What are your thoughts on a high schooler running more than 100 mpw? Wouldn't it help the runner see big improvements relatively quickly?
What are your thoughts on a high schooler running more than 100 mpw? Wouldn't it help the runner see big improvements relatively quickly?
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It has been done. You aren't going to improve until you adapt and aerobic benefits kick in. Until then, you will be beat up and tired. So not a good idea if you want to run well this cross season.
Sorry if you're looking for a concrete answer, but there isn't one for this kind of question. It all depends on how your body responds as you increase mileage. Is it making you better or wearing you down. Also, depends how young the high schooler is (not necessarily age so much as physical maturity). If you're body is ready, then go for it. If not (you should be able to tell this by gradually increasing mileage) then don't.
Also, it depends on what your goals are. If you're looking long-term, it is much better to train conservatively. If you want to maximize your talent within a few years, then there's not much reason for caution, except to stay healthy.
Read about what some of the top FL guys are doing. Lots of them are in the 60-70 mpw range. More isn't always better.
bob kennedy once told alberto salazaar in regard to galen rupp, don't give him everything right away.
Not unless you want to be an ultramarathoner. "Speed is king" - high school mile record holder Alan Webb.
Don't do 100 mpw in HS.. even if this is what would make you a better runner surely you have other things to do other than just run or spend time recovering from a run, preparing to run, driving to run, showering from running.
In short, don't graduate from HS with only memories attached to running.
I'm a highschooler and I find that I personally run better off lower mileage higher quality stuff. A typical week for me would probably be around 50 miles but talking to most of the people I compete against that are around my level they all do more like 80 miles. But it varies all over the place because another one of my close friends is a sub 4 1500m runner but would be lucky to get over 30mpw. Not really any set number but just what works best for you.
You don't need to run "high" mileage (80+ mpw) in high school to train for 5ks. Way too many high school kids think they need to run a ton of miles because they think that college guys are doing higher mileage and thus it must be the key to success. Somehow people forget that college guys are 18-22 years old and they are training for a race that is twice the distance.
Patience and gradually building milage over several years is the way to go. I was a foot locker finalist and I hit 70+ mpw a few times my senior year, but that was after running 55-65 as a junior and 45-55 as a sophomore. Moreover, stressing out over the # of miles you are running isn't the right mindset to have at all anyway. The quality of the miles/workouts (along with taking adequate rest days) you are running is much more determinative of how you will end up running.
Quality Quality Quality.
Quantity gets you injured.
asdfasdfasd wrote:
Quality Quality Quality.
Quantity gets you injured.
The exact opposite of this.
As long as you're recovering and not running yourself into injury, more miles is the most efficient way to improve over the long term.
Does that high schooler wanna grow up to be a marathoner, or keep running 5k or less?
My beef with high mileage is it gets you too used to running slow. You might have great aerobic conditioning but in a 5k, it gets wasted on inefficient form because you usually run slower.
Don't run big miles. Run lots and lots of normal size miles.
High mileage seems to work okay for a certain high school in IL, you may have heard of them as they have won state a time or two!
I would say the other posts have good information, try and find the right balance for what your body can handle and what your goals are both short and long term.
Doped Up Tribesman wrote:
Does that high schooler wanna grow up to be a marathoner, or keep running 5k or less?
My beef with high mileage is it gets you too used to running slow. You might have great aerobic conditioning but in a 5k, it gets wasted on inefficient form because you usually run slower.
That's what workouts are for. I don't think anyone advocates only running mileage. There's no such thing as 'getting used to' running slow unless maybe that's the only thing you ever do.
Train hard in high school. If you are planning to run well in division 1, you will be in for a huge wake up call when you realize how much harder college training is.
The rule of thumb is to train as hard as you can without getting injured or burned out. Figure out what that is, but be dedicated to running if you want to succeed. I know this is really generalized information, but you need to prepare yourself for some difficult running in the next level.
Saul Goodman wrote:
asdfasdfasd wrote:Quality Quality Quality.
Quantity gets you injured.
The exact opposite of this.
As long as you're recovering and not running yourself into injury, more miles is the most efficient way to improve over the long term.
You include both within the training cycle(s). If one is really working, it's often because you have an abundance of the other.
questionable wrote:
What are your thoughts on a high schooler running more than 100 mpw? Wouldn't it help the runner see big improvements relatively quickly?
Worked for Pre
Saul Goodman wrote:
Doped Up Tribesman wrote:Does that high schooler wanna grow up to be a marathoner, or keep running 5k or less?
My beef with high mileage is it gets you too used to running slow. You might have great aerobic conditioning but in a 5k, it gets wasted on inefficient form because you usually run slower.
That's what workouts are for. I don't think anyone advocates only running mileage. There's no such thing as 'getting used to' running slow unless maybe that's the only thing you ever do.
If you run more than 100 miles, the vast majority will be slower than your 5k race pace. Of course you get used to that.
try running mostly fast and you'll see what I mean. Eventually it won't seem fast, because it's no longer faster than how you usually run. You adapt to running fast, instead of being 70 percent adapted to running slow.
a high-schooler has more to gain by improving race-pace efficiency than by chasing aerobic fitness to the diminished-returns level of 100 miles.