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EARLY SUMMER RUNNING
Although it may seem to you that cross-country season is still a long way off, what you do in June may be more important than anything else you do this summer to get yourself ready for a great year. June is when you develop your summer running habits and your sense of commitment to cross-country. If you dont' start running right away and get into the habit it will be ten times more difficult in July. Good runners run...that's all there is to it. No one has ever found a short cut to successful distance running and I don't think you will either. RUN! June 13-July 4
What you run during these first few weeks is not as important as making your commitment is. Start a program where you run every day until it becomes a routine. The morning hours are better than later in the day - for your body and for air quality. DO it right away and get it over with. Running with friends or family members will also make it easier. Keep your running fun or you may get discouraged. I'll get you in racing shape during the season, you just make sure you come in with strong legs and a little bit of endurance. Your goal for each of these first few weeks is to run at least 20 miles. Your mileage should include flats, hills, and once-in-a-while, some fartlek. Try to alternate between easy and hard days and be sure to take one day a week off altogether. July 4-10
OK, it's time to get a little more specific with your workouts. THe goal for this week is 25 miles. Include at least one hilly run of 6-8 miles so that you start to strengthen your legs. (Remember, cross-country is an endurance sport). Your "short" days should be flat runs with a little increased tempo work. On one day, run 2-3 miles at a comfortable pace, then crank it up for about 5 minutes before dropping back down to your comfortable pace again. July 11-17
25 miles is your goal. Start out the week wiht an easy 4-6 miler over flat or gentls terrain. On the next day, try to run 8 miles like this: Run easy for the first two miles then push hard for mile three. Drop back down to an easy pace for a mile and then crank it up and run the 5th mile hard again. Finish the run with 3 more miles of comfortable running. Make sure the "push" segments are not on steep uphill. The rest of the week's mileage is up to you. July 18-24
25 miles is still your goal. Let's try to hit the hills 3 times this week but don't overdo it if you haven't been doing some hill work already. THe run from school to Matador Point is a good one (easy) and there are a few trails at Ranch San Antonio that aren't too bad. Hill running is a good chance to do some "resistance" training. The most beneficial parts of your run are obviously those when you're running up hill. Focus on those segments and run them hard. WHen you erach the top of a hill, push your pace so that you start to learn how to recover without dropping down to a jog. July 25-31
Try for 30 miles this week! Keep alternating between long and short days and never work hard 2 days in a row. Your body needs rest to perform at peak level and 2 or 3 days of hard work this early can break it down. Assuming Sunday was your day of rest, go for a nice long, slow run on Monday of 8-10 miles. On Tuesday, run the railroad tracks or come over to school and run on our track alternating 3 minutes hard and 3 minutes easy until you've run 18 minutes. Stop, give yourself a short rest and then repeat. Jog at least 10 minutes for your cool down. Wednesday should be another comfortable run of 5-8 miles. On Thursday, challenge the hills. You might run comfortably to the base of Fire Trail and then push to Garrod Gate if you can. Be careful coming back down so we can save the knees. Friday and Saturday can be long, slow runs again. August 1-7
30 miles again is your goal. If you seem to be running well and are not having any health issues, try for three challenging hill runs with short flat days in between. I know you're itching to get back to the Power Poles and you should be ready by now. When you come back down to do your flat running, alternating 800s and 600s at faster than race pace is a great workout. Keep your faster segments crisp. If you're too tired to do them right, don't do them.
August 18-14 and August 15-21
Treat these two weeks the same. Shoot for 40 miles each week and keep everything long, slow and comfrotable with the exception of a little fartlek every now and then. It's very important that you not over do your training here. I want you to come to practice on the 23rd feeling like you havne't been running enough, I don't want to see you dragging physically or mentally.
Coach Morris
(408) 842-7895