17:00 to 15:50

Yeah try these workouts

1. Go running at an easy pace

2. Go running at a moderate pace

3. Go running at a fast pace

Do workout 1 several times a week. Do workout 2 two or three times a week. Do workout 3 once a week.

tempo runs, fartleks, mile repeats when the season starts cooking

Steroids

OP:

The good news is that we have some mind readers on this board who will be able to come on here and give you advice about what changes to make despite the fact you posted no information about you, your history, or what workouts you are currently doing. Just keep checking and eventually these mind readers will post what you should be doing differently to improve from 17:00 to 15:50.

run more, sleep more, run faster some days, run slower some days, eat right. Do this for months on end. see what happens.

the likelihood that you go from 17:00 to 15:50 is low. this assumes you have a solid running history in your past. now if you just came out for track/xc and ran 17:00, your chances of improving to 15:50 are greater.

Just run faster

I went to Sherwood Middle School........ and the only good runner to walk through those halls was john murry, so you have to work really hard if you want to make a name for yourself. To do this, build a massive base, and slowly build uo to about 75 minutes at around 6:30 pace. and each week, do either a 3-5 mile tempo, or some hill repeats, and alot of them!

I went from 17:03 to 15:55 in 18 months.

To be honest, the only way this is going to work is if you were on a crap training regimen (and move to a much better one) and have some talent in you.

You know Bobby Hanlon?

I went from 17:11 to 15:23 in one year. To be even more honest, I went from 17:11 to 9:24 in 3 months. Here's how I did it.

I became really mad after getting whooped at state cross country. So I didn't stop running and built a good base. Teenage me designed three phases essentially one phase for each month. This is what I did but doesn't mean it will work for you. I want to emphasize heavily on the opening sentence of this paragraph. You've got to tell yourself "never again" and approach your training with that mentality. I totaled over 1000 miles between cross country and track that year.

Phase 1: Run to run

I steadily increased my mileage starting off at 49 and moving up to 75 at the end of month one

Phase 2: Oriented Mileage (this is what i called it 65 miles to 85 miles per week)

M - long run

Tu - 4-6 mile warm up, 8x800 at 2:25 pace, 2 mile jog to cool down

W - 10 mile run, 2 miles warm up, 6 mile fartlek (5 on, 5 off), 2 mile cool down

Th - Hills - Run to the Hill (about 1.5 miles), half mile hill incline and down x5 (each week added one more), 4 mile cool down

F - 8 mile run easy pace

Sa - 12 miles split up into two workouts (later 15)

Sun - long run

Phase 3: Interval sessions w/ approx. 100m strides at the end of cool downs/work outs (70 - 90 miles per week)

M - 4 mile warm up, 6 mile fartlek, 4 mile run/cool down

Tu - 3 mile warm up, 1x800 and 9x400 as fast as I could go, 3 mile cool down

W - long run at easy pace (9-12)

Th - Hills (see previous phase)

F - 2 mile start, 5 mile fartlek, 2 miles to the track, 12-16x200 with as much rest as I needed and focused on form

Sa - 12-15 mile run in two runs

Sun - 12+ mile run in one run

I'm not a mind reader wrote:

OP:

The good news is that we have some mind readers on this board who will be able to come on here and give you advice about what changes to make despite the fact you posted no information about you, your history, or what workouts you are currently doing. Just keep checking and eventually these mind readers will post what you should be doing differently to improve from 17:00 to 15:50.

+1

haha

I wouldn't suggest doing workouts on 3 consecutive days followed by 4 days of mileage. Pretty stupid if you ask me.

werwer wrote:

I wouldn't suggest doing workouts on 3 consecutive days followed by 4 days of mileage. Pretty stupid if you ask me.

How fast did you run?

i've got a story that the OP might be interested in.

ran a 17 flat road 5k in april 2012, never broke 17 until february 2013. tried many times, ran 17:0x too many times to count, as well as lots of sub-17s on short courses. in that time span i may have been in 16:45 shape a couple times but never capitalized

ran ~50-55 mpw summer 2012, then did a month at 70 mpw in september 2012. ran cross country doing 60 mpw, ended up running a 22:04ish 4-miler (hilly) and 27:46 for 8k. ran mid 35s for 10k.

then after 50 mpw in december i bumped up to 70 mpw in january. held 70 mpw from january-end of march. workouts were classic 5k stuff, tempos, fartleks, some track work. nothing faster than 3k pace really.

in early march i did my first track 5000 and ran 16:17, my first time breaking 17min. 3 weeks later i ran 15:46.

so basically, i went from being in 16:45ish shape in the summer of 2012 to being in 16:25ish shape in october 2012 to being in 15:40s shape in march 2013.