The Thing You Need Most

Address Your Weaknesses or Emphasize Your Strengths

Hey team.  Since we're in the 2 week dead period, then we have another week of team camp until we're all back together, this presents us with an opportunity for each of you to work on your weakest area.  Below, I'm going to describe how to fix a week area, or improve upon a strength,  and then put a list of names of kids that I think need to address that area.  Check to see where your name is and then make addressing your weakness your greatest priority for the next 3 weeks

Your LTP1 is too slow

Coach, what the heck is LTP 1?  See that blue line?  See how it doesn't go up until you reach a line labled LTP1?  That blue line represents blood lactate (we can just call it difficulty, fatigue, effort).  For people in this group, your fatigue level starts rising at paces that are relatively slow.  How do I know this? Because you're having a hard time holding onto a fast ish pace during your tempo runs.  Remember, if you make your easy pace faster, then you can run faster on all of you hard paces.

How do you make your easy pace faster? SLOW DOWN AND RUN MORE MILEAGE.  My suspicion is that for those of you struggling to increase your volume, you're running it too fast.  Running below LTP1 is not very hard.  Keep your pace to the point where you can speak in full, or almost full sentences during your runs and just go longer.  For this group, it's ok to drop to only 1 harder workout per week and really focus on upping your volume.

Ty, Jason, Noeli, Diego, Maci, Eric, Shane, Richard, Allison, Carlos, Ryan D, Tatiana, Tristan

You need to improve general strength and fitness

OK.  Maybe for you, you're running as much as you need to.  Many of our newer runners will fall into this category.  Your next step, before pouring on more mileage, is to make sure you're generally fit and strong.  For you guys, focus on the following exercises in addition to the running you're doing: Lunges, Air Squats, Push Ups, Planks, Side Planks, Back Planks.  Take 10 minutes do do these exercises every day.  Youre running will be better for it.  

Ale, Luke, Noah, Ryan S, Juan, Steven, Melanie, Gavin, Sandro, Bailey,  Sophia A, Aubrey, Landon, Tucker, Zeke (the last 3 of you need to run more too)

For you, things are going really well and we don't need to change anything

This should be self explanatory.

Bobby, Mason, Sam, Sophie B, Adrian (although you're a special case and we can talk at camp)

If you didn't see your name

You haven't been showing up or logging mileage.  I can't put energy thinking about how to make you better if you don't put energy into showing up or logging miles.  

Final Camp Roster

 Here it is!  The final camp travel roster

This was a hard choice this year.  If you didn't make the cut, it means you probably just aren't running enough right now. If your name moved up, or down the list from the last time, this is an indicator of how I feel you're doing this summer.  Take note!

Please read through the attached documents.

Pay special attention to the Camp Check List.  You will only be able to go once you have a YES by your name in all 3 boxes.  I must say that I AM DISAPPOINTED that so few of you took advantage of the two team physicals that were provided at the high school.  You will need to go seek out a physical on your own and get it uploaded to home campus before I let you get in the vans.  

Also, I'm going to have to raise the price again to $150.00 AND require that everyone who goes to camp participates in our raffle ticket sale at the homecoming game.  Food and lodging have gotten more and more expensive.  Please pay in CASH, as I use that cash to pay for groceries, fuel, etc..... while we are on the trip.  Whatever cash is left over will be deposited in the team account.  

Atwater Run for Independance

 Hey team.  I know I'm putting this up a little late, but there is a road race in Atwater on July 4th.  

Here's the link. 

Sometimes its fun to test your fitness half way through the summer.  We haven't had anyone go to this race in a while, but it could be a good opportunity to break up the monotony of the summer with a hard run. 

If you're experienced, I'd say go for the 5 miler and treat it as a hard tempo effort for the first 3.5 miles or so.  

Plan for the Next 2 Weeks

 Unfortunately, I'll be out of town.

Starting on Tuesday, I'll be vacationing in Colorado.  This summer, that time fram was the only time that worked out where my son was off work and we could travel.  Sorry.  I'm going to publish the next two weeks of workouts.....Plus, I've already typed the sheets up and will give them to Coach K on at practice on Monday.  

6/17 - Tempo run in Arb (we'll do this 3 times in the next 2 weeks)

6/19 - Sprint training. Easy run + Drills + Wickets + Short Sprints

6/20 - Tempo run in Arb

6/24 - 3 min CV Intervals on the Track

6/26 - Sprint training.  Same as 6/19

6/27 - Tempo run in Arb

For the rest of the days, just fill in with as much easy mileage as you can do comfortably.  You should be approaching your peak volume

These last 2 weeks will be the deciding factor for who goes to camp.  Please check our Camp Page for a list of our tentative travel roster.  This roster can change based on your attendance and training over the next couple of weeks. 

Run easy to get fast?

Training Zones

At practice, I've talked a little bit about the fact that there are different physiological processes that your body relies upon to produce energy and that the greatest factor to improving those processes is to spend TIME working at the level that maximizes each process.  Take a look at this video, to help you understand how endurance athletes use TRAINING ZONES to help determine how hard they should be running (or riding in this case)

Zone 2 Training Benefits

Watch this video to help yourselves understand HOW training only at a lower intensity can lead to increased performance at a higher intensity. 

FYI.  In this video, they are using a 5 zone model. When I plan a lot of your training, I think in a 7 zone model.....no biggie, zone 2 is still the same in the 5 and 7 zone model. 

Your homework.....explain this graph

Your other homework......tell me how to find your training zone 2 and training zone 4.  (Hint, look at around the 12 minute mark on the first video)

6 Minute Test Results

Hey Team....check out the 6 minute test results on the mileage page.

Here are the highlights.

Boys Top 7

Bobby -1900

Mason - 1770

Sandro -1730

Adrian - 1720

Sam - 1700

Luke -1700

Erick - 1650

Total = 12170

I wanted to compare to last year's 6 minute test, but a bunch of people didn't run the June test, so I took our 7 best tests from ALL OF LAST SUMMER and added them up.

Boys Top 7 (2023)

Dom - 1950

Bobby - 1840

Levi - 1695

Israel - 1650

Shane - 1625

Ryan - 1620

Sandro - 1610

Total = 11990

This means that our boys, on the June test alone, averaged 26m per man further than the best 7 of the entire summer last year.....AND, we have a couple of potential big dogs that didn't even run the June TT this year.  

How about them ladies, you ask?.....EVEN BETTER

Girls Top 7

Sophie - 1650

Noeli - 1600

Ale - 1550

Maci - 1375

Sophia - 1350

Aubrey - 1350

Maggie B - 1330

Total = 10,205

Girls Top 7 (2023 - TVL Champions)

Cailin - 1550

Maggie S - 1550

Ale - 1520

Pearl - 1420

Noeli - 1400

Bailey - 1200

Maya - 1200

Total = 9,880

This means that our girls were a full 52.5m better per runner than the best results from the entire summer from last year's TVL championship team.  

Compare these results to the resuts from 2019 (one of our best boys teams ever and our girls were pretty good that year also).  That spreadsheet is sorted by results from the August test.  I think our boys could get pretty close to that by August and our girls are already there.  

Good stuff, Huskies!  Keep up the good work. WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED

Summer 2024, Guidelines

Here We GO!!!!!

Hi team.  I was really happy with the turnout at our pre-season meeting.  It was great to see so many athletes excited about cross country.  Our best, funnest seasons are the years that we have lots of kids bought into the idea that they want to excel.  So let's talk about how to do that. I will use this blog to communicate information about the season to the team.  It's the easiest way for me to get large amounts of information out to everyone.   

For new athletes and parents, read through the "tips for newbies and parents" page on this blog to get started.  For everone else, let's start runnin'!

For all athletes and parents, check our nutrition page.  After all, you wouldn't put crappy gas in a race car, would you? 

When you report mileage, I'll be linking it to our Summer Mileage Page.  As of the time I'm writing this, 2023's infor is still posted

For this upcoming Week - Returning Runners

80-90% Week

Monday: 10 min easy + 8 x 1 min on 1 min off + 10 min easy

Tuesday: Long run #1 for the week.  Done during 7th period final.  I'll have snacks for you after. 

Wednesday: Very easy shake out as needed for mileage or Off

Thursday: Progression run.  Run out for 20-25 min easy, then turn around and come back at just below threshold pace. 

Friday: Very easy as needed for mileage + strides or Off

Saturday: Long run #2

Sunday: Off

Remember, you want to hit eighty to ninety percent of peak volume this week.  We'll back down a little for next week when we start workouts.  

For beginners

Simple, run as frequently as possible.  Make running a habit.  Don't make it hurt, or you won't want to do it.  All you can do is jog around the block one time, then just do that.  Your first goal is to get to the point where you can run around 20 minutes every day (or at least 6 days a week) without it wearing you out.  

Remember, write down your mileage on the calendar and send it to me on the remind app at the end of the wek.