View Full Version : Decreasing mile time for next years tryouts
strazzero016
03-23-2006, 07:03 PM
Any suggestions about ways to decrease a mile time for next season. At tryouts on Tuesday i ran it in 8 flat, however girls that made varsity run the mile in about 530-630. :thumbsup:
ljlax
03-23-2006, 07:17 PM
Condition a LOT before tryouts.
If your only goal is a faster mile time and not the sprints etc.
Go on a 1-5 mile run daily for a few months before tryouts..change it up do hills and interval workouts..
talk to a track coach and find out what kinds of workouts he has his milers do.
And that time has what to do with lax?
ljlax
03-23-2006, 10:20 PM
And that time has what to do with lax?
Yeah....sort of what I was thinking..
Sprints and a short recover time on those is way more important I think.
celtlax
03-24-2006, 12:15 PM
normally timed mile in tryouts is used to weed out players...we had to do 1.5 miles in 11:30....but those that didn't make it on the first day had the whole week to make that time....but we also had timed 1/4 mile sprints as well...much tougher...as for the original question you have to run daily especially in the off season...luckily i play field hockey as well and that helps me stay in shape from late summer thru the end of october until fall lax.....if u don't play a fall sport in school u may consider joining the track team, they will get u in shape....
mclax12
03-24-2006, 12:21 PM
I run started running 5 days a week about two months before tryouts. Timed mile 3 days and 1.5 mile and 2 mile runs once a week. It greatly reduced my mile time so you could try that.
strazzero016
03-24-2006, 04:26 PM
And that time has what to do with lax?
They make you run it to seee if you have endurance at a fast pace..the faster players usually make varsity.
As a coach I could care less if a player can run a 5 min. mile. A good sprinter most of the time will not be a fast distance runner and a fast distance runner will not be a fast sprinter. I pick my players based on how they play the game. If I need to cut and skills and attitude are the same I will take the faster sprinter. If they want to see who can run up and down the field then do sprints and timed recovery. Running a mile really is not what is about . In lax you sprint walk stand jog but you never just run up and down the field as you would to run a mile. Coaches that use a mile to weed out players miss out on quick players or fast players. As for playing a fall sport that will not help you in the spring unless you maintain it during the winter.
celtlax
03-24-2006, 06:15 PM
Coaches that use a mile to weed out players miss out on quick players or fast players. As for playing a fall sport that will not help you in the spring unless you maintain it during the winter.
i think the intent is to look for players that stayed or attempted to get in shape for the season....i don't know of any team that doesn't have at least some sort of minimum requirement to be an athlete, plus in my case the required time wasn't an unacceptable goal....also, i believe playing a fall sport is better than doing nothing...yes i still trained during winter, but it wasn't an uphill climb.....and with fall ball from november-december and winter lax december-february it was an easy transition...
Once agian that has nothing to do with lax. If you want to see playersey are in shape run a beep test, have them run 10x50 yrds in a set time but make it sport related. This sport is not about running a mile it is about sprinting, jogging, walking, standing, then doing it all over again. What the body needs to do inorder to run a mile is not the same as it needs to do what is needed for lax. You are right about some programs having minimum requirement and most use more than just running a mile in a certain time. To use that as the only thing is just wrong. Any college requirements I have seen involve more that just a mile run. There are people out there that might not be able to run a sub 6 min mile but they could sprint all day long. They can do this because the demands on the body are totally different for each task.
celtlax
03-25-2006, 07:13 AM
you are right it doesn't have anything to do with lax....it's just a metric for that person's level of athleticism.....and i would argue that a player that runs a 14 minute mile isn't a fast sprinter...indicating a lack of endurance...don't get me wrong i do see where you are coming from and i do think that a coaches do make exceptions at their discretion.....while a 5 - 6 minute timed mile is an outrageous expectation from lacrosse players but a 8 - 10 minute mile isn't.....
CTLaxer
03-25-2006, 10:18 AM
you are right it doesn't have anything to do with lax....it's just a metric for that person's level of athleticism.....and i would argue that a player that runs a 14 minute mile isn't a fast sprinter...indicating a lack of endurance...don't get me wrong i do see where you are coming from and i do think that a coaches do make exceptions at their discretion.....while a 5 - 6 minute timed mile is an outrageous expectation from lacrosse players but a 8 - 10 minute mile isn't.....
I disagree...playing hockey and lacrosse has shown me that sprinting and endurance are not always related. In hockey, shifts are 30 seconds to a minute long. During that time period you go all out, 110% and then come rest on the bench for a couple minutes and do it all again. My mile times weren't that good in high school, never really broke under 7. But as a middie, I was able to sprint up and down the field a few times, full speed, faster than most of my teammates, for about a minute or so and then I'd come off and recharge and go again.
ljlax
03-25-2006, 10:27 AM
I disagree...playing hockey and lacrosse has shown me that sprinting and endurance are not always related. In hockey, shifts are 30 seconds to a minute long. During that time period you go all out, 110% and then come rest on the bench for a couple minutes and do it all again. My mile times weren't that good in high school, never really broke under 7. But as a middie, I was able to sprint up and down the field a few times, full speed, faster than most of my teammates, for about a minute or so and then I'd come off and recharge and go again.
I'm going to have to agreee..
The mile is a good indicator on whether or not you are in shape, because you should be able to run a decent mile.. especially at tryouts.
I just don't get why that would be a big factor in a coach deciding who's varsity material compared to JV..
For example, there was this girl at try outs that was supperr fast...or she was in a group with all of the freshman/JV anyway she was like 1/4 lap ahead of everyone else...but that didn't get her any looks from my coaches to be brought up to varsity..because...wait! she didn't have ANY stick skills..
celtlax
03-25-2006, 12:52 PM
ct, while I agree with those points....lacrosse field is much bigger than a hockey rink, someone who is is fast but out of shape may suffer in the long run....a reasonable timed mile requires a bit of endurance and speed, again it's a nice indicator of that person's athleticism.....obviously stick skills is also a must, so i'm not denying that...lj...tho' a junior who was decent with her stick, but ran a 14:30 minute mile did get cut this year..again it's really up to the coach...
ljlax
03-25-2006, 02:05 PM
I can walk faster than a 14:30
I'm just say a decent mile and good speed in sprints and good stick skills...a mile shouldn't be a huge deciding factor
jaxlax5
03-25-2006, 02:27 PM
my lacrosse team had to to the guantlet this year.
celtlax
03-25-2006, 02:29 PM
I can walk faster than a 14:30LOL!
exactly....when u have 60 girls trying out for 48 positions (V ans JV) u have to have some sort of minimum requirement...
ljlax
03-25-2006, 02:31 PM
LOL!
exactly....when u have 60 girls trying out for 48 positions (V ans JV) u have to have some sort of minimum requirement...
having a minimum is different than NEEDING a 5 or 6 minute mile
lol
celtlax
03-25-2006, 02:31 PM
my lacrosse team had to to the guantlet this year.
what's the gauntlet...it's sounds dangerous...like u get pummeled by sticks as u run thru a line of players...
ljlax
03-25-2006, 02:46 PM
what's the gauntlet...it's sounds dangerous...like u get pummeled by sticks as u run thru a line of players...
Maybe it's like the show?
and if you lose whatever the competition is...you get cut?
hmm detailss?
jaxlax5
03-25-2006, 02:58 PM
lol a guantlet is when you have to run the mile then you rest for 30 - 1 min then run the half mile then rest again for 30 - 1 min then run a quarter mile. and you have to get them all in certain times
celtlax
03-25-2006, 03:43 PM
Maybe it's like the show?
and if you lose whatever the competition is...you get cut?
hmm detailss?
lol, i know i love that show on mtv...i was thinking the same...
celtlax
03-25-2006, 03:46 PM
lol a guantlet is when you have to run the mile then you rest for 30 - 1 min then run the half mile then rest again for 30 - 1 min then run a quarter mile. and you have to get them all in certain times
lol...u know we had to do that as well, but our coach called it "the interval"...i like the gauntlet better...it sounds tougher...
Another problem with using the mile as a major part of making a team is that players will work in preseaon to get this time down. Now what happens is they have developled the muscles to handle this type of running then when practice starts they now have to start fast, cut, stop, cut again and the body is not used to this. What can and does happen is they develope muscle pulls.
Lax101
03-25-2006, 05:00 PM
Mmm...now can anyone justify my varsity squad requiring a 32 minute 4 mile (as in, if you cannot get under 4 miles in 32 minutes, you are not allowed to be on varsity at all). Oh, and this is boys lacrosse.
jaxlax5
03-25-2006, 06:23 PM
yeah it does sound pretty tough lol
oh and if you dont make it in any of the times you have to do it again the next day and keep doing it untill you get it.
RedMafia318i
03-25-2006, 07:51 PM
Alright well I am not a girl however I have a friend going into the Navy Seals and he gave me his running schedule in which he has to do for pre training. I started off Running a mile in about 8 minutes as you said you did. However on Week 4 of this training, after the week of because of the High Risk of Stress Fractures, my first two times for my independent miles were 545 and 530. The work out amazing, and relativley reasonable and is used to train the best fit people of our country. So here it is, test it out.
WEEKS #1, 2: 2 miles/day, 8:30 pace, M/W/F (6 miles/ week)
WEEK #3: No running. High risk of stress fractures
WEEK #4: 3 miles/day, M/W/F (9 miles/wk)
WEEKS #5, 6: 2/3/4/2 miles, M/Tu/Th/F (11 miles/wk)
WEEKS #7,8: 4/4/5/3 miles, M/Tu/Th/F (16 miles/ wk)
WEEK #9: same as #7,8 (16 miles/ wk)
I am now on week 5 and can do a 5 30 mile consistently.
lilaxgurl23
03-25-2006, 08:07 PM
It's plain and simple. If you want a faster mile time, run it more. IMO it's kind of ridiculous to say you can't be on the team if you don't make that time, I don't think even our soccer girls beat the 7 minute mark by much. Either way, train for your mile time, but also keep in mind that your mile time is pretty much useless in lacrosse. Sure, you "run" the whole game, but really what you do is you have short bursts of sprinting, some running, jogging around, cuts and a whole lot of other things, it's not just running at a constant pace for 5,280 feet.
It's really hard for me to believe that running a mile in a certain time is all your varsity coach cares about. You might not have the best mile time, but if you're a great ball handler and therefore are an asset to your team's offense and transition, I highly doubt your coach would say "Nope, sorry, find a seat on the bench. You're not going help our team win because you didn't run your mile fast enough". If you don't have a fast mile, even after training in the off-season for it, make up for it. There are a whole bunch of other places that can and will make you a valuable player to the team. Run your mile or so everyday, but also run some hills, hit the wall for longer periods of time, study how to play the game, go to camps, and don't just be a player who can run the mile well. No one wants that. Certain girls are on varsity because they have not only the mile, but more so because of other attributes that allow them to be better players. Some can run for a long time, some can sprint real fast, but they all probably share the same abilities when it comes to stick work and knowledge of the game.
So instead of focusing on the mile you have to run next year, use this year and upcoming season to improve all of your skills. Pay attention and learn what your coach is teaching you, give your all at practice everyday and improve your stick skills. Endurance will come, but if you don't excel in other places, no one's going to care anyways.
Laxordie24
03-26-2006, 08:06 AM
lol a guantlet is when you have to run the mile then you rest for 30 - 1 min then run the half mile then rest again for 30 - 1 min then run a quarter mile. and you have to get them all in certain times
We had to do that for cross country except it was 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile at almost a race pace.
For the thread, everyone brings up really good points about distance, but I agree with a minimum for a mile. From what I've seen, a girl isn't going to have the endurance to play a majority of a game sprinting if she can't run a decent timed mile, say under 10 minutes. Sprinting and endurance both use different muscles and different breathing techniques, but when it comes down to endurance, a runner that can run a decent mile will have a quicker recovery time. At least this is my opinion after watching all different kinds of girls compete with me in lacrosse, cross country, and track. I have yet to see a girl that runs a 13 minute mile be able to keep up with, for example, the sprints we do on Varsity.