Coach wants me to run no slower than 7 minute pace for every run this winter. My 5K pr is 19:5X

What ... does ... a yellow ... light .... mean?

Moran.

Man Overboard wrote:

Holy smokes, lots of people want to make this HS freshman a long, slow hobbyjogger. Did I stumble onto the Runners World forum?

OP is not going to be racing 10k on the track next spring. He's a HS freshman whose race times will drop dramatically over the next couple years no matter what type of training he does.

op - for the distances you're going to race on the track next spring...your best bet is to run faster over relatively short distances (given your stated goal of 30 mpw) than to run slowly.

Train your body to run fast...by running fast.

You coach has no clue about training. Pretend that you´re listening to him, and do the opposite.

Skull wrote:

Moran.

Man Overboard wrote:

Holy smokes, lots of people want to make this HS freshman a long, slow hobbyjogger. Did I stumble onto the Runners World forum?

OP is not going to be racing 10k on the track next spring. He's a HS freshman whose race times will drop dramatically over the next couple years no matter what type of training he does.

op - for the distances you're going to race on the track next spring...your best bet is to run faster over relatively short distances (given your stated goal of 30 mpw) than to run slowly.

Train your body to run fast...by running fast.

moran

Man Overboard wrote:

Holy smokes, lots of people want to make this HS freshman a long, slow hobbyjogger. Did I stumble onto the Runners World forum?

OP is not going to be racing 10k on the track next spring. He's a HS freshman whose race times will drop dramatically over the next couple years no matter what type of training he does.

op - for the distances you're going to race on the track next spring...your best bet is to run faster over relatively short distances (given your stated goal of 30 mpw) than to run slowly.

Train your body to run fast...by running fast.

this, kid.

do this.

More mileage at a slower pace is better, but it has to be significantly more than 25-30 mpw. Target 50-60 mpw average and run as easily as you need to to maintain that mileage. Run a few doubles if you need to. 5 miles morning and afternoon for 10 total etc. Run strides regularly. One short fast effort a week, either a short race or time trial.

Man Overboard wrote:

Holy smokes, lots of people want to make this HS freshman a long, slow hobbyjogger. Did I stumble onto the Runners World forum?

OP is not going to be racing 10k on the track next spring. He's a HS freshman whose race times will drop dramatically over the next couple years no matter what type of training he does.

op - for the distances you're going to race on the track next spring...your best bet is to run faster over relatively short distances (given your stated goal of 30 mpw) than to run slowly.

Train your body to run fast...by running fast.

Your post resembles Runners World logic more than any other in the thread. Run less run fasterâ„¢, baby!

HardLoper wrote:

Your post resembles Runners World logic more than any other in the thread. Run less run fasterâ„¢, baby!

Exactly, LOL.

Your coach shouldn't be coaching.

Another giver of +1 wrote:

More mileage at a slower pace is better, but it has to be significantly more than 25-30 mpw. Target 50-60 mpw average and run as easily as you need to to maintain that mileage. Run a few doubles if you need to. 5 miles morning and afternoon for 10 total etc. Run strides regularly. One short fast effort a week, either a short race or time trial.

What kind of idiot tells a freshman, with no distance running background other than 1 summer of 15-20 mpw, to go out and pound 50-60 mpw? Yeah, no injury risk there! lol

Listen to your coach, kid. Get through to 2 seasons with him. If you're healthy, that's goal 1 accomplished. If you improved, that's goal 2 accomplished. You're a freshman! Build up to high mileage, build up to success. Don't be the kid who goes overboard right away and ends up injured, miserable, and walking away from the sport because you're having terrible experiences with it. Adjust goals as you go.

I did what your coach is asking you to do in the winter if my junior year of high school. I had a 19:09 5k pr ( but it was on a short course, probably closer to 19:20 in actuality) and I was running 40 mpw at 9 min pace. I had a goal to make it to state in the 3200m that following spring, it would take about 11:40, and I had run 11:47, so it's not like I had to drop a lot of time, but I looked at it that way. I started running 50 mpw because I wasn't allowed to run any more, so instead I started doing all of my runs at 6:30-6:50 pace. Every. Single. Run. In addition to restricting my diet and doing 30-45 min of core/strength 4-5 times a week, my times dropped dramtically. By the second race of the season I dropped from 11:47 to 11:17 and was ranked first in my division in the state (obviously for females). However, I ended up getting sick throughout the season, hardly made it to state, and when I did, I bombed, finishing far back with an 11:52...my slowest time of the season. The moral of the story is: Don't do this. I was lucky that I did not get injured, and although I experienced a huge drop in times, it was temporary as I only ran under 11:30 twice that season, early in the season, and could not hold onto that fitness throughout the season. I was exhausted in workouts and on race day, I was forcing myself to race easy 6-7 mile runs. Anyways, fast forward to senior year, I ran 60 mpw over the winter, with my runs at 7:45-8 min pace, my time in the 3200 only dropped from 11:17 to 11:12 but I could run 11:1x consistently, every race, in every condition, whether the race went out slow or whether I lead it from wire to wire. I won state, I did not burn out, and I did not get injured. My suggestion to you, since you are so young, run 30-35 mpw, maybe tickle 40 mpw once, but do your easy runs with someone else who is around your fitness, go 8:30-8:45, work your way down to 8 min pace. You'll still drop your times significantly but you will not burn out and you will not get injured. Good luck with winter training! Also do some core twice a week. It will help immensely.

It's amazing that so many coaches have no clue about the science of running. Only an ignorant fool would say "run all your miles no slower than 7:00 pace". And for the people who say they never ran slower than 6:30: sorry, but even if you were a good runner, you could have been better, but you were too stupid to know what to do.

Don't worry about pace at all on your easy days, just run slow, whatever that means for the day. It will always change, so no need for a watch on those days, or start it when you leave home and don't look at it until you finish.

When I was first really getting into running I made the most improvement by just doing consistent weekly mileage. Most of my runs were like 2-5 miles not even worrying about that pace. Throw in some strides and hill reps to keep up with some harder running.

i run 17:30 and my easy pace is 7:50- 8:20.. go by feel man, easy miles can be easy, if i feel really good maybe i do 7:00 pace if i feel really bad maybe 8:40

*Warm up well every day with a 1-2 mile jog, running drills, and strides.

*The long run puts the tiger in the cat, so one day per week make the effort to extend a run beyond your longest. As a freshman/sophomore a 10 miler might be long enough.

++++++Do one speed development day per week++++++

(50 meter to 80 meter sprints, short hill sprints, dynamic running drills, etc.)

Read about how sprint coaches train their runners to run relaxed, learn how to accelerate, and train their brains to run fast. Learn technique and run with classic form. ***On this day it's about quality not quantity. Try to improve your maximum running speed!

*Weight training is unnecessary if you have hills.

*Cool down with a 1-2 mile run and strides.

Stretch after every practice when you are sweating!

I would not try to time repeats or better your daily runs.

You do not want to run your best race in practice, save that for the day of the big race.

ONE THING I DID NOT KNOW THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT IS TO TRAIN AT MANY DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THIS WILL HELP PREVENT INJURIES BY EMPHASIZING DIFFERENT MUSCLE GROUPS MORE THAN OTHERS EACH DAY. It is dangerous to run the same pace every day.

Sample early summer week:

Sunday: Warmup, 3.5 miles @ 8 minute mile pace, warmdown

Monday: 2 miles easy, stretch

Tuesday: Warmup, 3 miles Fartlek (alternate 2 minutes @ 800 speed, with 1 minute jogs) warmdown

Wednesday: Warmup, 4 X 80 @ 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%) Warmdown

Thursday: 2 miles easy, stretch

Friday: Warmup, 3 miles @ 7 minute mile pace, warmdown

Saturday: Warmup, 3 miles Tempo Run (7 minute mile, 6 minute mile, 5 minute mile) warmdown

Note: Warm ups and warm downs include dynamic running and strides.

Sample late summer (build to this slowly and progressively):

Sunday: Warm up 8+mile run @ talking pace, warm down

Monday: 1 or 2 mile jog

Tuesday: warm up, 6 mile run @ talking pace, warmdown

Wednesday: warm up, 7 X 60 @ 75% to 95% effort, warm down

Thursday: warm up, 3-5 miles Fartlek (600-400-200 with shorter recoveries and at various paces, repeat)

Friday: warmup, 3-7 miles talking pace, warm down

Saturday: warmup, 5 mile run @ Tempo pace (8:00, 7:30, 7:00, 6:30, 6:00)

warmdown ***Paces are estimates, train do not strain.

*Again all most warm ups should include dynamic running drills and strides.

However you may add variety by doing short hills, jumping rope, and doing plyometrics. With anything new, go easy at first.

Coach yourself to run fast and relaxed every day. Timing any run is unnecessary, RUN by FEEL!!! (You may want to include one race every month. Do not overdo this.)

I admit that my post may have overemphasized speed. If I was coaching you directly I would know when to have you stop a workout for the day. You may have to do this for yourself. If you feel great, then you can do a hard run. If not you may have to jog that day at talking pace...even if you have a hard Tempo run planned.

Racing is generally not necessary and may even hinder your training.

In addition you may want to go to You tube.com and look up the running drill video by Khadevis Robinson. He shows you how to use different muscle groups for your running drills. This is important for speed development and injury prevention.

Let your coach know that Diggs from letsrun.com has a 5k PR almost 5 minutes faster than you and does a majority of his runs no faster than 7 minute pace

You should be running way slower than 7 minutes every day. I am much faster and don't break 6:30 more than 2 times a week