Good Job, Team!

 OK guys, Check the summer mileage page.

We're doing really well.  We've got 5 boys within striking distance of being in the 700 mile group!  I talk a lot about how in 2022, we had our whole varsity group hit 700.  OK, that was juast the varsity group.  After that, there wasn't much happening.  If I look now, I see a whole bunch of you on pace for 550-650.

On the girls side, 

Melanie and Lizeth are KILLING IT!. We're going to see some big improvements from them.  And, we're starting to get healthy with a number of other girls.  For the girls side, we may be a little behind where we want to be right now, but as long as we all start gelling as a group and getting the volume up little by little, we're going to be very good.  For the girls, it's important that we get those newer girls feeling like they're part of the team.  Call them up for an easy run, it can be your double for the day.  This is how we keep the ball rolling when a big chunk of seniors graduates this year.  

As far as mileage goes, Here's where you should be RN.

• 700 = 294 @ 6 weeks - If you're at 270, RN, you're in good shape.
• 500 = 210 @ 6 weeks - If you're at 190 RN, you're in good shape. 
• 300 = 126 @ 6 weeks - If you're at 115-120 RN, you're in good shape.

The next 5 weeks ideally should be your highest volume block of the season

It's not ideal, but when school starts, it's much harder to keep up your volume.  So, if you're aiming for 700, now is the time to start hitting 55-65 mile weeks and then you'll drop back to 45-50 once school starts.  If you're aiming for 500, now is the time to experiment with 40-45 mile weeks.  If you're aiming for 300, now is the time to try and get into the mid to high 20 range. 

Peak Mileage and Summer of Malmo

OK, Team.  We're 4 weeks into the summer and things are going WELL 

On the boys side, the majority of our BIG DOGS have ramped up their mileage close to their peaks for this training cycle.  On the girls side, we're working through some injuries and vacations, but things are starting to move in the right direction.  

Where do we go next? 

We go to peak mileage for the season (this applies to veterans only.  Newbies will continue to slowly build their volume for most of the rest of the season.  How do you get to peak mileage?  Just back off the intensity a little bit and run a little bit more.  It's that simple.  We've had a good 4 weeks of mileage and 3 weeks of practice, so it's time to bump it up.

How will this look?

You need to remember that after this Thursday, you guys will be on your own for the next 2.5 weeks.  This is a really good opportunity to dial into your own individual needs.  Please read the Summer of Malmo.  It should only take you about 5 minutes.  Summer of Malmo was written by former American Record Holder in the steeplechase, George Malley.  He is well known for having put in pretty big miles while still in high school and that leapfrogged him to a good college and professional career in the early 80s.  When Malley wrote this article, American distance running was in the dumps.  Times that seem pedestrian today were viewed as unobtainable back then.  Coaches and atheltes started readng this article, and adopting the principles.  I believe that this is one of the reasons that distance running in the US picked back up again starting in the late 90s and continuing today.  

How will this look? Part II

Some of you might be a little tired, having already built up to the mileage you're at.  If that is the case, you can take a down week this week, where you cut back by about 20%.  If you're still feeling good, you can keep building.

You have 6 weeks until we start practicing every day.  We'll only be meeting as a team for 3 of those weeks.  One of those weeks is camp, for the varsity group.  Let's use Shane as an example of how these next 6 weeks should look.

Shane the Bullet Train

Shane's goal for the summer is 700 miles, which means he needs to average 49 miles a week for the entireity of our 100 day period.  Shane just got to 50 miles, which means he's a little behind pace for 700.  This is the time for Shane to get AHEAD of the 700 pace.  So far, Shane has gone: 

• Week 1: 38.5
• Week 2: 45
• Week 3: 46
• Week 4: 50.

So, Shane has built up to what his average volume needs to be.  What does a catch up period look like?

• Week 5: 42 (if he was tired from the first month), 50 if not
• Week 6: (OYO) 55
• Week 7: (OYO) 60
• Week 8: 55 Back with the team
• Week 9: 60
• Week 10: 60 (OYO)
• Week 11: 45 (first week of organized practice) 

What about workouts?

On the weeks you run with the team, just do the workouts we do.  For the OYO weeks, do the workouts that you like the best.  Just make sure they fit in with what I've been teaching you.  The workouts should be controlled and you should not be blowing yourselves out.  Since you're running your biggest miles of the season (and probably of your lives) you can even go back to 1 actual workout on the OYO weeks....or simply follow Summer of Malmo for those weeks.  If you're planning to back off the workouts, grease the speed groove by running strides almost every day. 

I'm really excited about where we are at right now.  Let's make this season epic!

Camp 2025 Updates

 Hey Team

I've updated our team's Camp Page.  Thank you to those of you who've done what you need to do in order to be elligible.  For those of you who want to go, here's what still needs to be done.  

1. Make sure you've got your physical and that it's uploaded to athletic clearance.  If you don't have a physical yet, get one ASAP.  Download the form from our athletic department page. Click the athletic forms link
2. Bring your Deposit of $300 (that deposit won't be enough to pay for camp entirely, and that's where Fundraising comes in. If you are not selected for camp, you will get your full deposit back.  
3. Sell fundraiser tickets and participate in the fundraiser The fundraiser isn't just for camp, it's for the whole team.  However, if you want to go to camp, you're going to need to sell tickets AND help serve food during the fundraiser.  If we do well enough on the fundraiser, I will be able to return some of your deposits.  Camp will cost the team in the neighborhood of $8000 this year
4. Turn in a permission slip.  I will get these slips out the week we leave for camp.  

FYI, to see the checklist on the Camp Page, click the tab on the spreadsheet that says, Camp Checklist. 

LOOK AT MILLS!!!!

 In 1964, one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history happened when Billy Mills of the USA, sprinted past world record holder Ron Clarke to win the gold medal in the mens' 10000m run.  

I bring this up because the video of him winning in a thrilling kick displays one of the only examples I can think of where a distance runner uses really good sprint mechanics during the final kick.  I talked today at practice about the importance of constantly practicing, and rehearsing good running mechanics, so that when the time comes, and you're as dead as dead can be, you still can run powerfully and efficiently to move past your opponents.  

Here is a sample week of Mill's training.  When you see 110s, that means a 110 yard hard strider.  Notice how he did these almost daily as  part of a secondary workout.  

Mon: A.M--2 mile w/u, 4 mile "tee to greens" on golf course 2 mile cooldown

P.M-- 2 mile warmup, 2 miles of repeat 110s, 1 mile cooldown.

Tue: A.M.--2 mile warmup; 1 mile repeat 110s, 2 mile cooldown.

P.M.--1 mile w/u 2 miles of sprint 150, float 70, in 8:50, 4 mile cooldown.

Wed: A.M.--3 mile w/u; 1 mile of repeat 110s; 1 mile easy; 4x 880s in 1:59-2:00 with 330 rest; 2 mile c/d.

P.M.-- 4 mile w/u; xc run on sand with 1.5 miles easy and 1.5 miles at race pace, 2 mile cooldown.

Thu; A.M--3 mile w/u; 2 miles of easy 110s.

P.M--whirlpool and rest.

Fri: A.M--1 mile w/u, whirlpool

P.M--14 miles easy

Sat: A.M--3 mile w/u, 1 mile of repeat 110s; 6 x 1000 yards (slower than race pace) w/330 rest; 1 mile c/d

P.M--4 miles easy; 4 miles hard, 1 mile easy 110s, 1 mile cooldown.

Sun: A.M--2 mile w/u 1 mile easy 110s, 1 mile hard 110s; 1 mile easy; 1 mile cooldown.

Total: 90 miles

Here's another good video, with a little higher production value.  Note the crushed brick track (for those of you complaining about running on dirt at Hilmar. 

If you're interested, there was a good movie made about Mill's life called Running Brave (he is Lakota Sioux Native American).  

I kind of didn't want to do this.

 One of the beauties of being a distance runner is learning exactly what your body can and can't handle while at the same time applying the principles that we know will make you faster.  YOUR ability to figure this stuff on your own will make you not only a better runner, but a more responsible, foreward thinking human being in general.  I mean, if you have to sit down and map out a course of action to make yourself successful in running, you kind of have the idea of how to sit down and map out a course of action that will make you successful in school, jobs, etc....

That being said........many of you have NOT YET mapped out a course of action for this off season.  It's always a little puzzling to me that so many athletes who are all in for summer training when the weather is hot and gross, don't go all in for winter training where the weather is cool and conducive to going out and putting in big miles.  

Whatever the reason, if you want to have a good season, you need to get the miles in.  So, if you're having trouble deciding how much you need to run, you need to look no further than this template. I've mostly built this template with 2 principles

1. How much did you run during cross?
2. How much do you need to run in order to build to where I think you can ultimately end up.

What you'll see is that most of you hit 3-6 weeks of mileage that I think you should be able to hit 14 weeks of this summer.  So, if you're more cross country minded, think of this winter as the bridge to get you where you want to be next summer.

Oh, and by the way, you'll set huge PRs and help the team this spring as a result. 

Gettin' Back To It - The Right Way!

 Hey guys.  I was talking with Shane earlier in the week and he's off to a really good start in his build up for track.  Big shout out to him.  Remember the principals

1. Build to your previous peak mileage +5 per week (maybe plus 10 for some of you guys that were lower mileage during cross).
2. Sprint, full gas, once per week.  Keep them short.  No more than 8-10 seconds.  Full recovery.  Have a good warm up first
3. One "hard" run a week of whatever you feel like.  Could be tempo, could be fartlek, could be threshold intervals, could be progression.  Have fun with it.  
4. If you're feeling good, throw in a long run

State Meet Itenerary.

 OK team: It's finally here!

Our 27 week 2024 journey is about to come to an end.  Let's end it in style!

Please view the state meet itenerary attached here.

For parents and fans making the trip, we will set up our team area in or near to the Valley View Picnic Shelter. It is closer to where most of you will end up parking arriving for our races later in the day.  

Boys Race at 11:00

Sophie Races at 12:30. 

For those of you planning to make the trip, here is the meet website. Admission will be charged as you enter the park.