I'm a freshman in high school right now and track season just ended. This was my first year running the 1600m and got a pr of 5:49. My junior buddies say that if I do cross country, my time can improve to about a 4:58. Is it true? What would my time probably be next year if I'm running cross country in the fall?
If you would like to also share your high school mile progression, please do so!
You could run that time in a couple years. I was running very high 5's as a high school frosh and ran sub 5 senior year
Pr progression was
fr. 5:50?? I don't remember I didn't take it seriously then
So. 5:26
Jr. Injured (was in probably 5:15 shape if I could run, I ran one 1600 while injured and in significant pain and got like 5:30)
Sr. 4:58
I ran XC each of those years as well, but only took it more seriously heading into junior year. I was also a late bloomer, I hit a growth spurt during the summer before junior year and grew about 4 inches.
Regardless, you can definitely break 5 in a few years, maybe not next year right away but your only a freshman. Do XC and then shoot for 5:15 in track next year.
Good Luck!
Here’s my progression:
5:09 (15mpw)
4:54 (25 mpw)
4:33 (40 mpw- got more serious)
4:19 (80mpw in the off-season, 60mpw in season)
Don’t do it the way I did (I got very lucky doubling my mileage the summer before senior year without getting hurt). Plus, I could have been a lot faster earlier if I had started out at 30 mpw (my late improvement pretty much doomed me to be a walk-on wherever I ran, but that ended up being best for me).
Good progressor wrote:
Here’s my progression:
5:09 (15mpw)
4:54 (25 mpw)
4:33 (40 mpw- got more serious)
4:19 (80mpw in the off-season, 60mpw in season)
Don’t do it the way I did (I got very lucky doubling my mileage the summer before senior year without getting hurt). Plus, I could have been a lot faster earlier if I had started out at 30 mpw (my late improvement pretty much doomed me to be a walk-on wherever I ran, but that ended up being best for me).
Sorry for double posting here.
I meant to add on that I had a 50 second progression from my season bests (and my first ever race was 5:37), which is about the progression that you’re looking for.
The good news for you is that it’s easier to shave off time when you’re in the 5-6 range than the 4-5 range.
Any tips for me? I just got done with freshman year and dropped from a 5:38 to a 5:05 , right now I’m doing minimum of 40 mpw and I cross train biking and swimming .
I went:
5:47 (basically no running in the off-season)
4:51 (25-30mpw. Not year round running)
4:52 (injured for a bit. 35-50mpw, varied by season. Limited running in winter (XC Skiing))
4:45 (35-60mpw. Year round running but only 10-20mpw in winter (Skiing))