Her pr so far this year in the 1600 is 5:20. Most of her running training comes from club soccer. She joins a little running group when her soccer team is off during breaks. Her High School goal is to break 5:00. Hopefully by sophomore year. Do you think this is doable with better training when she reaches high school? Her 3200 XC pr is 11:38. Just wondering what that might take?
I think this is the age that girls start to slow down that are ~early bloomers
I thought we decided on this forum back in the multi-multi-multi threads on this topic over the years that for female runners you have to get them to enjoy the process and not so much the performance/goal setting to a particular ET as in maybe 50% of the cases she will be slower 4 years down the road
She just started running this year for school XC and track. Tell her she’s already at her peak? Tell her not to quit other sports. Just enjoy running for the sake of Running. Since she’s a girl assume she’s going to get slower and tell her to stick with soccer? Lol. Okay.
sounds like your mind is already made up then, good luck
Assuming she has not reached her peak what would it take? How do you go from 5:20 to sub 5 in two years? Can you answer that?
would be a starter. you might get super lucky and have a girl that doesnt enter puberty until 10th grade but thats like 1 in a 100 or something, otherwise she's going to be slower next year. Sorry if we're still focused on ET based goals only you both are going to be disappointed
Or my bad, you're looking at the next Brenda Martinez.
well maybe... or Emma. I’ll let you know when New Balance calls.
Whatever about the puberty bs. She’s already dealt with puberty. Didn’t enter a race until a year after she got her period. Most girls now get their period before the age of 14 you idiot. Even the lanky skinny athletic runner girls. It’s so creepy how guys/coaches are so fixated on a girl’s onset of puberty. Too bad women are forced to deal with so many ignorant men in the athletic world trying to tell them what it’s like to deal with the onset of puberty. Clearly you have no answers. My bad for asking you.
I just went through this process with a girl who was 5teens in 8th grade. Find someone who is knowledgeable in coaching GIRLS, and who has coached talented girls of this caliber. Do not leave her to her own devices. Do not tell her to just enjoy things and not care. Do not entrust her to a moron coach. She needs to get a steady diet of miles under intelligent supervision. Maybe find a local girl who's made Foot Locker or run sub-5 or some other noteworthy achievement, and ask her parents who coached her.
My latest girl went from 5teens in 8th grade to 5:0x start of freshman year (when I started coaching her) to low 4:50s by the end. It can happen quite quickly. A better barometer for how quickly your girl can do it would be if you included her 800 instead of her 3200. Anyways, the progression was quick. She probably averaged 50ish miles per week and was working out 2-3 times per week.
Don't listen to the "she gonna burn out" folks, they speak from ignorance. It happens, but you just have to work through it and enjoy the work. Not trying is not the answer.
Thanks so much for your reply. That’s exactly the type of info I’m looking for.
She’s probably running 20ish miles per week right now including “soccer miles” Her Middle School program is very “bare bones” So I don’t have an official 800 time for her yet. She usually runs the longer distances. But I think she’s run it in the upper 2:20’s at a practice this season. And she will get to run it in the next meet. So we will see.
I think around summer time we will follow your advice and look for a good private coach. Thanks so much!
Might drop everything but Running. wrote:
That’s exactly the type of info I’m looking for.
When you ask questions with the answer in mind, you won’t find all the answers.
The poster who said that she might not burn out is right, but you have to keep that possibility in mind. I’d caution against telling a young athlete what they should be capable of long term. Just do season goals. They’ll probably make their season goals, but if things don’t pan out in the future due to whatever reason, they won’t get demoralized from not making their long term goals.
Hey parent of your kid (you sound like a dad)
1 - you know your kid best. If she's your oldest, I'd suggest caution that you don't start drawing a line between her 5:20 and a full ride D1. Have fun.
Check out this girl who was a great hs athlete, and broke before she could graduate. She turned to her faith, but the loss was still real.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/gods-strength-and-love-through-injuries
2 - understand that there is a genetic maxima. Your kid might be early to that maxima. Or not.
3 - I've got a kid who runs and does another sport. Both coaches suggest / request year round. We're resisting.
4 - our kids running coaches are all about stretching and not getting injured. They're wizards. We took it super easy, and even then my "2nd place is first loser" kid got slightly injured his freshman hs year. His teammate is sidelined due to grow plate issues due to running.
5 - Check this out by dr Andrews. He sees multi-multi sport kids getting trashed, by doing too much , too young. See #1, re your kid. That age, there are children and young adults at the same chronological age, but worlds apart.
What we found as parents, is you can create opportunities. But you cannot create desire. Let your child guide you.
Have fun with the journey. It's cool that you have an 8th grader who's fast ish.
A dad