That a high school distance runner doesn't need to run any more than 16 miles a week. I tried to tell him how many miles most runners put in a week and he just doesn't get it and told me that I'm running way to much mileage (60mpw). I am a 1600 and 3200 runner.
water boy wrote:
That a high school distance runner doesn't need to run any more than 16 miles a week. I tried to tell him how many miles most runners put in a week and he just doesn't get it and told me that I'm running way to much mileage (60mpw). I am a 1600 and 3200 runner.
There is legitimately nothing you can do about this, because that coach is way off the deep end.
Just find a way to coach yourself.
It won't give the same benefits as having a coach who actually knows what he's doing, but it'll be far better than listening to whatever your current coach might say...
Your coach is a product of the state association. Move to a more athletically progressive state. (hint: find one that runs the 1 mile & 2 mile instead of the silly 1600 & 3200)
if you are in HS and running anywhere near 60 miles a week than your coach is right- you are running WAAAY too much. work on your speed, do some 4X400 relays you slow em effer.
Yo MTV Raps wrote:
if you are in HS and running anywhere near 60 miles a week than your coach is right- you are running WAAAY too much. work on your speed, do some 4X400 relays you slow em effer.
it really depends what grade he is in. if he's a junior or a senior then he's right on in my opinion unless his times are absurdly slow.
We don't even have our first meet till mid March. I do speed work 2 times a week I just do a 2 mile w/u and a 2 mile c/d along with it so I can keep my mileage up.
Alot of HS distance runners that I have talked to run high mileage, some of them even close to 80mpw and he won our state XC meet.
I'm a Junior. Last year I ran between 40-45mpw so after XC I worked my way up to 60mpw with 2 of those days as a 2 a day.
water boy wrote:
I'm a Junior. Last year I ran between 40-45mpw so after XC I worked my way up to 60mpw with 2 of those days as a 2 a day.
then i say keep doing what you're doing so long as it keeps you healthy and rested for races
I ran 40 miles per day in high school and and no one has yet broken my indoor 2 mile record. the way to get better is through long miles
Your coach probably read that Bannister ran something close to 15 miles/week to break 4 minutes for the mile on cinders -- worth roughly 3:56 mile on modern all weather track -- but that training was interval based and Bannister seldom raced longer than a mile. Bannister (like all modern day elite HS 1600m runners capable of something close to 4 for a mile) could run 49-50 for a single rep of 400m, which makes things much easier when trying for a fast mile.
Interval training also provides a stimulus beyond the actual running time, for example, if Bernard Lagat runs 20x200m 27 w/ 45" rest between, his cardiovascular system is actually working much harder on his "rest" than if he were out jogging along at a steady 6'/mile. Most folks who race all out for a 6' mile can't manage even a single 200m rep in 27. Like Coe said, at some point speed is inescapable.
60 miles/week isn't a lot of miles, but most likely your coach is trying to explain to you that not all miles are worth the same and maybe more specific training for your event, without quite so much worry over total miles run, will be more helpful.
A lot of HS track coaches drew the short straw and got stuck coaching track, while waiting for the opportunity to coach football.
dsrunner has the day off wrote:
Your coach probably read that Bannister ran something close to 15 miles/week to break 4 minutes for the mile on cinders -- worth roughly 3:56 mile on modern all weather track -- but that training was interval based and Bannister seldom raced longer than a mile. Bannister (like all modern day elite HS 1600m runners capable of something close to 4 for a mile) could run 49-50 for a single rep of 400m, which makes things much easier when trying for a fast mile.
Interval training also provides a stimulus beyond the actual running time, for example, if Bernard Lagat runs 20x200m 27 w/ 45" rest between, his cardiovascular system is actually working much harder on his "rest" than if he were out jogging along at a steady 6'/mile. Most folks who race all out for a 6' mile can't manage even a single 200m rep in 27. Like Coe said, at some point speed is inescapable.
60 miles/week isn't a lot of miles, but most likely your coach is trying to explain to you that not all miles are worth the same and maybe more specific training for your event, without quite so much worry over total miles run, will be more helpful.
I would continue to log the miles right now.
I would imagine that once the season begins the workouts and races will add a greater degree of intensity to your training load. At this point in time you may want to look at dropping your mileage down a bit. Possibly by taking a day of rest, possibly dropping one or maybe even both of the morning runs. I would keep your longer run in the plans though. (assuming you are doing a long run)
A solid amount of base mileage is important to having success come the end of May, but so is knowing when to take some down time and allow your body to recover and adapt to the training load.
My senior year in high school, our track coach (actually a fat football coach trying his hand at a new sport for the first time in the off-season) had us running intervals everyday, Monday thru Friday. If there was a weekend meet, we were mercifully spared on Friday. What that man knew about middle distance running you could fit on the head of a pin. There was not a single runner on the team who didn't know way more about running than he did. A frustrating season to say the least.
I thought this was going to be a thread on funny things your different high school coaches said, like "get your dick out of your ear, son," and stuff like that... disappointing.
Carefull how you read these postings, how many runners do you know on 60 miles a week who dont produce anything.
If you follow this thread then mileage is the answer to it all,then why isnt everyone running superb times!!, why, because it doesnt work like that, mileage is not the be all and end all.
If you take a race with 10 runners all on 60 miles a week then they should all win, yes, of course this isnt true because other factors come into play, but according to all runners if you want to improve up your mileage.
pirie wrote:
Carefull how you read these postings, how many runners do you know on 60 miles a week who dont produce anything.
If you follow this thread then mileage is the answer to it all,then why isnt everyone running superb times!!, why, because it doesnt work like that, mileage is not the be all and end all.
If you take a race with 10 runners all on 60 miles a week then they should all win, yes, of course this isnt true because other factors come into play, but according to all runners if you want to improve up your mileage.
As a H.S. coach I understand that out of a group of 30 kids that try out for the team you MAY have one or two that can get away with less volume and still perform at a high level based purely on their God given talent. Even so I have always felt that with a good solid early season base they can handle bigger and better workouts during the season.
For the less talented majority the only path to success is volume followed and mixed with intensity. If you want to have a successful team and not just a couple of ringers you need volume in training.
Even I could tell this was a troll. But for those who said that no HS runner needs to run 40-60mpw, what kind of pr's are you expecting high schoolers to run?
These threads are some of the most repetitive on letsrun, and I really don't understand why.
Your coach wants you to run a workout and a couple of easy runs with the team each week? Do it? Also do your own runs in the mornings or nights off.
Problem solved.
He knows you're a lazy, disrespectful kid and is using reverse psychology to prove both because he knows you'll start slacking off and talking behind his back.
Hall of Famer wrote:
I thought this was going to be a thread on funny things your different high school coaches said, like "get your dick out of your ear, son," and stuff like that... disappointing.
Same here. Lets turn it into that kind of thread.
We were supposed to do 4 400's at 60 seconds. One of the guys in our group asked what would happen if we didn't hit 60.
Our coach looked around briefly, and then said, "Ya know, ehh, i'll cut your penis off."