Need advice - Working towards a good last track season (senior)

Oh boy, let me try to pick this apart one by one.

For starters, I would suggest you stay away from the doubles. Although this might not be the only reason, I feel like you got worse when you introduced the doubles. Instead, just work on consistency and quality on your singles and just run everyday. I'll touch this again later.

Looking at your pr's, you are right, you are weak aerobically. This can be fixed with some work, mainly running in the offseason. You will need the aerobics if you wish to excel in the 800 and 1600. I would suggest this. Take two weeks off of cross country. Afterwards, get out and run everyday. I like training off of minutes run rather than miles. So, I high recommend building up to TWO 1 hour runs and ONE 1 1/2 hour run. This will be key for developing your aerobics. Make sure you get out and do this, it is so important.

As a sophomore last year, I ran a 4:23 mile and a 9:36 2 mile. This was what my winter training was like at it's peak which I did for about 4 weeks in a row:

Sunday- 45 minute run

Monday- Fartleck or tempo run for about 30 minutes

Tuesday- 60 minute run

Wednesday- 45 minutes

Thursday- 60 minutes

Friday- 45 minutes

Saturday- 90 minutes

I never tried to hit paces on my runs. Rather, I went by how I felt using 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 efforts. 1/4 is an easy pace, which for me was anywhere around the 7 to 7:30 pace. 1/2 is comfortably hard, in my opinion the bread and butter of off season training. This would be anything under 7 minute pace, even reaching 6 flat at times for part of the run. 3/4 is a hard effort, and I only used it during my Monday workout.

So, your weekly mileage during this phase will be your highest of the entire track season, and probably around 50 miles a week. Remember, quality. We don't jog, we run.

On the subject of off weeks, the minute system sort of automatically builds that in. If you are feeling sluggish during a particular week, then you will only run so many miles in the alloted time.

On the topic of non-running stuff, I'm a huge fan of body weight strength training, core work, and plyometrics. The body weight training will be stuff like push ups and pull ups. I always did strength and core work on my shorter 45 minute days after my run. As for plyometrics, I did those once a week, usually on Wednesdays. Plyos help so much with running economy and form.

I have lifted weights in the past, but did not last winter because I found it to be a waste of time as far as seeing gains in running, which to me were none at all. Rather, stick to the body weight stuff.

A really important thing to do is run on your forefoot. It prevents injuries and makes you faster. No East African that wins major distance events heel strikes. Feel free to wear normal trainers, I did last winter, but always remember to land on the ball of the foot. This is key.

Try not to get too hung up on mileage. I ran 50 a week in the offseason and about 40 a week during the regular season and peaked just fine and ran fast times. By the regular season, you should be listening to your coach and doing what he tells you to. If you let him make the plan and you just follow it, you will have all of your focus on the races instead of second guessing your training. Have faith in the system.

My final point is HUGE. Whatever you do, do not be macho. Don't go for a 14 mile run if your coach asks for an 8 miler. Don't have your coach tell you to run 400s in 75 seconds and go and run them in 65s instead. THIS will make you peak. I fell under this trap as a frosh during xc and track, and during xc sophomore year. I finally changed my ways in track and running has been SO much better. Again, you just have to do what your coach says and believe in it.

Haha your lengthy question deserves an equally lengthy response. But please comment and ask questions, any questions at all about my ideas. I would really like to discuss this topic further.

I went through a similar early peak my freshman year in College. I only ran 2 years in HS w/o much off-season training and went to a small d3 school. Over the summer I ran more mileage than I ever had before and started doing doubles 2-3 times a week. I ran great the first 3-4 meets then got slower with each progressing week until the end of the season, when I felt like even easy runs were races.

What I did was simply back off any speed or intensity until I could run easily again. I got out and did something every day even in the first few weeks after the season. I would suggest the same thing to you. Anytime I've taken more than a few days off it seems like I've lost all my fitness. No pressure here if you feel like crap after 15-20 minutes you're done, but you're keeping the routine.

Once running easy actually feels easy you can try a schedule like the previous poster suggested, running by time rather than distance. I would not do any speedwork other than strides a few times a week and not even any of those for maybe a month or so after the season. You're fried right now and more speed will only cook you more, so no workouts other than strides until practice with the team starts in February.

You don't need to double on 50-60 miles/week, and lifting for dis and mid-d runners should mostly be body weight exercises (crunches, push-ups, pull-ups, etc.) Your coach may have other ideas once the seaosn starts especially if you're going to be used in the 400, so do what he says once the seaosn starts.

Good luck with your track season