Those Who Have Run A Fast 8k.....

I went from 24:30 to 23:30 my senior year of XC thanks to a lot more mileage, a big aerobic base running (easy) progression runs all summer, and in October some big workouts like 6x1600 on the track and 5x2000 on the golf course. I credit my coach for focusing on the post season 10k races which meant patience and longer workouts. Cross country is not fast compared to the road and the track; you run most of it right above your lactate threshold so overdistance work is key

Here is my build up 10 weeks out from running 25:33. This was a 1:15 PR for me down from 26:48. I trained almost like a miler focusing on short hard reps from mile pace (my pr is 4:40) up to around 5:00 pace for about 6 weeks. Over the last 4 I bumped up the mileage and started doing specific work around 5k-8k pace for longer intervals.

M: 7.5

Tu: 8.5 with 2x 1000, + 2 x600, + 3 x (400, 200, 200) - 3:12, 3:05, 1:46, 1:46, 66, 33, 33, 66, 32, 33, 65, 32, 31

We: 8

Th: 8.5 with 2 x 400 + 3 x (300, 200) - 71, 74, 55, 53, 56, 36, 35, 33

Fr: 8

Sa: 7 with an indoor 3000 - 9:23

Su: 6

Total: 53

M - 10

Tu - 1500, 2 x750, 3 x 500, 5 x300 starting at 5:00 pace working down to 4:30. 1 minute rest, 4:00 between sets (10.5 total)

We - 8

Th - 3 x (400, 300, 200)/2:00 rest (6.7 total)

Fr - 5

Sa - Raced another 3000. Got out way too hot (4:48 at the mile) and faded to a 9:15. PR though. (6.8 total)

Su - 13.5

M-9 easy

Tu- 11 with a track workout: Mile/5x200/1200/3x300/800/2x400 with 1 min between reps and 3 between sets. Ran 5:06, 36, 32, 33, 34, 33, 3:44, 50, 50, 51, 2:24, 67, 68

We - 8 easy

Th- 11 with a 5 mile fartlek between 5k pace (5:10) and MP (5:50). 2x(3 on, 2 off), 3x(2 on, 1:30 off), 4x(1 on, 1 off) Avg 5:27 pace overall

Fr- 9 easy

Sa - 8 easy

Su - 16 with middle 8 at 5:50 pace. 6:18 overall avg.

Total was 72 miles.

M: 0

Tu: 1 mile TT (4:40),plus 10 x 300/200 after averaging about 54 - 11 total

We:9

Th: 3 x 400, 300, 200 all just under 5:00 pace. - 9 total

Fr: 6 easy

Sa: 5k race in 15:54 (5:02, 5:05, 5:10, 37).

Su: 14 easy

Total: 60

M: 9 easy

Tu: 11 with 6x600, 6x300/90 sec rest. Avg 4:55 pace for the 600s and 4:32 pace for the 300s

We: 9 easy

Th: 6.5 with 3x400,300,200 cut downs from about 5 min for the 400s and 300s. Quick 200s (32, 31, 29)

Fr: 6 easy

Sa: 11 with the 5k

Su: 7 easy (lazy on a treadmill during a snow storm)

Total: 60

M: 4 - was crunched for time here

Tu: 11 with 20 x 400/1:00 rest. Avg 76s for the first 10, 74s for the second half

We: 10

Th: 11 with 8 x 1k/1:30 rest (3:16, 3:05, 3:14, 3:03, 3:07, 3:01, 3:08, 3:00)

Fr: 10

Sa: 16

Su: 7

Total: 68

M- 12 with 7x800,400/2:00 rest (2:39, 73, 2:33, 72, 2:35, 71, 2:27, 69, 2:28, 69, 2:21)

Tu- 9 easy

We- 9 easy

Th-9.5 with Mile/5x200/1200/3x300/800/2x400 (4:57, 36, 34, 34, 34, 34, 3:35, 52, 52, 51, 2:16, 67, 66 )

Fr-10 easy

Sa-17 with a progression from 7:30 down to 5:45. 29:29 last 5 miles.

Su- 6.5 easy

Total: 73

M- 12 with 2 x (1600, 1200, 800, 400)/2:00- 5:22, 3:51, 2:26, 71, 4:55, 3:45, 2:26, 66

Tu-12 split into a 4 mile am and 8 mile pm double

We-10

Th-11 with 4 x (2000, 500)/2:00- 6:37, 1:32, 6:34, 1:32, 6:30, 1:33, 6:21, 1:26

Fr-10

Sa-17

Su-3

Total: 75

M- 11 with 12 x 600/1:30 @ 8k pace, 2:01, 1:52, 1:57, 1:54, 1:57, 1:54, 1:54, 1:51, 1:56, 1:52, 1:55, 1:52. Avg: 1:54 (5:08 pace)

Tu-11

We-9

Th- 12 with 1 mile, 2k tempo, 1200, 2k tempo, 800, 2k tempo, 400 - 5:02 6:46, 3:31 6:42, 2:27 6:43 , 72

Fr-10

Sa-19 mile progression with the last 8 miles averaging 5:37. Worked down from about 6:05 at mile 10 down to 5:19 by the end.

Su- 3 mile shakeout

Total: 75

M- 12 with 1k, 2 x (600,500,400,300,200), 1k. Ran the first set around 5:00 pace and the second was a cut down to around 4:40 pace.

Tu- 11 easy

We-9 easy

Th- 12x400/100 jog @8k goal pace, avg 76.5

Fr- 7 easy

Sa- 6 easy

Su- 13 with 8k in 25:33.

In the Summer I did the typical summer mileage thing, just ran a lot of miles and I didn't do anything you'd consider a work out at all. I didn't do that stuff until I was back at school and practice offically started. I will say that I probably did do what today we'd call a tempo run, but it wasn't scheduled. If I felt good or we had decent weather then I'd run faster that day than the others.

My first 8k in University was 29:59 and I got down to 25:16

I was more of an 800 meter runner at the start of university.

A few things that helped me, reading "Running with the Buffalo's"

Slowing down my summer runs so I could run further and stopped "racing" the easy runs.

Progression runs up to 6 miles. Usually started the season at 3 miles and slowly increased them to 6 miles.

Long interval sessions - like 20 X 400 with short rest and shorten the rest more later on in the season makes it almost like a tempo run but nearing the end of the workout you throw in a fast rep and then get back on pace for a few reps maybe throw in a 2nd or 3rd if you start getting good at it. This type of thing gives you the confidence that you can hurt without slowing down and once you get good at this you can usually crank out the fast 400 at close to 800 pace so it gives you a little speed endurance work in those workouts. Eventually you just build up a resistance to fatigue and it doesn't effect you the same way it used to.

Run with a chip on your shoulder like you have something to prove. I missed making a few teams I thought I should have been a part of, it lit a fire under me and I ran much better going into races thinking I'll show them how fast I can run, I'll make them regret not taking me. Just try not to let this chip make you run yourself into the ground and get injured because ultimately I ran into the problem of no matter how fast I ran it was never enough.

Hope this Helps

My best races were sub 25, buy my first year I ran 27:30 as a SB.

Volume was the key to my improvement, and if you are looking for specific workouts:

Weekly medium run: 12-15mi

Weekly long Run: 14-18mi

Average about 6:20/mi but during the run pace ranges from 7:20 to 5:30

Thanks guys, appreciate the tips. I already do plenty of mileage, based on your responses I think I should add a nice long tempo once a week as the summer comes to a close. That way I'll come into training camp with a more developed lactate threshold.