How many miles should an upcoming freshman run over the summer?

If the team has summer running just send him to that and the coach will tell him what to do everyday. Or get him in contact with other guys/girls on the team.

It's hard to put a cap on mileage solely based on age given the fact that different people react differently to different variances of mileage. But given that he is a rising freshman, I would put his cap at 45 max. No need to go above that at that age.

Daniel88 wrote:

It's hard to put a cap on mileage solely based on age given the fact that different people react differently to different variances of mileage. But given that he is a rising freshman, I would put his cap at 45 max. No need to go above that at that age.

+1. Some 14 year olds can handle 20 mpw, others 40. Just gotta figure it out. Make sure you pay attention to what he/she can mentally handle as well, not just physically. Develop them for the long term. Dont focus on the fact that you need "one more top 5 runner for state this year."

Unless a parent is a high level runner or he has run 4:30, the odds are against him being a D1 runner.

I think it varies a lot from person to person. When I was 15 I ran 50 mpw in a pair of Nike Cortez shoes that today nobody would wear to the grocery store for fear of injury. "Durability" or the ability to recover from hard workouts varies a lot and, while we don't talk about it much, this is probably a key difference between runners who succeed and those who don't

predictor wrote:

Unless a parent is a high level runner or he has run 4:30, the odds are against him being a D1 runner.

1) This guy right here doesn’t know what he’s saying.

2) I’d say have him run 2-3 a day with a 5-6 on the weekends and slowly build it up until his pace falls. A good way to tell if you are over-doing easy mileage is if it gets progressively slower throughout the week.

username 415 wrote:

Suppose this summer you have a kid going into 9th grade that you think will be a future D1 runner, and your HS varsity team needs one more solid top 5 runner to have a shot at winning state.

How many miles per week do you have that 14 year old run? I thought I heard once that a 9th grader shouldn’t run more than 30, but I’m curious what you think.

All depends on the kid. She/he may be able to handle 40 or may be able to handle 20. It's completely relative.

I would say what is sustainable, keeps him interested and keeps him healthy.

Consistency matters much more than intensity.

15-30, and if he likes it, he can increase next year.

Masterof Disaster wrote:

I would say what is sustainable, keeps him interested and keeps him healthy.

Consistency matters much more than intensity.

15-30, and if he likes it, he can increase next year.

^^^ with an emphasis on 15. He will train himself into shape during the season and not the summer. If he has the right stuff, top 5 will not be a problem, especially if there is a team need.

Fictional God wrote:

username 415 wrote:

Suppose this summer you have a kid going into 9th grade that you think will be a future D1 runner, and your HS varsity team needs one more solid top 5 runner to have a shot at winning state.

How many miles per week do you have that 14 year old run? I thought I heard once that a 9th grader shouldn’t run more than 30, but I’m curious what you think.

All depends on the kid. She/he may be able to handle 40 or may be able to handle 20. It's completely relative.

And some can handle 80mpw. It's all about determination and commitment.

I was a state champ and D1 runner at P5 school. My high school progression was about 30 miles per week freshman cross country season, got up to 40 that year in track. Then increased it about 10 miles per year, was a consistent 60 miles per week senior year topping out at 70 miles with no days off.

The most I heard of people was about 90 miles max in high school for some high mileage Illinois runners from schools like Palatine/Nequa/Elmhurst.

I'd stay in this rance, do at least 30 the freshman year, 45 tops, and don't build above 80 by senior year but build up to at least 60. It does also depend on the intensity of the workouts. If it seems like they're racing all the time and workouts are really intense lower mileage might be better to avoid injury. But if workouts are controlled and not time trials, then they can handle more mileage. I would prefer the latter, more mileage and appropriate workout efforts.

Be sure to regularly do core workouts, this stuff goes a long ways and can be done every day.

Not anywhere near enough information to make that decision. Everyone is different.

You're kid's not going to be a D1 runner. Well maybe he will, but there's also a good chance he quits and becomes a theater geek by sophomore year.

How much did said running run per week in 8th grade? 30mpw would be a minimum for sure. Either way they should be increasing from this year.

It's FEB why the heck are you asking about Summer already?

That stuff doesn't usually start until late April and early May.

The answer is "search Summer of Malmo."