good coach?

in high school i ran 15:19, 9:20, 4:19 off of 25-35mpw with 2 speedworkouts per week usually. that was a couple years ago. it's about believing in the system...that's always been my theory, the coach does something for a reason. my high school coach didn't believe in "killing" his runners, which i thought was fine but, at the same, time i think i was left a little underdeveloped for college. now a sophomore, i'm able to handle more and am running well at the collegiate level.

What I would do is to supplement what he gives you with morning runs and a long run on Sunday. When your inevitable success happens, he'll be forced to concede that his system needs a bit of revamping. Quality twice a week isn't necessarily a bad thing if structured properly.

Flashmile wrote:

What I would do is to supplement what he gives you with morning runs and a long run on Sunday. When your inevitable success happens, he'll be forced to concede that his system needs a bit of revamping. Quality twice a week isn't necessarily a bad thing if structured properly.

This sounds like a good strategy. Don't tell him that you started running in the morning or on Sunday, simply take the success as it comes. The important thing is not to prove your coach wrong, but to prove yourself right.

What did he say when you talked to him?

runNman wrote:

I've told him that I don't think this is enough mileage and too much speed work.

[quote]Another Face in the Crowd wrote:

What did he say when you talked to him?

[quote]

He told me he's right and I am wrong and he knows what he's doing. He has coached track for a long time but this is really his first time around xc or distance runners and he's not exactly been open to new ideas. I am not trying to undermine his authority, but I just don't think it's working. Like a previous poster said you have to believe in the system, and it has been very difficult to believe in it when I am seeing no results at all.

Think about it. You aren't going to change the coaches mind. You aren't going to move to a new school. Run in the morning + weekends and there you have it. Super easy.

high mileage will bring you the results you wan't now, but a lot of folks can only handle so much. it might bring upon some problems down the road. Bob Kennedy was only a 30-35mpw runner in high school and he is STILL running at an elite level. basically, what i'm saying is wait untill college for the higher mileage.

It goes further than you said. Steve Scott was a mediocre (4:15) high school miler. Bob ran about 40. Meb was running 60 mpw...in college. Lassiter ran 20-something mpw in high school. These people (excepting Lassiter) are the American record holders, so for people who have talent, there is a strong case that can be made for intentionally undertraining early in one's career. Of course, if you don't think you have the talent to compete at the next level, you might as well crank the mileage while you have a chance.

I had exactly the same problem in high school......... an idiot coach who was an egomaniac and not open to correction from anybody. If God himself had confronted my coach and told him he was wrong, the man would have said, \"I\'ve been involved in track and field for over 30 years...... blah blah blah\". Him and I clashed for three years until I finally quit on him my senior year and went self-coached. Anyway, the point is that YOU CAN\'T WIN. Either accept his coaching or leave him.

has he ever produced a good athlete in the past? look at his credibility, for shits sake. if he's done it before, he'll do it again. if not, tell the bastard your quitting to do your own thing. trust me, if he really is wrong (which i doubt), you will get a lot more from quitting the team and doing your own thing and running unattached.

its not rocket science. just be smart.

geez wrote:

has he ever produced a good athlete in the past? look at his credibility, for shits sake. if he's done it before, he'll do it again. its not rocket science. just be smart.

Just because someone has "produced" a good athlete doesn't mean he's a good coach. Anybody can inherit a talented athlete.

True. This is easier to see on the collegiate level also, where coaches can be very good recruiters and suck at actually coaching. Just look at the improvement of their athletes over the course of their careers at the school. If there is little to no improvement for the majority of runners, then the coach probably isn't too good