Guidelines for Continued Pre Season Success

Hi Team.

I am so sorry that we won't be able to continue the progress we've made, in person.  However, each and every one of you can still continue to work to see gains in your running abilities.  I'd like to lay out a brief guideline for how to keep going.

Please watch this video that explains specifically how to do each one of the workouts listed below. 

Gold Group

• 1 workout per week of 5 minute segments with 1 minute recovery jogs.  You're all doing 3-4 x 5 now.  Work toward 5 x 5 minutes for a total of 25 minutes at 85% vVO2 max.  Finish with some strides, short sprints, or ramps (if the stadium is open).  don't run this workout too hard!  You should finish the last 5 minute segment tired but like you could keep going.
• 1 workout per week of 3 minute segments with 1 minute recovery at 90% vVO2 max.  You've all done 4-5 x 3 already.  You should all get comfortable with running 5 of them for a total of 15 minutes at 90% vVO2.  Finish with strides, or short sprints or 200s if the stadium is open.
• 1 long run per week.  Just cover the distance.  As you get stronger, the run should get faster.  No need to make the long run longer than 25% of weekly mileage. As you get very comfortable with the long run, you can add 4-8 x 20 second strides into the last 2-3 miles of the run.  
• Fill in the rest of the week with easy mileage.  Continue to keep your mileage high and even try to bump it up by 3-5 miles per week over the next 4 weeks.  

Black Group

• 1 workout per week of 30-40 minutes "easy tempo".  Some of you guys (cough, cough Owen) ran "hard tempo" today.  Easy tempo should be 75%-80% of vVO2 max depending on who you are. My guess is that 80% is a little to "hot" for almost all of you for this type of workout. 
• 1 workout per week of 3 minute segments with 1 minute recovery at 90% vVO2 max.  You've all done 4-5 x 3 already.  You should all get comfortable with running 5 of them for a total of 15 minutes at 90% vVO2.  Finish with strides, or short sprints or 200s if the stadium is open.
• 1 long run per week.  Just cover the distance.  As you get stronger, the run should get faster.  No need to make the long run longer than 25% of weekly mileage. As you get very comfortable with the long run, you can add a fast finish to the final 2-3 miles of your run OR add 4-8 x 20 second strides into the last 2-3 miles.  If you're doing the other two threshold workouts, then the strides are a better option.   
• Fill in the rest of the week with easy mileage.  Continue to keep your mileage high and even try to bump it up by 3-5 miles per week over the next 4 weeks.  

White Group

• Put yourselves into either black group or gold group, whichever seems to fit you better.  Continue to gradually increase your mileage. 

All Groups

• Once a month, go crazy, throw down, push yourself to the limit.  Sometimes you just gotta run really hard to see where your fitness is. If you feel like the paces on the pace charts are becoming too easy, run a 6 minute TT and get a new baseline distance. 

Use the pace charts by distance or the pace charts by minute to help you determine your training paces.  I know you may have a hard time getting onto our track....and running on the track is very helpful for monitoring your training pace.  Turlock Jr High has a crappy dirt track, but it's never locked....

I'm so sorry that we're in this position, but understand this.....the County Health Comissioner shut us down due to rising cases in the county NOT due to any kind of violations you guys did.