9ia-wmf9-78a5w5 wrote:
I wouldn't worry about injuries, you seem to have your current training down, but we thought you wanted to change things up to run faster. I'm sure when you started trail races were a great motivator. Now you have a new goal or do you?
You can't use a girl in NC as an excuse. If she is running low 17s then running half marathons works for her. If she is a born miler then lots of slow stuff will work great. If your daughter is a born marathoner, she must run faster to get better and she has to start doing it now.
I believe you must balance speed and endurance. Looking at the OP's most recent schedule, I tend to agree with previous posters that there are too many longer runs at, inevitably, slower paces. I suggest shortening them, and finding places to run on flat, level ground so she can experience moving quicker over shorter periods, thus giving her muscles and energy systems a somewhat different stimulus. And get those short sprints in twice a week-on the flat, so she can go as fast as possible.
Eg, here's a white 14yo boy (PR 55.00 400m 2:02.15 800m, 4:14.30 (windy) 1500m). He is not an 'endurance monster',nor is he a genuine speed merchant, but has got pretty good 'basic speed'. His long run is around 55min over a hilly, but not technical, course of dirt trails. There are flat bits to stretch out on, especially at the end. He would do one faster run for 40min, and an even faster run for 25min, both on flat trails. He would also do one 'interval' session-not necessarily on a synthetic track-the toughness of which depends on the phase of training. He also does the short 30-40m sprint stuff. He is slowly getting into working on strength with bodyweight exercises. A total of no more than 30km a week. He got third in the state for XC-4km for him- so he has adequate endurance to combine with the vital speed, which 'op ed' just doesn't get. He adjusts to two interval sessions, and drops the continuous running down, closer to the XC and track finals-ie a dual peak each year.
I think this illustrates the point that, even, or, perhaps, especially, if the girl is more of an 'endurance monster', you don't need to train her even more in that direction. She will become a 'plodder' and not reach her goal. You need to push her more in the 'speed merchant' direction, especially if that is not her first inclination and comfort zone. Only then will she achieve consistently faster paces over a range of distances, including your goal 5km race.
BTW, the girl in NC is presumably Alana Hadley. For years, she has done an insane amount of mileage and tough long (as in distance) interval sessions. She is on the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials program. Her dad, who sounds like a bit of a nutter, coaches her. It may work out wonderfully well, but, even if her goal is the marathon, her eventual neglect of 'basic (raw) speed' may come back to haunt her. It pays to cover all bases.
Sorry to be long-winded but I hope that helps.