journey to 4:40 mile

[xcislife]

STARTING STATS

800m: 2:20
Mile: 5:04
2 Mile: 11:11
5k: 17:11
10k: 37:00

GOALS:
800m:2:04
Mile: 4:40
2 Mile: 10:00
5k: 16:00
10k: 34:00


Not running related goals:

Train my core
get 175 lb squat for 10 reps
get 150 lb bench for 10 reps
do 75 pushups in 1 set
do 300 crunches in 1 set
get a 5:00 plank
get a 5:00 wall sit
do 50 pullups in 1 set

I am a very serious distance runner, i have been running for 3 years and improved all my times by about a minute each, except a 10k, which i have raced once near the middle of my training. this year in track it will be my senior year. in cross country i made it to the state championships. in track, i am looking to beat alot of the people who beat me in cross country and run a 4:40 mile and a sub 10:00 2 mile, hopefully getting into the section finals and possibly state. i will update this log daily if i remember and also use it to log my feeling and nutrition for the day.

[xcislife]

3.75 miles very hilly in the morning with the dog. cold outside and windy towards the end of the loop. 4 100m strides at the end at goal 800m pace. run average was 7:45 pace.

1 mile in the PM after i found out that i would be having my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow! time was 6:00, on the treadmill. 40 squats after with sets of 5 increasing every set. started at 70 pounds, ended at 140 pounds. 2 sets of 50 calf raises with 70 pounds on bar.

[xcislife]

no workout today, had my wisdom teeth removed this morning and slept the rest of the day.

all i ate all day was pudding and jello, until night i had some soft pasta, i ate 1 piece at a time since i was not able to chew.

[xcislife]

No workout again today. hopefully this will be the last day. i probably wont be able to run until monday, but i am hoping to lift tomorrow.

nutrition today was not great. 2 cups of coffee, pasta, pudding, Jello, chicken, corn and more pasta. did not need the vicoden today, only a few ibuprofen and the antibiotic.


hoping tomorrow that i will be able to lift and do some core, then by Monday i will hopefully be at least biking in, but hopefully running. dying to get out on the trails again and its only been 2 days!

[Xr8y]

Sweet buddy... good luck!!

Don't neglect the shorter speed work and weights. If you can knock a couple secs off your 400... you can knock 10-20 off your mile

[xcislife]

Sweet buddy... good luck!!

Don't neglect the shorter speed work and weights. If you can knock a couple secs off your 400... you can knock 10-20 off your mile

haha, dont really care about anything shorter then 800m. but thanks for the luck! defiantly focusing on the mile/2mile combo this year since it is my best bet for college.

[xcislife]

article i wrote, hopefully it will also be posted in the "write your own article" section.

Essential for fat loss


Fat loss is maxed during Aerobic training, that is, while training with oxygen. Fat NEEDS oxygen to be metabolized. Without oxygen, the fat will not burn. In this article I will explain what aerobic training will do for your fat loss, and what HIIT training does for your fat loss.

AEROBIC TRAINING: Aerobic training is training for at-least 30 minutes at a time with enough oxygen going through your system so that you could hold a conversation without huffing and puffing. The most well know aerobic sports are running, cycling, and swimming. All are great options for losing fat! Aerobic training is the basis for any sport. In football, the players must be able to endure hours of play, they need their body to be able to process enough oxygen so that they do not become so fatigued that they can no longer play. In baseball it is the same, the players need their body to process the oxygen so that running a base will not leave them totally fatigued. Aerobic exercise makes the body produce red blood cells, red blood cells are essential to the gas exchange process in the body. RBC's carry hemoglobin, an iron particle that carries oxygen to the working muscles. Aerobic exercise is the #1 way to lose fat. Aerobic exercise can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2+ hours of slow exercise.

HIIT TRAINING: HIIT training is interval training. Interval training consists of short bursts of intense output, resulting in oxygen debt, with rest periods. Interval training will help burn fat FAST since it will help the body transport oxygen easier. HIIT training, however is not the best way to burn fat. Aerobic training is. Even though HIIT training burns fat at a much faster rate than aerobic training, it can not be done on a daily basis. If HIIT training was done on a daily basis it would lead to overwhelming fatigue and eventually lead the body to injury. The body can not repair the muscle fibers as fast as HIIT can break them down. HIIT can be :30 seconds to 2:00 of intense exercise with 1-2 minutes of rest in between.


TEMPO TRAINING: tempo training is training at a comfortably hard effort. Also known as threshold training it sits right in between Aerobic and HIIT(Anaerobic) training. Tempo training will let the body process the oxygen needed but will also cause a buildup of lactic acid(the chemical that makes your muscles burn) in your muscles. Tempo training can not be done for more than 60 minutes at a time. Tempo training will improve the bodies ability to process lactic acid and remove it from the muscles faster, leading to training to be more intense with less effort. Tempo can be as little as 10 minutes in a session or as much as 1 hour in a session.


All three of these training types have a place in a daily healthy life. As a runner I do a combination of these workouts every week, I usually do 6 aerobic runs, 1 interval training day, and 1-2 tempo runs a week. The single best workout for burning fat is aerobic, but doing a combination of the three with about 75% aerobic, 10% tempo and 5% HIIT a week will give the best fat burning combination that you can get. If you are worried about burning too much muscles with all the aerobic running you can always do 50% aerobic, 40% tempo and 10% HIIT a week. Although this will burn fat slightly slower, it will still burn fat faster than HIIT training alone.

(Written by xcislive, AKA Stephen)

[xcislife]

Workout for a Runner

if any day falls on the day of a track meet or other race, the workout for that day will not be done, if it is a leg day the day before a meet, the workout will be moved to the day after the meet and the workout scheduled the day after the meet will be done the day before. on days of meet, the morning session will be visualization of the race

3x split

DAY 1: chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps

Lift for strength, no size gains needed here, all work goes into general strength.

barbell skull crusher, 3x10 reps
barbell bench, 1x10, 1x15, 1x20 reps
dumbbell incline bench, 1x8, 1x10, 1x12
military press: 3x10
barbell curls: 3x10-12
barbell rows: 3x10

DAY 2: extra run

extra endurance gained during this day

30-60 minute run in addition to the days normally scheduled run. (normally on the side of 30 minutes unless miles are running lower than what is expected during the week.)

DAY 3: legs/abs

leg day should be light and not leave the legs fatigued, running is enough to do that, explosiveness and a little strength is the goal here.

3x10 squats
3x50 calf raises
3x15-20 leg extensions
3x10 each leg lunges(body weight)
3x50 crunches
3x15 each side oblique crunches

Day 4: extra run

extra endurance gained during this day

30-60 minute run in addition to the days normally scheduled run. (normally on the side of 30 minutes unless miles are running lower than what is expected during the week.)

DAY 5: back day

general strength to be gained during this day, leading to stronger overall body strength

3x10 DB Rows
3x10, 1x15 pullups
3x15 pushups
3x10 dead-lift
DAY 6: extra run

DAY 6: Extra run

extra endurance gained during this day

30-60 minute run in addition to the days normally scheduled run. (normally on the side of 30 minutes unless miles are running lower than what is expected during the week.)

DAY 7: ABS

1x1:00, 1x2:00, 1x3:00 plank
2x20 medicine ball slams
2x1:00 plank on stability ball
3x50 crunches
3x15 oblique crunches, each side
3x25 situps
2x1:00 Russian twists, aiming for 45-60/set
2x1:00 superman's
2x1:00 leg hold ups, 1-3” above ground

All days will have a run or some other kind of aerobic exercise in the afternoon, to be dictated by the coach or the written plan. This is a YEAR ROUND workout plan. If a break is being taken off from running, it will be taken off from this plan too. If there is not break in running, this plan should be done.




this will be my morning session, it will be accompanied by a daily afternoon session that my coaches will choose during the season and i will make during my off seasons.

[xcislife]

BREAKFAST: Grande Pike Place roast from Starbucks, 1t sugar, 2T milk, chocolate bar dough-nut.

SNACK: pop tarts, chewy bar

LUNCH: French bread with mustard and turkey, chewy bar, water

SNACK: Vanilla Pudding cup

DINNER: pasta with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, shrimp, olive oil and Chibata bread. milk.

SNACK: 2 cheese sticks, 2 slices of turkey, chocolate pudding cup, 3 dove squares.

Supplements for day: 3 ibuprofen 600mg for the mouth, 2 antibiotics, 2 Glucosamine pills, multi vitamin.

nutrition was OK, started off rough with the doughnut, but mostly healthy. the pudding cups are the thing thats getting me, but they are easy to eat and it still hurts to chew.

WORKOUT ABS DAY

3x1:00 plank
2x20 medicine ball slams
2x30 second plank on stability ball
3x50 crunches
3x15 oblique crunches, each side
3x25 situps
2x1:00 Russian twists, aiming for 45-60/set

FEELING: Cut the planks short, and pulled out the superman's/leg raises, gotta give myself time to build into it. overall throughout the day i was really tired, took a 15-20 minute nap. Mouth is OK, should be able to do at least a short run tomorrow.

[xcislife]

B: bagel, butter, coffee, 2T creamer.

S: apple sauce, vanilla pudding, PB+J sandwich, chewy bar.

L: PB+J sandwich, banana, chewy bar, twix (opps).

S: 3 cookies, banana, chocolate milk.

D 3/4 of homemade pizza(HUNGRY!), milk

S:2 string cheese, choco pudding cup, apple sauce.

Supp's for day: 3x 600mg ibuprofen, 2x antibiotic, 2 glucosamine pills, multivitamin.

AM:

barbell skull crusher, 3x10 reps
barbell bench, 1x10, 1x15, 1x20 reps
dumbbell incline bench, 1x8, 1x10, 1x12
military press: 3x10
barbell curls: 3x10-12
barbell rows: 3x10

morning weights went good. mouth hurt really bad when i woke up, took an ibuprofen and antibiotic. hopefully i can run this afternoon.

PM:

5.32 miles in 39:34. 7:26 average. 5 miles was easy, then 6x100m strides. footing was really bad on this run. lungs felt like someone tore them out! I haven't run in 3 days so i guess thats why! Felt good to start again. legs had a lot of bounce during the strides. this week maybe tomorrow or Thursday ill do a fartlek or tempo, then Saturday hopefully get a good hill workout in and Sunday a solid long run... 11 or 12 if i feel good.

[Runner99]

Hey man, I was all-state distance in high school and all-region in college (div2). I wasn't spectaular but I've run a 4:21 mile, 14:50 for 5k and 52:08 for 10 miles. Your workout plan looks pretty good, but I def think you should stick with compound lifts instead of so many isolation ones.

3x8 of-
Pullups
Bent over bb rows
Bb bench press
bb squat
deadlifts

Concentrate on form; keep the core tight. Get in the gym, do work, and get out. Lifting is just there to supplement, help your form, and let you lessen the risk of injury when running. you're going to reach your goals through your trackwork, hill repeats, and long runs. Stay motivated and best of luck!

[whatevergirl]

I thought I read this right. Wow...you are such a fast runner! I'll be following your progress. My goal is to get to an 8 min mile...I'm hovering around 8:30/8:52. I applaud you for what you're able to do...

Awesome!

Plus, you have lots of good info in here...I will learn while following.

Good luck with your goals.

[xcislife]

Hey man, I was all-state distance in high school and all-region in college (div2). I wasn't spectaular but I've run a 4:21 mile, 14:50 for 5k and 52:08 for 10 miles. Your workout plan looks pretty good, but I def think you should stick with compound lifts instead of so many isolation ones.

3x8 of-
Pullups
Bent over bb rows
Bb bench press
bb squat
deadlifts

Concentrate on form; keep the core tight. Get in the gym, do work, and get out. Lifting is just there to supplement, help your form, and let you lessen the risk of injury when running. you're going to reach your goals through your trackwork, hill repeats, and long runs. Stay motivated and best of luck!

Thanks for the luck! i do all those lifts, but i want to build my overall strength because if i choose to go to a regular college instead of community college first i will probably have to move to the triathlon to compete. and even after college ill move there anyways. so my goal is to get all the strength in before i make that transition. the goal is to run fast in high-school but be ready to move to another event once i get out.

[xcislife]

B:bagel with butter, water, coffee

S: turkey sandwich, chewy bar, Pudding cup

L: PB+J, cookies, Jello

S: Milk(hurts mouth...?), pasta

D: 2 turkey burgers on buns w/ cheese, milk, salad

S: Klondike

SUPPS: 4 ibuprofen, 3 antibiotic, multi, 2 glucosamine

AM:

Nothing, woke up with horrible mouth pain.

PM:

3.5 @ 7:30 pace, 2 striders. mouth was throbbing during the run, probably no run tomorrow because im going to the dentist, if i do run it will be short. hopefully my mouth wont hurt in the morning and i can still do my legs day.

[xcislife]

B: bagel, butter, coffee

S: pudding cup, jello cup, half a sandwich

L:sandwich, cookies, chewy granola bar

S: chewy bar, almonds, 3 cheese sticks

D: swordfish, bread, homemade fries, salad

S: cheese stick, klondike

SUPPS FOR DAY: 4 ibuprofen, 3 antibiotic

AM:

DAY 3: legs/abs

3x10 squats
3x50 calf raises
3x10 leg extensions
3x50 crunches
3x15 each side oblique crunches

solid workout, mouth a little sore this morning. no PM workout today... gotta see the dentist.

[xcislife]

B: bagel w/ butter, coffee

S: 2 cheese sticks, chewy bar, PB+J

L: turkey sandwich, cookies

S: chewy bar, assorted leftovers, 2 cheese sticks.

D: steak, chicken, bread, rice, milk

S: klondike, chewy bar, almonds

SUPPS FOR DAY: 1000mg ibuprofen throughout day, multi, 2 glucosamine, 1 antibiotic.

FEELINGS: finally mouth feels like its getting better!

PM: .5 up, 2.5 tempo, 1 mile easy. solid run. didn't wear a watch, and the tempo was super hilly. felt good though.. gotta focus and start getting more miles in. gotta get back to 60+/week soon to get ready for track.

[xcislife]

9 miles/ day for next 3 days to get 40 for the week! its on!!!

[Poppy83]

I don't have a lot of advice (about to go to sleep. I'm an old man), but I used to run a lot in high school and had some similar goals. Running was always one of those things where at the beginning of each race, I was wondering why I decided to do such a stupid thing. It's VERY rewarding when you finish and reach goals.

My best mile was 4:54. Once I broke the 5 minute mark, every second was tough to come by. What seemed to get my mile time down the best was doing interval training twice a week.

Best of luck to you!

[xcislife]

I don't have a lot of advice (about to go to sleep. I'm an old man), but I used to run a lot in high school and had some similar goals. Running was always one of those things where at the beginning of each race, I was wondering why I decided to do such a stupid thing. It's VERY rewarding when you finish and reach goals.

My best mile was 4:54. Once I broke the 5 minute mark, every second was tough to come by. What seemed to get my mile time down the best was doing interval training twice a week.

Best of luck to you!

thanks for the advice! i know those seconds are hard, but im sure i could be far sub 5 already if i could keep from getting injured, so far whenever i get down to 5:10 or so i get an injury that keeps me out for a few weeks..

i go to bed early too! in bet by 9:00 on week nights if i dont have alot of homework! gotta get the body recovered!

[xcislife]

B: bagel w/ butter, coffee

S:chewy bar, turkey sandwich, 2 cheese sticks

L:PB+J, chewy bar, cookies

S:2 cheese sticks, chocolate milk

D: 2 tamales, some beans, chips and salsa, rice, lots of water

S: NADA

SUPPS FOR DAY: multi, 2 glucosamine



AM:
3x10 bent over DB rows
3x10, 1x15 pullups
3x15 pushups
3x10 dead lift
really good workout this AM, short and sweet. got what needed to be done done.

PM:7 miles easy, kept it really slow to recover, calf hurt so i cut it 2 miles short.. average around 7:45-8:00 today.

[xcislife]

B: bagel with butter, coffee

S:

L: turkey sandwich, rice, iced tea, coffee

S:2 cheese sticks, chewy bar

D:steak, potato, peppers, milk

S:klondike

SUPPS:multi, 2 glucosamine

AM: 11 miles easy longrun at 7:50 pace, legs had no bounce in them, and i was very tired and hungry at the end.

PM:watched some football!

[xcislife]

B:bagle w/ butter, VANILLA coffee

S:

L:chicken sandwich from panera, chips, water

S: chewy bar, 2 cheese sticks, green tea

D:chicken, bread, fruit, olive oil & red vinegar with the bread.

S:bran muffin

SUPPS:multi, 2 clucosamine

WORKOUT:3.25, ankle hurt, so it looks like i wont get my 40 this week. but gotta recover for next week!

[DLB13]

I know you run for distance but you run track umm this is gonna be my first year running track and i wanna run the 100 meters and 110 meter hurdles how would train for them?

[xcislife]

I know you run for distance but you run track umm this is gonna be my first year running track and i wanna run the 100 meters and 110 meter hurdles how would train for them?

i have no expierence but ive watched them train. your coach can probably give you better training than i could but you will be doing alot of 100-300m sprints with very little rest in between. and you will probably hit the weight room 2-3 times a week. thats all i really know that they do.. its basically the same training as 100-400m runners for preseason then some technical work with hurdles once you get close to racing.

[xcislife]

B: 3 egg omlette w/ artickoke hearts, tomatoes, onions and feta cheese, 2 slices of toast w/ butter/jam, country potatoes, coffee

S: chocolate chip muffin

L: turkey sandwich, chocolate milk

S: apple, iced tea

D: chicken/bean/cheese/salsa burritos

S: half bran muffin

AM: random core and strength while sitting on the deck tanning.

PM: 7 miles easy, flat, with 8x100m strides.
Weights after:
barbell skull crusher, 3x10 reps
barbell bench, 1x10, 1x15, 1x20 reps
dumbbell incline bench, 1x8, 1x10, 1x12
military press: 3x10
dumbbell curls: 1x10, 2x12
barbell rows: 3x10

[Runner99]

i have no expierence but ive watched them train. your coach can probably give you better training than i could but you will be doing alot of 100-300m sprints with very little rest in between. and you will probably hit the weight room 2-3 times a week. thats all i really know that they do.. its basically the same training as 100-400m runners for preseason then some technical work with hurdles once you get close to racing.

Not trying to sounds like a jerk but there are numerous errors in your post. While I was not a 100m runner (the shortest I ran was the 800m), I was teammates with several high caliber 100m athletes and picked up some training tips.
Trackwork: This poster advised 100-300m sprints with little recovery. This is a 600-800meter workout. 100m runners should take fully recovery (~5 minutes) between sprints. In addition, workouts often consisted of 50, 60, 70, 80,90 meter sprint pyramids. Also 150s, 175s, and 200s to build strength. Once again, FULL recovery between sets

Hillwork: 25-75 steep hills. BLAST full out up, walk down, RECOVER, and then repeat

Weightroom: squats, deadlifts, powercleans, bench, pullups, and corework are key. Like the previous poster said 2-3 fullbody workouts/week should be good

Technical Work: STARTS and hurdle form are huge. Block starts should be comfortable, and second nature. You want to get to the point when you're just in the F***ing zone when the starter tells you to get ready. No anxiety. This comes from practicing regularly. As for hurdles, if you cant work on them specifically in the offseason work on your FLEXIBILITY. Dyanmic and static stretches both. You want to be fluid when you glide over those in a race and flexibility is a tremendous part of that.

Good luck my Friend, I look forward to hearing about your successes!

[xcislife]

well, probably alot of different ways to train then. cus that is what out sprinters do and they are really good.

and like i said, i have no expierece.

[xcislife]

B: choco chip muffin, coffee

S: chewy bar, apple, pb+j

L: banana, chewy bar, cheese stick, brownie

S: brownie, beans, strawberry yogurt (lol at the combo)

D: pizza. salad, milk

S: Bran muffin

SUPPS: multi, 2 glucosamine

AM:stupid alarm didnt go off..

PM:7 miles easy, 4x100m strides. legs feeling really tired.

[xcislife]

B: coffee, choco chip muffin, iced green tea

S: chewy bar, 2 slices pizza, apple

L: banana, PB+J, chewy bar, brownie

S: blueberry yogurt, cookie

D: pasta w/ chicken, onion and asparagus, milk, bread w/ olive oil and red vinegar

S: 1 scoop PB

SUPPS: multi, 2 glucosamine

AM: LEGS/ABS

3x10 squats
3x50 calf raises
3x15 leg extensions
3x50 crunches
3x15 each side oblique crunches

then 5 mins jump rope for a little AM cardio, ill work into doing that for 15-20 mins eventually. good way to get HR up.

PM: 7 hilly, 4x100m strides. good run, feeling stronger..

[xcislife]

B: choco chip muffin, coffee

S: chewy bar, apple, pasta

L: PB+J, banana, brownie, chewy bar

S: 3 cookies and milk

D: turkey burger, hot dog, home made fires, milk

S: almonds

SUPPS: multi, 2 glucosamine

AM: .5 up, 2 miles @ 6:00/mile (10mph), .5 down. solid morning treadmill run. lots of stretching after.

PM: 5 miles easy on hills + 5 minutes of core. really good run, but sore.