3 workouts per week and high mileage???

Training Advice/Discussion High School

11 years ago 12/30/2012 4:38pm EST

My coach is pretty new to the sport and does not have a long term season training plan for me. So I need some help...

I'm a HS Senior. My goal is to break 9:40 in the 3200m this spring. I ran 10:05 last year. I have improved significantly every year. I ran 75 MPW this past summer. I would like to get back up to 75 by the beginning of February. First meet is March 1st. I'm only at 50 right now due to some injury problems but I'm healthy now.

My coach has insisted that the team do 3 workouts per week. Hard track intervals Monday and Friday with a tempo/fartlek on Wednesday. My question is...Can I run 75MPW with 3 workouts per week and not burn myself out? I have always done 2 workouts per week in the past so this is a step up. I try to hold back in some of my workouts but it is very difficult to not get competitive with teammates. It seems a little risky to do a Saturday long run the day after a hard workout on Friday. I'm pretty much stuck with this coach...what do i do?

11 years ago 12/30/2012 6:45pm EST

re: selfcoached4life

I think as long as you take the long run and all other easy runs as slow and easy as you need to then that would be doable. You may be tired, but I don't think it would be unreasonable. I would definitely be careful to listen to your body, though, since it's very individual how each person each person reacts to a particular training load. That said, just because it may be manageable doesn't mean it's optimal. At this point I wouldn't support doing 2 hard track interval workouts per week (I'd keep the focus on tempos, fartleks, hills, progression runs, etc. and maybe some informal or low-pressure track workouts), but if your coach is insistent on that and you have no other option then I'd personally definitely still try to get in as much base mileage as I could without overdoing it.

11 years ago 12/30/2012 7:09pm EST

re: selfcoached4life

When you are young, yes

11 years ago 12/30/2012 7:09pm EST

re: XC runner girl

I hate under qualified dumb high school coaches. The fact is, for every great high school coach, there are 50 awful ones.

What we need is to go to the club system like the rest of the world. This way..young runners could actually choose their coach and would have the ability to change coaches midway through high school. If they find that their current club coach is not a good fit for them, they could easily move to another club without worrying about transferring schools. In the high school system, you are pretty much stuck with the coach at your school because transferring creates eligibility problems.

THAT is what's wrong with American distance running!!!!!

11 years ago 12/30/2012 7:45pm EST

re: selfcoached4life

Seems fine, Start worrying when your workouts and races aren't improving, otherwise its fine. Also don't be a stickler about a mileage number. Maybe 65 is what your body handles well, maybe its 85. Running long run after a hard workout is pretty common. it is good that you are staying controlled on some of these workouts, that is important.

11 years ago 12/30/2012 8:20pm EST

re: selfcoached4life

Hey original poster: do you live in Fl?

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