Damn my son is slow

When you have tried everything possible about your training. Your son has not done this so there's no reason to conclude that he has limited talent.

Are you tracking his runs? Maybe he's lying about mileage. Any high schooler who would 'eagerly' build up to 80 mpw when he's not seeing any worthwhile results is probably cutting corners.

Does he run track as well or just XC? Times? Has he matured yet?

19:15 as a freshman is enough to break 16:00 as a senior if he not only runs 80 mpw but trains at a variety of speeds. I know, I did it, and I only got to 15:00ish for 5k XC lifetime.

yes he ran track last spring. was about a 5:20 mile was the best he did in his first season. 2 mile closer to 11:40. Coming off that and then nearly 500 miles of a 3month summer he thought he would be much better than 18:45. in xc.

Maybe try different training then read The Sports Gene for an example

Have you considered suing your wife? It worked for that Chinese dude.

I've got a feeling that this is more important to you than it is to him. Some kids start with more ability than others. Some start with more desire than others. I've had many athletes that have plenty of one without the other. Ability can be developed in all runners to a great extent. I agree that improvement from low 19's to high 18's is unremarkable, especially for the amount of preparation described.

I have found many kids are willing to train, yet the don't have a great desire to achieve. I've also had a great number of kids flip the switch and go from mediocre to very accomplished because they decided at a deep level they wanted to achieve. Training hard is required but it's not enough.

There are lots of great things he will take away from the sport even if never flips the switch. Never assume his lack of accomplishment is due to a lack of ability unless he has some obvious disability. Give him time. He will continue laying the foundation for a breakthrough whether it ever occurs or not. Never give up on him. As long as he is enjoying the sport, support all of his efforts without judging the outcomes. Let him find the reason to achieve on his own schedule.

^This. A ton of common sense here!

Speed matters. How fast is he running those miles? If he spent a summer dicking around at 8 min pace the results aren't surprising. Instead of uping the mileage going into track keep him at 40, but run faster over those miles. Throw in some strides plyos and hills too. Maybe even run a few 800s in the season and see what happens before jumping to the conclusion that he sucks.

How is his thyroid function? Maybe get him on the right meds and he'll be the next Rupp.

Ok first of all, if this is a real post, saying "damn my son is slow" makes you sound like a horrible dad.

Someone asked if you were tracking his progress -- meaning is he ACTUALLY RUNNING THE MILES that he claims to be? If you are an overbearing parent he may run to his friend's house and play video games for an hour then run home, then tell you that he just ran 10 miles so that you will get off of his case.

Further, adolescents mature at different rates. Some boys are 160lbs at age 14 and can grow a beard while others are little beanpoles 'til in college. Perhaps your son is affected by something along these lines. If he weighs 185lbs, then he probably shouldn't spend his next 2 years running 80mpw.

Look at your son and look at great athletes... does he look muscular like a sprinter? Skinny and narrow shoulder like a distance runner? Huge shoulders and 6'8" like a basketball player? ... These are stereotypes of other great athletes but they might help you more closely align your expectations with reality.

And lastly, if your son is truly so eager to run more and faster, then he should do it -- regardless of the outcome.

Dad - with bad genes wrote:

Any thoughts?

3.5/10 because you got some apparently serious responses.

Tell him he will never amount to anything and that he will become just like you, a sad old man.

I really hope you're trolling, because in that case you're obnoxious but you aren't actually affecting the life of an adolescent.

If this is legit, please, grow up and support your child in his pursuit of something he's passionate about. And while you're at it, check out

to learn about how much some people progress from slow starts + how brave some people are in the face of adversity.

As a sophomore, on about the mileage your son is running, my was running similar times to yours. Over the next two years he built up to an average of about 75-80. He ran 16:34 today. Mileage works. The only way to know what your son could do on 70-80 mile weeks is to run them.

pretty sure this thread is a joke but I sucked terrible in hs. I was a late bloomer. pr senior year hs was 17:40 for cross 5k. ended up running 4:09 mile and many sub 26 8k's in college. all i can say is, I'm glad you're not my father. my parents couldn't tell the difference between sub 19 min vs sub 17 min 5k. they always thought i ran well or made me feel that way. that's probably why I continued running all the way to and through college.

I am currently a senior in high school and I have been running track/cross country since middle school as of now by the times you listed that your son runs, I run those same exact times with full effort. But the thing is I can't run long distance, I have came to realize that my real races are the 400 and 800, my times have never dropped in anything above an 800, maybe you should try your son out in the 800/1600 combo and or maybe 400/800 combo before you come to the conclusion of him not being talented. Instead of increasing the volume, increase the intensity, do you just want him to run long or to run fast? Or both? Build him a foundation and include some weights and work on his core and leg strength, but don't be too harsh on him. Be a father, coach, and a friend. Don't try to live your life in his.

He's still very very young. Too early to tell

Nate Jenkins ran like 10flat for 2 mile in high school and ended up 2:14 marathoner

Just let him get on with it. If he asks your advice then give it to him but only if he asks for it. Compliment him when he tells you his results. We all run for different reasons and he will figure out his talent and desire levels on his own.