How many miles is too many for high school?

Greenliner - my high school team ran in the 70's. Igloi stuff worked for us - very efficient and we were all very much into being students (the high school was beyond belief excellent in academics for a public school but not a big athletic powerhouse, although football was very good for a while). Igloi training just didn't take much time - our "long" runs were 5/6 miles, with breakneck stretches of speed. I really wasn't curious as to how I would have done training with the higher mileage stuff training for Joe - I could have gone to York in a heartbeat living with my grandparents - but I just don't think either physically or mentally I was cut out for long miles in high school. Again, query what would happen today training with someone like the Hunters in Purcellville - I started out in 9th grade running a 9:20 two mile, so hopefully talented enough to attract their interest (and Purcellville is a great place to live and run).

Mr.Bird wrote:

LateRunnerPhil wrote:

Tinman once said to not focus on mileage, but focus on time run.

He recommends HS kids to run 1 hour a day if they want to be really good, with a long run of around 90 minutes (slowly building it to that duration). So 6x1 hour+90 mins = 7.5 hours.

He doesn't like putting kids on mileage, because 65 mpw could mean something totally different for a 22 min 5k girl than it does to a 17 min 5k girl. The former would be training much harder, as she takes considerably longer to complete 65 mpw, whereas the 17 min 5k girl could probably do it in the 7.5 hours.

This is really good.

This is what we do too. When discussing training, I generally use the term 'mileage' but that's because I know about what they are running each week in the various groups. But all our workouts are set up in minutes. A 40 minute easy run for a 22 minute 5K girl is going to be about a 4.5 mile run generally. For a 15 flat 5K guy, it's going to be 6 miles or so. We find that this differentiates the training appropriately for the whole team. Time on your feet and not number of miles.

I've had upperclassmen do 60 mpw, and if I had athletes consistent and strong from 9th - 11th, I would feel good about moving them to 70 mpw during base their senior year.

Because this worked SO well when we tried it in the 80s and 90s. While the Kenyan teenagers ran miles. We are all dumber for having read this

Joe falcon wrote:

Because this worked SO well when we tried it in the 80s and 90s. While the Kenyan teenagers ran miles. We are all dumber for having read this

Couldn't agree more. Look at the parts of the world where it is popular to train long and hard. They rule the distance running world. How many world beaters come through the 'don't burn out' philosophy popular in American high schools? Participation awards and the school of thought responsible for them assure a lack of success.

I like how this whole thread is all about if a certain number of miles will cause burnout, yet not a single person is paying attention to speed work. Sure, 80+ miles per week isn't ideal for most high schoolers. But is 30 miles per week with hard speedwork really any better?

I'm not a very fast runner (barely under 5:00 and 18:00 off of 50-70mpw), though my seasons have been hampered by poor peaking and probably a lack of talent. When I run 50-60mpw consistently, I eventually reach a point where running becomes smooth and effortless (6 Mile Tempos in 6:20-30 pace, mileage 7:30-8:00). That felt nothing like burnout to me. I would go so far as to say that it's the easiest running I've ever done in my life.

You know what did feel like burnout though? 30 miles with 2-4 days of heavy anaerobic speedwork per week. I have never significantly progressed in any track or cross country season that I've ran. Running became so hard at the end of every cross country season that I was on the ground after every race, running maybe a 21 minute 5K. I had one season that I didn't significantly train before, having nothing to prepare my ligaments for the season ahead. There were several days where my ankle hurt so bad that I could barely walk. At any given time, 25% of the varsity team was either getting an MRI or aqua jogging, yet the coach was still giving out cautionary tales of 'too much mileage' and emphasizing the importance of 'grit' and 'mental fortitude' before every race. The school's physical therapist got so overwhelmed with the prevalence of running injuries that he asked the coach if there was something wrong with the team. One day later, the coach told us the importance of 'toughing it out' and only coming in if you really couldn't run. The PT was still flooded by runners and then eventually quit. The next PT that came in asked the same question. "What is up with the distance program here???" The first PT wasn't the only one who quit; half of the senior class ended up quitting before the end of high school.