Is this really how top high school teams train?

For a top high school runner, 10-12 mile long runs are nothing...not even long enough for some of them.

In my opinion, a 12 mile long run once a week in summer training should be standard for varsity runners, and then another 10 miler can be done mid-week. Top guys (or guys who really are aerobic monsters) might get up to 16 for a long run and then 12 for the mid-week run.

16 x 400 @ mile pace in early August? I doubt most teams are doing these types of repeats during the base phase.

Well, my mind doesn't wonder about 12 mile runs. I agree thats extremely common and about right, and the medium long run mid week. I just wonder about 12 miles at what comes out to be about marathon race pace, at like 5000 ft. altitude. Thats a tough run!

And most people will tell you to not be pounding out hard race pace intervals in August, yet they do it all summer long. It just seems like they're going against the grain.

I mean everything looks pretty simple. I did a plan just like it and went from an 18:50 5k to 16:33 freshman year.

Mon - AM 6 miles up and down hills PM 4 miles

Tues -AM 8x800 at my previous mile pace w/ 2 min rest, about 2:40 PM 4 miles

Weds - AM 6 miles up and down hills PM 4 miles

Thurs AM 3-4 miles, goal was to take 10 seconds off each mile. 6 months from my 18:50 I ran the 3 miles in 6:x, 5:43, 5:22 missing my mile track PR by 2 seconds in my neighbhorhood. Guess the plan works? PM 4 miles

Fri AM 6 miles usually up and down hills or around my neighborhood PM 4 miles

Sat- Usually just a long run, but if it's hot we cut it short. Should be around 10 miles, but sometimes as short as 7. Usually done pretty fast though, like 6:30/mile.

Yeah don't know how it works but to make huge improvements in training you pretty much have to do the longer distance repeats you'd do in track season, and try to do them the same pace while trying to increase your miles.

I would call this "Grinder" a primary workout. I have seen a Workout Wednesday about this and it seems to be like a predictor workout. They race it hard, so I'd say they need two recovery days before the next one.

Looks like they didn't take any recovery. For summer training, 5k pace for 5000m worth of work is a bit excessive. I'd opt for more reps and slower pace. Something like Tinman's CV pace. The 16x400 at mile pace is ridiculous. Either of those is a primary workout, so two recovery day before the next workout.

I'm guessing this run is about 7-8mi. That's barely a recovery day. During the summer, I would classify this as an Aerobic Threshold run, which is sort of a workout. They *should* take a recovery day after this.

There is no point to doing a long effort at 5k pace in the summer. That is stupid, and I would never recommend this.

Finally, an easy run. It seems like one of two rest days a week in the program.

This run is a good summer run that was ruined by overzealousness. The athlete who is doing this is around 15:40 I presume for 5k, so this is a run slightly faster than Aerobic Threshold (for him should be 6:05). A 12 mile run for AeT should really be around 95% AeT, so their run is very fast. In fact, if this athlete ran a 12mi race, his pace would be around 5:45-5:50/mi! So this is a near race effort for 12mi! That is not smart.

Of course, it doesn't matter if the American Fork stars burn out after HS. They go away and get out of shape for two years on their Mormon mission, and then they come back to BYU, where their actual career starts. The only points to them running in HS is to win titles so their school looks good, and to get scholarships to BYU. Their long-term development is not at stake, since they get enough time to rest before college.

Just about dead on, my team sent some guys to go train with American Fork for 5-6 days, so we could learn from some of the best. What you posted is pretty much what they did