I've been running for a few years now and can boast some respectable times in my opinion (2:02, 4:25, 10:01, 16:18). My senior year is next year and i'm wondering what differences in training allow to drop to more "elite" times (1:54, 4:12, 9:15, 15:00). Is it possible to make these drops in a year?
distancerunner666 wrote:
I've been running for a few years now and can boast some respectable times in my opinion (2:02, 4:25, 10:01, 16:18). My senior year is next year and i'm wondering what differences in training allow to drop to more "elite" times (1:54, 4:12, 9:15, 15:00). Is it possible to make these drops in a year?
Those are not "elite" times.
Elite for high school I guess...what would you call elite?
1. How have you not broken 10 flat with a 4:25 mile? There are guys running 15 seconds slower than you with times in the 9:50s.
2. Those are just good high school times. Like D1 standard times. Nowhere near elite.
1. I never liked the two mile so I never raced it an anything other than a super non-competitive league meet to score points.
2. What is elite to you and how would one get there?
treole wrote:
distancerunner666 wrote:I've been running for a few years now and can boast some respectable times in my opinion (2:02, 4:25, 10:01, 16:18). My senior year is next year and i'm wondering what differences in training allow to drop to more "elite" times (1:54, 4:12, 9:15, 15:00). Is it possible to make these drops in a year?
Those are not "elite" times.
He means high school times and those would be very respectable high school times.
Anyway, OP, unfortunately there is no secret. Unless something is "wrong" with your training, the only "secret" is continued hard work. Don't forget guys like Drew Hunter run sub 4 on the same training as their teammates running 4:45.
If you think something is wrong with your training, post up some detailed logs and people can comment, but that is a different thread entirely. But chances are that your training is good, unless you have a terrible coach.
I would point out your lack of speed, as evidenced by a better 1600 time than 800. Focus on your strengths in the longer events. This likely means piling on the mileage and turning yourself into an aerobic monster. You are unlikely to see much progress working on the faster end of your range. Progress your mileage intelligently of course, or you'll end up hurt, but you're the kind of guy who will likely benefit from from 80 mile weeks, whereas somebody like me (1:57, 4:32 in high school) would have just broken at that mileage range (as evidenced by my freshman year of college xc).
Elite for high school boys:
Sub 4:10
Sub 9:00
Sub 15:00
Elite for professionals:
Sub 3:50
Sub 8:10
Sub 13:00
distancerunner666 wrote:
I've been running for a few years now and can boast some respectable times in my opinion (2:02, 4:25, 10:01, 16:18). My senior year is next year and i'm wondering what differences in training allow to drop to more "elite" times (1:54, 4:12, 9:15, 15:00). Is it possible to make these drops in a year?
You know what to do....
The transition to elite = 'enhancements'
distancerunner666 wrote:
I've been running for a few years now and can boast some respectable times in my opinion (2:02, 4:25, 10:01, 16:18). My senior year is next year and i'm wondering what differences in training allow to drop to more "elite" times (1:54, 4:12, 9:15, 15:00). Is it possible to make these drops in a year?
Go back in time and get faster parents. You are an OK high school runner. You can't be elite. If you had the genetics it would have shown already.
Sorry.
Elite times are:
sub 1:45
sub 3:35 1500
sub 7:40 3000
sub 13:20
There is no magic way for you to run these times. You either will be able to through training, or won't.
you didn't give us enough information about your training. What's your best 200m time? How much mileage are you running? Tempos? If you haven't done heavy training on speed, volume or threshold work, a strong training cycle could net you pretty significant improvements...or not if you have already maxed out your training.
Simple......After track season you need to reboot and use the summer to your advantage. I have every one of my runners read the following article as track season ends. It truly is all about your summer training.
http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school/use-summer-training-to-make-the-jump
Start crossfit like twice a week at a reputable crossfit gym. Strength endurance training will help tremendously. Also get better at your nutrition and nutrition timing. Every top athlete makes a leap once their nutirition is dialed in. I would suggest reading the Rennaissance Periodization diet book.. If you can't read it, atleast try to get about 30g protein and 90g carbs before a training session and another 45g of protein and 120g of carb directly after training... simple carbs are best around training, complex carbs at other times of day
Maybe they'll train you to be elite at the University of Souix Falls.
Just because you want to be "elite" does not mean you can ever achieve it.
#1 reason is that you need the basic physical ability
#2 if you have #1 you need to work your ass off to get better. Even then it's doubtful
As a senior your times are quite average so elite is out of the question. In 800m elite would be 1:51,
Lets shoot for good and have fun running
Curious how OP'S season went.
distancerunner666 wrote:
Elite for high school I guess...what would you call elite?
Not even elite for middle school
distancerunner666 wrote:
I've been running for a few years now and can boast some respectable times in my opinion (2:02, 4:25, 10:01, 16:18). My senior year is next year and i'm wondering what differences in training allow to drop to more "elite" times (1:54, 4:12, 9:15, 15:00). Is it possible to make these drops in a year?
Your times are better than average for a high school junior boy. There have been threads, some in the last year or two, about progressions in personal best times through high school and beyond. Greater improvements than the ones you've posted are not rare. I would focus on doing the right things and trying to appreciate (I won't use the expression "be satisfied with") the improvements, whether few or many, that follow.
Latsran wrote:
Elite for high school boys:
Sub 4:10
Sub 9:00
Sub 15:00
Elite for professionals:
Sub 3:50
Sub 8:10
Sub 13:00
Your HS times are too slow, and your pro times too fast. My definition of elite is you can get into any US races and most international races.
Here is the definitive answer:
sub 4:05
sub 8:50
sub 15:00 (is fine, since HS only really runs 5k in XC)
Pro:
sub 13:10
sub 7:40 (3k)
sub 3:35/3:52
Now I'll contradict myself. Everyone has a different view of what elite means. For some it just mean you can get on a d1 program out of HS, or you can get some sort of contract or run pro races after college.
In which case my HS times are too fast. And yours are about right. Both our Pro times are too fast (13:40-13:45 will probably get your some sort of minor pro deal).
How do you get there from 4:25 as a junior? Train like hell. Pray you don't get injured. Hope that your 4:25 was run off crappy training.
I went from 4:29 to 4:16 (mile not 1600) in a year.
Yes, you can drop times a lot. I went from 4:33/9:49 to 4:17/9:20 in a year.
But, your problem is that your Junior year is over. Therefore, your attractiveness from a recruiting perspective is cast in stone.
If you care about academics, you have 2 options--D3 and D1 walk on. There are some great academic D3 schools that would like to have someone like you. If you want to run D1, drop your times to sub 4:20/9:20 and walk on.
Good luck!