I am fairly new to the sport of running: this spring was my first season of high school track. I just have some questions that I hope some more experienced runners can (possibly) answer.
I am a fairly dedicated runner, in fact, a bit too dedicated at times. Early in the season I did every speed (interval, repetition, whatever one calls them) at nearly my full potential, in addition to a 4 day a week strength training. I also did not heed the advice of the importance of "recovery" runs, and I probably did those too hard as well. Thus, by the end of the season, my race times deteriorated and two weeks after the season, my legs are still sore on a regular basis. Since the season has ended, I have stuck to the elliptical trainer in hopes that with 30-40 minutes almost everyday will allow myself to heal without losing cardiovascular fitness. I was wondering how I should resume my running for the summer. I do not run cross-country in the fall: I play soccer. However, the first day of tryouts is a 12-minute time trial with the minimum being a whopping 7 laps (around 6:50 mile pace, but surprisingly, many kids can't do it!) My primary race is the 1600, where my PR is 5:23; my PR for the 3200 is 11:59 (but I've never run a 3200 without running a 1600 right before, so it's probably a bit better).
As overtraining and typical running advice goes, the summer is generally a time of base building with a lot of mileage and little speedwork. However, I have about 11 weeks before this mandatory run for soccer, and I am hoping to impress the coach with a better distance (8.5 laps in 12:00 perhaps?). How should I approach my training, given my circumstances, so that I can be at my best for this run?
Thanks a lot,
Msbaseball