List your crazy improvements + PR's here.

1st marathon: 3:26 (25 miles/week)

2nd marathon: 2:53 (50 miles/week)

3rd marathon: 2:37 (90 miles/week)

Had been injured for more than a year. Ran 12 miles a week or so for the summer, but even that was spotty. Moved to a new state and upped to 20 or so. On a whim jumped into a 10K in which I went out at 5:30 pace. Blew up and ended up running 39:40, my personal worst by 2 minutes. That was mid-Sept.

About 5 weeks later (at 40 mpw or so) I ran 35:44, and following year as a masters 34:07.

Anon wrote:

After each year we all improve, some of us more then others. This thread is to tell your story and improvement whether it is in one race or a couple years. List them below. Anyone 10 minute 3200m to 9 flat?

More THAN others

Mismo wrote:

4:35 marathon PR to 3:16

I was anemic

Same problem for me when I started running in HS:

sophmore HS: 5k in 23.48 (low hemoglobin, 8.9 g/dL)

junior HS: 17:11

After taking iron supplements for ~4 months (1/day), hemoglobin went in the normal range (just over 13 g/dL). It was AMAZING how much better my running went after that!

TheJeff: Good Marathon for a 196lbs. guy. What are your (5 & 10)K PRs at 195+?

My first ever year of running was crazy.

I always played soccer. I continued to play through winter of my senior year of high school. Got sick of playing travel though because I lived in a bad area for it and we showed up to games with 9 people.

So, I went out for track my senior year. Went from 216 first 800 down to 201. Went from 505 first timed 1600 down to 435 at regionals. High school coach influenced me to walk on at the university level. I was fortunate to be introduced to a coach who gave people chances. First ever 5k was the summer before I went to college, 1815. Ran 1749 in August. 1610 in October. By the next April, I got down to 1518 for 5k.

18:36 flat, fast road 5k (1st 5k ever) summer before sr yr to 15:54 on fast, flat 5k XC course by late Sept. All-state at state chmps. All at 5,300' elevation. Maybe 20 mi per wk during summer. Peaked as high as 50 during cross.

freshman year: 21:39

sophmore year:17:30 (while injured)

HS MIle 4:33.8

HS 2 MIle 9:50.9

2nd Year College Mile 4:15.9

5th Year College Mile 4:10.2

5th Year College 2 MIle 8:58.2

My first race I ever ran was a road 5k on New Years Day when I was 16 and ended up running a little over 24 minutes. Awful race; I stopped and walked around 3 times. I had 0 endurance. But I joined the track team that Spring and ended the season with pr's of 2:09 800m, 5:06 1600, 12:14 3200.

A couple years later I decided I wanted to get back into running seriously, and my first 5k of the "season" was 19:47. 4 months later I ran a 17:53 5k.

My overall PR's aren't impressive (1:59 800, 4:42 mile, 16:57 5k), but you can see that through serious dedication to training you can make large improvements in a relatively short period of time.

Didn't run in my life until I was 23 years old in 2001 to lose weight. Lost 55 pounds and then got a little bit of an improvement bug.

Marathon

6/2003: 3:26

10/2003: 3:12

12/2004: 3:03

12/2005: 2:52

12/2006: 2:47

12/2008: 2:45

12/2009: 2:43

3/2011: 2:41

12/2011: 2:39

Then took time away from hard training and tried to "get back" last year and ran 2:44 at age 36. Want to get under 2:40 one more time so I know that it wasn't a fluke.

No drastic improvements, just grinding it out and steadily improving.

So I am a sophmore now and last year as a freshman i worked super hard over the summer and i ran 25:55 for my 5k but over the summer i didn't work at all i did nothing but sit on the couch and i ended the season running a 14:36 5k so i learned my lesson i am never training hard again let that be a lesson to everyone training hard doesn’t do anything but doing nothing let's your legs prepare for the next race you do making you run much faster this has been scientifically proven.

HS girl. Came into this XC season with a 5k PR of 23:55, knocked it down to 21:57 by the end of this year.

Just stayed focused and consistent this year, avoided injuries.

Wish I could have run on some flat courses to really see my speed, but this one was at Sunken Meadow in NY. Cardiac Hill, anyone?

Start from 0 at 27. I remember first my first run,10 k for 50 min...all out...run 1:09 HM and 15:14-5 k this yer at 30...

In high school...my first 1600 was 5:07 and eventually ran 4:14. First 3200 was 10:21 and ended up running 8:58.

Didn't train for 10 years and started back a year a go. Could barely run a mile in under 6 minutes 18 months months ago. 2 weeks ago averaged 5:36 for a half marathon, 1:13:40.

Work hard, stay healthy and you'll improve.

First marathon (age 34) 3:49

Second marathon, 10 months later, 3:07

1st marathon: DNF dropped at 16 miles

2nd marathon: 3:53:17 2010

3rd marathon: 4:38:27

6th marathon: 2:43:34

2:23 at the start of the season down to 2:05 by the end.

Next year ran 1:59. Now at 1:51

Your 800 PR is almost exactly half of your 1600. What is going on there?