If you could give a high schooler 3 tips on summer training for cross country, what would they be?
If you could give a high schooler 3 tips on summer training for cross country, what would they be?
increase mileage by 10% each week until 10 miles per week higher than last summer or whatever
do 1 speed workout a week (not all out)
stretch a lot
increase your long run
Be consistant.
Run 6 days a week.
Sleep 9+ hours a night.
These are good tips so far. My problem is that I'm just getting over my injury from mid-track season, a stress fracture in my metatarsal. My coach wants us to do all out workouts and hill sprints, again all out, in the second week of summer training. I had to stop running for 7 weeks and cross train. I want to build my base back up, and the girls who didn't take any break at all are running at top speed already. How do I balance my return with not falling too far behind? I don't want to spend the whole summer and season playing catch up to them. I'm fine with a workout once a week, but the "all out" part is too much after my injury, and it seems like most summer training programs don't do all out stuff anyway. I'd train on my own but I'm a captain, and that wouldn't look good for me to not train with them. Help?
Don't be afraid to do your own thing and make your own decisions. That is an essential skill if you wish to make the next step in running performance.
Stay off letsrun.com and listen to your coach.
Not all coaches have good summer plans and some coaches don't treat their athletes as individuals. Some kids can run longer and more intense from the beginning and do well. Some need a more gradual start to be able to kick ass in the end of the season. I asked because my situation is a little different coming off an injury, being a captain, and my coach wanting me to run all out after being off for 7 weeks (4 weeks were in a boot). I cross trained but running on land again is a whole different thing. In my three years I was never injured, so I need to take this seriously. I want a good senior year and get to the post season healthy. So all the "listen to your coach" comments don't apply to everyone. That's what a forum is there for. To help.
Hills once per week.
Grass intervals. Id recommend 200-400 once per week, and a couple 1000m blasts once per week. No need to concentrate on rest amounts. Just be sure they are good.
Fartleks. 1k on 1k off on grass for maybe 10k.
A good crisp long run on sundays.
Pullups from a hanging start, forwards, backwards. Ab routine too.
You're coming off an injury: is your GP or another doc on your medical team a runner? If so, go over your injury status with him/her and if necessary have them communicate with your coach as well. A PT could also do this, but proper chain would be first trying an MD. The point is, sounds like your coach may not fully be appreciating the gravitas of your injury, or at least your own concerns about returning from it.
If not already done, obviously, evaluate your training shoes and your XC spikes to determine if they're the best model for you and if at all contributory to your injury—or possible future injuries.
From your comments here you seem very mature and bright. I'd recommend you read Larry Greene's book "Training Young Distance Runners" and evaluating your coach's training program against some of what he says in that book. It would be very hard for me based on limited info and not knowing you to make very specific training recommendations or to evaluate your coach's own program, but you probably can weigh his advice vs your own condition and needs at least somewhat. In general, yes, listen to your coach, but do not let him put you in a place where you'll revisit injury if you can help it. My personal view as a coach is to always be conservative in treating and preventing further injury, and also always to adhere to recommendations from qualified clinicians.
I would feel awful if I ever had an athlete "go all out" only to aggravate their injury and have them in poor shape for the end of XC season or worse, to ruin their track season come spring.
Thank you for your advice. I will look into the book you mentioned and I'll try talking to my coach too. I got new trainers and will buy spikes when they get the new ones in. My doc isn't a runner but my PT is and works with runners a lot. She released me to running and said "I trust you to not do anything stupid", which I know means not going all out just two weeks back to running after a stress fracture. I know my coach means well, but I need to be healthy for the XC season and track season. I plan to have my best season yet. Gotta be healthy to do that.
Isn't summer meant for fun runs and building mileage anyway? I get a little bit of speedwork, but not 2-3 days a week??
Do NOT do the Summer of m a l m o
Since he used performance enhancing drugs, it is not recommended that you follow his program. For whatever reason, he left that part out when he ill-advises people on training.
Cggjj wrote:
Stay off letsrun.com and listen to your coach.
+1
Lets get back to reality, if your for real. I need about 13 week roll of 750 miles at the end of that 13 weeks. Need a GPS watch and need you on dirt roads, golf courses..soft ground. Were gonna start now with a gentle long interval training hopefully done on your state course. Easy start out flow with like 2000, 1200 and 1000 X2....with 4 or 5 min rests. Next week will go to altitude, if possible, and start out with getting handle on your Tempo. The max will finally be a 4.1 mile Tempo. Ultimate goal in 3 months is at least 5:05 pace. Slow progression to this pace of course. Six days from now will start an easy 600,300,300 200,100,100X2 easy, huge rests. Everything needs to be documented and logged. A few days you may have to double to keep up and hit that 750 in 13 weeks. So maybe you do a GENTLE 3 mile shake out this morning at 7:10 pace, then your meeting me tonight at some golf course where I have measured our 2000, 1200, 1000. We will be inserting a progression run soon, when you start feeling stronger. Maybe taking place of your long run. Maybe 1 hour 15 minutes, different speeds, and eventually going to almost tempo pace for the last 8 minutes. Your gonna have to put in the work, or you just won't be ready for the big dances. IMHO.
The what you say? wrote:
Be consistant.
Run 6 days a week.
Sleep 9+ hours a night.
I like this, but I would have to clarify what consistent means.
has been2 wrote:
Hills once per week.
Grass intervals. Id recommend 200-400 once per week, and a couple 1000m blasts once per week. No need to concentrate on rest amounts. Just be sure they are good.
Fartleks. 1k on 1k off on grass for maybe 10k.
A good crisp long run on sundays.
Pullups from a hanging start, forwards, backwards. Ab routine too.
Why Sundays?