Hello! So last XC season, my PR for the 5k was 17:45. This upcoming season is going to be my senior year, and I want to get 16:45. I know that's extremely ambitious, but I want to know if it's at all possible if I put in some serious training? My 1600m PR before last XC season was 5:07, and this year it's 4:57. Thank you!
5:07 - 4:57 = 10 seconds
3+ mile XC race = 30 seconds
You are half way there.
How much did you run last summer?
Y#(GV&78t0fix wrote:
5:07 - 4:57 = 10 seconds
3+ mile XC race = 30 seconds
You are half way there.
How much did you run last summer?
Over the summer I did 140 miles per month and that was almost all long runs.
Over the summer I did 140 miles per month and that was almost all long runs.[/quote]
but did you look relaxed????
Try for 180 miles a month this year and make sure you run at least a few strides with long rests between every day.
A couple days a week run about 50 x 100m at what you think was last years XC pace. Jog 100m between.
AccRun wrote:
Y#(GV&78t0fix wrote:5:07 - 4:57 = 10 seconds
3+ mile XC race = 30 seconds
You are half way there.
How much did you run last summer?
Over the summer I did 140 miles per month and that was almost all long runs.
That's pretty low mileage. Get up to 40 to 50/week and run 6 days a week. Include a long run 1:30 to 1:50, maybe up to 2:00 a couple times, most every week. By mid summer add weekly tempos and a set short fast reps with a good recovery (e.g., reps 15 to 45 seconds at race pace or a little faster).
AccRun wrote:
Y#(GV&78t0fix wrote:5:07 - 4:57 = 10 seconds
3+ mile XC race = 30 seconds
You are half way there.
How much did you run last summer?
Over the summer I did 140 miles per month and that was almost all long runs.
Very light mileage and you have improved your mile by 10sec!
You can certainly improve your 5k simply by maintaining the same workouts and getting to 50 rather than 35 mpw.
but this is letsrun wrote:
That's pretty low mileage. Get up to 40 to 50/week and run 6 days a week. Include a long run 1:30 to 1:50, maybe up to 2:00 a couple times, most every week. By mid summer add weekly tempos and a set short fast reps with a good recovery (e.g., reps 15 to 45 seconds at race pace or a little faster).
All agreed, except if you're saying 15-45sec reps at race pace. That is 100-300 meters at most.
800s,1000s,1200s,1600s at 3k-10k pace are what is needed here.
good luck johnathan wrote:
but this is letsrun wrote:That's pretty low mileage. Get up to 40 to 50/week and run 6 days a week. Include a long run 1:30 to 1:50, maybe up to 2:00 a couple times, most every week. By mid summer add weekly tempos and a set short fast reps with a good recovery (e.g., reps 15 to 45 seconds at race pace or a little faster).
All agreed, except if you're saying 15-45sec reps at race pace. That is 100-300 meters at most.
800s,1000s,1200s,1600s at 3k-10k pace are what is needed here.
For summer base work? That's pre-competitive phase type training (say August, leading into early season).
If they're doing that type of training in June and July then what do they do during September and October?
(interestingly, the program I help with does hardly any training at 3K to 10K pace. Just a few workouts a year. Not the way I'd do it, but I don't call the shots).
His 5:07+summer training lead to 17:45 in fall
His 4:57+summer training will lead to ~30 seconds faster on 5k in FALL*
*If training doesn't differ significantly.
So he's not "halfway". He doesn't reach his goal for this fall if he doesn't change his training.
You get it? An example to make things clear.
You ran 4:10 and 15:00 last year. You trained all year and then this year you run a 5k in 14:30. And then the next week you run 4:00 on mile. Then you don't think: Wow, 10 seonds faster on mile, I can run a 14:00 5k now...