Getting in shape for next spring

Go my successful The Dancan system way where you parallell both build base and sharpen up....every week one maxVO2 interval and 1-2 threshold intervals. Good luck! Magic Wizard 🇸🇪🧙🏼‍♂️🇸🇪

If your system is successful, why has your athlete Sammy Nyokaye failed to run one single PB in 7 years?

The impressive thing that people see is its design

Mixing in some strides a couple of times a week can help keep your speed sharp without adding too much extra strain. And don’t forget about strength training, a few sessions focused on core and leg stability can really help prevent injuries down the line

Not interested in XC/indoor track? Those times should be good enough to walk on to most D3 schools. If you don't have to make a big jump to walk on, I would just focus on running mileage/staying healthy. You have it mostly right. I wouldn't risk injury and do a ton of VO2 max stuff nowhere near when you want to race. But I agree training could get stale. Maybe find a road race at a new (longer) distance to hop into in the fall. Hop in a couple of indoor meets unattached. See what you can run off of limited speed work. Don't be afraid to take a down week every so often too or just a week here & there with 1 workout. I agree that strides are a good way to touch on some speed. It's normal to see long base builds include 150s-300s every now & then to touch on that system. Keep the rest short-ish & just use stuff like that for some turnover.

if you're already doing the insane mileage in the manner of serious training, why aren't you just doing XC -- even if just the practices, perhaps also the meets -- like a normal person? side point but college TF expands into steeple, 5k, 10k. i say this because XC more directly translates as a distance than HS where it's 50% longer than anything track.

and if you do XC you'll be busy until november and that's more or less TF depending. and almost everyone 1500-up i knew in D3 was also running XC.

why are you asking us? you're about to be a college athlete. when i was in your shoes decades ago, i was handed a summer training program even for soccer.

along those lines, even runners that skip XC and schools that soft pedal indoor or only start in the spring often go ahead and start practicing in the late fall. ie november.

you sound like you (a) should consider XC and (b) ought to get in touch with the coach(es) about both your summer/fall plans and the basic calendar. we will start training for the spring in x. you then don't need your own plans before x. i want you doing y getting ready. depending when you're getting ready for.

as a 2 sport D3 guy, i don't know what "walk on" means for D3. no one is scholarship which is what walk on is usually juxtaposed with -- ie, no scholarship. now, depending on the school, they may have tryouts or competition to be entered in meets. but other schools may take everyone, no cuts. depending which one you're at, that would affect whether your plan makes any sense. if there is no "cut" then i am not in the walkon's conundrum of feeling the need to show up peak speed and fitness just to survive a cut so i can get any meets the rest of the year -- even if that means i've peaked too early. if you don't need to worry about making the team, then you should really be preparing for the season and its demands as opposed to preparing for roster battles day 1.

that leads me to point 2. have you actually talked to the coach? i say this because someone who's spoken to the coach usually has a specific training plan, has had the XC conversation, and at minimum "knows the score" on how their track team operates. i knew only so much about college soccer and TF but i knew the soccer team had a cut, that i was expected to make it and compete for a starting job, etc. i was sent a training plan for the summer, a game schedule for the fall, some tactical x and o stuff.

i say this because someone talking about walking on and like there is 9 months of nothing until then, asking the internet for plans.......doesn't sound like they went through recruitment, brought themselves to the coach's attention, got on the "mailing list," spent a couple hours on the phone with coach, etc. if you are in fact admitted to the D3, and signing up for classes and dorms and such, and in some vague way thinking about getting ready.........but haven't talked to the coach.......that's odd. they will be excited to have another solid runner around. they will be eager to pass on plans. they will probably suggest XC which will cover 95% of what you're fussing about, and if not, they will have a plan to bridge you to the spring.

re "unattached," if you are on a team why would you run unattached? not sure if they are supposed to but i'll see folks these days signing up for meets in their home state, before their school starts the official schedule or on spring break, attached to their school and presumably running in the uniform. why would i run a meet during college that can't count for conference or NCAA?

ditch all this odd fantasy stuff. you are going to college x. unless college x is elite D3 they likely have no cut or one you'd make. the only people i ever saw running unattached despite having a team were XC guys whose school had no official TF team. conversely my alma mater had a kid last year run a hometown meet before the posted schedule started, and another run a meet uring spring break. both were oh-fficial, show up on the team TFRRS.