14:20 during your senior year, then we'll talk.

congrats brave young man! Yes following the Wejo plan is a great idea. Keep at it. Keep your nose clean. Looks like you're doing well and still young. The future is bright.

don't listen to 666. He's just jaded cause he got injured before his final hurrah making the olys. Bro did you see how deep the field was for marathon? 2:05? I forget. 666 you a great runner, but I watched the race those guys would have eaten you alive.

So this is your dream and you want it to become reality.

You've come to the right place.

triple 6. Forget about Nike forget about everyone, forget about women. Really make a run, be a running hermit. I believe in you. If you don't make it I'll take care of you till you dieing days. Go out and run.

oh yeah triple 6 don't give me this crap you're too old. 2012 just around the corner. Give it a shot. You're 2:15 and change. I've been watching you.

Consistency, Frequency, Capacity, Mixture

Be the picture of consistency

Slowly build your frequency and capacity

Include a good mixture of workouts

From where you are now, slowly move toward running 100+ miles per week on 13 runs (may take you the next 2 years to get there consistently), week in and week out and be sure to regularly touch all main types of training (long runs, AT, LT, 8k-10k pace, VO2 max, Repetitions).

Get into a regular routine of drill/strength circuits twice per week and core work 4 times a week.

Live like a clock, with plenty of sleep and balanced regular meals.

Keep you long term gaols in sight and take it one day at time in working to get there.

Can you run sub 52 seconds in the 400m?

If you can not, you have no buisness being on the track.

alsooooo wrote:

Can you run sub 52 seconds in the 400m?

If you can not, you have no buisness being on the track.

Top end speed (low 50's) is required to think about the tracks seriously. Plus, you'd have to improve several levels to seriously consider a career with any reasonable income. Assuming a continued progession along these lines you could come near 30 flat by the end of the year and low-mid 29's by senior year provided you stay healthy. At that point, join a farm team and work for 4 years. That would probably give you a shot at running mid 28's which would make a couple of national championships. Another 4 years, provided you actually progress and you couple maybe run 28 flat. At that level though, you would do better to have started moving up. Run the 5/10k now and start using the 10k/half after you get out of school to help you grow into the longer distances. After 2016, move into the marathon. Elite/professional are good goals to have. Just realize it takes 6-12 years to really see how far you can go. Those are usually years of relentless hard work. Hope you stick with it.

Realistically, you're probably never going to run in the low 13s or anything, but if you love the sport then find a way to keep at it post college and who knows how far you'll go? You don't have to be world class for post-collegiate running to be fulfilling. My first year out of college I dropped my 5k time by almost 40 seconds; I won't be signing a contract anytime soon, but it's still awesome to continue improving a lot. And you definitely are capable of making USATFs at some point, if that's elite enough for you.

The first thing is to make the most of your last 2 years.

I'm curious - did anyone ever consider working for a while to scrape up about $5k, jumping on a plane, and living in Iten or Addis for a year?

666 wrote:

Your best shot is to train for the marathon and hopefully become a 2:15 also ran.

I wish I was a 2:15 also ran!

ukathleticscoach wrote:

I wish I was a 2:15 also ran!

I didn't mean it in a bad way. Just realistically, he'd be a 2:15 marathoner at best. The also ran part is just my suggestion that it might not be worth it.

that would be a pretty awesome thing to do

i would be interested in that considering my conditions after college

I coach a 29:38/10,000m runner just came out college. What is your e-mail, I would work with you over the summer.

666 wrote:

ukathleticscoach wrote:

I wish I was a 2:15 also ran!

I didn't mean it in a bad way. Just realistically, he'd be a 2:15 marathoner at best. The also ran part is just my suggestion that it might not be worth it.

It's amazing to me how some people like to place their own arbitrary limits on others but then I saw who posted that comment and now undersatnd - it's just Jason's mentality to do that. Maybe thats why he only had very limited success and kept on DNF'ing before quitting.

OP - there is no limit on what you can achieve, with hard work and dedication I am sure you can reach your goal.