Female High School Runners

Body weight is a factor, no one can deny that. Girls are old enough in 11th/12th grade to know these things without someone having to tell them. They can see the faster runners are thinner. This is not the coaches place to step in. The girls can start to do something about it if motivated. This doesn't include having an eating disorder but they can eat healthy. Coaches can encourage healthy eating habits without saying they have to lose weight.

I have a related question as well. I’m currently a Sophmore and haven’t improved my time in 2 years. I feel like I get farther away from my goal every year I run. I not only run, I also workout at the gym, eat healthy foods, work on core. I know one of my weak points is form but I felt like it was improving. Running is my passion and I am very serious about the sport and wanted to run in college but I’m super stressed that I may never improve again. I am willing to do whatever it takes but it’s just my times aren’t improving. I have an incredible coach who is certainly experienced. We do 2 workouts a week, 2 easy days, 1 moderate day, 1 long run, 1 cross-train day. So the training is good. I just don’t understand why I can’t improve. I weigh 116 and am 5’3 and am stronger in my quads. Is that a set-back? I ran a 20:24 in 8th grade and wanted to be at least low 19 high 18 by the time I graduate. Is that even possible now? Am I just wasting my time? I am willing to do anything to improve my time!!! I have even tried protein bars and shakes but nothing is working!!!

Everything sounds good! First you need to understand that a 20:24 5k for a girl is a fantastic time. There aren't many local road races out there that you wouldn't win with that time (overall winner).

The training sounds very good, you are taking care of all the small things it seems, and your weight is good too.

What I know from experience, is that running improvements often come in SPIKES. That means, you might be at one level for a longer period, and then suddenly have a breakthrough performance when everything comes together. You are putting in the work now, and will get rewarded for it in the future as long as you keep listening to the coach and keep running with your team. Your goals should be doable, but you shouldn't stress about them, just enjoy the sport at your young age, eat well, sleep enough and wait for the race where you will show up big time!

There is no pressure to be thin. You're just imagining it.

I don't think weight is the only consideration. Girls hips slowly change between sophomore and senior years. Not to forget that as they become more top heavy their center of gravity is shifting. The running form that they grew up with is no longer possible.

How come you have some female runners who continuously improve and others who improve for 3 years and then just stop? Or some get worse while others are running crazy times? And it’s not even like all the ones runnning crazy times are sticks because a lot of them have lots of muscle.

ERunner wrote:

How come you have some female runners who continuously improve and others who improve for 3 years and then just stop? Or some get worse while others are running crazy times? And it’s not even like all the ones runnning crazy times are sticks because a lot of them have lots of muscle.

There are no magic tricks in running (except doping which no one should do).

Some people are so called "high-responders" - they train, and get better and better. Others are "low-responders" - they can do the exact training of the high-responder, and even have the same starting ability, say a 22 min 5k. But after 3 years, despite doing the same training one is running 18 min and the other running 20 min 5k. I have seen this in many running teams and teams.

The thing that any runner can do is reach their own, individual, genetically determined potential. To be able to do that, runners need to stop doubting themselves or chasing other people who respond better to training and improve more. Many runners quit when they see others got more talent, and never come close to their own true potential. You might not have the talent to make D1 (only 1% of the entire population has that talent) or the Olympics (only 0.01% have that talent), but you can improve your own, individual times and become a pretty good runner.

What is hard for younger people to understand and often older people as well, is that development takes time. It can take a long time. You have to be consistent for months, seasons, years. Not every season will be amazing. Not every season will have a PR. It's a long journey and a very long process. I would say for young girls going through changes in high school to hang in there. Stay with the process. Let your body go through its natural growth and don't force anything that goes against that. But be consistent with your training. When things settle from body growth and hormonal changes, then your years of being consistent can pay off.

I'm a guy.

I swam, biked, played soccer.

High school junior & senior years I ran XC & track. HS PB's 57" 440y, 4:44 mile, 10:40 2-mile.

College freshman 4:20 1500m, 10:00 2-mile.

Age 35 16:04 5,000m, 15:20 3-mile.

Age 44 3:28 3/4 mile, 7:41 1.5-mile.

Age 48 16:41 5Km.

Age 50 4:58 indoor mile.

Age 52 16:38 5Km

Age 50-52 Outdoor miles 4:48, 4:46, 4:41

Success & satisfaction my come early, or it may come much later in life.

I am happy with my longevity, age 59 now, and very healthy.

Many faster than I was are now in poor health.

Lifelong fitness and health is the most rewarding goal.

I reached my best fitness thru consistent aerobic training at 65-70% of max heart rate on soft, hilly trails wearing nearly flat shoes. 65-75 miles per week for 4 months, patiently building my aerobic engine.

I do doubles,

Mon Tue Wed Thu

A.M. 3 - 3.5 miles soft level grass

P.M. 7 - 8 miles soft hilly trails

For the P.M. I alternate the ratio of running level grass & hilly trails.

Example:

Mon Wed Fri hilly trails

Tue Thu level grass

Mon Wed Fri level grass

Tue Thu hilly trails

Fri

6 - 8 miles easy, trails or grass

Saturday

12-20 miles very easy, HR 130 - 150 with ultrarunner friends over hilly trails, hiking when needed to keep my HR down.

2nd - 3rd months just push the edge of 155 bpm.

Easy pace but quick steps uphills, faster pace but controlled HR downslopes.

Steady, steady, steady.

The runs get faster at the same heart rate, 5 - 10 seconds per mile week to week.

End of run 2-minute HR recovery should be to about 115 - 120 bpm.

120 bpm is your marker.

In the 4th month, I run faster on gentle downslope sections (lower HR), gradually getting quicker steps with more power.

End of run 1-minute recov 120-130,

End of run 2-minute recov 120-110

In the 5th month I begin peaking, easy during most of the P.M. runs, then surging over the last 2 miles.

End of run peak HR 170-180,

1-minute recov to 130,

2-minute recov to 120 or just under.

This is your big indicator of successful aerobic engine building: At the end of your P.M. run surges feeling comfortable at a high HR, and your HR recovers 50 - 60 beats or more in 2-minutes.

A.M. runs are recoveries for the P.M. runs.

Use physical route checkpoints (not GPS pace or distance)... like is done in the Tour de France. Let your brain learn to compress the time to set section personal records.

Run in a pool every so often as needed to keep fresh legs. Bicyling...easy spinning is also good.

Have fun!

Fogrunr

Maryland

I'm sorry you are struggling. You sound like a really nice kid.

I have had many of my athletes go through what you are experiencing now. It's hard for some to understand everything that you are going through. It can be really frustrating to watch the boys progress year to year given that their developmental changes are all beneficial to faster running, whereas the changes female athletes undergo are generally not beneficial.

The good news is that if you stick with it their is a very good chance that you will make a marked improvement despite the changes that you have experienced. Keep with it and don't lose faith.

I have had and seen several kids struggle for a year or two and then turn the corner to be faster than they ever were before. I have also seen kids give up on it. Be that stubborn kid that does not give up.

I read this post and literally wondered if I wrote this in my sleep. I'm in almost exactly the same situation as a junior. I'm super dedicated to running and want to run in college and after in an elite group, and even though my times are decent, I haven't been improving despite working really hard. It's so frustrating to see other girls just appear out of nowhere and run amazing times when you have been training and dedicated but always end up mediocre. I'm hoping what other posters said about sticking to it and seeing big jumps in improvement later on is true. Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone!

Thank you, this really helps!

Also, it's probably a good idea to have your ferritin/blood iron levels checked. Many female runners gradually become anemic without realizing it.

So, how much experience are we talking about here?

Success isn't linear and taking that approach is what makes athletes burn out. You will realize this when you're older. It took me obsessing over weight to the point of injuries in college. Then I started meeting runners outside of my immediate peer group. Runners that didn't even run in high school and are now OT qualifiers. Runners that took 10+ year break from competitive running only to PR later (myself included). Focus on where you are now and do your best on each day.

I think it's important for girls to understand that their bodies will go through changes. For many girls, it could be harder to improve running performance while this is happening. Many girls will slow down during this time even though they are putting in the work. Most girls will get heavier and initially this is detrimental to running. There is no point in trying to fight those changes. Just stick to sound training and healthy living. A weight training regiment can help as well. For many girls who stay the course, eventually that extra weight turns to muscle and you can have some great breakthroughs at that point.

It's not uncommon for 7th, 8th, or 9th grader girls to run faster than upperclassmen. Even though those transition years can be tough, the best college women are much faster than the best high school girls, and the best adult women are faster than the college women.

Hang in there. Don't compare yourself to other girls who are at different stages in life. Train healthy. Eat healthy. Live healthy. Your time will come.

Whatever is missing in your training is what is holding you back. From your post that is hard to tell because you are not able to write everything you do in practice.

If you are not improving something is wrong. Here are some things to look at:

1. Recovery runs. That's always #1

2. Long enough long runs. It's a different stimulus if you go longer. See #1 though.

3. Speed development. Few coaches do this right for every runner. They put in too much speed endurance

(200s, 300s, 400s, 800s, Mile repeats.) and not enough raw speed development. (Hills, downhills, 30s, 50s, 70s, 80s) And all of that can be overdone!!!

4. See the doctor and check your blood levels.

What I've seen over many years is that distance runners do not think they are talented.

So, many overwork or overlook ways to improve. You could be in great shape but have poor race strategy.