freshie 1600 time 2

I ran 2:16.03 with a 5:12 mile pr, did run a 4:47 1500 too, but 2:15 should be reachable for you, just don't go out crazy fast

Thanks dude. Does 65 sound good? Thinking of going 65, 70

bump m9

I think I was somewhere about that, might have been 63 though, can't quite remember because that was middle school days. Key is still feeling pretty solid for the last 100-150, if your 400-600 is a kinda "recovery" part and you can have a little left you should be good, just have to stay focused and not slow down a lot.

You ran 2:15 off ~63, 72 in middle school? You must have had some talent (or have if you're still young). Anyways thank you for the race strategy, I usually just try to hold on and hammer the last 150-200

Bump

Over half the info in this thread gave me cancer

I have one piece of advice for you: forget about what times you think you HAVE to run. Goals are nice, but they won't make you fast. If you have the ability and the training, then you'll hit the times. Focus on the process and let that happen. If you let your performances (good or bad) get in your head, then you won't be focused on the process of training or your race, and you won't run your best:

Recognize what you do well in races, and seek to objectively recognize what you're doing poorly. After a Saturday race (for example) reserve 10 min on Sunday to do this reflection. Come back on Monday focused and ready to train again.

I speak from some experience:

As a freshman in high school I had run just about 5 flat in indoor off of moderate training, and was full of lofty goals for outdoor. I thought about the times I wanted to run every day, and I promptly injured myself from going to crazy with my training. I missed a month of running, and ran .3 seconds slower than I had in indoors, which crushed me.

The thing is: I was probably in 4:50 shape by the end of the season, but I let all my bad races when I was coming back from my injury get to me, and it slowed me down. I couldn't handle it on the back stretch of the third lap, and it wasn't because I didn't have the physical capability.

Developmentally, your body probably still has some work to do. There are physiological adaptations that come from years of consistent mileage you don't have. You won't run the best race of your life as a freshman in high school. Learn the mental side of the game as well as the physical.

Thanks man, I did not see this post. Good advice.

As for an update. It turns out that 800 did not happen, typical of my coach.

However, this

happened. Please ignore the bad grammar in the post.

Some new info: yesterday I ran a 19:09 5k FTW at a local hobby jogger road race. Second was 19:15 so some a decent push factor. It was a pretty hilly course with a slight overall net elevation gain. I ran it in normal shoes not spikes, just hoping to PR and build confidence for the season, which I did. It was so slippery that just after the 3 mile mark I went down taking a 90 degree turn and skinned my hands and leg, and slipped a little getting back up. Probably cost 10 seconds, which means my endurance has improved substantially since XC, from ~19:40 to sub 19. I could also not kick because it was so wet on the concrete to the finish that I would have eaten some sh!t if I tried to sprint. It was about 45 degrees and dreary, having just rained. My hands were numb from the cold 1 mile into the race (however I love the cold, so it was not a huge deal). It was a good performance and a 36 second PR. For reference on the same course last year a guy ran 18:25 and then a 4:50-low 1600 later in the season. This isn't another "predict optimal time" thing, I'm just listing the facts.

So now our first meet is this Thursday. I want to know, should I triple 1600-800-4x4? My goal is to break 5 in the 1600. If the mile is first I think I should do all three. If the mile is second or third, should I just do the mile? I want to be 100% for it, but I know doubling and tripling has a pretty good benefit.

If it helps my preference in order is

1. 1600

2. 800

3. 4x4

At most meets, the mile will come first and a little bit later the 800 will be run and 4x4 is usually the last event. If I were you, I would double the 1600 and 800. By the time the 4x400 starts, if you're feeling good then run it. If you feel any ankle pain or knee pain or any pain or tightness really, try to get someone to take your spot.

Always appreciate your responses Jayordon. I will go for the triple.

Haha thanks. I did that quite a few times my freshman year but just remember to be cautious of how you feel going into the 4x4

Well, long story short this was a lackluster week.

M - another weird workout that is not even worth taking the time to explain

T - Recovery day in anticipation of the recovery day

W - Super Recovery day that ended in near disaster. Was doing strides on the infield while talking to a friend and then BAM, I somehow managed to twist my ankle on flata$$ grass. I panicked and iced and did a whole bunch of shit, was quite stressful

T - ankle hurting a little in the morning, got better miraculously through the day. About 30 minutes before the gun I had to replace 14 spikes because they were too long which was quite stressful. I did my warmup it didn't really hurt until I did some faster strides ~5-10 minutes before the gun. It sort of hurt then, and so I knew that running a fast mile on a hard rubber track might not be good. I told my coach I might drop out after 400 or 800 if I felt it might cause injury. After the race started I felt fine and I finished in a pedestrian 5:11. There were ~25 people in the race and I started out about 5th from last after taking it out extremely slow and getting stuck behind a wall of slower runners in the first 100. I ended up in 8th. Splits of:

73, 2:31 (78), 3:54 (83) and 5:11 (77).

I'm going to start a new paragraph to break up that wall of text. Felt horrible and was winded by 400, wanted to drop out but my ankle was not hurting and so I decided to stick in it. I was shocked when I heard 2:31, and so I thought I still had a shot at cracking 5. Turns out I had no energy left and didn't have a kick, as evidenced by my 77 final 400. Just low energy and lackluster. 2 second pr

Scratched from the 800 to save for the 4x4 which I anchored in 62 with nobody around me, actually felt pretty smooth.

Friday was uneventful but Saturday I had the best long run of my life, 60 minutes hammered the last 20. Don't know how far it was but it was hilly af, about 150-250 ft of elevation change a mile

If I could just get one mile off without a hitch I feel like I could go ~4:55. Sorry this was so long I'm bored

Ha just got back here from the El G thread. Looks like you're doing good work. One thing that milers often overlook is distance ability. Based on your 62 400m while tired and with a sub-par ankle, your VBET (tm) (Ventolin Best Estimated Time) would be a 60.5. 60.5 for a distance runner should equate to about 5 flat. I suggest a different race strategy for this. Go out in 73, hold your position for a 76ish next lap. Go hard on the 3rd lap, which should be a 75. Then try to hold on, and your last lap should be around 75-76. I think that would be a good way to break 5.

I agree, a lot of your workouts are really weird. See if your coach will do some more conventional mid season workouts like repeat 400s or 800s. If he's into weird workouts then try this one: 3x(3x300,600) @1600 pace. Take 1 min rest between reps, and 4 min between sets. For example, you would run 55-56 for 300s, and 1:54-55 for 600s. I love to incorporate 600s at mile pace into training because they hurt. Airplane taking off now.

Thanks man, good response. I agree with your VBET. I think your strategy seems optimal, I'll try to recreate as best as I can because I always fall off hard on that third lap.

On the topic of my coach, there's one thing that's a problem: he absolutely refuses to do workouts that are solely on a track. There is always an element of hills on our cross country course and then we'll finish with A fast 400 or something. I would talk to him but he's extremely close minded and none of the people on the team will contradict him, so I'm on my own to do track workouts. The one guy that does do workouts with me is on a month long vacation currently.

For this week I was planning:

W-3-4x(500, 300)

T-Recovery

F-4-5x800@2:35 or under

It's kind of a last-ditch attempt to get some intervals in

Trackbot! Optimize 1600 1:12, 1:17, 1:17, 1:09

Trackbot! Optimize 1600m 72 77 77 69

Trackbot! Optimize 1600m 73 78 83 77

Damn it was just about to do that. Thanks