D2 has pretty competitive times, Im not sure what I should be aiming for since 8k is 3k more than what Im use to running for XC, and I've only ran 2 year of XC and Track.
XC- 5k- 16:46
T&F 1600- 4:40
3200- 10:13
800m- 2:09
Im definitely more aerobic than anaerobic
Your times in the 3200 and 5K equate to around 27:40 in an 8K. Figure your pace will be around ten seconds slower in the 8K than the 5K. Obviously it all depends on your summer training and then what you do this fall, but this gives you an idea of where you might be.
For comparison, 2 year progression.
Spring I
XC 5K (summer) - 18:20
T&F 1600 - 4:48
3200 - did not race
800 - 2:08
Fall I
XC 8K - 27:30 (and 27:15 road)
Spring II
5K - 16:15
mile - 4:36
2 mile - 9:57
800 - 2:07
Fall II
27:01 XC
My high school PR's were 17:03 for XC 5k, 4:48 for the mile, and 10:32 for the 2 mile, and I went 28:01 for the 8k as a freshman for my best time.
High school pr
15:59 cross
9:34 2 mile
First year of track was my senior year
24:40 for 5 miles cross country freshman year as well as 25:08 5 miles cross country freshman year at VCP.
I had a good summer training program between high school and freshman year
VCP is such a hard course wow! If you dont mind me asking what was your summer training like? I think I will tailor my training for a sub 27 at VCP
I would say a solid start to college XC would be sub 27.
Not spectacular but that's a solid freshman year time for a D2 runner.
started 1 July with 50 miles - built up to 78 by last week August
all singles till last two weeks August
each week in July two harder sessions each week - fartlek with pick ups of 3-4 minutes and a steady run of 10 miles followed by 8 times 300
mid August started two hard sessions a week - the steady run followed by 300s and then track the other day 4 times mile 5:00 or 3 times 2K 6:15
goal is to be fit on Labor Day and not burned out - ready to do the hard stuff in Sept when school starts
Girl, let me tell you before you learn the hard way: we run 6ks not 8ks in college. Don't embarrass yourself in front of your teammates by running an extra 2k. But you probably could have made D1 with those PRs!!
Nervous D2 runner wrote:
D2 has pretty competitive times, Im not sure what I should be aiming for since 8k is 3k more than what Im use to running for XC, and I've only ran 2 year of XC and Track.
XC- 5k- 16:46
T&F 1600- 4:40
3200- 10:13
800m- 2:09
Im definitely more aerobic than anaerobic
A good goal, which may be difficult to achieve as a Frosh, would be to maintain your 5K pace for an 8K.
So, a 16:46 5K is a 5:24 mile pace. A 5:24 mile pace for an 8K is 26:50.
Most Frosh won't do this, but I think it's a good goal that, if you miss it as a Frosh, you should hit it as a Soph.
Good luck!