Rising XC HS sophomore, and last year I ran 20:07 with 10-15mpw (summer and winter included), and ran 3 (rarely 4) days a week.
This summer I ran 20-25 mpw for 12 weeks, ran 5-6 days a week, and I'm planning on taking a 7-day long break to rest up my body for XC season.
I'm hoping for a sub 19 by the end of the season this year, and is this goal realistic?
And I;m taking a break since for the past week, I;ve kept getting slower on every run and I have a constant aching near my calves.
just running more you should improve a lot
Thecubicles wrote:
Rising XC HS sophomore, and last year I ran 20:07 with 10-15mpw (summer and winter included), and ran 3 (rarely 4) days a week.
This summer I ran 20-25 mpw for 12 weeks, ran 5-6 days a week, and I'm planning on taking a 7-day long break to rest up my body for XC season.
I'm hoping for a sub 19 by the end of the season this year, and is this goal realistic?
I would actually shoot for something more like 18:30. Improvement comes pretty fast in the first couple years of running.
Why would you take a week off at the end of the summer though? Usually, you take a break after a season, not before it. If you really feel super dead I think you should run easy every other day for a week rather than taking it off completely.
With regards to dead legs, might you need new shoes? You should be getting new shoes every ~400 miles or so. Taking an ice bath might also help your legs freshen up.
Don't take 7 days in a row off. Run every other day so you get out for 3 of the 7 days. That is easy enough to get fresh for practice but keeps you moving so you don't lose fitness.
Getting some new shoes is also a good idea.