The 1600m runner should be able to...
• Run a very good 3200m...one distance "up"
• Run a very good 800m...one distance "down"
• Run a solid 5000m/5k...two distances up
• Run a solid 400m...two distances down
Can you?
Show me a program where the varsity runners cheer on the JV runners and the freshman runners, and I'll show you a team that will be at the state meet for years to come.
Related...
Upperclassman: You have no idea how cool this is for freshmen and sophomores.
Athletes: If you do everything your coach assigns this summer you'll have a great fall.
You don't need extra workouts, secret training, or an outside strength coach.
But you do need to be consistent.
It's a simple recipe for success, but it won't be easy.
Let's go!
Two of the best ever, at every level of their careers, going all out for a very long time.
My guess is that most HS runners would be well served to see this and visualizing themselves doing the same.
This video has about 100 retweets. Should it have 1000?
In college, I was the 7th runner on a couple of good teams at the Univ. of Colorado.
In my mind, I had a simple task for each race: displace as many of the other team's scorers as I could.
If you're the 6th or 7th runner on your team, you can help your team a TON.
Let's go!
There’s two types of XC athletes:
1. Those who think bad weather is a net positive and will help them displace athletes who are fitter than them but have poor attitudes.
2. Those with poor attitudes.
Which one are you?
To run your best XC race you'll have to endure discomfort. You'll have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
So when your coach asks you to do a workout or a long run or post-run strength and mobility that's hard, remember that you're preparing to run PRs, even in the summer.
Embrace the shorter distances to run your best distance faster.
1600m runner: value the 800 and 4x400.
The half marathoner needs to be able to run a decent 5k - the faster the 5k the faster the half marathon.
If the 800 is your race, how fast can you run 400m and 200m?
Athletes: What's in your control these final weeks?
• Sleep
• Hydratation
• Visualizing the race
• Being the "right level" of excited for the race
Two things that aren't in your control
• The weather
• Course conditions
Focus on what you can control, not what you can't.
“Sleep is like a secret ingredient in the recipe of running success.”
- Chapter 13 in my book Consistency is Key 🔑
HS athletes: the more you value sleep as a crucial part of your training the faster you’ll race. You can’t make physiological adaptations without recovery.
Unlocking the 800m is hard for come XC coaches.
Here are some things to keep in mind.
• Faster than race pace 200s
• 150s and 120s that are much faster than 800m PR pace
• 150s and 120s at PR rhythm that feels easy and fluid
And 4x400m legs every chance you can get...
Athletes: Sunday is a great night to get into better sleep habits.
• Can you get off your phone 30-60 min earlier than normal?
• Can you get to bed 15-20 min earlier than normal?
If you can ingrain these habits in the next two weeks, you'll race faster in Oct and Nov.