Have any of you ever gotten faster from just doing mostly easy to medium effort aerobic work?
Most people on my team start off slower after the summer... like one senior ran a 16:42 for a 5k time trial in May and started off his last XC season with a 17:01 (He did 30 mpw)
However, he brought his time down to 16:29 by the end of the season.
Of course. That's where most of your long term improvement comes from.
Of course. Obviously more so if 1) one is racing over longer distances, and/or 2) one is a running "newbie"...
If he'd done 60-70 mpw during base phase, he might have started the XC season with a 16:29. Not surprising at all to see a worse performance off 30 mpw and no speed.
Just run baby
Obviously. The best, most reliable way to get faster is and always has been to pile on as many miles as you can build up. The only way to build up those kinds of miles is to run most of them easy.
Run slower so you can run more. Run more so you can get faster.
You Are What You Is wrote:
The best, most reliable way to get faster is and always has been to pile on as many miles as you can build up.
Bull crap of the day.
You Are What You Is wrote:
Obviously. The best, most reliable way to get faster is and always has been to pile on as many miles as you can build up. The only way to build up those kinds of miles is to run most of them easy.
Run slower so you can run more. Run more so you can get faster.
Wrong!
Right. The larger aerobic base will always prevail.
Positive Contribution wrote:
You Are What You Is wrote:Obviously. The best, most reliable way to get faster is and always has been to pile on as many miles as you can build up. The only way to build up those kinds of miles is to run most of them easy.
Run slower so you can run more. Run more so you can get faster.
Wrong!
Correction: wrong for some, right for others. It's individual. Me personally, my sweet spot for 1500/5k training is 50-60 mpw. In 10 years or so I'll find out what that sweet spot is for marathon training, but not anytime soon. Some people they need more miles, like 100+. Depends on the athlete.
Freshmen xc I ran 2026, a week after track season I did a 5k in 1939. Then after a summer of mostly easy runs, and for the first time ever tempos and 90 min long runs all summer, I ran 1821 at the first meet and finished the season at 1744.
That was a few years ago, but my coach told me this about my season "when you train consistently year round, you won't improve as much during the season but you'll run faster overall than if you didn't build up the big base in the summer"
awarder of prizes wrote:
You Are What You Is wrote:The best, most reliable way to get faster is and always has been to pile on as many miles as you can build up.
Bull crap of the day.
Unhelpful jackass of the year.
So, you would recommend 25 fast miles per week over 100 easy miles for improving speed at anything over, say, 100m? Yes?
Wow. Stop posting please. You're just going to get people hurt.