For outdoor track season I want to train harder. Right now (I'm a hs junior) I'm running around 50 miles per week. However, most of those runs (excluding workouts) are slower than 7:45 pace. Do you think it would be better to increase my mileage or could I just drop the pace a little bit?
A little of each!
I would first increase your average pace of runs until outdoors.
So between now and outdoors, get down to as close to 7:00min pace while still recovering.
Then, add 5-10 miles a week carefully, until evenually your doing 60 good miles a week.
Ignore hill sprints. You should not be running a 7:00 pace.
You say in your original post that you want to "train harder." That right there is your problem. Train better; not harder.
Focus on running a variety of workouts that will not leave you dead after each. Give yourself a couple of very easy days between those. Stay within yourself every day and you'll find it easier to do well the next day. If you end each run feeling like you could have done a little more, then you'll start each run quite a bit more refreshed. Pretty soon you'll be handling more mileage and faster paces all while still feeling a million bucks before and after.
why should i not be running at 7 minute pace?
oh pee wrote:
why should i not be running at 7 minute pace?
Because you're not good enough.
oh pee wrote:
why should i not be running at 7 minute pace?
What are your PRs? Male/female?
You shouldn't train at an arbitrary number for pace. Same thing for mileage. Also, adding a few morning runs of 2-3 miles would help you greatly. I get up at 5am every morning to do an easy 5 before classes; if running is important to you, you will work it into your schedule.
I've also increased my mileage by 60+ miles from week to week sometimes for various reasons, never got hurt. I usually get hurt running less mileage for whatever reason.
Run easy when you are tired or the run's purpose is recovery. Run moderately on all other days that aren't workout days. I like to run at a pace slightly faster than moderate for long runs, but others like to run slower.
Don't worry about pace too much, it will take care of itself.
As for your original question, I would increase the mileage. Easy way to do that is to start introducing doubles (if you haven't already).
My average paces vary greatly for runs (5:50-8:10 pace, 15:12 5k, 30:56 10k) depending on the purpose of the run. Don't try to stick to one number, go by feel.
I'm 17. pr's are:
1500 - 4:24
800 - 2:08
3k - 9:48 (from sophomore year)
5k - 16:14
I do a morning run once, maybe twice a week the morning after a workout. Usually ranges from 3-5 miles
To OP:
It does depend on your current PRs to some extent. However, don't worry about easy day pace. If you can talk and you don't have to think about the pace on your easy runs you probably aren't going too hard. The key is to recover after workouts and races so if you are close to 8min pace some days don't worry that it is too slow.
I was running about 50mpw as a junior in hs so I can kind of relate to what you're going through.
If you are thinking short term, yeah you can go out and hammer and push both mileage and intensity...you would probably improve initially also - however, you will most likely get an injury or become overtrained after awhile.
Think long term, and you can slowly increase your mileage...maybe up to 60-70mpw for your senior year. In this case, you don't push the intensity of your easy days....if anything you go slower until you fully adapt to higher mileage.
Structure in a long run of 90min or more on the weekend or when you have time if you can.
Of course all this depends on what other types of workouts you are doing? Tempos runs, long interval workouts and short, alactic sprints/striders are the way to go in terms of long term success and strength. Also depends on what event you are focusing on racing - I assume mile/2 mile?
The hard days and easy days only balance out well and stimulate ideal adaptations if the right systems are stressed at the right time and the body can supercompensate.
good luck!