My HS coach is an idiot: change my mind

This coach is not a coach I'd want.

Mr over raced wrote:

I just completed my 8th track meet in the last 15 days running 16 races ranging from 800 to 3200m. I had a breakthrough in mid April but my times have sucked since then. I am a hs freshman fast enough to run in the post season in the 4*800 and 1600. My coach insisted I had to run in every meet for points.

How screwed am I now that the important meets are coming up?

How do you even find 8 meets in 15 days?

Run your races for points not time. Don't kill yourself for an extra point in ever race.

Just do easy running for a while. If you have workouts coast them.

You are young and should pick back up with rest.

U. R. Selfish wrote:

Team accomplishments > individual accomplishments

And yet there is no 'team accomplishment' unless the 'individuals' can all compete at their best, no?

Can you please give us some times for context?

In 9th grade ...so i assume your running between 5:05 and 5:20 for the mile and maybe 2:16-2:21 for the 800's

if this is the case...youre not running fast enough to get hurt... i don't care what anyone says...

the only thing I would watch out for is racing in spikes 3-4 days of the week...could lead to calf tightness if you don't properly stretch and later shin splits...both of which could hinder training and performance...

my advice... hydrate well, in fact try to over hydrate... drop the the spikes for the longer races and weak dual meets and bust them out for the invitationals...

If anyone wants to hire me, i'm looking for a coaching gig

Why?? wrote:

Gainesville/Miami guy wrote:

If you run a race, you should always expect to give 100%. Only a kid who is far better than his competition can train through a race.

Why?

Practically everyone in this thread is reducing the conversation to black and white, yes or no, it must be this or it must be that statements, which does no good for anyone.

OP: are your PRs anywhere near placing at your championship meets? Are you the top runner on your team, and if so by a wide margin? There are a laundry list of reasons why your coach might be making you run these many doubles/triples, some of which may well be perfectly legitimate, even if unlikely. But you've given us nothing to go with.

Our 4*800 team has a decent chance to qualify for regionals. We all ran well before this 2 week stretch but have bad times since. I will probably run the 1600 and have a chance to be eighth place but our district is very tough. I am the top 1600 runner and 3rd fastest 800 runner.

LogicMeansNothingToMillenials wrote:

U. R. Selfish wrote:

Team accomplishments > individual accomplishments

And yet there is no 'team accomplishment' unless the 'individuals' can all compete at their best, no?

No.

Gainesville/Miami guy wrote:

Asking any kid to triple repeatedly is in my view absurd.

The OP mentioned doubling in meets. You’re apparently the only one here having someone triple.

Most schools in middle and high school race to race... when you get beyond high school you train to race. It's not exactly the best way for long term success, but you just have to get a little rest and you'll be alright...

Petravik wrote:

Gainesville/Miami guy wrote:

Asking any kid to triple repeatedly is in my view absurd.

The OP mentioned doubling in meets. You’re apparently the only one here having someone triple.

Look at the comment just preceding mine. By a 9th grade high school girl . She says she had to run four races in a meet. 8/16/32/4x4. For points. And two others on p.2 talk about tripling.

I disagree with those who talk about races as training efforts. When my kids went to the starting line I wanted them to be totally focused on competing. Going all out. Races are NOT workouts. In my own competitive days I often ran really hard in workouts. But when race day came I was able to run significantly faster than a pace that felt fast in a workout. I think it was because I hated to lose to anyone I believed I should beat. I don’t think you can have that fierce, focused mindset if you are as overraced as the O.P.