I hate running alone

[Nexus]

Like it says, I hate running alone. My coach wants me to break six minutes by the time the season comes around if I want to be first singles for my team. I'm not the fastest because he also has a cross country guy on the team, and he can outrun me no problem. Anyway, my best mile was 6:30 when I was running consistently. Two weeks ago, it was 6:42 without having trained at all since the summer time (July). I play tennis almost on a daily basis, so that keeps me in shape.
My friends won't run with me, and I can't keep up with the cross country guy. Anyway, I like running on the track by myself, but running around my neighborhood isn't something I like doing for various reasons. I have until February to reach this goal. I know I should do intervals and have a good idea of the pace to break six, but I can't access my school's track on the weekends and such. I think I'm going to start training sonsistently tomorrow. Any advice, thoughts, anything? my goal is 5:59

 

[krprunitennis2]

I've never tried finishing a mile under 6 minutes (I may do 7), but while I'm trying, I do calf raises on my spare time. There's also this club that I'm in where we run 5 miles every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We also run around 8-13 miles on some Saturdays. With this, I've improved my mile time from 13 minutes to 10:50 (these are based on half marathons so I haven't really tried out my one mile sprint). Maybe you should do that?

 

[The Gorilla]

I've never tried finishing a mile under 6 minutes (I may do 7), but while I'm trying, I do calf raises on my spare time. There's also this club that I'm in where we run 5 miles every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We also run around 8-13 miles on some Saturdays. With this, I've improved my mile time from 13 minutes to 10:50 (these are based on half marathons so I haven't really tried out my one mile sprint). Maybe you should do that?

I'm not being an ass-le or anything but 10min is pretty poor unless you're 10< or >60,you need to up the pace man,unless you're in either of those 2 caregories.

 

[westy]

he did say that that time was a mile within a half marathon. so each mile he does in a half marathon he does in 10 minutes. he did say he hasnt times his 1 mile sprint.

to the OP when i run, i find company in my ipod

 

[The Gorilla]

he did say that that time was a mile within a half marathon. so each mile he does in a half marathon he does in 10 minutes. he did say he hasnt times his 1 mile sprint.

to the OP when i run, i find company in my ipod

sry,I should have read it more carefully.

 

[Kabob190]

my best mile time ever was 7:33 and i am damn proud of it, or at least i was until i read this

 

[Klippy]

okay, if you hate running alone, and no one will run with you, try running with an MP3 player/ i pod or other music device. Its great, you wont feel lonely. I know I don't. It really feels like I'm running with my friends, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Also, heavy metal is great if you're working out/running- it really gets you pumping. So listening to Metallica or System of a Down is a great way to get you going!

 

[Klippy]

PS: Just wondering, how long is a mile! No body uses the Imperial system in AUS anymore! Its long gone.

 

[raiden031]

I would say to run on a treadmill. That way you have no choice but to run at the pace you set it at. I was able to get down to 5:45 recently on a treadmill from my best being like 6:18 on a track like 10 years ago. Maybe start at 6:45 and go a little lower each session. You will probably have 6 minutes in no time.

So your coach is going to put the fastest player in the #1 spot rather than the best tennis player? Thats idiotic. Doesn't high school only play 2 sets (plus tiebreaker) anyways, so it doesn't even take that much endurance. You'd probably be better off doing agility drills to improve your quickness.

 

[Paul1993]

PS: Just wondering, how long is a mile! No body uses the Imperial system in AUS anymore! Its long gone.

1mile = aprox 1.6km I think.

 

[looseswing]

I agree with those that say run on a treadmill with ipod or tv going, or join your track team and run with them.

 

[Paul1993]

Like it says, I hate running alone. My coach wants me to break six minutes by the time the season comes around if I want to be first singles for my team. I'm not the fastest because he also has a cross country guy on the team, and he can outrun me no problem. Anyway, my best mile was 6:30 when I was running consistently. Two weeks ago, it was 6:42 without having trained at all since the summer time (July). I play tennis almost on a daily basis, so that keeps me in shape.
My friends won't run with me, and I can't keep up with the cross country guy. Anyway, I like running on the track by myself, but running around my neighborhood isn't something I like doing for various reasons. I have until February to reach this goal. I know I should do intervals and have a good idea of the pace to break six, but I can't access my school's track on the weekends and such. I think I'm going to start training sonsistently tomorrow. Any advice, thoughts, anything? my goal is 5:59

Using a treadmill...
Walking Pace - 5 minutes
Jogging pace - 5 minutes
75% Pace - 5 minutes
Sprint Pace - 1 minutes
Then go back to a walking pace and repeat. Repeating with a higher pace each time is good for improving your cardio fitness.

Then when you find a fast enough pace that you can work at consistently see how long it takes for you to run a mile. Or you could try getting your coach to run with you.

My best time would be around 6:00minutes but anyway good luck.

 

[Duzza]

1 mile is 1.6 kilometres.

 

[fuzz nation]

To my recollection, two kilometers is nearly equal to 1.1 miles.

I'm with my evil twin, raiden, as far as your coach's thinking goes. I can understand if he wants you to improve your fitness, but if he's going to keep you off the #1 spot because you can't run the time, but you are the better player, it may be time for "coach" to consider working with the track team.

This may be a compelling sort of carrot for your coach to make you train harder this winter and I can understand the tactic--sort of--but if I were overseeing your training, I'd clock you intermittently and look for steady improvement. It may be against your league's rules for him to work directly with you guys in any capacity until the spring, though. That was the case for me when I coached and I could really only float recommendations for training in the winter.

To up your running efficiency for that mile, I'd suggest doing hard 1/4 and 1/2 mile timed runs with limited recovery time in between (you can time yourself). Running long hills is also helpful and do a good chunk of jogging to warm-up and warm-down. Stretching is your friend!

 

[Cindysphinx]

I concur on running with music. Just keep the volume down so you can hear traffic, and stay on low-traffic streets.

And wear a reflective vest if you go out at night. You know how mama worries!

 

[West Coast Ace]

My coach wants me to break six minutes by the time the season comes around if I want to be first singles for my team.

I feel sorry for you - your school needs a new coach. I wonder if he's ever heard of explosiveness - the ability to go hard for ~30 seconds, rest, then do it again. Stamina is big - but nowhere in your post do you mention losing matches because you ran out of gas in the last set. And any coachthat would pick a team based on running times and not elimination matches - sad.

I have a Nordic Track cross country ski machine - better for the knees since it's non-impact. I wheel it in front of the TV and watch whatever's on or 30 minutes of my favorite DVD.

 

[StealthGnome]

Erm.. time for my own calculations.
20min jog = 2.5miles
5miles marathon = 55mins
Can anyone compare my data to themselves and also their mile data?
I've never ran a "mile" and remembered my time.

 

[joeyscl]

So your coach would "naturally" pick the Olympic Sprinter/Runner over Roger Federer? He must be stupid

 

[equinox]

Basically 4x400 metres. I timed this old guy 55+ running laps and he did 1.55min/lap. That's about my easy lazy jogging rate.

I've done sub 1.15 though i normally run slower at 1.30 average over 10 laps.

You shouldn't have much trouble running 6minutes for 1.6km. Only few laps mate...

 

[stormholloway]

Sprints are better for tennis players anyway.

 

[cys19]

I've never tried finishing a mile under 6 minutes (I may do 7), but while I'm trying, I do calf raises on my spare time. There's also this club that I'm in where we run 5 miles every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We also run around 8-13 miles on some Saturdays. With this, I've improved my mile time from 13 minutes to 10:50 (these are based on half marathons so I haven't really tried out my one mile sprint). Maybe you should do that?

I could run a mile in <8 minutes in 4th grade. But I couldn't run more than that though.

 

[goober]

Long distance running is old school for tennis training. You should be doing wind sprints and mobility drills. You need explosiveness and the ability to many short sprints over and over. A little long distance training is good say 2 times a week but seriously your tennis coach needs to get updated on phyiscal training for tennis. Running a mile in under 6 minutes has nothing to do with tennis achievement.

 

[gsquicksilver]

you should do runs around 3-4 times a week, and also focus on strength training. like some of the other people said, your coach might be on crack or something. what if you beat everyone on the team but your mile time is still above 6 minutes? you still won't be #1? that is bs.

focus on explosiveness training, like doing sprints to work on your fast twitch muscles. do interval trainings, like run regular pace, then sprint, regular pace, sprint...

i'm 6 foot, and my workout routine is this:
M, W, F = Run 8 miles in the morning. Evening weights, stretching.
Tu, Th = Sand Dune climbing. Evening tennis.

My mile time is around 9 to 9.5 minutes, but that is during a duration of a marathon, which I have ran before. Though I may not be the fastest runner, I can blow my opponents off the court with my strength due to weight training and also last as long on the courts just as well as anybody with all the other cross training I do.

 

[chess9]

"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!"

--Rudyard Kipling

http://www.swarthmore.edu/~apreset1/docs/if.html

-Robert

 

[tennis91]

I say you suck it up and run. No offense but dont join a sport like wrestling you wouldnt have the commitment or toughness for it.

 

[Sagittar]

try an mp3 player , works miracles

 

[300Gkid]

yea, an ipod or Mp3 player would work fairly well
Also, dont u have about a month till tennis starts (thats when ours does)
so to get that 6:00 mile you could base your program around this
per week
2 distance runs (run these at about 3/4 of your mile pace, for you around 7:30) (these should be around 5 miles each)
2 "workouts"
You can look these up online however something like this would do
triangle- On the Track a 200,400,800,400,200. You should be running all of these a little faster than the time you are trying to acheive. So try to be running 42,43 second 200's, 85-87 second 400's, and arond 2:55 (min:sec) for your 800's. This is just an example and you can mix it up as you wish, also you may want to start off a little slower than the times i listed those would be a little under a 6:00
1- "Race Day" Time yourself doing the mile
Others, PLAY TENNIS

Note: This is just to achieve a 6:00 mile it will most likely not help your tennis game very much, i have done this all through winter track and XC (although i was injured for about a month) and went from a 7:00 mile last spring to a 5:20 PR indoors

 

[energy-101]

I helped my brother train last year for cross country. I was a sprinter in HS so I taught him what I learned during track practice as far as speed techniques and he increased his time enough to hold the school record for Juniors running his best mile 4:38. So my suggestion is work on speed training three times a week and then distance two to three times a week. You need not only faster foot work but you need to learn to make your legs stretch farther with each step. If you want to know more specifics about actual speed training techniques just email me and I will send you a few good ones!!! Good Luck!