I am going into my junior year of high school, and I am wondering whether during summer base building, if it's better to do distance every day of the week, or if it is worth it to mix in other types of workouts such as hill sprints, tempo runs, or track workouts. Right now I am doing 50 mpw divided into 6 days of distance and 1 cruise interval workout per week. Should I make a change?
Summer is for base building but try to get a rainbow of all the training types each week. Think of it as a way to prepare yourself for the coming faster workouts, as well as building a "base" for those systems as well.
For example: the two things I like to do is have a sprint development day, and a rainbow day in the middle of my easy running weeks.
distance runners need sprint work too, PURE sprint work, preferably on hills. just do half a dozen uphill 60-80 meter sprints after a run. build these up throughout the year to keep some pop in your legs.
for my rainbow day I like to throw in some pace work for different distances, but have them short enough that they are super easy. like on your interval day, just throw a few 400's at 5k pace, 300's at 3k pace, and 200's at mile pace. or whatever distance floats your boat, this would be after a run so just do whatever is comfortable and seems easy. its not a full blown workout.
this way when you do longer intervals you are ready and have already been working up to them.
hope this helps. good luck!
Use the summer for miles. Add striders after some of your run. Add hill sprints (look up Canova hill sprints) after some of your runs.
BUT, do "informal" workouts too. Go for a hilly run. Do a progessive run (i.e. second half of your run faster than the first). Run a fartlek. Run an informal tempo run.
Save the track work for the season.
Good luck.
just get in as many miles as you can without injuring yourself
What's "milage"?
Mix in Tempos, Fartleks, and Strides.
Stay away from track and interval workouts - unless its like 6 x 200M reps, which are basically strides.