My coach has me terrified I’m going to peak too early. He was looking over my Strava profile and told me I was doing to much out side of practice. He told me to stop or I’m going to peak to early in the season. Im a high a school girl and this is my senior year of XC. I’m just so anxious and I feel like I need to have high mileage weeks. I’ve worked myself up to 40 miles a week so far. I mean I feel fine, but I guess I will listen to him and take it down a notch.….Any thoughts?
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Depends on what mileage you've consistently built to before and how you're breaking it up during the week/after practice. 40mpw seems fine, but discuss it further with your coach and see why he thinks it's bad long term.
you want to peak mileage during summer. Massive difference between peaking mileage and peaking fitness. Peak mileage isn't going to be peak fitness. I'd say for whatever you do outside of practice just make it a private run so coach can't see. I'm only saying what I know from my coach, who well was an All American in HS and College in XC and Track and was a pro runner. And has coached some sub 4:10 runners. So I'd say feel yourself out, do what you feel confident in, because this is the ideal time to peak mileage. Especially because you taper mileage during the season. So good luck and have a great season!
My coach has me terrified I’m going to peak too early. He was looking over my Strava profile and told me I was doing to much out side of practice. He told me to stop or I’m going to peak to early in the season. Im a high a school girl and this is my senior year of XC. I’m just so anxious and I feel like I need to have high mileage weeks. I’ve worked myself up to 40 miles a week so far. I mean I feel fine, but I guess I will listen to him and take it down a notch.….Any thoughts?
The only reason you would peak early because of mileage is if dramatically drop in season. Ie if you are doing 40 miles a week all summer and drop down to 20-25 once the school year starts, you will "peak" too early. I take some issue with calling it peaking because you won't actually peak in the physical sense, but it will be your peak in season. If you dramatically drop mileage your fitness is going to regress and your times will slow. If you stay in the 30-40 range all season you will continue to improve and peak at the right time.
If you are doing like workouts and stuff, yeah your coach is probably right, but if you are just running 40 easy miles every week, I think it's fine.