14 year old 800m-10k runner, currently my weekly mileage is 40 miles (60km). My pr's are: 800m 2:07, 1500m 4:23, 3000m 9:27 (all indoor). I really want to focus on the 5k and 10k, but everyone are saying stay at the shorter distances. What are a good mileage for what I'm doing now? And what are a good mileage for 5k and 10k? (Started running 1 year ago, just so afraid to get injured that's why I don't run a higher mileage)
Troll. But I will answer
Stay at the shorter distances. 40 mpw is fine. Focus on doing all the little things. Core, plyometrics, strides. Build your running body the right way.
When you reach 5k-10k in 4-5 years, you will be ready.
I think 40 mpw is too much for anyone who has been running for a year, much less for a 14 year old. More is not always better.
I hit 50 mpw twice leading up to my 15th birthday.
I hadn't been super good as a freshman, probably running 25-35 mpw. I ran 5:42 for 1600 and 11:57 for 3200. There was a local 10k about 5 weeks after my track season ended that season and I wanted to do it. I also did anothe 10k as a tune up 2 weeks prior to the one I was aiming at.
I jumped my mileage up on my own for those 5 weeks and ended up going 39:45. The "tune up" race was 41 low (don't remember the exact time).
So, after a year of training at lower mileages, a jump in mileage worked for me. I don't know if I'd recommend doing it that way to anyone though. It's not how I coach my kids these days. As a poster above said, focus on strength, speed, general athleticism for the first year to 18 months then start ramping up mileage.
For me, I'm convinced that I didn't run well at the high school distances (as a freshman) because I didn't do enough stuff to be strong, fast and explosive. Most of my hard efforts were on the roads over 5-7 mile courses, so I was ready to jump in a 10k fairly soon after HS ended. However, we never worked on strength, speed, quickness in a way that I do with my athletes now. My best 400 that year was a 74.
Bullet the Blue Sky wrote:
I think 40 mpw is too much for anyone who has been running for a year, much less for a 14 year old. More is not always better.
This x1000 Also "troll".........likely
14 year old that is likely not even close to mid puberty.
25-30 miles a week. No longer then 1 hour running continuoisly,
As for the 10k.......whoever is trying to get a 14 year old to concentrate on that hard of a race mentally and physically need childrens services called on them.
You are young and fast, stick with it. Speed is key.
I don't want to be "that guy" but:
https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=9915969#9916239
In case you didn't know, you can bump your threads instead of creating a new one every time. In case you did... please don't fill up the forum with multiple threads.
To answer the actual thread:
When I got my injury recently, I was running about 40mpw and then I got injured when the coach tried to up the intensity and I ended up running 10x400m @80sec w/30sec rest in between. That is when it all happened and I got injured. The only thing I can say is run 40mpw right now, peak out at about 45mpw(in 3-4 weeks) and then back down to 40. Once you start putting in speed make sure to take it slow and push the mileage back to 30mpw. Be sure that you do not push anything too fast, and good luck!
-EGF