Train me from 20 to sub 17? Running future

From my freshman year (25:35 5k) I've brought it down to 17:08 this year, I increased mileage to 50-55 mpw. I also brought my mile from 5:50 to 5:01 in my freshmen year, so yes, your goals are definitely achievable. Just work and don't slack off.

Above all things, stay consistent. It's better to run 30 miles a week of easy running for 4 months than to get exited, run 50 one week, 45 another full of speed work, get tired, lazy, mentally broken (after all, it is cold outside), then take a week off, then another, then a hard 12 miler to catch up... Ya see where I'm going? I'd suggest to start small, so much so that running isn't a big part of your life for the first 3 or so weeks of training (assuming we are talking about a base/preseason before track). Don't tell yourself how much you need to run in those first few days; if you feel like 3 miles, do it. If 5, go ahead, but just don't be stupid. Then, ever so slowly, tack a mile or so on to your runs on week 4, then another on week 5. Run at a faster pace when you feel good and slog it out when you feel bad. After week 5, then talk to your coach about low key workouts (3 mile tempo, fartleks, 7 mile long runs). Keep these workouts at a minimum, in quantity as well as quality. Once track rolls around, you should feel like you've done a decent amount of work, but YOU SHOULD WANT MORE!!! You should feel like you are in good enough shape to come within 20 seconds of your mile PR. My big point is, this should feel EASY!!! Next season, (summer before cross country) do the same thing, but do a little more, as you'll now be able to handle it physically as well as mentally. It's better to run easy and have gas left in the tanks than to run hard and be inconsistent. Good luck.

That's amazing! Did you only do mileage in the off-season or did you do hard workouts as well? What pace do you run your runs at? Right now I'm averaging 40 miles per week, but I run my runs at about a 8 minute/mile pace.

nategunawan wrote:

That's amazing! Did you only do mileage in the off-season or did you do hard workouts as well? What pace do you run your runs at? Right now I'm averaging 40 miles per week, but I run my runs at about a 8 minute/mile pace.

I did 2 track workouts per week including weights, hills and tempos in the off season. I ran my long runs at 7:30 - 7:45 ish pace, 6:20/mi for tempos and 400m repeats at 75-76. With all the miles I guesstimate I ran them at 7:20 pace. I was also running 8 minute miles when I was stuck at 5:30, but introducing myself with longer tempos I saw my average mile pace drop for my long runs.

I was in a very similar situation my freshmen year. A little over a year before then I was fat. Then I went on a diet and eventually joined the xc team. I got my 5k down to 2026 that season. I didn't know how to train at the time so I just ran hard every day, which in hindsight was stupid. Then in the summer I upped my mileage and was still running pretty hard all the time but the 90 minute runs on Saturdays and doing tempos on Wednesdays did wonders for me at the time. And I got my 5k down to 1744 as a soph. Some dumb training after that got me to 1819 as a junior, but some very smart and calculated training got me down to 1653 as a senior.

So for you, after xc take a 2 week break with no physical exercise; may sound dumb but it lets you recover mentally and physically, if you train hard too early after the season you won't improve no matter how hard you train thats why I ran slower my junior year.

After the 2 week break steadily build up your base. Go on a 1-2-3-1-2-3-rest format. What this means is Monday and Thursday are the shortest, Tuesday and Friday are 10-15 minutes longer, and Wednesday and Saturday are 10-15 minutes even longer and Sunday is a rest day for recovery. Every 4th week is a down week for recovery. This is base building, so just easy runs how you feel, no workouts. Push the pace if you feel good.

Follow this progression after the 2 week break:

2 weeks: 30-40-50-30-40-50-rest(for example 30 minute run Monday, 40 Tuesday, 50 Wednesday, and so on)

3 weeks: 40-50-60-40-50-60-rest

1 week: 30-40-50-30-40-60-rest

3 weeks: 50-60-70-50-60-75-rest

1 week: 40-50-60-40-50-75-rest

until outdoor starts repeatedly do: 60-75-90-60-75-90-rest for 3 weeks followed by 50-60-75-50-60-90-rest for 1 week

- just run how you feel, if you feel good push the pace, if not go a little slower; and only do one run a day the long time per run makes you an aerobic machine and you'll easily be good enough to walk on at a college team. Also do this system after outdoor for the summer to get in shape for xc. Trust me it works. It got me to 1653.

Should i really be running that little in the beginning though? Right now my regular runs have built up to 8-9 miles at 8 minute/mile pace and that takes anywhere from 1-1:10 hours.

Oh I was guessing you ran 30 mpw. Start at 50-60-70-50-60-75-rest for the first 2 weeks or 40-50-60-40-50-60-rest depending on how you feel then just do the rest of the plan from there

Talk to your coach about off-season training.

A good plan is to take a month or so off and cross-train before thinking of training for your next season (track).

Do you still need to lose weight? If so, then consider meeting with a personal trainer at a gym to set up a work out routine that will help you slim down and develop functional strength before training for your next season (track).

Otherwise the Lydiard off-season training would be to do a lot of long, slow distance with a weekly long run, fartlek run, tempo run and/or progressive run plus drills or weight lifting. Alternate hard/easy days. When track practice starts in Jan/Feb set up a plan with your coach for a pre-competitive phase (then a competitive phase when racing starts).