Trying Out For College Team After Year Off

too late

Go effing nuts with your training. It's march now. Go crazy and show up in the fall in great shape. Run XC as a way to continue the progression. Show crazy dedication in the fall and then crush it next winter and spring track.

If you really want this it can be done but all the work is gonna suck. Doing drugs is easy and way more fun and is way less rewarding and wil make you feel like sh!t. Doing this work will be very rewarding but you definitely can't do it if your heart isn't into it. Running and training hard can't be faked. If you are on the fence, I say don't even start. If you are 100% all in then do it.

what drugs?

It may be hard but you'll never know until you try. You obviously had the natural abilities before which means you can get back up there. Might not be able to make it back in time, but would you rather keep regretting or would you rather give it your best shot and have a definite answer? Even if you succeed or fail it is something you can take with you for the rest of your life.

Good luck!

Totally possible.

Graduated HS, went to a big PAC-12 University that said I was too slow, stopped running completely and also gained 25-30 pounds. Went from 125-155. Decided i really wanted to pursue running in college and left the PAC-12 and went to a Community College back at home. After a bunch of base building during April-September and a slow XC season, I'm in waaaaaaay better shape than I was when I graduated HS (16:18 3 mile to a 15:22 5k, 4:37 mile to 4:07 1500, 10:02 2 mile to 8:58 3k) and transferring to a D1 at the end of the season.

Your body is 2 years more mature than it was in high school and as long as you kick the drugs and boozing and work at it, it's totally do-able. I'd try to find a mentor that can help advise you on training and to talk to during the rough times. Mine happened to be my HS assistant coach. Let us know how it goes!

Its possible if u put the effort. I ran 2:04 in hs which allowed me to walk on to a low tier d1. But i chose not do it because i wanted to focus on college. I took 2 months off and training was tough. But the good thing was injuries were gone and i was better mentally. During the rest of that year i did run for the schools club team. Afterwards i called the coach and then he offered me the spot. Ive been improving ever since.

How naturally talented??

got cut from schools xc team last fall. After 6 months of base building I ran unattached in another schools meet and broke 4 in the 1500 and 8:30 in the 3k. Train hard and make sacrifices, great to come back after being told I wasnt good enough.