Trying to Walk-On D-1

You have no chance. Sorry man

I disagree. Given the right training (and depending on your training history), it could happen. The advantage of training on your own is that you get to set your own schedule. You can listen to your body and optimize your training week-to-week rather than being stuck to a specific competition schedule. You can even move around workout days if you feel you need more/less recovery.

Do strides or 200's after every non-workout run. Wearing spikes if you can. This will help develop your basic speed.

Alternate 2-3 workouts a week, a mix of strength/endurance work and fast interval work.

For example, on Wednesday you could do a ladder workout (ex, 200-400-600-800-800-600-400-200, all at mile race pace, except the 800's which are at 5k race pace) or some other type of fast interval workout (

Batavia wrote:

I disagree. Given the right training (and depending on your training history), it could happen. The advantage of training on your own is that you get to set your own schedule. You can listen to your body and optimize your training week-to-week rather than being stuck to a specific competition schedule. You can even move around workout days if you feel you need more/less recovery.

Do strides or 200's after every non-workout run. Wearing spikes if you can. This will help develop your basic speed.

Alternate 2-3 workouts a week, a mix of strength/endurance work and fast interval work.

For example, on Wednesday you could do a ladder workout (ex, 200-400-600-800-800-600-400-200, all at mile race pace, except the 800's which are at 5k race pace) or some other type of fast interval workout (

Sorry, my post got cut off. Letsrun formatting is stupid.

Anyway, once or twice a week you should do a faster interval workout. Once a week you should do an easier, more aerobic workout (tempo run, mile intervals, etc). Emphasize the faster stuff, de-emphasize the slower stuff (especially when you get close to your goal race). Since you've been running 70 mpw consistently, you probably already have a pretty good aerobic base. You just need to work on your "speed endurance" and basic sprint speed.

I would recommend not decreasing your mileage until you get within a week or two of your goal race. In a similar vein, keep doing a long run once per week (15 miles or so) until 2 weeks before your goal race. Double 2-3 times per week. Also, you can never do too much core.

Renato Canova posts the training of some of his elite athletes on here from time to time. You could search those posts for workout inspiration.

If you truly are dedicated and consistent, it can be done.

Trust me... Running in college sucks. You would be much better off by yourself.

Honestly, it's a long shot, bud. Keep in mind that even if you make the team, you will probably be the slowest man by a fair amount, get dropped early and often in workouts, and never travel to meets. If your school has a competitive running club, I'd give that a shot.

Where are you trying to walk on to?

Was that 5k on the roads or XC?

I would go run 8x400 @ goal mile pace 60 sec rest. Then another workout 4x800 @ goal mile pace 2 min rest.

Strides every easy day.

You are trying to drop your mile time by ~10 seconds: it's a very long shot, but not impossible. Your 5K, 4Mile and 5Mile times suggest that you may be more of a middle-distance person (i.e. your 5K is better than your 4M time and is much better than your 5M time), so perhaps there is hope.

If you want to improve your speed, hill repeats can do wonders, especially short ones with full recovery. These should be done early in the preparation, as, if done properly, they will trash your legs. If you have time, also work on your core strength. As you approach your race, you should gradually introduce track workouts with very high intensity, long rests and little volume. I usually start from shorter distances, like 12x200, and progress to something like 4x800 with 5 minutes recovery at faster than mile pace. These will help you to peak for your race. Make sure you have 2-3 races on your calendar within 1 month or so and use the first as a tune-up. Also, bad races happen and you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket.

Good luck!

Agreed, why on earth would you want to walk onto a D1 team, why would you do that to yourself.

Good for you for trying! Don't listen to the haters. I think it's super cool. I tried to be a walk-on at UW Madison with a 4:10 1500M I ran when I was a 17 yr old senior in HS (I was very young for my grade) with no HS coach and the UW coach wouldn't give me the time of day. So, the fact that your D1 coach is actually in contact with you, giving you goals to hit, and giving you a chance is super cool.

A couple recommendations...

1) Run some training questions by the coach. Ask for her/his advice. I'm sure the coach will see how much you care and be really impressed. Maybe even try to join the team for some workouts now and then.

2) Don't rule out running for the club team or run bigger meets unattached. I did that with some friends who also loved track but weren't on the school team and we had a blast. We trained and raced our asses off - worked just as hard as the people on the team. It was tons of fun and zero commitment, so we got to do whatever we wanted and race whatever distances we felt like. I was a miler, but jumped in the occasional 400 or 5k for the hell of it. It was a lot of fun and I set some major PRs.

Where are you trying to walk on? Because it entirely depends on the school.

Will have to agree with the poster who said you have no shot right now. Even if you did eventually do it, like others have said, you would be dead last on the team and get no attention from coaches. Join the club team or train and race on your own. You are not D1 material.

There is no one magic formula or workout to getting faster. Stay consistent, increase mileage every season by 10-15 mpw and continue to emphasize quality workouts and even better race efforts. Find out what the walk-on standards are at your college by emailing the coaches until you get a reply or stopping by the office. Make those standards your focus and seek out a local coach or guide as you continue your path towards those marks. Do those things and you may just find yourself on the team, or you may not. Either way there will be no regrets as you pursue excellence and become the best runner you can be. That's well worth the pursuit and it's something every D1 coach wants to see. It's the "material" they are looking for. Best of luck!

You obviously still have a ways to go, but I think it's very fair that the coaches have given you a specific time to target. If you like to train, and this means a lot for you, go for it! I can't promise you will succeed, but if you want this, don't let yourself look back in 10 years and ask "what if." Just remember, if you do succeed, then the real hard work begins.

Typically a coach will post workouts outside of their office for each group of runners (distance, middle distance, etc.) I would recommend doing those workouts. Try adding in some weights / strength training and plyometric work to increase your strength / speed. With hard work you should be able to hit 4:25 in the mile.

Just started running 10 months ago wrote:

You have no chance. Sorry man

BS, I know dozens of guys running 15:50 in the 5k who have gone 4:25 in the mile. You definitely have a shot; drop your weekly mileage and do some more anerobic endurance work. Short tempos, high volume 400s and 200s, and some 5k paced 800s and 1ks. Get after it, you have a solid chance.

3 x 200, 300, 400, 600, 400, 200

100m rest.

also once a week do 30x 30sec before or after an easy 8mile run

I ran 15:15 and 4:27(in practice) so it seems your goal will be difficult.

You might find a running club and run trail and road and cross you'll probably have more fun and be a pretty strong runner.

I was a D-1 walk-on. If it's your goal, go for it.....the coaches know who you are....keep working hard & you can get better. Whatever happens you will know you took your best shot and went for it. Ended well for me. I was a contributor, lettered & had a partial scholarship for a year. The best part, many great and long lasting friendships and a lifelong interest in the sport.

YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE A CHANCE. These people telling you that you don't are completely ignorant. I was a sub 14 min 5k guy in college on a very competitive distance team. I saw plenty of guys become something great because they loved running and worked as hard/harder than anyone else.

I went from 10min 3200 to 9:12 in one year in order to make my college team. Then once on the team I went from somewhere around 14:45 for my 5k pr to sub 14 in a year and a half when I wanted to improve my situation on the team.

No one on this thread can tell you that you aren't able to achieve that. You could though. So be careful that you don't tell yourself those sort of things, and don't listen to those who do. If you're a 19/20yr old college sophomore in ~4:30ish shape training on your own right now, I absolutely see how you could get down to 4:25, even 4:15 or better. And if you did make the team and were always toward the back of the pack, you will be forever proud of what you were able to do and the brotherhood that you've joined.

But really, are you running for a team? Or for yourself? Joining the team and accomplishing a lot in running are byproducts of your personal goals. If you want to be a great runner, then whether or not you make a college team, whether you win or compete in high level road races- all of that depends on what you are trying to get out of running.

I ran cuz I wanted to be great at it and I was always hungry for faster times. If you feel the same then there's very little that can keep you from achieving just that.

Keep at it.