Critique My Schedule?

What are your current PRs?

How was your XC season? :)

What was your previous mileage? I know you say you want a big improvement, but don't rush into it too fast!

Hi, again!

If you're looking for improvement, then I would say a great place to start would be the tempo run. If you're aiming for 5:05/11:10 then the pace should definitely be a little quicker (think 6:40 during base and progressing down to 6:10/6:00 for track season)

You may also want to incorporate a fartlek and short hill sprints during base to help maintain your speed for track.

All of your other aspects look great, though!

Above all, trust your coach and have fun!

Looks like an awesome schedule, you really have done some good research and created a detailed plan! This is such a good exercise to help you learn and think about your running so I very happy for you! My biggest advice is, don't beat yourself up when it some runs don't go well. Don't be afraid to change this schedule if you're having a tough week at school or you have more commitments. You don't have to follow it completely to get the benefit from it.

Also a more technical piece of advice is, have an easier week every 4 or so weeks. This can be where you cut your mileage down to maybe 80% on your runs and you have 1 day completely off. I've found this is incredibly helpful.

Good Luck with everything!

Last track season I was injured so my prs were pretty cruddy.

3200m: 12 flat

1600m: 5:23

Cross Country season also didn't go so well due to sickness and just mental issues since I wasn't performing to what I thought I would.

I really feel like I can improve though. Cross country I never felt in true shape and I didn't ever do the "little things" that would've been big things in the end.

My previous mileage this summer was around 31 miles. I'm looking to bump it up to 40 miles this winter!

My first tempo I'll probably run it around 7 or under, just to let my body adapt then I'll lower the pace throughout the winter!

Also this is all made by me. Our coach doesn't really help a whole lot with this stuff, sadly.

Thanks for the help!!

You would be a dream to coach because you care about all facets of your running - nutrition/core/strength/running/drills -

A few things jumped out to me as I have about 7 girls on my team at your ability level or slightly faster/slower

Your tempo run is too slow. It should be in the 6:40 range. I would start at 3 miles but move it up to closer to 4 miles in a month or so. This winter phase, I would develop your base - looks like your miles are too low but maybe you are adding gradually? But, for the 1600/3200 - you will need miles on your legs to do well. See below in CAPS -

If your bored of the same tempo run (3-4 miles non stop) you can do it this way to break up the monotony: Recovery needs to be 60 sec max or the workout is no longer a tempo run.

3X1600 @ 6:35 / 60 sec. MAX recovery

4X1200 @ 4:55 / 60 sec. MAX recovery

Eventually go to 4X1600 @ 6:35 / 60 sec. MAX recovery

Strides you are doing are great -

See caps

10 DAY CYCLE:

MON- 4 miles @ 7:45 pace (TODAY) NOT ENOUGH MILES IF TUES IS OFF - 65 MIN RUN + STRIDES

TUES- AM: Strength***

PM: 6.5 mile hill route

WED- 4 miles recovery (around 8:10+ pace) RECOVERY FROM WHAT? I WOULD GO HARD HERE - TRY ONE OF MY TEMPO TRACK SESSIONS

THUR- 3 miles easy + 4 strides 3 MILES IS A JOKE - TRY 60 MIN EASY

FRI- AM: Strength

PM: 3 mile tempo on soccer fields (w/ w/u and c/d) GOOD - TAKE 5 MIN TO RECOVER. THEN RUN AN 800 AFTER THE TEMPO AT SUB 2:45

SAT- 5 miles recovery run GOOD

SUN- 30-60 min swim OR 3 mile run (depending on how I feel) DO BOTH OR RUN 65 MIN.

MON- Long Run: 7 miles + Strength 7 MILES IS NOT A LR - TRY AN 85 MIN RUN HERE

TUES- Rest - I WOULD SWIM THIS DAY

WED- 4.5 miles easy + 4-5 strides 60 MIN. + 6 STRIDES

REPEAT: Except change workouts and increase mileage - REPEAT 4 TIMES THEN CHANGE IT UP A BIT -

YOU ARE AWESOME! You are destined to have a great season - good luck! Keep us posted -

MC

Opps - I missed you are running pm hills -

Yes, I am trying to gradually increase my mileage so the 3 mile runs are necessary. Once I get closer to the thick of my schedule than I will follow what you have more closely.

Also Tuesday wasn't off, I ran a hilly 6.5 mile route at easy/moderate pace. Due to lots of ice my pace wasn't what I wanted but for the beginning of the season it was probably what was best for my body.

My schedule seems so conservative on somedays because I don't want to be injured or burn out. As me being only a sophomore, this would be terrible.

My long runs are starting at 7-7.5 miles and I'll be running a 11-12 mile long run throughout February

((()))= comments to your edits

10 DAY CYCLE:

MON- 4 miles @ 7:45 pace (TODAY) NOT ENOUGH MILES IF TUES IS OFF - 65 MIN RUN + STRIDES

(((Tuesday is not off, hill run listed below strength, 65 min run is longer than my current long run, gradually building to and above that))))

TUES- AM: Strength***

PM: 6.5 mile hill route

WED- 4 miles recovery (around 8:10+ pace) RECOVERY FROM WHAT? I WOULD GO HARD HERE - TRY ONE OF MY TEMPO TRACK SESSIONS

(((Recovery from a hill workout since this is only the BEGINNING of a long 3-4 months, not doing any actual workouts for a few weeks, just building mileage first))))

THUR- 3 miles easy + 4 strides 3 MILES IS A JOKE - TRY 60 MIN EASY

(((Again, building mileage, don't want to do too much too soon.))))

FRI- AM: Strength

PM: 3 mile tempo on soccer fields (w/ w/u and c/d) GOOD - TAKE 5 MIN TO RECOVER. THEN RUN AN 800 AFTER THE TEMPO AT SUB 2:45

(((Depending on how I feel, I might try the 800, don't want this to be too much of a workout too soon, depending on how the tempo went/how I feel))))

SAT- 5 miles recovery run GOOD

SUN- 30-60 min swim OR 3 mile run (depending on how I feel) DO BOTH OR RUN 65 MIN.

(((Gradually building to that))))

MON- Long Run: 7 miles + Strength 7 MILES IS NOT A LR - TRY AN 85 MIN RUN HERE

((((Will do when winter progresses, starting slow first))))

TUES- Rest - I WOULD SWIM THIS DAY

((((Need a rest day for the first couple weeks so my body can recover, will swim/bike as I grow stronger and in better shape))))

WED- 4.5 miles easy + 4-5 strides 60 MIN. + 6 STRIDES

REPEAT: Except change workouts and increase mileage - REPEAT 4 TIMES THEN CHANGE IT UP A BIT -

My advice as a fellow HS sophomore: don't overthink it. Seriously, I do way too much running research training schedule writing and everything. My coach has said that I'm the "most analytical runner" he's ever seen, and he's not kidding. As a result I choke in most of my races and run crappy times because I haven't learned how to relax and have fun with it without thinking too hard.

Now that you have your schedule down, try not to worry about it anymore. Just follow it and have fun with it. I'm in the exact same situation right now and that's what I'm doing.

Clearly you have put a lot of thought into this.

The focus on strength and nutrition is great.

I'm going to assume that in addition to your focus on running, you are also a straight A honor student who also knows their class rank, and that sometimes you stay up late or get up early to do homework. You probably also revise assignments until you have the maximum possible grade.

You need to make sure you are sleeping consistently and managing the stressors in your life. You can train your butt off and have the best schedules possible, but if your life is too high in stress, it will end in injury or your races will suffer greatly.

To critique your schedule - you have about 36 miles over 10 days if my math is right. That's pretty low. I know you are working on increasing, but I think you need to be looking for more 5 mile days. I have girls I coach running 33 mile weeks (just for and example), and they look like this:

M - 6

T - 4

W - 5

Th - 6

F - 4

S - 8

S - off or a short run if a run got cut short or something

The short easy days are there for recovery, but you can see how there are longer days mixed in to 'get in the miles'. Those days are workout days usually too.

I'd also suggest not having set paces for all your runs. Run by feel. Don't be a slave to the watch.

Good luck

I've coached 2 girls who've hit those times and one thing I will say is that they were doing a bit more mileage than 25/week, which is what your weekly numbers come up to. Also, I'm not so sure you need to focus so much on the pace of the moderate runs right now as much as getting them in. You probably also need another day or two of strides in there. I like your strength routines and that you're incorporating that and core into your plan.

As a previous poster mentioned, an idea of previous PRs would be helpful in knowing whether or not you're on the right track. When are you looking to run these times (April, May, or June)? That matters too. I told my kids yesterday that we are 26 weeks away from States, I know for some places it's less and other's it's more. I have them touching on all types of speeds right now but not for long, just enough that when we actually starting touching on 3k, 1600, 800 paces weekly they've run a little of them over the preceding months.

Yes I definitely get my sleep in. I usually try to go to bed before 940 but it sometimes drags out to 10ish, especially now that finals are starting.

I might switch back to a 7 week like you stated, but realize that winter training is loooong. I still have till February 29th to train.

My main concern with bumping my mileage up to that is if I can maintain increasing that throughout the winter and not feel burnt by track.

If I were to be at 35ish miles right now, I'd be at 50 or so around track, and even though I want to run this mileage I'm not yet capable of that (without being injured or burnt out)

How would you suggest my weeks look until Februrary? I just don't want to increase it to the point where I'm dead by track season.

Also to the one who asked when I want to run those times....

May 20-21 is our state meet. That's where I want to race and achieve my goals.

Over time, gradually build more mileage into your schedule.

Junior Year 40 mpw starting the summer before.

Senior Year 50 mpw starting the summer before.

Achieve these levels and only cut back before big meets. Otherwise run year round.

Swimming is nice but it doesn't help your running.

So you've got 25 weeks until States. Plenty of time to get the work in.

I know you're building up and this one shows 25/week, close to 40 over 10. You're talking about progression, so right now, this isn't bad, but you want to use the next 7 weeks or so to get closer to 35/40 a week, which would look closer to what the one guy has for his 33mile girls. I'd also think about moving either the Tempo or the long day to immediately after the hill work. You've got Hard, recovery, hard, recovery, swim, long. More research is coming out that you can go hard-hard if you do the proper recovery afterwards, and this is a decent time to do so. I'd move the long to day after the hills and let it come to you (if it turns into a progression, great, but just let it come) and then move the tempo back a day as well as the swimming. The swimming is a great supplement to running, and as someone else suggested, I'd add a light run that day [perhaps later on, building into it], or put the swimming on your off day.

5:05 is going to take some leg-speed, that's why I'd be doing strides 3 times a week right now...or really charge up the hills on the one day.

What times are those girls running?

That only depends on the runners body and how they recover. Have you ever hear of a college team going hard twice?? No they always do a recovery day after. Notre Dame women always have 2 recovery days after a workout, same with Michigan women's team. What "research" are you reading...?

To the girl who posted this, do not do 2 hard workouts back to back. That's just nonsense. Especially because you're only a sophomore, who I'm guessing will run in college with the intelligence and planning that you have.

I wish you the best of luck. You will do great things if you stick with it. Believe in yourself, your training, and your dreams. Anything is possible.

A 6 mile hilly run and a 3 mile tempo back to back are not HARD per say, nor are they workouts.

Not sure if you've listened or gone to people like Scott Christensen and some of the other USATFCCA or USATF presenters or read some of Daniel's stuff that you can do two moderate or even two slightly hard runs back to back provided you have decent recovery.

In the beginning phases of training, this will still be somewhat hard on the body as it is not yet accustomed back into workouts yet. I don't know, it may work for some but I wouldn't recommend it.

LastChance Runner wrote:

Over time, gradually build more mileage into your schedule.

Junior Year 40 mpw starting the summer before.

Senior Year 50 mpw starting the summer before.

Achieve these levels and only cut back before big meets. Otherwise run year round.

Swimming is nice but it doesn't help your running.

OP - this is a pretty simple approach that is going to work. Build up to ~35 mpw from where you are now, and stay as consistent as possible until your next planned break (probably between track and XC), then build up to the next level of mpw.

As of what your weeks should look like, I like rotating using a two week cycle of workouts - that being said, I don't worry about the two weeks being perfect, just that I'm trying to get in the variety of workouts over 14 days. Also, as the big race gets closer, the workouts need to get more specific (the faster than race pace repeats get longer and closer to race pace, and the slower than race pace repeats get a little shorter and faster). When you start racing, the races should replace one of the workouts.

week 1:

short repeats faster than race pace (could be on the track, hills, or a fartlek),

a short/medium tempo run,

and a long run

week 2:

long repeats slower than race pace

a speed development workout (hill sprints for example)

and a long run with some quality (fast finish, or pick-ups, or just a generally medium/hard effort)

Do your strength routine in the PM as the secondary workout. Doing a strength routine in AM may leave your legs tired or sore for the more important running workout.

Alan